Storytelling | Writing techniques

We’ve Been Lied To: This Is the Real Hero in The Princess Bride

All thanks to a simple storytelling technique

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My mom says I’m the kid from The Princess Bride.

It’s true. I identify with characters strongly, I dive into new worlds quickly, and I get so caught up with the plot that it’s sometimes audible. I gasp, I cry, and I voice my thoughts.

When I become truly invested in a movie, my mom always says, “Noa, don’t worry. The eels don’t eat her this time.” That is based — of course — on the iconic scene:

𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙵𝙰𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁
(𝚘𝚏𝚏-𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗) 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙴𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎.

𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙺𝙸𝙳
𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝?

𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙵𝙰𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙴𝚎𝚕 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝙸’𝚖 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚜.

𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙺𝙸𝙳
𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚜.

𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝙶𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚜.

𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙺𝙸𝙳
𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚋𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝’𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐.