A Sip from the Ocean of Emotion: In Praise of Meaning and Feeling in Screenwriting and Storytelling

Written By Adnan Nassari

Abstract

A narrative is more than a structural arrangement of plot points and actions; it represents an emotional and existential journey through the human psyche. This article offers a reflective and poetic exploration of the emotional and meaningful dimensions of screenwriting, arguing that a compelling screenplay emerges not from mechanical formulas but from an intuitive understanding of the human need for feeling and purpose. Drawing upon the insights of Iglesias (2005), Frankl (1946), Truby (2007), Campbell (1949), and McKee (1997), this work demonstrates that stories become truly memorable when they satisfy the audience’s thirst for emotional connection and existential depth—like a sip from an infinite sea of feeling.

Keywords: emotion, meaning, screenwriting, storytelling, human psyche, myth, transformation

Introduction

People read, write, and watch stories not merely to understand—but to feel. Every narrative that deeply moves its audience stems not solely from logic or technique, but from the heart. If screenwriting were only about crafting imaginary worlds, algorithms could create cinematic masterpieces. Yet, stories are made by humans for humans—and humans, before understanding, feel.

As Iglesias (2005) emphasizes, “Writing is an invitation to experience” (p. 1). This article embraces that invitation, venturing into an examination of emotional resonance, existential meaning, and the mythic structures that shape compelling narratives.

The Ritual of Storytelling: Rebuilding the Soul Through Narrative

Since the dawn of civilization, storytelling has functioned as a ritual of healing and meaning-making. Narrative is not just entertainment—it is a sacred act in which suffering is shaped into significance. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell (1949) outlines how mythic structure mirrors the inner journey of the human soul: a departure from the known, a confrontation with shadow and suffering, and a transformative return enriched by insight.

These archetypal patterns are deeply embedded in the collective unconscious and continue to resonate through modern storytelling. Vogler (1998), adapting Campbell’s insights for contemporary screenwriting, frames this structure as a practical model—but the essence remains the same: transformation.

Stories, in their deepest function, are ceremonial paths for the renewal of the self. Each character’s arc becomes a metaphor for the human condition, reflecting our shared longing for wholeness and meaning.

The Emotional Engine of Story

At its core, storytelling is fundamentally an emotional endeavor. Although narratives may seem to focus on external events, these events serve primarily as vehicles for expressing inner emotional journeys. Memorable stories invite audiences to experience emotions such as love, fear, hope, sorrow, and courage, which then unfold into personal and transformative change.

Effective screenwriters recognize that their primary responsibility is not to inform or explain but to evoke feeling in their audience. This feeling is not incidental to the plot; rather, it is the plot itself. Iglesias (2005) asserts, “Emotion is the screenwriter’s ultimate goal” (p. 15). Consequently, the most impactful screenplays are not those driven by surprising twists but those that cultivate profound emotional resonance.

Consider the silent cinematic moments that linger well beyond the final credits—a meaningful glance, a tear, or a small act of kindness. These are not mere “plot points,” but rather emotional pulses—beats of meaning that endure because they touch something deep within the human experience.

Story: A Tapestry of Emotion and Meaning

A story does not follow a simple linear trajectory from beginning to end; rather, it resembles a richly woven tapestry composed of emotions, meanings, doubts, hopes, fears, and desires. Within this complex fabric lie recurring motifs—golden threads that function like silent echoes, unveiling hidden layers of meaning. These motifs transcend mere signs or symbols, acting as psychological resonances that reflect the inner world of the audience. When an image, word, or action repeats and reverberates, the mind recognizes it as a familiar whisper, transforming the story into a form of unconscious poetry.

From the perspective of existential psychology, human beings are fundamentally seekers of meaning. Frankl (1946), in his seminal work Man’s Search for Meaning, argues that suffering is bearable only when connected to a deeper sense of purpose. He famously stated, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how’” (Frankl, 1946, p. 115).

This insight extends to fictional characters as well. When a character’s goal exists solely to drive the plot—without grounding in personal or existential purpose—the screenplay risks lacking emotional and philosophical depth. Hence, many of the most enduring and affecting narratives focus not just on external objectives but on the character’s inner experience of meaning.

