As an editor, I find myself spotting a few of the same big-picture issues over and over. So, a quick thread! — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
As an editor, I find myself spotting a few of the same big-picture issues over and over. So, a quick thread!
— Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
Top 3 big-picture problems I see most often:1. Lack of agency2. Impersonal stakes3. No character arc4. (Bonus!) For romance: no conflict — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
Top 3 big-picture problems I see most often:1. Lack of agency2. Impersonal stakes3. No character arc4. (Bonus!) For romance: no conflict
Agency= a protagonist's (or any character's) ability to act on the plot more than the plot acts on them. — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
Agency= a protagonist's (or any character's) ability to act on the plot more than the plot acts on them.
Lack of agency results in plot-driven stories, where the characters are constantly just reacting to events & other's people decisions. — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
Lack of agency results in plot-driven stories, where the characters are constantly just reacting to events & other's people decisions.
On impersonal stakes: these are stakes that either *seem* to matter but don't really, or stakes that matter but not to the MC personally. — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
On impersonal stakes: these are stakes that either *seem* to matter but don't really, or stakes that matter but not to the MC personally.
Superhero stories often have impersonal stakes. "I must save the city!" Okay. Why does "the city" matter more to you than anyone else? — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
Superhero stories often have impersonal stakes. "I must save the city!" Okay. Why does "the city" matter more to you than anyone else?
To make impersonal stakes personal, layer them into the character's backstory and/or motivation. — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
To make impersonal stakes personal, layer them into the character's backstory and/or motivation.
Character arcs are arguably one of the best ways to take a story from "a nice read" to "THIS STORY MADE ME CRY/HAPPY-SIGH/HULK SMASH." — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
Character arcs are arguably one of the best ways to take a story from "a nice read" to "THIS STORY MADE ME CRY/HAPPY-SIGH/HULK SMASH."
Character arcs are the process by which your plot challenges your characters & forces them to change & grow, for better or worse. — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
Character arcs are the process by which your plot challenges your characters & forces them to change & grow, for better or worse.
For positive arcs, the character starts with some internal problem or flawed world-view. They acknowledge it, try to overcome, & finally do. — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
For positive arcs, the character starts with some internal problem or flawed world-view. They acknowledge it, try to overcome, & finally do.
Negative arcs (usually villains, or sometimes in literary fiction) are reverse: they eventually give in to or are seduced by their flaw. — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
Negative arcs (usually villains, or sometimes in literary fiction) are reverse: they eventually give in to or are seduced by their flaw.
Lastly, romances! I see MANY where there's no actual conflict, nothing (or only a superficial thing) keeping the couple from being together. — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
Lastly, romances! I see MANY where there's no actual conflict, nothing (or only a superficial thing) keeping the couple from being together.
A really strong, organic way to develop romantic conflict is to give your lovers opposing goals. — Naomi Hughes (@NaomiHughesYA) April 8, 2017
A really strong, organic way to develop romantic conflict is to give your lovers opposing goals.
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