In the second of this three-part feature, Natascha Biebow
suggests key ways to raise the INTERNAL stakes in your picture book
to make readers (and editors) really care!
You’ve done STEP 1: THE “SO WHAT?” CHECK
(See Part 1)
STEP 2: UP THE ANTE WITH YOUR CHARACTERS
INTERNAL STAKES drive the
character’s growth – in the best stories, the main character has grown and
changed by the end, leading to a satisfying ending.
INTERNAL STAKES are personal
– they are more than just what
a hero wants to do. They illustrate why
this goal and the action that follows to arrive at this goal matters in a profound and personal sense.
So how can you up the personal stakes?
So how can you up the personal stakes?
MAKE CHARACTERS SUFFER: yes, make it worse for your main characters!
ADD
COMPLICATIONS: make the main plot problem grow
and grow by adding complications that matter personally to the characters
Here are some examples:
Here are some examples:
• High personal stakes force the
protagonist to make a choice with consequences
• The character is on the verge of making a hasty major decision (perhaps she doesn’t have all the information yet and we want her to wait, but it doesn’t look like she will).
• The character is on the verge of making a hasty major decision (perhaps she doesn’t have all the information yet and we want her to wait, but it doesn’t look like she will).
• The initial stakes are raised by too many choices
• An unexpected
problem falls into the characters’ laps just when the resolution seems on the
horizon
Always ask: What does the protagonist stand to lose through the story's central conflict? What will happen if your protagonist fails to achieve their goal? What are they risking?
Always ask: What does the protagonist stand to lose through the story's central conflict? What will happen if your protagonist fails to achieve their goal? What are they risking?
Finally, consider: How personally invested is your protagonist
in the outcome of the central conflict? How much does it matter if they ultimately achieve their goal?
Tip: the more it matters to your
hero, the more it will matter to your readers, too.
Read about setting stakes in Part 1 and Part 3 of this blog
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Natascha Biebow is
an experienced editor, mentor and coach, who loves working with authors
and illustrators at all levels to help them to shape their stories. www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com
Check out the Cook Up a Picture Book Coaching Courses.
Natascha is also the author of the bestselling nonfiction picture book: The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons
Natascha is also the author of the bestselling nonfiction picture book: The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons
