The Zen of Story Structure: The Meaning of Failure

Ultimately, the characters will either achieve their desired outcome or Fail to do so. The reasons for Failure (and in fact the Failure itself) may not be bad. For example, in the course of trying to arrive at an outcome, the characters may decide it was wrong to want it, or learn that achieving it would hurt people. Whatever the reason, be it nobility or no ability, if the outcome desired at the story’s beginning is not achieved, the story ends in Failure.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Story Development Software