In an article on Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass discusses the concept of Chaos Theory and how it can be applied to fiction writing. Maass argues that while well-crafted stories may follow patterns and formulas that reflect human experience, the absence of chaos can make a story feel unsatisfying.
Maass identifies six chaos attributes from mathematics, and how they can be adapted as story tools to make a novel more engaging, unpredictable and satisfying for the reader. The tools include:
- Using small events at the start of a story to lead to bigger changes
- Beginning with two characters at the same starting place and later having them become dramatically dissimilar
- Having the protagonist set out to accomplish something different from what he or she actually achieves
- Giving other characters goals that are at cross-purposes from your protagonist’s
- Making the protagonist change course after a setback
- Creating turbulence by having distinct independent forces work on your hero simultaneously, such as family, community, and society
- Giving characters undeserved success or failure
Read the rest of the article for more suggestions.
