Adding drama to your stories, just for the sake of adding drama will only turn your fiction story into a melodrama. However, a good story with a tight plot offers plenty of opportunities for drama, which comes naturally into the story; through characters, storylines, and emotions. When the drama comes and feels natural, then your story becomes stronger, more emotionally charged, and suspenseful – keeping the readers on the edge of their seats, turning page after page. So, how to accomplish adding that kind of drama to your stories? Below, we’ve gathered several tips that will help.
1. Emotional relationships
No matter what genre you’re writing in, your protagonist will have emotional relationships with some of the other characters: parents, grandparents, friends, etc. Unless, of course, your protagonist is a loner, but even then, the lack of emotional relationships can become a source of dramatic, emotional moments, from loneliness, to anger. If the relationships are perfect and going well, they wouldn’t be the source for emotionally charged scenes. But, if some of those relationships are strained, then they become another problem for your protagonist, adding not only to his internal unrest, but to fights, arguments and even tears.
2. Hidden intentions
Make some of your characters have hidden agendas, leading your protagonist in the direction in which they want him to go. As your protagonist begins to discover these hidden intentions, he will feel, at first suspicion, which later can escalate to mistrust. Your protagonist will begin to doubt many of the other characters, and when he mistrusts someone who has been loyal to him, you will have scenes filled with outrage and betrayal. This might lead to him becoming an outcast in the circle of his friends and family, someone who is unwanted and unwelcome, which will add to turmoil, tension and conflict.
3. Romance
Romance, but not of the easy kind when two people meet, fall in love and live happily ever after. Sure, there is nothing wrong with happily ever after – but if you want a dramatic story, then have the couple face obstacles on their way, from friends and family not approving, to a rival, or an ex that just won’t quit. Another dramatic romance is unrequited love – which is a well of emotional turmoil that you can use to write dramatic scenes. From anger at the love that’s not returned, to numbness, shock and even jealousy, if the other person is in a relationship with someone else.
4. Misdirection
Misdirect your readers by having your protagonist look in one direction, when the danger actually comes from another. Go through several scenarios where something really unexpected and unimaginable happens – unimaginable but logical, in the course of the plot, and have your protagonist and other characters react to it in an emotionally charged manner. This will contribute to your protagonist looking over their shoulder, and being more cautious, maybe doubting the wrong person. Adding dilemma, and having your protagonist wonder where the next element of danger will come from, will enable you to write emotional scenes filled with internal unrest.
5. Judgment errors
Have your characters make mistakes. Nobody is perfect, and neither should your characters be. Judgment errors will place your characters in the wrong place at the wrong time. For example, in a romance novel, your protagonist might misinterpret his or her significant other’s intentions, leading to fights, arguments and even break-up scenes that will leave your readers in tears. The consequences of judgment errors can, and should be serious, both to the protagonist and the other characters, to maximize the fact that some mistakes can only be made once.
Image credit: Jonathan Leung on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0
Georgina Roy wants to live in a world filled with magic. As an art student, she’s moonlighting as a writer and is content to fill notebooks and sketchbooks with magical creatures and amazing new worlds. When she is not at school, or scribbling away in a notebook, you can usually find her curled up, reading a good urban fantasy novel, or writing on her laptop, trying to create her own.