Nine days to go – and here are some thoughts to keep you motivated and help you all the way to the finishing line.
Yesterday I promised on an impulse to write about obstacles. I guess I owe it to you, having mentioned obstacles quite regularly in the last month. Obstacles are, of course, the most substantial part of the long narrative. I don’t mean that we simply litter trials and test in the way of an approaching protagonist but rather, we give them a series of challenges to overcome. Let’s start with some examples.
1. Physical obstacles: Finding a treasure; climbing mountains; fighting lions; conquering demons.
2. Inner obstacles: Phobias; psychological barriers; emotional resistance; deep-rooted fear (of getting into trouble, losing a job etc).
3. Logistical obstacles: lack of money or resources; too young to join a competition; forbidden to do something; a woman wanting to do a men only assignment.
To some extent, the obstacle-type dictates the qualities of the character.
A test of a physical nature demands physical prowess.
A contest with evil demands courage and moral strength.
To save the world, the protagonist must have a quick mind, wisdom and patience.
To overcome deep-rooted fears and phobias, requires a desperate desire to achieve something that lies beyond reach.
Of course, these qualities are not all present to start with. That’s why, more often than not, the character in a story tends to resist the ‘call’ to adventure. S/he’s scared or concerned or sceptical. Decide on the obstacle-type and start planting the character qualities well in advance. The process of overcoming these obstacles is what transforms the character of the protagonist completely. It’s known as the character arc or the transformational arc. To make the best of the character, as you take him or her through their journey, give some thought to the mechanics of each obstacle and see which one you can work the most to get across your protagonist’s flaw most interestingly.
You may have set up a treasure hunt.
Where is your character?
How does he prepare for the hunt?
Who else is with her?
Do they have an idea where to begin?
What is the route eg. How do they get there?
If your character is frightened of heights, you could make it necessary for him to leap a chasm in the final obstacle. To rinse the utmost out of this, give the reader a clear sense of this fear on several occasions, showing, without actual comment, how she might avoid a short-cut in favour of a longer route because she wants to avoid using a rope bridge over a river. She may even do something more heroic, like swimming a snake-infested river to get across - something that shows the fear but immediately deflects attention from the weakness so that it is registered at an almost unconscious level – that is, we don’t worry about it – yet. Step up the risk and danger in each new obstacle. This is known as ‘rising action’. See how you can push your protagonist to the edge in it, using the particular weakness. It can be part of an early obstacle but in a very subtle way and perhaps we see that s/he finds an effective alternative so it’s not a big issue. Maybe at this stage we have a private moment, seeing the character’s secret fear and relief. Or s/he may put on a brave act, pretending that there’s no problem.
And then WHAM! In the final obstacle, it’s a case of Do or Die.
The weakness IS the obstacle.
In order to overcome the obstacle, the phobia must be overcome too.
Some people begin by planning their final confrontation in some detail, and then work backwards from it, teasing out the different elements to go back and layer the sequences. Can you see how, your reader, by now familiar with this phobia in almost unconscious ways, is right beside your protagonist, chewing his nails with anxiety as they both struggle to survive?
And yes, whether emotional, physical or material the final obstacle has to be a matter of survival.
To summarise:
Link your obstacle-type to a flaw in your character.
Show this to the audience, subtly, in preparation for the eventual confrontation.
Make each obstacle more intense than the last.
Make the final obstacle a metaphor for the character flaw so that the protagonist is facing his or her ultimate survival. In confronting and overcoming this final challenge, the protagonist will be a transformed and successful person.
The example here is adventure but the same may be applied to a relationship, personal ambition or any other journey.
Just follow the guidelines above, matching your character to the obstacle-type.
Good luck. |
