I have the nagging feeling I really should have asked this question a long time ago!

For me, the trigger for my life-long love of fairytales comes from The Reader's Digest Collection of Fairytales which came in two volumes. Both are hefty hardbacks and you wouldn't want to drop them on your foot! I loved the stories and beautiful illustrations. These books were given to me by my late parents. I still have the books. The spine on Volume 1 in particular has been bound up by tape! I'm probably going to leave the building long before these books do!

The stories are those collected by Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, as well as originals by Hans Christen Andersen etc. I remember the shock at discovering fairytales didn't necessarily have to have happy endings when I first read The Little Mermaid.

My favourite overall fairytale is Cinderella. Mind, my first published story was A Helping Hand in Bridge House Publishing's Alternative Renditions anthology.  I look at the Cinderella story from the viewpoint of the younger stepsister who is not best pleased with the fairy godmother turns up again.  Great fun to write and, being my first published story, it will always have a special place in my heart. I still love writing fairytales from different viewpoints. It's good fun!

Looking at why you love stories can help inspire you write your own (and do so better!).

My CFT post is Put Three Words Together And...  I look at negative and positive impacts of three words when they're used together (and how those impacts can vary widely from the individual meanings of the words concerned).

As for fiction writing, well we need more than three words for that but you could look at three word catchphrases for your characters. Catchphrases have to be memorable to work, also you need not to get tired of them (and that's even more true for your reader!), and so are best kept short to help achieve those points.

If your characters were limited to three words as their pet phrase, what would they be and why? (I suspect the most famous one here would be I'll Be Back from The Terminator). But what would you choose for your creations?

Would your pet phrase match your character? That is, if they're a feisty character, would their phrase reflect that? Or would they downplay that side of things a bit (especially if they wanted to put off an enemy)? Would they be sarcastic or would their phrase be a cover for what they are really like?

Food for thought, I hope. The important point is to know who your characters are, how they would speak and sound (to a reader) and, if a catchphrase would be appropriate for your characters, to choose one that fits them well.

Image Credit:  As ever, Pixabay.

Character motivations can cover a wide spectrum. There are the "obvious" ones of love, revenge, seeking justice etc but motivations can be more subtle than that - for example the wish to prove someone wrong.

What matters is whatever the motivation is, it is the be all and end all to your character, even if it seems to everyone else they're making a fuss about very little.

A motivated character will do whatever it takes to get what they want and the important thing is to ensure your people are driven enough.

It's not enough for a character to just want to stay out of trouble. But if your character goes to extraordinary lengths to stay out of trouble then  a great deal of humour or tragedy can result from that.

What could be behind that? Maybe they've got a bet on with a friend to stay out of trouble for six days, say, and the friend has always been right in the past but this time our hero wants to prove them wrong and is determined to do so. They're fed up with their friend being right all the time and finally want something to go their way.

There, the motivation is powerful enough and understandable. Your readers have to get behind your character to carry on reading their adventures after all. Naturally your character's friend will know or be able to guess at their friend's motivation here and will do all they can to scupper any chances of success. Voila! Instant clashes and tension as you work out how your hero does or does not prove the friend wrong.

Image Credit:  Pixabay.

I discuss Rules That Need to Exist in my Chandler's Ford Today post this week, but how can we apply this specifically to our fiction writing?

Rules for Writing
When it comes to writing rules, there are specific ones I always follow. These are:-

1. Keep my prose, punctuation, grammar etc simple. It helps clarity and pacing.
2. Always edit on paper, not on screen.
3. Read work out loud.
4. Accept the first draft is only that. Of course it won't be perfect and that's fine. That is what editing and polishing are for.
5. Be entertaining whether I'm writing blog posts, flash fiction, or short stories. I want my readers to engage with what I'm writing and a simplistic, entertaining style is a good way to do that.

Rules for Characters

1.  The character must be someone I can identify with, even if I loathe them and their attitudes. There has to be some spark of understanding why someone has turned out the way they have.

2.  The character must be memorable (whether it is for good reasons and they're the hero, or for bad ones where they're the villain). What they must never be is forgettable, else why have them in the story at all? If you've got a character you think you can cut out of your story, you almost certainly can because they're not contributing anything and your tale will tighten up in terms of word count and pacing if there is no unnecessary baggage.

3.  The character must have at least one distinctive thing about them that can't apply to anyone else or handle situations in ways that are unique to them.

What rules for writing or for characters do you use and why?

Image Credit:  Pixabay. Captions over on CFT.

My favourite types of character are those with bite (and I'm not a vampire fan either!). So what does with bite mean here? I adore characters who:-

1.  Say what they mean and follow up on what they say they will do (equally applies to villains!).

2.  Are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in (and can apply to villains too!).

3.  Have good, understandable reasons for their actions, even if you don't agree with them.

4.  Are memorable. Some will have distinctive phrases but for me the most memorable ones are the ones with attitudes I remember and agree with or loathe. Whatever way it is, they stick in the mind, which is precisely what you want your characters to achieve.

