Too Good to Put Down
Think of some of the great books you’ve read. What was it about them that sucked you into the story? Very likely there was something about the main character that made you want to follow them. Likely, you entered the story at a pivotal point and were immediately drawn in by your curiosity. How is it going to turn out for this character? How are they going to [get the girl/find the treasure/not be killed/save the farm, etc]?
Simply put, a compelling story is born from a character who wants something but can’t get that thing because there is something or someone in her way.
In Cinderella, Cinderella wants to attend a fabulous party but is prevented by her stepmother and stepsisters.
In Anne of Green Gables, Anne Shirley wants to belong and to be loved but Marilla and Matthew want a boy to help them on the farm.
For a literary example, in On the Calculation of Volume, the main character finds herself trapped in time and desperately wants to find a way out—except she can’t. Time or other forces are against her.
There are many ways to set up this desire-and-obstacle dynamic, from straightforward statements from the character (“What I wanted most in the world was to …”) to an overall cumulative effect which gives the reader a very good idea of where this story is headed and what is at stake.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is a great example of this. If you haven’t read this novel yet, you are in for a treat. Nothing will be spoiled here as we are discussing what appears in the first chapter. If you have read the novel, you were likely caught up by the character’s distinct voice as well as well as what he is so clearly up against.
Given what we here in the real world know about the opioid crisis and the foster care system is it possible that Demon can survive? By the end of the first chapter, we very much want him to.
The opening page hits us with Demon’s distinct voice. He isn’t just born on the floor of a bathroom and still within the amniotic sac, he is “trying to punch himself out of a bag.” That highly visual, engaging, active voice carries us throughout the story. It’s a pleasure to read because we want to know: What will Demon say next?
In this opening chapter, Demon straight up tells us that he wants to survive—to rise above his circumstances. “Anybody will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose. Me though, I was a born sucker for the superhero rescue.” He goes on to muse about whether that’s even possible where he’s from. These statements compound what we know about his circumstances—his mother and later his father and the neighborhood. It’s clear what Demon wants and that it will take comic-book superhero magic for him to get it.
Right there, on page 2, the reader knows what he’s up against. And I don’t know about you but I’m rooting for him hard. I’m ready to find out how he tries to escape his circumstances because already I am drawn to him and his voice. I trust him to tell me a good tale.
Further Study: What are some of your favorite characters in novels? Examine how the author set them on their journeys within the first few chapters. Study your favorite novels and consider: What connects you to that character? What propels you to the next page, the next chapter? How do you know what’s at stake for this character and why do you care?
Now, look at your own novel. How can you similarly entice your reader into the story you want so much to tell?
