If IWSG founder Alex J Cavanaugh had not sent me a
email reminder for this month’s IWSG post, I would have posted late. IWSG (Insecure
Writer’s Support Group) founded by Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh, is a support
group for writers, where we talk of our writing insecurities and help and support
each other. We post on the first Wednesday of every month.
I interpreted high stakes as the main character
having the threat or shadow of death hanging over its head throughout the
story. After reading this, I made it a point to buy Hunger Games on Amazon and
read the three books in quick succession.
The books ensured that I suffered from heavy bouts
of plot envy. As a reader I was so engrossed in Katniss’s story. For a few
days I even toyed with my own plot, trying to raise the stakes for my
protagonist. But how much ever I tweaked and played around with my plot, I
could not get the death threat into the picture. I did manage to raise the
stakes, but there was no way there would be a death threat hovering over my
main character’s head.
After much agonizing I realized that every plot/story
is unique. There is no one size fits all remedy. Just because Suzanne Collins books did well or just because I was unfortunate enough to query the agents who
wanted a story with high stakes, was no reason to beat myself over it.
What I could do was write the best story I could and
forget about what an agent’s requirement was. Every story and plot is unique
and each writer treats his/her story in an individual way. We are not clones of
other writers and we should not even try to be. So, far the time being, plot envy has been
pushed away.
What about you all? Do you all suffer from plot
envy? How do you all manage to keep your envies and insecurities at bay?
pat yourself on the back!! acceptance of your own genius is the start of beautiful writing!
ReplyDeleteIt is tempting to try an emulate popular books, but I think you have to do what's right for your story. Sounds like you made the right choice.
ReplyDeletemood
Moody Writing
Every story is different and there is no formula of success other than the plot which can keep the interest of the reader alive! Am still learning:)
ReplyDeleteSo true that every story is different and the high stakes will be different depending on the plot. I sometimes read fantastic books and doubt I could ever be so good, so I can relate to what you're feeling.
ReplyDeleteI suck at plotting so I envy everyone! But I (mostly) smile and move on.
ReplyDeleteI tend to suffer less from plot envy and more from writing envy- I envy other author's words, the beauty of the passages in their novels, the amazing way they describe moments in the character's lives. While it doesn't lead me to want to change my plot it does make me think that my writing is sub par and I get stuck in the words.
ReplyDeleteThe more I do this, though, the more I see things the way you do: every writer is unique, no matter what they're writing about or how they're writing it. And trying to mimic another author, either by plot of words, stifles our own creativity. The more I do short little experiments and put them out there- on the blog, in writing competitions, what-have-you- the braver I get and the better (I’d like to think) my writing becomes.
In the end, it always comes down to the same inescapable lesson: just keep writing.
I agree that we have to write whats in our heart and not try and conform to what agent's want. But, also, realize high stakes is relative to the type of story you writing. I don't think it hast to only do with death and the weight of a society on the mc's shoulders. Find out the highest stakes for your character and make sure the reader will be invested in it, that's what makes a good story.
ReplyDeleteDon't jam something into your story just because it worked elsewhere. My books would do better in the science fiction community if there was more science and tech, but it would be unnatural for me to write that way.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I enjoy Preston and Child - their books flow like movies.
I think high stakes doesn't necessarily mean death looming over the character. After all, I've had plots where the characters feared things much worse than death. But you're completely right. Stories are different, and you just have to write the story as it should be and not try to make it something it isn't.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cherie that stakes doesn't necessarily mean there has to be a death threat. There are a lot of YAs out now that deal with dystopian worlds and truly awful challenges to survival, but there are some humorous books out there with less lethal challenges, too. And I think young people deserve more than one kind of novel to read. If you write solely to the agents' or editors' request for something that's already out there, by the time you write it, the fad will have moved on. So I think the stakes in your novel have to make sense to you and to the story you are telling.
ReplyDeleteI have total plot envy of soooo many books. That's the first time I've heard about agents looking for high stakes - definitely going to keep that in mind when I decide to write something new. Thanks, Rachna!
ReplyDeletePlot envy? Never. Ok, I lie. I really enjoyed the Hunger Games and was in awe of her work too ;)
ReplyDeleteYou are so right in that we all treat our plots in an individual way, still a healthy envy can be inspiring sometimes ;)
We are individuals, each with our own special brand of creativity... definitely not "clones of other writers"
ReplyDeleteWe should keep that uppermost in our minds.
Great post Rachna.
Writer In Transit
Not to sound arrogant, but I write stories that I'd like to be reading. A lot of what's out there isn't what I'd like to read. Not that it isn't successful stuff, because it is...it's just not my cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteYou're unique...we all are...and your plots should let that fact shine through. :)
Life and death are not the only worthy stakes. There are many things that would make a plot interesting. Lost love, lost opportunity, overcoming evil, beating the system, etc. Death is not the be all end all in plots. Try reading Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell or The Fire in Fiction or Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, or the Plot Whisperer by Martha Alderson. They are very helpful at fleshing out strong plots.
ReplyDelete~ Alex's #3 minion of the month
It is the first time I hear of plot envy but I know I have felt it too many times to confess. I think I've felt it ever since I was young and that was centuries ago. But like you, I manage to push it aside and do my own thing.
ReplyDeleteHow true in that there is no one size thag fits all. We are all unique individuals and this should be reflected in how amd what we write.
ReplyDeleteI like that term - plot envy. I suppose I've experienced it, or at the very least, extreme plot admiration. We have plenty of opportunities to build character as writers, don't we? :)
ReplyDeleteYep, sometimes with the need to get published, we run around trying to be like everyone else and forget how important it is to write our own unique story.
ReplyDeleteFascinating. I'm left wondering why the agents put such a premium on high stakes. Obviously, because that's where they think the market is - but that hardly answers the question. Some of the best novels I have read have been very LOW stakes.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't always read or enjoy the high stakes stories. I like a good story, whether it's a loud or quiet one. Also, so many people are going high stakes that at a conference I missed out on, that my friends told me about, editors and agents reported they are getting tired of certain high stakes' genres. Tastes are always changing, so we should write the stories inside of us, whether they're published now or later when it's back in vogue.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100%. What agent wouldn't want the next Hunger Games or Harry Potter? The threat of death or world domination doesn't have to be the backdrop for every novel--even in fantasy, my favorite genre. It can be difficult to accurately reflect the depth of the story's stakes in a three paragraph query letter. Write true to you and true to your story.
ReplyDeleteTrue. This plot is HIGHLY desirable... BUT...
ReplyDeleteA beautifully written story will be equally as memorable.
Agent ARE LOOKING for THE STORY, However there certainly is a market for imagery, suspense, lyricism, and a story that tugs at the heart strings.
REMEMBER AGENTS aren't the ones BUYING BOOKS, READER'S ARE, and readers have a wide variety of interests.
I suffer a little bit from plot envy, but many times I envy the beauty of the writing. I get insecure about my writing falling "flat" in tone. However, I just keep writing, and that seems to help. Plus, I continue to read those writers whose words dance across the page, in the hopes that someday just reading their prose will help me with mine.
ReplyDeleteThe industry likes to take everything to the next level, but for me the "high stakes" comes from the character's internal journey - what's going on inside the character's head. It might not be a threat of death, or destruction, or war, but if it will destroy the character's life, or destroy the dreams they've pinned all their hopes on, then that's where the drama is.
ReplyDeleteJai