As the reader would, vicariously, if in that position.
The hero has to want something and be willing to get it no matter the cost.
There must be stakes that the reader can relate to, prompting an emotional investment. When it works, there is an antagonist and/or antagonistic force at play. And most of all - because this will make us care and root - we need to understand what is at stake for both sides of confrontation.”Ī good story is not a documentary of a situation.Ī good story takes us on a journey with the hero toward resolution through confrontation, action, courage, cleverness, risk taking and the conquering of both interior and exterior antagonists.” We need conflict and tension, a confrontation between what the hero wants and does, and what opposes him or her on that path, something more than “inner demons” (which are useful when they influence that the hero does about the problem he/she faces… rather than simply documenting how those demons feel along the way). We need something specific to root for, as well as feel. We need a reason to invest in it on an emotional level, something we can relate to. “A hero with a problem and/or an opportunity. There has to be, because that alone (a woman getting into an accident and losing her memory) isn’t compelling enough for a story.
But there’s a lot more to it than what the surface presents. There are a lot of things at play in this story, which is why I chose to deconstruct it.Īt a surface level, we’re led to believe that it’s a story about a woman who gets in an accident and loses her memory of the last three years (a plot not unlike many others that have been done before, think: The Vow with Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum). This process provides a great opportunity to follow along when reading the book and see how a badass story is put together. Spoiler Alert: This deconstruction dig deeps to break down the novel.
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