A great story is plotted by looking inside your character, figuring out what his lie is – and how this journey will somehow set him free – and then putting him in situations that make him confront his lies, his flaws and his weaknesses until he takes a good look at himself, figures out what he wants, and charges forward into a new future.

I know, that’s a bit oversimplified, but a story, boiled down, is simply about a character’s inner change, brought about by the external circumstances.
However, how do we make those circumstances intriguing enough to keep our readers’ attention?

At My Book Therapy, we have a character change chart/questions that helps us generate ideas on this journey  (found in the Advanced Fiction Workbook: Deep and Wide – currently on SALE!).  However, if you’ve already plotted this journey, and are still stuck, here are 7 ways to add more “trouble” or Twists and Turns into your plot. 

1. Add a Villain.  Even novels that are NOT a suspense need a villain.  It doesn’t have to be person, however.  It could be nature, the government, health problems, inner demons, external, impossible circumstances – anything that purses the hero/heroine with the intent of causing their downfall.  Especially when writing romance, we don’t consider the inclusion of a villain, but when we begin to consider external obstacles as villains, it opens up new plotting doors.  In a recent story I wrote, I used the “villain” of an unexpected pregnancy to create problems for the hero/heroine. Ask: How could your “villain” actively cause trouble in your hero/heroine’s life?

2. Betray a Secret.  Even if your story isn’t rife with soap opera secrets, inserting a debilitating secret can cause new tension in your story.  For example, if your hero’s secret is that he once got arrested for drunk driving, and the heroine had a friend who was killed by a drunk driver – even if it unrelated – can cause tension between them.  In a recent story, I used the brother of my hero and his accident revelation of the hero’s secret to cause trouble.  Ask: What dark secret does my hero/heroine possess – and how can the revelation cause tension?

3. Introduce Shadows from the Past.  Great drama often includes dredging up the past to cause trouble in the present.  Old love interests, competitors, business partners, well-meaning friends – people from the past carry the memory of both regrets and longings.  In a recent story I wrote, my hero’s old firefighting pal calls him up and asks him to join him on a project.  The temptation to dive back into his old life causes tension between him and his pregnant wife.  Ask:  Who could appear in the story from my hero/heroine’s past…and what information do they have that adds new tension

 4. Do the unexpected.  So often, plotting falls short because our hero/heroine act logically.  What if they didn’t?  Create a good motivation, and then turn your story on end by having your hero/heroine do the opposite of what people assume.  In a recent story, I had my hero return home – instead of take a job he really wanted (for good reason), and this opened up new problems when he discovered the girl he was trying to avoid had followed him home.  Ask:  What choices does my hero have…and which one is the least expected.    

5. SAY the unexpected!  If you really want to shake up your story – have your character blurt out something they didn’t mean to say. A long buried hurt, an accusation, a hidden desire.  In a recent book, I had my heroine confess that she did love the hero – but she couldn’t trust him.  And that led to her unleashing her long buried hurt…which added great tension into their relationship.  Ask:  What unexpected thing could my character say right now that would change the tone of the conversation or even story?  Experiment – you might be delightfully surprised!

6.  Add in a Taste of Death.  When the going gets tough…does your character get going?  Ideally, every scene should have something at stake in it – something your character could lose if he doesn’t accomplish his/her goal.  If you want to shake up the story, add in a death – literal or figuratively.  Death of a dream, a goal, a hope, a future, a friend, a compatriot, even a competitor.  Grappling with this “death” allows for new motivations, new twists, and new determination.

7. Chose the Worst Case Scenario.  After every scene, Ask:  What is the worst thing that could happen to my character right now?  Then, follow up with – can I make that happen (or something similar to it?)  When you sit down to consider all your options – and then choose one that is reasonable yet unexpected, you add in the element of unpredictability in your novel. And readers love it when they say, “Oh, I did NOT see that coming!”

A great story should keep us on the edge of our seats, breathlessly engaged in each step of the story.  Keep your twists and turns plausible but unexpected and your reader will stay glued to the story.

Go! Write something Brilliant!

PS – this is the LAST DAY to register for the Kiss and Tell Seminar!  Deets here!