Where the story begins: the Habit is normal here, the King rules, and the Protagonist's talent is unwelcome.
Applies to: All story types
Definition
The region where the Protagonist begins the story. Home is where the Bad Habit is considered normal, logical, or necessary for survival. The King rules here, and the King's Law is what everyone lives by. The Protagonist's Ironic Talent is often unwelcome, dangerous, or simply irrelevant in the Home World — it has no place here yet.
Why This Term Matters
The Home World is not just an opening location — it is the source of the Habit. Whatever the Protagonist does wrong, they learned it here. The King taught it to them. Understanding the Home World means understanding why the Protagonist's Habit made sense once, even if it no longer does. That understanding is what gives the story its moral complexity: the Habit is not stupidity or weakness. It was survival.
Key Properties
- The Habit is rewarded or at least tolerated here
- The Ironic Talent is suppressed, hidden, or treated as dangerous
- The King holds authority and teaches the King's Law
- The Protagonist must leave (physically or psychologically) to enter the Strange World
- The Home World often reappears in Sequence AA — the Protagonist is pulled back
In a Kind Comedy — Examples
Ratatouille: The rat colony in the countryside and sewer system. Stealing food, hiding from humans, scavenging — this is survival. Remy's refined palate and culinary instincts are a liability here, not an asset.
In Bruges: The criminal underworld run by Harry. The code is the law. Blind obedience to orders is not just expected — it is the only moral framework available. Ray's capacity for mercy and independent judgment has no place here.
Good Will Hunting: Southie — the working-class neighbourhood in Boston. Loyalty to the neighbourhood, distrust of institutions, emotional self-protection. Will's genius is something to hide, not display.
In a Tragedy
Coming soon.
Related Articles
- What Should Happen in the First Act — how the Home World is established in Sequence A and challenged in Sequence B
Learn More
The Home World is mapped in detail in the Kind Comedy Course on learn.tale-spinning.com and introduced in the free Fundamentals Course.