In the third of this three-part feature, Natascha Biebow
suggests key ways to raise the EXTERNAL stakes in your picture book.
You’ve done STEP 1: THE “SO WHAT?” CHECK
(See Part 1) and STEP 2: RAISE your INTERNAL STAKES: UP THE ANTE WITH YOUR CHARACTERS (see Part 2)
Now it's time to examine the EXTERNAL STAKES in your story.
EXTERNAL STAKES drive the plot.
Create tension through your story’s
conflict so that readers will keep wanting to turn the pages.
Consider the pacing in your plot:
ensure that the story builds to a clear critical turning point and make things
worse for your character! Here are some tried and tested tricks for escalating
the tension in your plot:
1. CLIFF-HANGER – the goal is leave the reader wondering what could
possibly happen next
Set up the events in the story so
that the reader truly doesn’t know whether or not things will work out.
2. THE TICKING CLOCK – the hero must
do something in a limited amount of time
and readers don’t know if it will be possible for them to accomplish this.
3. THE INTERRUPTION, either in the
form of another character or an event that throws the main protagonist off
course
Ask yourself: What big repercussions might come as a result of your main character failing to achieve their goal?
(If the answer is 'none', your stakes are not high enough. Go back to the start . . . )
If your story has strong external
and internal stakes, the answer as to why readers should really care about the
protagonist and solving their problem should be clear. As a result, readers
will want to keep turning the pages to find out how it will all end!
______________________________________________________________________________
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 Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons
______________________________________________________________________________
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 Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons
Natascha is also the author of The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons
