The central idea is that when reading a story, you replace yourself as the main character.

FORBES: New Study Says We Take on the Traits of Our Favorite Fictional Characters

Hooper paid tribute to his mother, who had drawn his attention to the story after she attended a reading of the tale when it was an unproduced play.

BBC: Director Tom Hooper with his dad Richard

There's nothing more frustrating when reading a story or when watching a movie than being led off at a tangent as the author indulges in some pointless navel-gazing.

CNN: Uncovering the secrets of storytelling