When I was a teenager, I found this exciting book by Sir Walter Scott, The Heart of Midlothian. Now, I was not a particularly studious teenager, but in those days when you rely on books donated by the public, you usually end up with books that 'adults' think are good to read, which more often than not, was a classic. There was no choice, either I read them, or I read nothing. Okay, enough of my whining about growing up in Sibu in the 80's, now back to The Heart of Midlothian.
[To watch a video version of this post, you can click here.]
A Case Study
I picked this book as an example for this video because I wanted something that most people can find in libraries. Why this particular story?
Because I love the first 3/4 of the story, but I was bored out of my wits for the last quarter. I love it so much that over the years, I would re-read the book, but only the first 3/4. At first, I could not understand why this was happening. Each time I re-read; I would try to make myself finish it but I just couldn't. It was only in the past few years that I sort of get an inkling of why this was happening.
The story is about a character who is trying to save her sister from a death sentence. Jeanie Dean decides to walk from Edinburgh to London to get an audience with the Queen because she wants her sister, Effie, to be pardoned from infanticide. Along the way, she meets some shady characters and falls into iffy situations. Throughout she has to trust that the help and the information given to her are sincere and trustworthy.
After she gets the pardon she sought, and her sister is released from prison, the story becomes dull. Here is the thing: there is no change in the way Scott wrote the story. It is still filled with shady characters and iffy situations, but the excitement is gone. If this part was a fourth balloon, I would describe it as deflated.
Time to dissect the parts.
Moral Dilemma Creates Tension
Effie has given birth to a son out of wedlock then, according to her, the child was stolen while she slept. The officials do not believe her and accuses her of killing the new-born. Jeanie only has her sister's words to rely on when she decides to set out on the long and potentially dangerous journey, alone. She has every reason not to go, including the fact that there is a high chance of failure. Also, according to the society of the day, her sister has done a wicked thing and deserves to be punished. Yet Jeanie feels that it is her duty to help Effie.
With all this conflict swirling around, it is quite easy to become invested in her journey. I am frustrated when she gets frustrated and I am afraid for her when she is frightened. Yet Jeanie forces herself to continually take risks because of her moral obligation to her sister. At many points in the journey, she has a choice to turn back. Nobody is going to judge her for doing so; after all she is a poor woman who journeys alone on foot. However, each time she is faced with a choice to turn back, she decides to keep going, and I am again pulled back into her story.
Predictability Diffuses Tension
The last quarter of the story, however, does not move me in the same way because it is predictable. The problem here is that the moral dilemma that had kept me on the hook has been resolved. The writer presents a new conflict in the form of two sisters with different attitudes. It became a traditional moral story. Jeanie continues to make good choices but Effie makes one bad choice after another, so the ending is quite predictable.
I had this problem when I started writing the Iban Dream series. Most folk tales are moral stories, so when you write a novel based on folklore, it is very easy to end up following the good versus bad format throughout. Thinking about The Heart of Midlothian has made me see how you can make a story riveting by making your reader want to be part of the character's decision process.
Every writer, of course, has her own vision for how to end a story. This video today is not meant to tell you what is the best way to write your story, but to make you think about how the conflict in your plot can affect the reader. Scott's choice was not wrong, because it reflects the value of the society of his day. He was writing for the readers of that time.
Just keep in mind that the plot, or the events of the story is outside of your protagonist. All the characters in your story experience it. The dilemma or conflict is something inside the character, and it must be strong enough to move her into taking action or into not taking action. It is this viewpoint that will either draw in or repel your reader, so take time to choose your character's conflict. Make the reader care.
Start writing, keep writing. Good luck.
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