All stories take place in a fictional world, also known as the diegetic world. The diegetic world is every location shown in the story and every location implied by the story. Part of good storytelling is establishing where the story takes place. The more the diegetic world resembles the world of the reader, the easier it is to establish the world for the reader.
.archetypes
Bringing Them Together 102-13
Every character goes on a figurative journey; they begin with a dream or goal, struggle with challenges, reach a crisis, and make a choice. But each character’s journey is unique to them. Some advance faster than others, and many start and end at different times.
A Fork in the Road 102-12
III. Crisis, Epiphany, and Resolution
In the beginning the crises are small, but over time they build in magnitude, pushing the character closer to a breaking point. Eventually there comes a moment when the stakes are high, and the character is uncertain. Whether through anger, fear, despair, or desire, the character is torn between the call to be a hero, and the temptation to be a villain.
The Journey: How All Characters Begin 102-11
I. It Begins with a Goal
Every character starts with a goal, usually a desire to change things. This goal takes the form of 4 distinct roles; adventurer, achiever, victim, and leader.
Writing Past Stereotypes 102-4
Working with and Past Stereotypes
“Write what you know” is a common phrase people hear when starting out, but at some point every writer is creating characters different from themselves; people from different parts of the world, different professions, cultures, and personalities, not to mention the fact that half the world is a different gender.