The MICE Quotient
Stories are made of four elements, mixed in different proportions: Milieu, Inquiries, Characters, Events. These elements can help determine where a story starts and stops, and the kinds of conflicts your characters face.
MILIEU: DRIVEN BY PLACE
1)	a) [Image of house] → b) [image of map] → c) [location flag] 
a)	Your character enters a new space. Example: Gulliver's Travels
b)	Struggles to exit. Tries to survive in. Attempts to navigate.
c)	Your character exits the space. Note: they do not have to return to the starting place.
INQUIRY: DRIVEN BY QUESTIONS
1)	a) [question mark] → b) [line graph with questions marks on each point] → c) [exclamation mark]
a)	Your character asks a question. Example: Sherlock Holmes
b)	Is lied to. Can't understand. Dead end answers (red herrings).
c)	Your character answers the question.
CHARACTER: DRIVEN BY ANGST
1)	a) [frowny face] → b) [mirror] → c) [smiley face]
a)	Your character is unhappy with an aspect of self. Example: Catcher in the Rye.
b)	Tries to change ways. Attempts to break out of role. Self-loathing.
c)	Character has new understanding of self. Note: This is about internal conflict.
EVENT: DRIVEN BY ACTION
1)	a) [exclamation mark in triangle] → b) [sword] → c) [check mark]
a)	Something disrupts your character's status quo. Example: Godzilla
b)	Tries to set things right. Fights. Chases. Explodes. Builds.
c)	The status quo solidified. This can be the original or a new one. Note: This is about external conflict.

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Tread the MICE elements like nesting code in html, so that you open and close story elements in the inverse order: Ex: <m><c></c></m>