[…] I’ve been thinking about this advice/idea to “tell a simple story with complex characters – not the other way round”. I find that very attractive. Initially I thought the idea would refer to a simple, clear story goal and we get to see all sides of the character as he moves towards it. And I still believe that’s its key meaning. However, the complex character part is straightforward, I get that. But the simple story? What, in its execution, makes a story simple? I dug around the net but nothing really came up. It seems that some people …read more […]

For me, there are three defining characteristics: i.) Once the story world is defined, the premise and inciting incidents is generally set up as minimally and as simply as possible. ii.) When the world & premise are set, the story's plot derives from the characters, which is to say plot emerges as a consequence of their personalities and behavior in the story world. iii.) The story is pared down to as few characters as are needed (but not fewer). Personally, what I look for is a *cleaner* story, rather than a simpler one. The key is to ensure that what happens in the story flows logically and as a consequence of what happens before. That doesn't preclude a complex tale or any twists or turns, because complex characters behave in complex ways. But it does mean that one should avoid any "deus ex machina" type plot points: consequence, not coincidence. Furthermore, by reducing the number of characters, any "fluff" is minimized, because all words must now serve only the most important things in the story.

Simple story: Man released from prison seeks and finds his lost lover by taking on a new identity, posing as the new county sheriff. Meanwhile she has married the local DA pregnant with the prisoner's kid. This is the Cinemax series, ,Banshee. Not exactly simple. But certainly intriguing. What makes this work is the unfolding of more and more layers of characters, and relationships. Just when you thought you had a handle on the plot, it thickens. And this seems to be a new model unfolding in the world of cable series, like The Newsroom or even True Detective. The later is certainly a great example of very highly complex and unfolding not-so-buddy characters in a simple who-done-it plot. And yet the unfolding subplots add complexity and back story. I think maybe it all depends on the audience. The Banshee - True Detective audience has to be sophisticated and intrigued by hidden meanings and subtext. They thrive on complexity and seeing things unfold, sometimes with ambiguous meanings that can be interpreted in multiple ways. Otherwise people get annoyed with questions about how things seem too unreal to them. Some audiences need to be handheld through the plot with so expositionary action and dialogue that it becomes a two year old's fairy tale, or maybe the special Olympics of story telling. If your audience is kids, then yeah, stay simple. But over 40, you better give me something thought provoking. Having said that, Wall-E is amazingly thought provoking, and not in the story nor in the characters. They are all fairly simple. It's more in the subtext of the story. The concept of the ruining of earth forcing people to live in space dependent on technology, along with the consequences that we see unfold. That's what I would all a successful complex compelling story. But it's all in the subtext. It makes you think. It doesn't lead you by the hand.

Great question Nicola, and insight, Scott, pliny and Jon. Your thoughts remind me of my favorite touchstone/mantra: "Everything leads to the end."