Never forget the stakes

Conflict is the lifeblood of any story, and conflict is all about risk.  In this sense, the character should always have something to gain, and something to lose.  This holds true for every scene.  Any scene where nothing is at risk is likely to be a tad dry, and we definitely don’t want that.  So, how can we be sure our scenes are properly spicy?  One of my mentors taught me to consider the following acronym.  G.O.S.T.

G (Goals):  We should know what the character is aiming to achieve.

O (Obstacle):  We need to know what stands in the way of the character achieving his/her goal.

S (Stakes):  We should know the cost of failure.  What stands to be lost?

T (Tactics):  We should know what tactics or method the character means to employ.

For example, imagine Lady Sophia whose brother has been arrested for insulting the local (and rather despotic) duke.  Her brother faces hanging at the duke’s whim, and the man isn’t exactly known for his merciful demeanor.  We begin the scene with Sophia entering the duke’s audience chamber.  (As a side note, it’s best to start scenes when the action begins).

Anyhow, let’s check out our G.O.S.T.  Sophia’s goal is straight forward.  She wants to secure her brother’s release.  The obstacle is the duke himself.  The man is proud as they come and not prone to mercy.  Convincing him to forget the slight is going to be an uphill battle.  The stakes are likewise clear.  If Sophia fails, her brother faces execution.  However, Sophia has a plan.  Her tactics are to offer the duke something he wants even more than a bit of petty vengeance.  Sophia is a skilled negotiator.  She’s aware that the duke’s lands have been raided by a brutal rival noble who has reduced the duke’s trade income to a trickle.  However, the last three negotiators who have tried to negotiate a cessation of hostilities never returned, and now war seems inevitable.  Sophia is willing to volunteer for the dangerous mission, anything to save her brother’s life.

Okay, but how fast do we need to reveal the G.O.S.T.?  Pretty darn fast.  In my opinion, the audience should know the basics within at most a page.  We don’t need to reveal all the details, but the audience needs something fast.  Now, if the situation we just described is somewhere in the middle of the story, then the general setup has probably already been handled which makes this easier.  If said scene is at the start of the book, then it’s a bit trickier.  Even so, a quick sentence or two such as “The duke had beheaded the last sixteen people who’d piqued his ire and Sophia’s brother was due to make for seventeen.  While the duke’s mercy was famously lacking Sophia had something he needed even more than vengeance,  a chance to avoid an upcoming war with his dangerous neighbors.”

Let’s be honest, those couple of sentences could use some serious polish, but they get the idea across and at least convey the basics of the G.O.S.T.

Let’s be honest, those couple of sentences could use some serious polish, but they get the idea across and at least convey the basics of the G.O.S.T.

Are there any exceptions where a G.O.S.T. isn’t necessary?  Sure, there’s always exceptions in writing.  There may be times the author needs to conceal information (that’s an art in an of itself).  There’s other times the character might not have much of a plan, for example, directly following an ambush.  However, even if a character’s plan is as simple as “make a run for it”, it’s probably worth mentioning.  Keep in mind, obstacles, tactics, and even goals can shift as a scene progresses.  Anyway, I hope that helps.