3 Ways to Make Failure Fascinating

By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: If the protagonist succeeds right away, it makes for a very short novel. Laurence MacNaughton shares tips on how to make failure the best part of the story.

Every story is about somebody who wants something and has trouble getting it. It doesn't matter whether your book is about a detective trying to catch a killer, a young professional trying to find true love, or a sorceress trying to save the world from doomsday. Somebody wants something and they fail to get it. (At least until the end of the story.) The problem is, failure is inherently boring. How do you write about a character who is failing, and yet still keep the reader fascinated?

Every scene is driven by a story question. Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com