Meaning and the Human Condition

Feeling alone is insufficient to constitute a story. While a scream may express emotion, it does not form a narrative. What elevates raw emotion to the level of art is meaning—the understanding that such emotion points toward something broader and more universal. Meaning bridges the personal experience to the collective human condition.

Frankl (1946) argues in Man’s Search for Meaning that humans are not simply pleasure-seeking beings but are fundamentally meaning-seeking. We endure suffering not because it is pleasurable, but because we believe it holds purpose. Storytelling, in its highest form, reflects this search for meaning. Through narrative, we pose essential questions: Why? For what purpose? What now?

Characters that captivate audiences are not those who merely desire things, but those who require something deeper. A character may seek revenge, yet what they truly need is healing; they may crave fame, but what they long for is love. Truby (2007) emphasizes this distinction between want and need as essential for powerful storytelling. Within the space where want and need intersect, emotion and meaning intertwine, granting stories their profound spiritual significance.

The Power of Emotion and Meaning in Screenwriting and Storytelling

In lasting narratives, what remains most vividly in the audience’s memory is not merely the plot or theme, but the emotional experience—the felt journey that immerses them into the story’s world. What evokes tears, laughter, silence, or awe in viewers is not simply the events, but the meaningful emotion beneath them: a lived feeling, an internal resonance that gains personal significance and emotional clarity.

Many notable screenwriters and theorists identify a character’s psychological need as the core of dramatic tension. However, the depth and impact of this need arise from its intimate connection to the character’s emotional journey and the underlying meaning of the narrative.

For example, in The Shape of Water (Del Toro, 2017), the mute protagonist’s emotional encounter with an otherworldly creature constitutes a deeply internal voyage. Meaning in the film is conveyed not through explicit dialogue, but through experiences of belonging, understanding, and love. The poetic form of the film becomes a vessel for expressing this emotional truth.

In Manchester by the Sea (2016), the protagonist does not undergo redemption or transformation in response to loss; rather, he remains trapped in a painful liminal space between acceptance and release. His suffering manifests as a palpable, bitter sense of self-unforgiveness, with the story’s meaning residing precisely in this tragic incompletion.

Similarly, Inside Out (Docter, 2015) provides a compelling example of symbolic narrative form expressing emotional experience. The film redefines Sadness not only as a valid emotion but as a bridge toward connection and meaning.

The Role of Myth and the Archetypal Journey

The intertwining of emotion and meaning finds its most potent expression in myth. Myth is not simply a collection of ancient stories; rather, it serves as a map of the human soul. Joseph Campbell (1949), in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, demonstrated that the hero’s journey is not a rigid formula but a reflection of psychological and existential growth.

In this journey, the hero departs from the known world, endures trials, confronts death, gains profound insight, and returns transformed. This process is not solely external; it mirrors an internal psychological evolution. Each individual is a hero, venturing into the unknown realms of their fears and desires.

Screenwriting that draws upon this mythic structure resonates deeply—not because it mechanically follows a template, but because it evokes something universal. When audiences observe a character confronting their shadow, they see their own struggles reflected. Witnessing sacrifice, they experience the cost inherent in transformation.

Thus, myth shapes emotion and embodies meaning within narrative form. It bridges personal experience with collective wisdom.

The Unity of Thought and Emotion

In a profound screenplay, thought and emotion are not separate entities but rather interdependent forces that support and fulfill each other. The protagonist is not simply a decision-making machine but a vulnerable, searching individual in need of meaning. While theme and message accompany meaning, they do not replace it.

The theme represents what the story is about—for example, loneliness or redemption. The message is the idea the story aims to communicate—for instance, “meaning is found in solitude.” Meaning, however, is the lived experience arising from the dynamic interplay of emotion, character, and situation; it is personal, internal, and often ineffable.

Character, Need, and Emotional Experience

McKee (1997), in his influential work Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, emphasizes that a narrative must originate from the character’s inner need and reveal it through the progression of the story world: “What the character wants is what he needs to survive—but he’s unaware of it” (p. xx).

