Every time I read a script I ask myself “what’s the point of this story?” That leads to the larger question: “What’s the purpose of telling any story?” Stories started out as a way to teach and shift consciousness in students and groups. The purpose of Greek tragedy was to purge the emotions of pity and fear through catharsis. Tribal cultures would take their initiates on emotional journeys through story about someone similar to their age and situation. The potential warrior would identify with the main character of the story and, through empathy, feel the expansion of his personal world concept. Through the shaping of a story's sequence of events, the tale-weavers learned how to excite, teach, enlighten, stir to action, soothe, or uplift. So, the shaping of the story became important in leading the audience to the intended state of consciousness. The form of story-telling was a result of the function of provoking this emotional journey to catharsis. Hence, we have structure.

However, in order to have a story, we need a main character. In order to create empathy in the intended audience, this character needs to go on an emotional journey. The purpose of this journey comes from some value out of balance in the character created by some emotional ghost that results in some need for fulfillment, or balance. We can perceive this need as manifesting in some flaw, or childish behavior. From this need comes desire, and desire leads to action. Action will create reaction from some opposing force. The fledgling hero/ine’s response to this opposing force will be another life-challenging decision to act.

At some point in the story, the young hero/ine will come to a place where the current belief system and childish behavior no longer works. There will be a need for an expansion in consciousness in order to succeed. Since the original decision to act led him outside his framework of emotional security, he finds that his childhood behavior no longer works. He must transform himself by realizing a more mature perspective, which sometimes shifts the nature of the outer quest, or gives him a new path to the original quest.

In any case, new skills and new consciousness have developed as a result of having to survive in an uncomfortable, unfamiliar emotional environment. In a well-told story, this journey follows a basic template of rising and falling conflict that is nevertheless as original as a snowflake.

Because of the nature and purpose of story, a form has been created to fulfill the function of inner expansion. However, to perceive the function of story, the story-teller must be aware of why he/she is writing the story. So, form follows function follows awareness.