Appropriate Stakes in Stories

Hello and welcome to my end-of-month newsletter blog post!

You can read last month’s newsletter here.

Following the very loose pattern I decided to set, these posts are a chance for me to update you on my writing projects and write a few words about something to do with stories.

This month, I want to talk about stakes that actually matter in stories. 

All stories contain some aspect of conflict. Without conflict, there’d really be nothing for the protagonist to overcome. Such a story would be unrealistic and unrelatable. Why would readers want to follow them for any number of pages?

Stories need conflict, and they also need stakes that actually matter—what the protagonist stands to gain or lose if they don’t resolve the conflict they’re facing.

The thing I love about stakes in stories is their broad range. They can go from apocalyptic, world-ending stakes… all the way down to getting a cozy coffee/bookshop up and running in a small fantasy town. And yet, whether from an outward perspective such stakes are high or low, they matter a great deal to the protagonist. 

Stories help teach us empathy—to step into the shoes of another person and see life from their perspective. I think they also help teach us that the stakes—whether high or low—always matter to someone. In turn, if the stories are written well, those stakes matter a great deal to us, the readers.

I think it also helps us realize the goals people are trying to achieve in the real world; the obstacles they’re trying to overcome… Those matter a great deal, even if they seem small or low stakes from an outward perspective. We have the opportunity to encourage others in their quest to achieve their goals. We have the opportunity to celebrate with them when they finally do.

And if stories with stakes that actually matter can achieve that for us; if they can remind us of that important truth, well, that’s no small thing.

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Here’s a quick breakdown of August and some things to look for in September:

My theological book, A Christian’s Survival Guide: Wearing God’s Armor Every Day, is now available in print and eBook formats. If you’ve already picked up your copy, thank you so much! If you’re interested in reading and discussing this book in a group setting, I’m working on putting together a free downloadable discussion guide to accompany the devotional. That should be available mid-September.

What else for August? I posted another short story set in the whimsical world of Minz (read it here), finished the first round of edits for the fourth book in the Tales of Minz series, and began working on the edits to the second edition of A House Named Haven. 

I also did some longterm planning for the blog and what writing projects I want to work on going forward.

Phew. That’s all for August. On to September. What’s in store? Another short story from Minz, more editing, and some worldbuilding for a future project! 

Enjoy the final days of summer by reading a good book or two. That’s what I’m going to try to do. ☺️

Until next time,

Al