You might think that Cracked.com is only all about the snarky, funny articles about how the earth wants to kill us or :::, and you'd be close to that.
But that doesn't mean the authors aren't doing their research, and it doesn't mean you can't learn something from a Cracked article (beyond the snark and tidbits of trivia).
I am currently reading (meaning I paused in my reading just to share this with you) an article titled, "4 Things Science Fiction Needs to Bring Back" and the author, Robert Brockway just mentioned something that struck a chord. he's discussing the current trend of genre, and how sci fi is seeing an increase lately. The article is what he thinks is leading to that, such as the optimism in sci fi (true, not all sci fi), and it's focus on the future of mankind rather than navel-gazing.
He says, "Great sci-fi isn't about a person; it's about people."
I would generalize that too, to say that "great genre isn't about a person; it's about people", or even "a great story isn't about a person; it's about people."
Telling a story, especially in genre writing, can't be about focusing on one person and their internal struggle to the exclusion of all other people. It can't be about every other character's actions, dialogue, thoughts and feelings revolving around the protagonist. There has to be interaction, and it strengthens the story when that interaction involves people with opposing goals and motivations, and not necessarily those people being the "good guy" and the "bad guy".
Think about the bigger implications of the story. Think about the plot beyond the protagonist's needs and wants. Think about the people of your story, not just the person.
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