Leo Tolstoy had the key to writing sophisticated stories. In most of our lives the most difficult situations occur when we are torn between options which have both good and bad points:
Take the job out of town and make more money and feel more satisfied, but make the kids move schools in the middle of a school year?
Stick with an unhappy relationship in hopes that somehow it will improve, or give up all hope and split?
Of course the big blockbuster movies don't bother with that kind of thing, it's the noble cop or detective or superhero vs. Dr. Evil, and if that's your cup of tea, that's fine. Certainly there's a lot of money to be made in that genre if you can crack it.
If your goal is to pull your readers or viewers into a story that resonates with them, Tolstoy's advice is better.
(If you'd like to learn to write from the best, get a copy of my very new book, "Your Creative Writing Masterclass." It features writing advice from more than 100 classic and modern writers, plus my guidance on how to apply that advice to what you want to write. It's published by Nicholas Brealey and you can get it from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)
