If someone told you that your story needs better stakes, there’s a decent chance you’d have no idea how to fix that. “Stakes” is a word which has been so thoroughly analyzed and deconstructed, it can be hard to recognize anymore. We know stakes serve an important function: to give a sense of gravity. They’re how we communicate the importance of our plot events, and the dangers our characters face. They’re how we keep readers glued to the edge of their seats. But how do we come up with stakes? And how do we know when we’ve got the right ones?
What are stakes?
What are stakes?
What are stakes?
If someone told you that your story needs better stakes, there’s a decent chance you’d have no idea how to fix that. “Stakes” is a word which has been so thoroughly analyzed and deconstructed, it can be hard to recognize anymore. We know stakes serve an important function: to give a sense of gravity. They’re how we communicate the importance of our plot events, and the dangers our characters face. They’re how we keep readers glued to the edge of their seats. But how do we come up with stakes? And how do we know when we’ve got the right ones?