Novel Writing - Raising the Stakes

I am still working on my writing, trying to learn what to do. That's another part of my education I am trying to chronicle here. That's why I checked out Nathan Bransford's How to raise the stakes in a novel. He makes the following recommendations:

The best way to think of the “stakes” more specifically is in terms of rewards and consequences. If the character succeeds, they get something great. If they don’t, something terrible is going to happen.

Thus, the very simple key is to ask yourself these two questions:

• What does my character think will happen if they succeed?
• What does my character fear will happen if they fail?

That’s it! That’s all you need to know!

Of course, it’s not quite that simple. That’s because…

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So for every major character in your novel, you should know three things both on a macro level and in every scene:

1. The things the character wants
2. What they think will happen if they succeed
3. What they fear will happen if they fail

And don’t forget this: Your reader needs to know these things too.

The motivations and fears can sometimes be implied or hinted at instead of explicitly stated, but if your reader doesn’t have a sense of what the important characters want and what they are risking to get it, you have a problem on your hands.

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So if you want to raise the stakes, think of it in these two ways:

• How can I broaden the canvas so my character’s potential success or failure has a greater impact on the world of my novel?
• How can I increase the amount that success or failure matters personally to my character?

In other words, the two ways to raise the stakes involve personal and external motivators. 

I am unsure how to apply his Ideas for raising the stakes but I will have them in mind while I work on my novels. Just what I need - more to think about!  

sch

10/19/2021