The past two posts have been important questions of character development. By establishing a strong desire, the main character can push the story forward. By putting obstacles in their path, the story is advanced in meaningful ways and the character is forced to confront their inner demons. But all of that is moot if it never matters if they succeed at their goal.
The last major question to ask about the character is “What’s at stake?” What happens if the character doesn’t achieve their desire? What if they fail? It is this question that gives the character motivation to overcome their obstacles. It is what gives the story urgency and importance. And, honestly, it may be the stakes more than anything else that allow us to identify with a character. Without clear stakes, we as an audience don’t know what the point is.
Every desire, no matter how banal, has stakes associated with it. Even the desire for a coffee and the obstacle of driving to Starbucks. The stakes are comfort. The achievement of desire. But that’s not a good story, is it?
The more dramatic the stakes, the better the story. Look at the Lord of the Rings films. The desire of most of the characters is clear: destroy Sauron by destroying the ring. The obstacles are numerous. There’s an entire army of orcs and Uruk-hai. Good guys go rogue. He’s made allegiances with the other men from the east. What is at stake? The entire freedom of Middle Earth. Elrond makes this pretty clear at the council at Rivendell. Should the Hobbits fail at destroying the ring – should Sauron be reunited with it – the entire free world would fall to his oppressive, evil regime. Those are some pretty high stakes. These high stakes are what get us so involved in the story.
So what is at stake in our lives? I think it can depend on the desire. Maybe a marriage is at stake. Maybe physical or emotional health. Maybe the achievement of a closely held dream. For some desires, maybe it’s something much more tangible. If you don’t get that job, you won’t be able to eat. Without your passionate drive to end sex trafficking, more women will be oppressed and suffering will continue. The larger the stakes, the scarier it is to live life as a story.
To me, one of the most motivating stakes in my life-as-story thoughts is waste. I’m terrified of wasting the life and talents that God has given me. For many years now, I’ve hated the word potential. According to my teachers and mentors growing up, I’ve been given a lot. One of the things at stake in my life is turning around and thinking that I didn’t achieve that potential. I’m absolutely terrified of arriving at the pearly gates and, like the wicked man in the parable of the talents, having nothing to show for the gifts I’ve been given.
I don’t think this is an abnormal fear. We’ve all been given magnificent gifts. We have minds that can think. Most of us have bodies that work normally. We have passions and desires and the ability to achieve those things. What a waste of all that if we don’t even attempt to pursue those desires.
What’s at stake for your desires? What will you be forced to deal with if you don’t achieve it? What won’t you get if you don’t overcome your obstacles?
The last major question to ask about the character is “What’s at stake?” What happens if the character doesn’t achieve their desire? What if they fail? It is this question that gives the character motivation to overcome their obstacles. It is what gives the story urgency and importance. And, honestly, it may be the stakes more than anything else that allow us to identify with a character. Without clear stakes, we as an audience don’t know what the point is.
Every desire, no matter how banal, has stakes associated with it. Even the desire for a coffee and the obstacle of driving to Starbucks. The stakes are comfort. The achievement of desire. But that’s not a good story, is it?
The more dramatic the stakes, the better the story. Look at the Lord of the Rings films. The desire of most of the characters is clear: destroy Sauron by destroying the ring. The obstacles are numerous. There’s an entire army of orcs and Uruk-hai. Good guys go rogue. He’s made allegiances with the other men from the east. What is at stake? The entire freedom of Middle Earth. Elrond makes this pretty clear at the council at Rivendell. Should the Hobbits fail at destroying the ring – should Sauron be reunited with it – the entire free world would fall to his oppressive, evil regime. Those are some pretty high stakes. These high stakes are what get us so involved in the story.
So what is at stake in our lives? I think it can depend on the desire. Maybe a marriage is at stake. Maybe physical or emotional health. Maybe the achievement of a closely held dream. For some desires, maybe it’s something much more tangible. If you don’t get that job, you won’t be able to eat. Without your passionate drive to end sex trafficking, more women will be oppressed and suffering will continue. The larger the stakes, the scarier it is to live life as a story.
To me, one of the most motivating stakes in my life-as-story thoughts is waste. I’m terrified of wasting the life and talents that God has given me. For many years now, I’ve hated the word potential. According to my teachers and mentors growing up, I’ve been given a lot. One of the things at stake in my life is turning around and thinking that I didn’t achieve that potential. I’m absolutely terrified of arriving at the pearly gates and, like the wicked man in the parable of the talents, having nothing to show for the gifts I’ve been given.
I don’t think this is an abnormal fear. We’ve all been given magnificent gifts. We have minds that can think. Most of us have bodies that work normally. We have passions and desires and the ability to achieve those things. What a waste of all that if we don’t even attempt to pursue those desires.
What’s at stake for your desires? What will you be forced to deal with if you don’t achieve it? What won’t you get if you don’t overcome your obstacles?
1 comment:
Not directly related to your post (although your posts on storytelling make me miss my writing courses), but have you ever gone to Calvin's Festival of Faith & Writing? The speakers are writers and editors in a bunch of different mediums including fiction, graphic novels, and television/film. They host it every other April, and it's coming up in 2012. They offer practical workshops, but a lot of sessions are talks on the intersection of faith and art. I've gone since college, and personally, the artistic high I get from it lasts about three months. It seems like it would be something right up your alley. Ok, advertisement over. :)
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