More Lessons From Tangled

As I mentioned in my previous Lessons From post, you can learn a lot about good storytelling from Tangled. I could go on and on about the various things the story does right, but I decided to focus on two items. Last time I talked about emotionally abusive and manipulative relationships. This time I want to to mention creating a character the audience can identify with.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is the "Best Day Ever" scene where Rapunzel goes back and forth on leaving her tower. Who else thinks they accurately depict what goes on in our own minds whenever we make a big decision? In watching this scene, it got me to thinking, have I ever seen or read a scene truly depicting the back and forth that so many people do go through. I don't think so. You occasionally see a scene where a character might mull over whether it was the right decision, but the back and forth is a new one. And oh so true to human existence. I've been doing my own brand of back and forthing all spring and summer on various major decisions in my writing career and in my personal life. It's been a very interesting time. Tangled's "Best Day Ever" scene accurately expresses my own rolling emotions.

Do you have scenes where your readers can connect to your heroes?