Actions Create Waves

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Image by Janeke88 from Pixabay

In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Lisa Poisso says that showing the consequences of your characters’ actions can help weave your plot and characters together.

“A story begins when events around a character push them into action,” she says. “Those actions create new situations, and those situations push the character into even tougher choices. Watching this chain reaction unfold is what keeps readers glued to the pages.” This works because it helps the reader step into the character’s experience. We want to see how others react to certain situations, the choices they make, and the repercussions of their actions. The reader wants to know what happens and why, but also how.

Poisso examines the typical 4-act structure to show how layers of plot and character work together to create a cohesive story. “What matters isn’t following a rigid structure but creating a transformative journey,” she says. “Readers come to witness your character’s evolution from disunity to unity—this is what lingers in their minds long after the final page.”