The Art of Thrillers: Behind the Shadows

1. High Stakes

The first element that James discusses in his book is high stakes.

A character's stakes are what they stand to gain or to lose. It's crucial to have both because that's what gives your story impact.

When considering the stakes of a story, you can consider a character's personal stakes, such as the people they care about and whether or not they are in danger, as well as larger-scale stakes, such as whether or not the entire town, the entire city, or the entire world is in danger.

You can also use these questions as guide questions for your outlines:

1. Is your main character a pet lover? What will your main character do if he or she loses a pet? How?

2. Is your main character family-oriented? What are they willing to sacrifice to save them? How can they save them? What will they gain or lose? How will they lose it?

3. Do your main character(s) have a lover? Can love really to conquer everything? How?

4. If your main character loves nature, would he be able to terminate people who keep destroying it? How important are gains and losses for a story to move?