In writing, as in life, the best lessons and the sweetest victories come after we fail. While we want our protagonist to succeed in the end, writers have to let them hit the skids at some point.
“When a character makes poor choices, acts impulsively, or lets fear get the better of them, things don’t end well,” writes Becca Puglisi in a post on Writers in the Storm. “Failure generates more (and bigger) problems and conflict—which lead to more chances for them to either dig a deeper hole or climb toward the light.”
Other benefits? Failure highlights your character’s flaws and is probably a result of weaknesses your MC doesn’t know they have. Failure also highlights the need for change. Your hero can only achieve their goal if they overcome their internal weaknesses, but they won’t know this unless they fail and are forced to reject old habits and try new ideas.
“This is the one-step-forward-two-steps-back formula that works so well in stories because it mirrors real life,” Puglisi writes. “It takes time and courage to see flaws for what they are and choose the hard road of discarding them and their limitations. Success and failure are intermingled, both parts of a process that eventually result in meaningful growth.”