Similarly, Iglesias (2005) underscores the importance of grounding specific emotions within particular narrative contexts. In Writing for Emotional Impact, he writes, “We invest time in stories because we want to feel something. Period” (p. xx).

Theme, Need, and the Wound of the Character

Every profound narrative reflects the wounds, needs, and inner motivations of its characters. It is through these wounds and unmet needs that characters gain depth, and their interactions with the story world become the driving force of the narrative. Jung (1964) introduced the concept of the “shadow” as a part of the human psyche that contains suppressed aspects and deep psychological wounds. Confronting and integrating this shadow within character development adds psychological realism and emotional resonance.

Theorists such as McKee (1997) and Truby (2007) emphasize that the depth of a character arises from a clear understanding of their psychological needs and emotional scars. A compelling contemporary example is found in The Shape of Water (Del Toro, 2017), where the character Elisa embodies someone silenced and marginalized within a rigid and prejudiced society. Her wounds—rooted in gender-based discrimination and her inability to express herself—stand in stark contrast to her deep need for love and acceptance. This internal conflict forms the film’s thematic core: a universal human desire for liberation from social and psychological constraints, expressed through a tender and transformative love story. As Maslow (1943) outlines in his hierarchy of needs, the need for belonging and love is among the most fundamental human motivations, and denial of such needs can result in lasting psychological trauma.

McKee (1997), in his seminal work Story, also highlights the critical role of inner conflict and emotional wounds in shaping compelling characters. These internal struggles infuse a narrative with depth and intensity. Therefore, a clear understanding of the character’s wounds and psychological needs is essential both for crafting their arc of transformation and for allowing the audience to engage with the narrative on a deeper emotional level.

Emotional Engagement

No audience member is ever merely a spectator; when a story is crafted with care, they become a hidden participant. Emotional engagement functions as an invitation to empathy. The audience must be drawn into the heart of the character’s inner struggles, witnessing their fears, hopes, and doubts. Only through this intimate connection does the story become etched into the soul. This lasting imprint is not created by clever dialogue or unexpected plot twists, but by the honesty that emerges from the character’s wound and need (Iglesias, 2005; McKee, 1997).

Conclusion

Ultimately, what elevates a screenplay or story beyond a mere sequence of events and dialogues is not the complexity of its structure, but the depth of its experience—an experience infused with emotion, meaning, and the fundamental needs of the human spirit. While technique may provide the framework, it is the lifeblood of feeling and the pulse of meaning that bring a work to life.

Audiences do not go to the cinema to analyze; they enter the darkness of the theater to live, even if only for a moment, a genuine experience within an imagined world. This lived moment becomes real only when the writer or filmmaker ceases to be merely a planner and transforms into a seeker, navigating the boundless ocean of feeling and meaning.

A single drop from this ocean can shake the soul of the audience and leave a lasting imprint on their heart and mind. In the end, art does not reside in delivering answers but in awakening profound human questions. A screenplay, when it transcends the boundaries of structure and enters the realm of human experience, becomes a force—not merely to tell a story, but to touch a life (Iglesias, 2005; McKee, 1997; Campbell, 1949).

Written by Adnan — forever caught between the weight of meaning and the freedom of dreams, a follower of the shadows of thought in search of the light within the heart of story.

References

Campbell, J. (1949). The hero with a thousand faces. Princeton University Press.

Del Toro, G. (Director). (2017). The shape of water [Film]. Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Docter, P. (Director). (2015). Inside out [Film]. Pixar Animation Studios.

Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man’s search for meaning (I. Lasch, Trans.). Beacon Press. (Original work published 1946)

Iglesias, K. (2005). Writing for emotional impact: Advanced dramatic techniques to attract, engage, and fascinate the reader from beginning to end. WingSpan Press.

Jung, C. G. (1964). Man and his symbols. Dell Publishing.

Lonergan, K. (Director). (2016). Manchester by the sea [Film]. Amazon Studios.

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346

McKee, R. (1997). Story: Substance, structure, style and the principles of screenwriting. ReganBooks.

Truby, J. (2007). The anatomy of story: 22 steps to becoming a master storyteller. Faber & Faber.

Vogler, C. (2007). The writer’s journey: Mythic structure for writers (3rd ed.). Michael Wiese Productions.