Readers expect engaging storytelling and may stop turning pages if you don\u2019t give it to them. \u00a0If you tend to hesitate in the creation of your story, here are some steps to take to make your stories bolder.<\/p>\n
This technique is so important it even has a Latin name:\u00a0in medias res<\/em>. \u00a0This means starting your story at a particularly exciting moment, and then giving necessary background information in flashbacks or other forms of exposition.<\/p>\n Even if you don\u2019t kick off your novel with a big action scene, draft one soon after you start your project. \u00a0It will remind you of the level of tension you want. \u00a0Remember, you can always revise and re-sequence your scenes.<\/p>\n Generally, your characters should have a tough time of it. \u00a0So, ask yourself what can go wrong, from the mundane (flat tires) to the bizarre (turning into a giant cockroach) to the most creative (I\u2019ll leave that up to you). \u00a0Have fun with the problems you create for your characters. \u00a0What, given the situation, would interfere most with your character\u2019s current intentions? \u00a0Perhaps she\u2019s about to officiate at a wedding, but gets an uncontrollable case of the hiccups. \u00a0Perhaps he\u2019s running a race when he hears gunshots. \u00a0Brainstorm to come up with several possibilities, then choose those that serve your story best. \u00a0Warning: don\u2019t give your characters so many trivial problems that you never get to the real action.<\/p>\n Life is great when we get along with people, but this is not true in literature! \u00a0Your characters should have trouble with each other. \u00a0Not with everyone, and not all the time, but more than you (I hope) experience in real life.<\/p>\n Conflict occurs when a pair of characters have wants such that cannot both be fulfilled. \u00a0Your characters can have conflicts with each other, with city hall, with an organization, with another country, or even with their own society. \u00a0Note that conflict can exist within the self \u2013 a person can have conflicting desires, such as wanting to be rich but not wanting to steal. \u00a0Your characters become complex when they have conflicting desires.<\/p>\n Perhaps character A is in conflict with character B \u2013 but what does this mean for the story? \u00a0At some point they should\u00a0confront<\/em>\u00a0each other.<\/p>\n Confrontations are often major scenes, climaxes, so you want to make them as gripping as possible. \u00a0What are the worst things that the characters can say to each other? \u00a0Where would be the most embarrassing time and place for the confrontation? \u00a0Should the peccadillos of the high school teacher be discussed in a private office, or should the information come out during a graduation ceremony?<\/p>\n Who comes out stronger during the confrontation? \u00a0That depends where you are in the story. \u00a0Perhaps it\u2019s a draw; perhaps one side wins; perhaps one side seems to win but is not as well-positioned as they believe. \u00a0Perhaps they even resolve their differences! \u00a0Remember confrontations should provide your story with memorable scenes and fascinating consequences.<\/p>\n I\u2019m working on the story about Clytemnestra, sister of the more famous Helen of Troy. \u00a0The novel is in first person, which means Clytemnestra isn\u2019t present at some well-known events \u2013 yet skipping those events would cheat the reader! \u00a0I had to find some way around this. \u00a0As Clytemnestra was known for her network of spies, I felt she could still talk with authority about events she did not witness personally, such as when Helen leaves Sparta to be with her lover Paris and how the Trojan Horse was built.<\/p>\n Your own approach depends on time, setting and inclination. \u00a0Eavesdropping is a common trope, from Nancy Drew to Harry Potter. \u00a0If your story is set in a modern era, you can use bugs and recording devices. \u00a0Finally, you can incorporate more than one point of view. \u00a0For example, in Andrew Weir\u2019s\u00a0The Martian<\/em>, most of the story is told through the perspective of Mark Watney, the astronaut stranded on Mars, but the reaction of those on Earth is too good to leave out of the story.<\/p>\n How to show and how to tell are topics for another article, but the trick is to know when to show and when to tell. \u00a0Some parts should be summarized and told; some should be skipped over entirely; and some should be shown in lavish detail so that the reader feels every flutter.<\/p>\n This article has concentrated on things going badly \u2013 after all, fairy tales used to end with the phrase \u201cthey lived happily ever after\u201d \u2013 implying that\u00a0happily<\/em>\u00a0was not worth story time. \u00a0However, unremitting badness makes for a depressing reading experience; sometimes your audience, or at least your characters, need a break. \u00a0Besides, good stuff happening, or at least appearing to happen, can lead to the bad stuff. \u00a0The day that Mark Watney was chosen for the team to Mars must have been a good day, and without that good day he would never have been stranded on Mars. \u00a0Exercise extreme creativity in your good scenes as well \u2013 what unexpected great event would fulfill the heart\u2019s desire of your protagonist?<\/p>\n Be fearless, be bold, and give your readers an experience that is as thrilling, moving and unforgettable as you can make it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","categories":[8],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/355"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Create crazy problems (and opportunities).<\/h2>\n
Seek conflict.<\/h2>\n
Engage in confrontation.<\/h2>\n
Find ways to show the most exciting stuff.<\/h2>\n
Know when to show and when to tell.<\/h2>\n
Good stuff happens, too.<\/h2>\n