Current Project: DECEIVEDStatus: Chapter Five
Last night I finished critting my CP's latest manuscript. I can't begin to tell you how fabulous this book is. I have that tingly feeling reading it because I know it's going to sell. It's THAT good. And it's fun to know that ahead of time, because I think it rarely happens. However, something struck me last night when I was reading the climax. Something we all probably instinctively know, but don't often think about.
A few years ago, Chris York gave a talk to our chapter about plotting. And one thing she said has stuck in my mind for years: Think about your main character's goal. What do they want most? Got it? Now, make sure at the end of the book, they give that up. Freely.
It seems silly. You write 400+ pages, working overtime to get your hero to his goal, and then he has to give it up in the black moment? No!
But...aha! grasshoppers...yes. He must. That sacrifice is the ultimate payoff for the reader. It's the moment when he shows the depth of his love in a romance. It's the key to his character arc and the one thing that makes his entire story worth being told.
Reading my CP's book last night, I saw this point where the hero had to give up the one thing he'd wanted and worked for and nearly died for. I saw him give it up without being coerced. And I saw how it changed him. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't upset. He knew he was doing the only thing he could do. He was not the same man he'd been at the beginning of the book. And that, THAT is why we read romance. Not for the dialogue or adventure or sex or suspense. We read for the change. To see how love and loss and life can change a person for the better.
Every time I sit down to write, I think about my characters and what they really want. In STOLEN FURY, Rafe wanted those relics more than anything in the world. But at the end of the book, he was willing to give up what he'd spent so long looking for because he'd learned there were things in life more important than his wants and needs. 400 pages is a looooong time to push a character toward a goal. But if you're writing a romance, and doing it right, by the time your character gets to that point, he should be willing to give up his goal for the person he loves. If he isn't, there's no character arc. And without a life lesson learned, there's simply no point.
Think about your current wip. Or the last book you read. What did the main character give up? And what did they learn?
13 comments:
Interesting- I remember Chris saying that and yet- it didn't stick in my mind as well as it probably should have. LOL
The WIP I'm working on now, the hero through all the book wishes to get his sight back, but in the climax it is his blindness that helps him save the heroine and he comes to grips with the fact he doesn't need to see to be important to those he loves.
I just finished Delilah Marvelle's Mistress of Pleasure. At the beginning of the book the hero wanted to get his family's respectability back- and at the end he throws respectability away to have the woman he loves.
Great post, Eli! Now you have me thinking about the next projects.
Ahhh! I need to rewrite!!
Absolutely fantastic point.
It is a great post and it is a great point and now I'm thinking about the book I just did the edits for and wondering if I did this and can see that maybe I didn't. Ack!
Well, I'll have to keep it mind for the future and I'll also have to think about how I could tweak the last book when I get it back again (and am warned to make NO big changes....) Good heavens, while writing that, I saw a way I could have done it... double ack!
I'm going to contact my editor and see if it's too late. Meanwhile, the information is just in time for future books. Thanks for revisiting this very important detail. And that's very exciting about your CP's book.
This is great reminder for completing the main character arc no matter what genre you're writing. That's what I love so much about Story Magic. When you create your character chart, the black moment always factors in as it relates to the character's long term goal. Interesting post, Eli!
Great post! I've been thinking lately about the books that I love to read in all genres, not just romance. The best all have this common element of sacrifice and character growth.
Karen, I just finished taking the Story Magic class and I loved it! It's been an immense help in my current WIP.
I think this goes hand in hand with "What is your character's worst fear, now make it come true."
My current YA WIP (new!!) is a little bit different in that the hero's over riding goal is a person (at 16 this is way more realistic than at 30 :)). And yes, in the end, he gives up that person freely. One of the worst things that could happen to him is loosing all his computer equipment, and that happens too. I'm still in the plotting stages, and I'm grateful for the reminder that I need to dig a little deeper and perhaps give the hero some additional goals and fears. And then knock them down.
Powerful stuff, Eli!
Have I done this in my books? Pretty much, yes, because I remember hearing or seeing this wonderful piece of advice from somewhere. However, I don't remember from where--from Story Magic or hearing it from Chris or reading it in an article...
And this goes not only f or the hero, but for the heroine. Thanks for the reminder as I finish up edits.
And since I'll be deep in booksigning "stuff" tomorrow on check-in day, I'll just let you all know the edits on my novella are still waiting as I've been busy with booksigning prep and other things this week. Back to heavy-duty edits next week!
Paty, I think your hero is giving up what he wants most. At least, internally, and he's learning a lesson - that his blindness isn't the curse he always thought it was and maybe - in some way - is a gift.
LOL, Kendra & Alice. No rewriting aloud(????) (That was for Karen...LOL)
I have a feeling - like I said before - most of us are probably doing this already but maybe don't realize it or see it until it's pointed out.
Great point, Karen. Story magic definitely ties the goal in with the black moment, which is helpful to see what the main character needs to sacrifice.
Debbie - that's true. It does happen in other genres, though I think it has more punch in a romance because the main character usually ends up sacrificing his/her goal for the other person.
Glad you enjoyed the story magic class so much!
True, Wavy. This does go hand in hand with the "biggest fear"
And hm...it sounds like your YA hero is going to have to give up that person he wants so much...
Thanks, Genene. And of course, you are right. When I say 'hero' I use it interchangeably with 'heroine'. One - or sometimes - both characters sacrifice their ultimate goal in that black moment. And isn't it interesting that the dual-sacrifice tends to happen when you have two main characters working in opposition toward a shared goal throughout a book rather than working together toward that goal?
Ooh. Even deeper thought. Sometimes I scare myself...
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