Strong narrative drive requires you to write about characters in action. The surest way to get your characters moving is to give them choices, the tougher the better. In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Angela Ackerman discusses the kinds of choices you can force your characters to make and how you can get the most mileage from them.
“Choices come in all shapes and sizes and should rarely be easy to make,” Ackerman says. “Instead, they should force the character to weigh and measure, to think about possible consequences, who will be impacted, what will be lost and gained.”
What are some of those choices:
- Dilemmas: When neither choice is ideal.
- Hobson’s Choice: The choice between something unwanted and an option that is even worse.
- Sophie’s Choice: A choice between two equally horrible options.
- Morton’s Fork: Choices that lead to the same result, meaning there’s little choice at all.
- Moral Choice: When a character is forced to choose between two competing beliefs or decide whether or not to follow their moral code.
- Something or Nothing: A choice to help or not help, each with their own pitfalls.
When crafting these choices, consider what unforeseen consequences could arise because of each option; if your protagonist is missing information that would help them decide; what sacrifices might be made; and how the character might be tempted to make the wrong choice.
