What's at stake in writing

In the vast landscape of narrative writing, novels and stories are woven with a diverse range of techniques, methodologies, and elements that interact in an intricate game. Many of these elements come naturally, but others need to be learned and tweaked to tell the story we want to convey. The stakes in writing are one of these critical elements.

Imagine reading a book and feeling that unease, that growing tension, that thrill urging you to turn the pages, curious to discover how the protagonist will resolve the situation. Rooting for characters striving to achieve their goals? That's the power of "stakes" when it's finely tuned.

However, defining and effectively implementing stakes require a proper strategy. Learning to manage them in a way that captures readers' attention is crucial.

What are stakes in writing?

Visualize the protagonist of your novel risking it all, laying on the line what they hold dearest to achieve their goals. That's what stakes are all about. It's what's at risk when characters strive for their objectives, act, face obstacles, fueling the plot.

In every story, there's a central character, sometimes more in the case of fantasy or science fiction, at the heart of the "battlefield." Actions, suspensions, and conflicts emerge. Because to move forward, to drive the story, the protagonist must make choices, sometimes difficult ones, paying a price or gaining a benefit.

That something is the stakes.

Some common stakes in writing include:

• losing a life
• facing the loss of a loved one
• finding oneself without a job or role
• being remembered unjustly (or for something terrible)
• losing sanity (a frequent theme in fantasy tales)
• losing love
• losing a friendship
• losing freedom or social standing
• going to jail
• fighting for justice
• inheriting something: money, national/governmental rights, land, etc.

Take a book you've recently read and ask yourself, "What was the protagonist's primary stake?" Usually, that's the crux of the story.

Now, let me provide you with more examples from popular literature

1. Harry Potter

The entire saga revolves around themes of life and death, but also morality. Defeating Voldemort would mean a safer, less oppressed world, and that's the crux of the story. If Harry and his friends were to fail, that's what they'd lose.

2. The Hunger Games

The series primarily puts social oppression at stake. However, particularly in the first book, the stake of the story is death, as Katniss must survive a game where, traditionally, only one person emerges alive.

3. The Hating Game

In this romantic novel, Lucy vies for a coveted assignment also sought after by her rival (and colleague). Throughout the story, the job assignment becomes the stake influencing many of her choices.

4. Bridgerton

Not only is love a central element of the plot, but also the characters' reputations, frequently used by the author as a fundamental token to create tension and propel the plot. Due to the historical context and strict social norms of high society life, any misstep could destroy not only an individual's reputation but also their family's.

Note: There can be multiple stakes in a single story, escalating as the story progresses. This is an excellent way to create conflict in a story and makes it even more satisfying when everything resolves. It's not uncommon for the protagonist, at the climax of the story, to suffer losses in a desperate attempt to avert the most dramatic event.

Why is stakes used as a primary element of the story?

Stakes constitute a crucial element within a story. Rarely do we read stories about individuals taking actions without encountering any obstacle or conflict along the way. Such storytelling lacks interest and depth. It doesn't make for a gripping story but rather a mere sequence of events.

Stakes are the fuel that keeps the engine of your story running. Without them, tension dissipates, and along with it, the emotional draw of readers towards the story. Many of the character's decisions are driven by stakes, and the outcomes remain a mystery to readers.

Ultimately, stakes create that sense of suspense that makes readers devour a book. The question "Will they or won't they?" is powerful enough to make the reader flip through the pages. If there's nothing at stake, and the protagonist's actions have no consequence, what interest could the story possibly evoke? How deeply could readers genuinely engage?

Occasionally, it might work, and indeed, there are some books that manage to hold up without any obstacles or stakes. But finding a gripping story without any form of obstacle or stake is challenging.

That said, it's possible to play on different levels of stakes, each contributing to creating unique atmospheres and tones within the overall story. Thus, how much you risk in your story will essentially depend on your audience: some readers might prefer high stakes, while others might prefer low stakes narratives.

High Stakes vs. Low Stakes

What do we mean by high stakes and low stakes? Well, the answer is simple. The higher the impact of the protagonist's actions on their life and those around them, the higher the stakes. Conversely, the lower the effect, the lower the stakes.

Now, every literary genre has unwritten rules about stakes. You'll need to consider how high or low you want the risk to be, while also taking into account your readers' expectations.

Let's delve deeper into how high stakes differ from low stakes in writing and how they can be used.

High Stakes

When the stakes are high, a lot is at stake. This can relate to both the number of things that can be lost and the severity of the consequences of failure. In The Hunger Games, for example, Katniss' life is at stake. The stakes are high because of the severity of the consequences of failure.

Contexts with high stakes involve risking something vital, such as:

• life
• physical integrity
• harm to masses of people
• fear of being forgotten or historical consequences
• betrayals
• natural disasters
• moral dilemmas

However, high stakes don't always mean risking great tragedies. Even what might seem insignificant, like losing something precious to the protagonists, can be considered high stakes if written correctly.

Low Stakes

When the stakes are low, there are still significant elements at play, but the consequences aren't as severe. This doesn't imply a dull or uninteresting story but rather an approach where tension is reduced, and the reader finds interest mainly in the characters, world, or the plot itself.

