So, you've got your story. You have it timed and know how long it takes to tell. It's a good, solid piece. But sometimes you think...I want more, how do I add more?

I was watching So You Think You Can Dance last week, and realized that they (and other shows like American Idol) know how to do it!

Each performer does a dance (or on other shows, sings a song, or does some sort of act). For the contestants who fail to go through, that is all we see, the basic storyline.

But for those who continue, more is added. We want to know more about this person. Where do they come from? How have they struggled? What challenges have they overcome? Who encouraged them?

The producers accommodate us and show us "side" stories: How their parents gave up everything for them; how they almost died in an accident, but survived; how they overcame drug addiction, etc. These bits and pieces of the contestants' lives are what make it interesting for us. They make us feel for them and want to cheer them on. Just the way we might see characters in a story.

The guy or gal who comes on and does a whacky song and then gets cut is like a bit of comic relief.

But the singer or dancer, who gets the call to perform, struggles, gets help from a mentor or parents, wins the prize and then returns to their home town...who does that sound like?

So take a tip from the producers of these shows, whom I believe may have read Joseph Campbell. They understand the process of a good story.