I was in the middle of writing a lengthy post that busts one of the biggest myths of screenwriting and, if you were to follow my advice, would improve the quality of your current screenplay by exactly 243%.

But it’ll have to wait.

I might be behind the curve on this one. I usually am. But it’s too good not to share. Point your peepers at J.J. Abrams’s break-neck presentation in which he wields a personally-meaningful yet universally understandable  metaphor to explain the power of story to engage us.

Also, he tells us what the island is.

Tip of the hat to Plot Point Zero, who got there first.

UPDATE:

Yeah. Okay. Abrams’s TED talk is old news. I get it. Sorry. Here’s something fresher and rarer, from a living literary Titan.

And it kinda jives with what Abrams was saying. Surprise is everything.

(Wait for the pompous windbag to stop talking, then listen to your Uncle Ray)