Low stakes in writing can involve:

• Ithe risk of losing a job
• closing a family business
• missing out on a unique opportunity
• facing a misunderstanding or friendly conflict
• undertaking personal challenges or hobbies

Low stakes are often present in books labeled as "cozy" ones, like intimate mysteries, fantasy, and similar genres. Readers of such genres don't expect grave consequences related to dark themes like death, destruction, or aggression. The tension lies in the details and the individual paths of the characters.

How to Create and Set Stakes?

The concept of stakes is one of the fundamental steps in constructing the plot of your novel. The creation of stakes occurs during the planning phase or at the initial idea stage of the story, especially for those who don't adopt a rigorous planning method.

Creating Stakes

Well, when you're giving life to the plot, you should have a clear vision of your character and what they desire: this will be the catalyst that guides the rest of the tale.

The decisions your character makes are crucial—they will be the salt and pepper of your narration.

And what will these decisions depend on? Let me tell you: on what they crave and what they're willing to sacrifice to obtain it.

That's why it's essential to build a well-defined character for your protagonist: you need to know their values, moral beliefs, their background.

Mind you, your character's desires and ambitions are nothing but the stakes of your story. You can read it this way: what they fear losing is precisely what they desire most.

And you also have to consider this: what they're willing to do or give up to achieve their goals reflects who they are as individuals and who you decide they should be.

This is the recipe for a gripping story: a character who fights with all their might to obtain what they desire, no matter what it is. Because, remember, everything that matters in storytelling depends on the character you've shaped.

So, where do you start a narrative, with the character or the plot? The truth is, you'll have to find the right balance and dance on the wire all the way.

Let's play a bit and create a fun example; imagine being the character of a story. Yes, indeed! But not just any story, but the one we're creating right now, together. Follow me.

You're on a mission to lead your adoptive family to a tranquil island, safe and sound. It's hard to picture yourself in this situation, isn't it? Especially when you've just lost a beloved family member and blame yourself for it.

Here's the beauty: it's not just about getting the family to the island, but something much deeper. If you fail this task, you fear becoming a repugnant person, unworthy of happiness.

This is the stake. It's doubly linked to your character's personal convictions. To what you feel.

In short, the point is, if you can tie the stakes to a deeper importance for the character, it'll seem even more powerful.

Establishing Stakes

Most of the time, this happens at the beginning of the story. It's part of the hook that gets readers involved in the character and the story. You know the stakes as a writer, but the reader must also know them, preferably without you needing to explicitly state them.

Understanding the stakes will be like a puzzle: piece by piece, through dialogues or reflections. There might be moments of tension or simply anxiety. Have I intrigued you? Perfect, that's my goal.

In a mental scenario, a character reflects on events, making the tension clear in the screenplay. For instance, Lorraine finds herself deciding between going to the museum or a meeting where the project manager's appointment is decided. The role entails a potential promotion, which she'll lose if she doesn't attend the meeting. However, Ricardo Richards' presence at the museum might bring her other job opportunities, rendering the promotion useless if she manages to get noticed by him.

However, we don't always have to explicitly explain the dynamics at play. Think of 'The Hunger Games,' where the fate of the characters is clear without the need for explanations. When Katniss volunteers as tribute, we know she'll have to compete, and the possibility of death becomes a real threat if she loses. Of course, if she loses, she dies.

Setting the tension in written text isn't difficult. Just follow three moves: introduce the character, unveil their desires, and then show the obstacles in their path. This approach can become the blueprint for the first chapters of a book: thus, we introduce the protagonist, outline their ambitions, and introduce the conflict elements.

Killing two birds with one stone.

How to Heighten the Stakes?

Are you looking for a way to pique your readers' interest while writing your novel? Give them something unexpected!

Often, halfway through the narrative adventure, you might find yourself facing a plot twist. It could be a revelation or an event that completely changes the course of the plot. At this moment, my friend, you can play with your protagonist's fate and "raise the stakes."

Essentially, you have to make them risk more, increasing the tension and engaging the readers even more. How do you do it, you ask? I have two suggestions for you:

1) Increase the value of what they could lose;
2) Raise the price to be paid for success.

By doing so, you can stack more critical points in your narrative, making it seem that the consequences of failure or the expectations for success become increasingly overwhelming. Allowing you to elevate the stakes more and more.

Now you might be thinking: "What do I risk? How do I decide what's at stake?" The secret lies with your character. Observe what they hold dearest. During the story, it might change or gain more significant value. To make things even more intriguing, put at risk what is most precious to them.

For example, if you're writing a love story, the stakes skyrocket when the main character falls in love. Now they have even more to lose: the love of their life and something else they particularly cherished.

But can the stakes change completely throughout the story?

Well, in a way, yes.

In the previous paragraph, where we discussed how to create and define narrative stakes, we talked about the importance of tying them to the character's development. Imagine your protagonist changes: suddenly, they no longer care about getting that job because they realize it was a desire of their parents, not theirs. They simply want to be accepted for who they are. It's clear now that the bet changes, the game changes. Now, happiness is the prize, not that job that would have made their parents proud.

But be careful! Playing with narrative stakes is a delicate art. Their transformation must be believable and closely linked to the character or due to a significant plot twist that shifts the story in a new direction.
Otherwise, you risk smashing into a wall and finding yourself with a story full of holes, generating problems instead.

The stakes in writing represent a fundamental pillar of a story's plot. However, it's not the only essential element for creating an engaging story. If not handled properly, it could compromise narrative tension, cause disconnections in the plot, and risk boring readers.