I’m not talking Halloween here, though those stories are fun, too.
From sweet romance to death-defying thrillers, even in children’s books, making the reader “scared” in some fashion sells. But the reader won’t be scared if you haven’t made your protagonist scared.
All good novels and stories deal with something scary and often we know it on page ONE!
Being scared means our world has tilted in a dramatic way. The tilt may be the result of something accumulating over time, or happen suddenly.
We like to read about and learn from life’s scary lessons.
“Scary” means “alarmed” and “frightened.”
All novels present some form of alarm for characters. Something has to change. Change is scary.
Sounding the “alarm” is an excellent story starter. “Scary” hooks and pleases readers. Reading is safer than real life. Learning “how” a character deals with “scary” helps us in a safe way.
If a writer has not sold well or found an agent or publisher to suit them, sometimes it helps to take a step back and examine what could create something scarier in the novel or memoir entirely or its opening pages.
To get “scary” or scarier, raise the STAKES, even on page one.
Or create bigger SECRETS your characters don’t want to reveal BUT HINT AT THEM on your OPENING PAGE or by the end of page two. Saving secrets sometimes lessens storytelling power.
“Scary” challenges characters and readers to explore new LOGIC. New truths, new formulas, new territory. Character and reader feel tested—a good thing.
Scary stuff usually means FLAWS come to the forefront. Reveal an important flaw on page one. Flaws give us a hint at the jeopardy to come. We wonder if the protagonist can handle the challenges ahead. And thus you create a page-turner.
Plot “scary challenges” in the four-part story structure.
This works well as a retreat or critique-group exercise, too.
Act 1, character acknowledges what’s scary. Start page one with shock, surprise, and fear for your character and reader. Is it scary enough?
Act 2, character explores plausibility. They deny the fearful thing happened or can happen. They think “scary” will resolve itself OR they do several things to try to manage what scared them.
Act 3 (after Midpoint Crisis) has the character searching for a kernel of truth—facts, testimonials, proof, a friend’s help or interpretation—the “why” something happened and what to do about. Things get SCARIER; the character’s “old world” has ceased to exist.
Act 4 uses the big “kahuna” scary thing that refers us back to the Act 1 story question. Perhaps there’s now a chase against time. Or it’s the last chance to reconcile differences in a romance, or defeat the villain in a thriller. A child’s story might have the final contest against monsters. It’s hard, but the protagonist has a new skill or two to try. They will RISK something. And it’s SCARY! And readers love it.
Make lists to figure out “scary”:
— What would scare your PROTAGONIST the most? Second? Do we learn those in your opening pages? What’s the opposite of their comfort?
— What are two scary things, in order, for your ANTAGONIST?
— In your memoir, what might YOU admit to in your opening two pages?
In conclusion:
Don’t save “scary” for climax revelations or the resolution.
Introduce “scary” early to grab readers and for storytelling success.
