Writing is such a strange thing. As writers, we get these characters and stories in our heads and put them down on paper. Sometimes we know exactly what happens plot wise, other times we have a character shouting in our heads. We all have different processes and write with different voices.
What I find interesting, is that no matter what genre we write in or what age group we write for, one thing stays the same.
On a basic level, they're all the identical. Stories are about characters overcoming problems. The hero sets off to accomplish a goal and struggles his way to the resolution. Some are huge, high-stake epics, and other are quiet character journeys, but they all fit that classic story format.
To me, this is comforting because I always know where I stand when I start writing a story. I know what I need to do (even if I'm not yet sure how to do it). The details are all totally different, but the same ideas are there in every book. When I get stuck, or feel lost, I know I can go return to these foundation questions and find my way back to the story.
These are great questions to ask yourself before you start writing, revising, or any time you feel you've lost what you were trying to do with your novel. I even like writing the answers on post-it notes and sticking them to my monitor to keep me focused.
1. What does the protagonist want?
This is the reason the character is there and the book exists in the first place. It works on the external plot and then internal character arc. If you can't answer this, the story is going to give you trouble. You won't know what the book is about or what's driving your plot.
Sometimes the answer is plot focused, (to stop the terrorists before they blow up the Stature of Liberty), other times it's character based (to be free), or even a mix of the two (to find love again with the man she left behind).
If the protagonist didn't want this, there would be no story.
He might not know he wants it when the story opens, but by the end of the first act (roughly 25% of the book), he's been smacked in the face with the story problem and now has a solid want/need/goal driving him to the end of the book.
(More on goals here)
2. Why does it matter?
Character motivation is key to making your reader care about what your protagonist wants. People don't do things for no reason. Even if that reason is selfish or dumb, there is a reason and it makes sense to the person doing it. What's more, is that reason is personal. It's a reason that could only apply to this person in this circumstance. Otherwise, anyone in the vicinity of the plot could be the hero.
Let's look at an example:
What does the protagonist want: To stop a group of thieves from robbing a building.
Why does it matter? He's a cop and it's his job.
See how having a plot reason about why it matters falls flat? Any cop could show up at that building and the story is basically the same. You want your hero to act because it matters to him personally.
Why does it matter? Because his estranged wife is being held hostage by the thieves.
The non-personal answer is any forgettable cop plot. The personal answer is Die Hard.
Don't skimp on why it matters. This is what will make the reader care about the cool premise you've come up with.
(More on character motivations here)
3. How will the protagonist's life change forever if he doesn't get it?
This is the number one most important question in the entire book. If there are no life-altering consequences to not getting what he wants, why spend an entire book on this part of the character's life?
If the hero goes through the entire experience and failing doesn't change him, it's not really personal. Being sad about a bad thing happening isn't enough. We're all sad about bad things that happen every day, but they don't affect us in any long lasting way.
Let's go back to the building...
If the cop doesn't stop the thieves and save his estranged wife, his wife will die.
That's personal and life changing. Not only will he have failed to save the woman he loves, but he'll know that he was there in the building and failed to protect her. For a cop, that has to be doubly hard because it hits him on a personal and a professional level. Professional he could get over, it's part of the job. But add that personal level? Now even the professional is made more personal.
If he failed to save his wife, how good at his job is he? And they were estranged. Did he fail on some subconscious level? Did he want her to suffer a little for all the pain she'd put him through? Now there's doubt about the kind of person he is in addition to doubt about being a cop, a husband, and even a man. He'd have to explain to his kids why he couldn't save their mother and let her die. They'd never look at him the same way again.
That hits hard.
If your protagonist can pick himself up, dust himself off, and start over another day if he fails, then your stakes aren't high enough.
It's important to add that "life and death" stakes aren't the only kind. You can have high, life-altering stakes over smaller issues and problems. "Death" can be metaphorical. A loss of confidence, a change in how you see yourself in the world, the death of a belief you always held as truth are all life changing, even if you go on afterward. The key is that failing changes the character for the worse.
And since we're talking about life and death...Be wary about making death of the protagonist the stakes. Having the hero die seems like the highest stakes you can get, but how often does the hero actually die in a story? Readers know the hero will survive, and even that he'll succeed in the end, because that's how storytelling typically is. Try looking for fates worse than death.
(More on personal stakes here)
These are not the only questions to ask when working on a book, but these are ones that get to the heart of the story and clarify if you have a decent story or a great story. It doesn't always take a lot to elevate from good to great, and even if you have the right pieces, you might not be taking advantage of them.
- What does she want?
- Why does it matter?
- What about her life changes if she fails?
Writing fun! This week, let's come up with some life-changing ideas. Tell me what your protagonist wants, why it matters, and what will change if they fail. It doesn't even have to be your story if you don't want to share. Pick your favorite book or movie and pinpoint those critical elements. (It's good practice, too)
Since I can't really judge these, I'll randomly pick a commenter to win a 1000-word critique. I think I'll start announcing the winners on Tuesdays from now on (it's just easier), so you have until Tuesday, March 5, 12:00pm EST to comment. (you do have to do the exercise to win)