Patty, I tend to look at “fate” a bit differently in terms of the story-crafting process.
Why does this story have to happen to this character at this time?
Patty, I tend to look at “fate” a bit differently in terms of the story-crafting process. That the journey the Protagonist experiences is the one they must experience. It’s their narrative imperative. That’s why I have my students begin their story prep process with this one of eight questions:
Why does this story have to happen to this character at this time?
If the Protagonist goes on a journey, which is their fate, the natural course of their unconscious goal (need), then if it’s a unity arc, that should be enlivening to an audience.
But I hear you: The way things are going in the world today makes fate look like a pretty mean dynamic. At the very least, what we can do as individuals is try to align ourselves with our bliss and move toward becoming the person we are meant to be.