Plotting a Novel – Raising the Stakes

How to Write a Page-Turner That Keeps Readers on Edge for Hours

Nov 8, 2009

Raise the Stakes to Make the Reader Care, Clipart.com Photo

Once they understand how to raise the stakes in a novel, authors will please both readers and editors - and be much more likely to get a contract from a publisher.

There's a saying that goes something like this: "When you have your heroine up a tree with lions prowling and roaring below, start throwing stones at her." In other words, when things start to go bad, make them even worse before they start to get better.

Authors need to keep this in mind when they think about what is at stake for their characters. Whatever is at stake has to be 'big' enough for their readers to care. They won't care about someone getting drenched in a sudden spring shower. The probably will care about the abduction of the heroine's six-year-old daughter.

A two-pronged 'rule of thumb' for raising the stakes is this:

1. When the novel opens, and the action gets underway, the reader has to be quickly convinced that something important is at stake for the main character. (If it isn't, why should they keep reading?)

2. As the main character takes action to overcome a problem or achieve a goal, the stakes should be raised – that is, things should get more difficult and the consequences more dire.

An Example of Raising the Stakes

A man with a violent past that he is trying to forget is asked for help by an ex-girlfriend when she and her daughter are threatened by her husband's criminal associates. Her husband once saved the hero's life, so the hero feels he owes him. (What is at stake? The well-being of someone he once cared about; plus what he sees as a debt of honour.)
The hero tries to help but things go wrong and the situation goes from bad to worse. The criminals take his ex-girlfriend's daughter. (The stakes have been raised: a child is now in serious danger.)
The hero discovers that he is actually the child's biological father. (The stakes have been raised again: he is now trying to save the life of his own daughter.)

Questions a Writer Should Ask About What is at Stake

The one thing that a writer most wants to avoid is having the reader shrug and say "Who cares?" When plotting a novel, it is the author's job to ensure that the reader does care. To make sure that the stakes are high enough, ask these questions:

Has the reader been allowed enough time to get to know the main character? (It's hard to care about what is at stake for a stranger. Don't fall into the trap of diving into the action too early – help the reader understand why the stakes are important to the main character.)
How much conflict is in the story? What are the consequences for the main character when things don't go her way? What will she lose?
Are the stakes private or public? (Private stakes mean that the fallout will affect mainly the main character and her immediate circle. Public stakes mean that the wider community will be affected – a town, a country, or even the entire world. When the writer raises the stakes, they can escalate from affecting one person to affecting thousands.)

When thinking about what is at stake for the main character, consider how the reader might identify with the character's problems. Most readers can identify with a threat to a family member, or the thought of losing a home. It's all about making readers care, and that means they have to be able to walk in the main character's shoes. Then they'll willingly stay up all night, turning pages and worrying, while the stakes are raised and things get worse... and worse... and worse.

The copyright of the article Plotting a Novel – Raising the Stakes in Fiction Plots & Pacing is owned by Marg McAlister. Permission to republish Plotting a Novel – Raising the Stakes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.