5.  I love characters with a sense of humour (and even more so if they can laugh at themselves).

6.  I adore characters with courage. (Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee and a host of others).

7.  I love characters who fight for their own happy ever after, even if they fail. I loathe wishy-washy characters. I've got to feel the character has done something and that the story would be incomplete without them. If I feel why is this character in here then there's something amiss.

What would you list as the attributes your characters must have?

Image Credit:  Pixabay, as ever.

My CFT post, As One Season Ends, looks at the topic from a personal and writing viewpoint, but here I want to look at how your characters handle the changes in the seasons in their lives.

We all have such seasons and our characters should be no different. After all, there have been times in life when we have been students and other times, say, when we've been employees. So what seasons in life do your characters go through?

If your setting is in fantasy or sci-fi, do your characters have education as we know it? What do their young people have to go through to be considered mature? How do your characters cope with expected changes in life (their society expects them to do this and then do that etc)? How do they handle the unexpected ones (the sudden loss of someone special etc)?

Does your created world have physical seasons as we understand them here? If so, what function does each season serve? I would expect there to be some sort of growing season (which logically must be followed by some kind of harvest).

How do your characters mature? Are there rituals they must follow and what happens to anyone who defies that?

Plenty of food for thought there I think.

Image Credit:  As ever, the photos are from the fantastic Pixabay. Captions on the CFT post.

You are a character who wants to come to life on your creator's page but they're umming and ahhing about whether you are really the character they want to lead what they laughingly call their story. It is your story, naturally. They just haven't realised it yet. So what can be done to make your writer give you your proper place in the tale?  Top tips include:-

1.  Ensure your personality is strong enough. Don't be a doormat. Doormats not only get trodden on but, far worse, they're forgotten. That must not happen to you.

2.  You must have good turns of phrase so your conversation is unforgettable too. If you can be witty and come out with appropriate one-liners, so much the better. Readers remember those. Your writer should remember that.

3.  Are you prepared for adventure? Are you happy for your writer to drop you right in it, several times if need be and usually from a great height? Yes? Good! They can do what they like with you then and they will like that.

Good luck! (And tell your writer to get a move on and get you in the story).

My CFT post this week discusses why Making Space is a great idea for writers. See http://chandlersfordtoday.co.uk/making-space-part-2-the-writing-view/

I believe fairytales and fantasy fills the spaces between reality and chaos. Why? Because so many tales in these genres reflect what we can be like, while others give strong moral messages. Why do we need such things?

1. To guide us as to what our behaviour should/should not be;
   
2. To show us what life could be like without kindness, gratitude etc. Would you really not want things to come right for Cinderella, for example?
   

As writers, we also need to give our characters space to develop in themselves and as part of the plot development. A character who doesn't change will be of little interest to readers.

Image Credit:  The magnificent Pixabay. Captions on the CFT post.

Variety is the spice of the writing life. Last week's CFT post was a review of a wonderful spoof staged by The Chameleon Theatre Group and this week I discuss Making Space.

I love variety in reading and writing. The former inspire ideas for posts and stories (and the wider you cast your net here the more opportunities you have for being inspired. Literally keep an open mind and feed your mind well with wonderful material from other writers!).  The latter keeps me on my toes. I love meeting the challenges of flash fiction and short story writing. I love meeting the challenges of non-fiction writing too.

But there's nothing wrong with sticking to one genre if that is what you prefer to do. So how can you bring variety in here? The crucial point is to enjoy what you write, whatever it is you go in for. If you're bored, that will show through in your writing (and I think will eventually lead you to stop writing altogether). For story writers, it is all down to characters as you can come up with so many combinations of characters and situations to write about. For me, a story is all about the character. It's then fun to find out what happens to them.

For non-fiction, I look at themes that interest me and write articles and posts around those. One obvious theme is writing. I love reading and writing about writing (and I enjoy sharing tips I've found useful. I am grateful to authors who have likewise inspired and helped me here. One of the loveliest things about the writing world is, with few exceptions, it is a supportive one. You learn something, share it, someone else learns, their writing benefits and overall literature benefits too. We will always need a supply of writers across the genres and age ranges).

My CFT post this week is a review of a wonderful spoof staged by The Chameleon Theatre Group. The title is likely to remain the longest of any play I've ever reviewed. Try saying They Came From Mars and Landed Outside the Farndale Avenue Church Hall in time for the Townswomen's Coffee Morning in a hurry!

No matter where your story is set, or how outlandish your fictional world is, it still has to be populated by characters whom we can understand and either root for, or love to hate. They must generate an emotional reaction in us. Their motives must be ones we can understand.

