There’s an old saying that goes, “If you loan someone $20 and never see them again, it was worth it.”
Last night I went salsa dancing and during the course of the evening I realized that a twenty dollar bill I had in my pocket had been lost. For a few minutes I stopped what I was doing and looked for it – under the chair I was sitting on, in my other pockets, in my wallet, until I finally caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror.
Here I was having a great night with friends and I was concerned with $20.
I stopped my search and went back to what I had been doing and had a wonderful night!
Did I lose something or gain something?
Too often when we tell our stories, we focus on the want and ignore the need. To really refine your writing (and improve your story) have the first part of the story focus on what your main character thinks they want and have the resolution deal with the moment they realize what’s truly important.