The work on Fable’s story began with, of all things, writing a traditional short story — one driven by the “classic” hero’s journey elements. As James says, “The reluctant hero, the call to arms, the mentor all appear in the traditional way.” The initial short story set up one prototypical version of events, broken into scenes. Then these scenes were broken down further, with the dialogue pulled out and bullets for any important physical actions (those for which new animation would be required).