`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
-Lewis Carroll
Hunting stories is a dangerous business that I don't recommend anyone undertake lightly. To find and capture your story is not enough. You have to make sure you get it home alive. Treating it like prey will only make it fight back. Before you know it, you've speared it dead and then it's time to start all over again.
Treating the beast like a pet typically works better. If nothing else, at least it will keep you comfort while the cast of characters gets their act together and the scenery decides to fill in the empty patches. If you care for it long enough, it'll will grow into something worth keeping.
Clever post. What you don't mention is transformation - how a story can start as one thing and end up something completely different.
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