Top Gun: Maverick: Useful Lessons in Storytelling

Top Gun: Maverick. Useful Lessons in Storytelling

Top Gun: Maverick pulled in blockbuster ticket sales in its opening weekend. Filled with heaping doses of nostalgia and getting Cruise back in the cockpit to perform real aerial stunts as pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.

Here are some nuggets from this blockbuster that we think could apply when we are storytelling.

Why trying matters

Every great story is, at its core, a tale of a protagonist’s struggle. This character is somehow broken, faced with an uncertain future, confronted with ghosts from the past untested, or lacking in something they need or want.

The protagonist might want to confront his deepest fears, solve a mystery, find the treasure, or discover true love. They also generally need to understand a greater truth about themselves or the world, or how they can become a better person in some way. They set out to achieve both of these ‘external’ and ‘internal’ goals, even if they don’t know it yet.

The struggle is everything

We love to see a protagonist succeed, but it’s their battles that fascinate us. We relate to the incremental steps a protagonist takes towards achieving their goal — the things the character learns about themselves, their friends, the world they’re in, and even their enemies. As humans, we innately connect with someone else’s journey to figure out a problem and come up with a plan.

A great and memorable protagonist undergoes a tremendous internal and external struggle that mimics our own lives. When the character encounters roadblocks, we share their frustration. When their antagonist deprives them of their goal, we want to scream. In the story, our hearts beat a little faster when Maverick is forced to confront his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that requires the sacrifice of those chosen to fly in it and leave his loved interest behind.

Successes need to be hard-won

We find a character interesting because they dig down deep to figure out a solution to the roadblocks that are in their path. They try and fail, try and fail, and finally, try and succeed.

It is only in those efforts that we learn to love them and follow along with them. And they have to really work at it. If their goal is too easy to achieve, we’ll feel cheated.

Moving soundtrack

The best stories engage all of the senses. The more senses that are stimulated, the more people will not only relate to your story, but be moved by it. The ultimate achievement is that people recall your message as an idea of their own, rather than something that they heard.

If you want to appeal to the subconscious and compel people to act, you have to form an emotional connection. Music is a powerful, invisible tool in achieving that goal. It’s an intricate expression of controllable elements that helps influence the way people interpret your message.

Thanks for reading and hope this article inspires you to convey the next story you craft.