Raise the stakes. The stakes aren’t high enough. This story lacks oomph. Have you heard any of these lines before? Was it in regards to your story? Yikes. If that’s the case, you need to understand how stakes work.
But, what are stakes? They’re the fear factor of the story. They affect the suspense, conflict, and impact of the plot. Why are the characters doing what they’re doing? What will happen if they don’t do this? What will they lose? Often, authors use the life or death of the protagonist or that of someone they care for as stakes. But, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, the outcome affects the world. For example, catch the villain, destroy the virus, or everyone will die. And other stories focus on intimate stakes. If a character doesn’t achieve his goal, he’ll be miserable or devastated.
So, what are stakes really about? Goals. Without them, your character wanders around doing things for no reason. There are no consequences and no rewards for what he’s doing. And therefore, the reader doesn’t care about him.
But the stakes need to be important to the character. If Sean needs to keep Kathy safe from a mob hit because that’s his job, then his job needs to be important to him. What will happen if he loses it? Of course, you can go a step further with this and have him develop feelings for her. Now, the stakes have just increased because if he fails to keep her safe, not only will he lose his job but the love of his life, too.
The next time you hear that you need to raise the stakes in your story, you’ll know this means your protagonist doesn’t have a strong enough goal or his goal isn’t properly motivated. But, you’ll need to dig deeper if you’re going to raise the stakes. The protagonist’s goal must follow him throughout the story and after each failed attempt at achieving his goal, his need to reach the unattainable becomes stronger.
Now, go back to your WIP and double check if your stakes are high enough. Even if you think they are, can you possibly make them higher? Can you punish your poor character even more? Always ask yourself, “What does my character have to lose?” Then, make him lose it (only to regain it later, at the end of the novel) or force him to fight so he doesn’t lose it—whatever “it” may be.
Lynnette Labelle
www.labelleseditorialservices.com
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Great advice, especially on various examples of what the stakes could be.
ReplyDeleteA nice reminder.
ReplyDeleteNow, what is my protagonist's current goal.
I will add this to my cheat sheet.=oD
ReplyDeleteGreat advice! THanks for sharing :) Raising the stakes can be tricky!
ReplyDeleteI have been learning about writing with risk. It seems the only way to make writing genuine and worth readig is to have something at stake. If the writer doesn't have anything to lose by writing about it, then the reader likely won't connect to the piece in the way that the writer hopes.
ReplyDeleteLove the way you put it; punish your character! That is life, isn't it? Thanks for a great post.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Of course, there are other ways to raise the stakes, but it all boils down to making your character suffer more and more. Okay, you can let him/her off the hook at the end but not too soon. Give him/her one last kick in the ribs first. ;)
ReplyDeleteLynnette Labelle
www.labelleseditorialservices.com
This is so true and so important to any story. Perhaps the stakes don't have to be so high as the characters saving the world, but they need "something" to guide them along, and it has to at least be important to them (and hopefully something human enough that most readers can relate).
ReplyDeleteVery informative article. I am always looking for way to raise the stakes when writing thrillers. I think of it as goal plus what the protagonist stands to lose if the goal is not reached. If the loss is not severe enough then the reader will not care.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year