Story Stakes: Your #1 Writing Skills Strategy to Produce a Page-Turner that Transforms Readers into Raving Fans of Your Screenplay or Novel
A must-have in your top 10 books on writing.
H. R. D’Costa shows writers how to layer stakes, one on top of another, blending them into a compelling tangle from which the hero—and the reader—cannot escape. This is now one of my favorite go-to guides on writing.
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You’re a writer.
You know the dream.
It goes something like this:
Sell your screenplay for six figures or write a best-selling novel…
…tell your boss, “From now on, you can get your own coffee…”
…take a much-deserved vacation, to Paris, or perhaps to Hawaii…
…and when you finally return home, make a living through your writing.
Lost in these fantasies, it’s easy to lose sight of a basic truth: it all starts with one reader.
How does that big spec sale happen? How does a novel enjoy massive sales?
First, someone becomes so captivated by your story, he can’t put it down. He keeps turning the pages, faster and faster, till he’s reached the very end.
Second, once this reader has finished reading your screenplay or novel, he doesn’t promptly reach for the next story in his stack of unread scripts or novels.
Nope.
Before beginning his next reading adventure, he passionately recommends your story to everyone he knows.
“Read this screenplay,” he says. “Buy this book.”
That’s how you get onto Hollywood’s radar and eventually make the big spec sale.
That’s how you get the word-of-mouth recommendations that propel a novel to the top of the best-seller lists.
It’s how you finally achieve your writing dreams.
So, how do you make it happen?
How do you keep readers glued to your screenplay or novel?
At first, you might use your writing skills to create a likeable hero or craft a high-concept premise.
Sure, these things are important. They entice readers to give your story a chance.
But they only go so far. They don’t keep readers engaged till the very end.
To accomplish this, you need something more. You need stakes.
Because of stakes, your hero can’t walk away from his problem. As a result, readers won’t be able to walk away from your story.
See, when stakes are in play, readers will be wondering if your hero will succeed or fail at his goal. Then, they worry about him. Then, they’re under tension.
To relieve this tension, they MUST stay up all night and finish your story—and when they have, they’ll rave about the amazing page-turner they couldn’t put down.
They’ll rave about you.
Master story stakes, and your screenplay or novel can eclipse the competition. This writing guide will show you how.
Download the ebook instantly or buy the paperback (free shipping with Amazon Prime):
Amazon (US) | Amazon (international)
Download the ebook instantly from: Apple | Kobo | Smashwords
Specifically, we’ll cover:
11 Types of Story Stakes Which Increase Tension and Reader Engagement
Some of them you already know. A few will be new. At the very least, you’ll have a convenient list to check the next time you need a new reason for your hero to save the day, trick your leading lady, or chase down a suspect.
Plus, we’ll cover best practices. That way, you’ll get the most mileage out of the stakes you choose to include in your story.
8 Modulating Factors Which Affect the Emotional Impact of the Stakes
Think of modulating factors like the audio control knobs on a stereo system. They can either turn up the emotional “volume,” or…they can mute it.
In other words, through modulating factors, audiences will feel more (or less) intensely about the same set of story stakes.
Oftentimes, modulating factors are the secret to wringing out the extra drop of emotion that will give your story an advantage over others in its genre.
The Story Stake Matrix
This is where we put everything together. It’s a tool that will show you:
- how to use stakes to craft a premise with more commercial appeal
- how to raise the stakes (even when they’re already high)
- how to avoid an anticlimactic ending
Let’s focus on that second benefit for a minute.
Several writing guides will tell you that to keep readers glued to the pages of your story, you’ve got to raise the stakes. But, these books are frustratingly vague on how to accomplish this.
This book is not vague. This book will give you specific strategies you can use right away to make high stakes feel even higher.
Buy this writing skills guide today and take a step closer toward enthralled readers, raving fans, and killer sales!
Download the ebook instantly or buy the paperback (free shipping with Amazon Prime):
Amazon (US) | Amazon (international)
Download the ebook instantly from: Apple | Kobo | Smashwords