Most of Crichton's stories could be described as cautionary tales of science fiction with a huge dollop of science fact. He described the "perfect story" himself in one of his books. In a pivotal scene in his 1996 hardcover release, "Airframe," a character, a TV producer, is trying to decide how to write a story around a critical airplane accident.
What she is looking for is a way to shape the story so that it unfolds with immediacy, in a way the viewer can follow. According to her, the best TV shows engage the viewer by presenting the story as a conflict between good and bad. The idea is that the audience will understand a morality tale and accept it, no questions asked.
Have a look at this excerpt:
"Because the story also had to unfold quickly, this morality tale had to hang from a series of hooks that did not need to be explained. Things the audience already knew to be true. They already knew big corporations were corrupt, their leaders greedy sexist pigs. You didn't have to prove that; you just had to mention it. They already knew that government bureaucracies were corrupt and lazy. You didn't have to prove that either. And they already knew that products were cynically manufactured with no concern for consumer safety."
Michael Crichton is telling us how he writes his novels.
What she needs the producer says, is:
"A fast-moving morality story, happening now."
