M.I.C.E. stands for:
- Milieu: the setting
- Idea
- Character
- Event: the action
Good stories have multiple M.I.C.E. threads going on.
The formula for calculating the approximate length of a story (a rough predictor):
length = (#characters + #stages) * 750 * #threads / 1.5
Stage is scene or scenic location.
750 is the average of 500 and 1000.