The setting should also be one we can get behind. After all, we know how our planet works/is run. How is this done in your fictional setting? Are there corrupt politicians for example? (I refuse to believe that could just be on Earth!).

Especially in a fantasy world, some ideas of what it looks like, how the species live, what kind of wildlife is there etc deepen your characterisation of the setting itself. (Setting can often be a character in its own right and I don't think it's a bad idea to treat it as one. It means you think it out for a start!).

Images for the review are on the CFT post and many thanks to the Chameleons for them.  Images below are from the ever marvellous Pixabay.

There are those who might feel that the reason I love quirky characters is because I am one!  Hmm...

So what is it about quirky characters that appeals to me so much, both in terms of reading about them and writing them myself?

1. Humour - there's usually a lot of humour, often irony, involved here. That appeals directly ever since I first came across irony in Pride and Prejudice which I read at secondary school many, many moons ago. That book was an eye opener for me in terms of how irony can be used (and the best kind is subtle with it too). It paved the way for me to appreciate more direct irony in the works of Terry Pratchett and P.G. Wodehouse, to name but two, later on
2. The Unexpected - The irony (!) here is you expect the unexpected from quirky characters. You'd be a bit disappointed to say the least if they didn't come out with something. Often this is the pivoting point of the whole story too. What is fun is trying to guess what they come up with.
3. Memorable - You remember quirky characters. It's why I've always loved Jo March in Little Women and George in The Famous Five. Again I wanted to find out what they could do and whether they could surpass what had gone before. It kept me reading! The trick for a writer is to achieve the same thing. It is also the challenge! What is it that makes your characters memorable?
   

Image Credit:  The marvellous Pixabay.

My CFT post this week is on the topic of Murphy's Law and how it can affect writers.
Image Credit:  As ever, the wonderful Pixabay. Captions on the CFT post.

Now we all know Murphy's Law is no respecter of barriers. Whatever profession you're in, whichever hobby you enjoy, it will strike at some point. So as to the actual creating of a story, what are the things to look for so you can avoid them?

1. Naming Characters - For longer works of fiction, it is too easy to give characters names that are too similar to others (for example Stephanie and Stephan. Two different characters but the problem with names that are similar is they can make the characters forgettable or interchangeable, neither of which you want). I get around this by ensuring each of my characters has a name that starts with a different letter of the alphabet. It's simple but it works. Murphy's Law can kick in here by making you not spot this until after you've got your first draft down. (Yes, it can be fixed at that point but it can be frustrating when you've got two similar sounding characters. The last thing you want is anything that might cause confusion in a reader or a sense of "what is that character doing here? I don't see the point of them" reaction).
   
2. Outlining - The query here is how much to do? Will Murphy's Law strike in that you either outline too much or not enough? How can you judge what is correct for the writing you're working on? A rule of thumb I use is have I got enough to get started on the story? Have I got enough to get me to the middle of the story? Have I got enough to be able to conclude the story? You don't necessarily need to outline everything. You just need enough to get you to the next stage in the story. Think of this as outlining the major markers. Get those right and it will help you get everything else in place. You just want to stop yourself going off at unproductive tangents and that is where Murphy's Law will trip you up. Stop the unhelpful tangents and you save yourself valuable time too. Work out what you think you need to know.
   
3. Settings - The trap here again is detail. How much do you need to know before you write the story? What impact will the setting have on your characters? Preparation is the key to beating Murphy's Law hitting you here. Again work out what you think you need to know. And bear in mind the setting must have some kind of impact on your characters - they're either going to love where they are (but it is under threat - which is where your story comes in) or loathe it and want to escape (which is where another type of story can come in).
   

I suspect there won't be any great surprises here but each one should be a challenge to all of us to ensure we keep doing these!

1. Characters I love or love to loathe. They've got to be memorable.
   
2. Situations which are critical for the characters. They've got to strive for something important.
   
3. A setting I would love to visit! (Anyone fancy a trip to The Shire in The Lord of  the Rings? Mordor, I'd be happy to miss!).
   
4. Great pace.  Absolutely no boring bits!
   
5. It's a story I'd be happy to re-read at any time and enjoy it all over again.
   
6. Humour, where apt for the story and the characters. I have a very soft spot for irony.
   
7. Tragedy, when necessary as it often is, not to be overdone. (I think tragedy has much more of an impact when it does not become melodrama).
   
8. Snappy dialogue.
   
9. Catchphrases I can remember - and enjoy doing so.
   
10. The story shows me something of the human condition which I'd either not considered before or reaffirms something. Funny stories can do this surprisingly well.
    

My CFT post looks at why Controlling the Weather isn't a good idea even if we could do it. I also look at why "it was a dark and stormy night" has gone down as one of the all time "great" writing cliches. But can the weather play a purpose in writing? Can writers control their use of it so it is effective, rather than something that can be mocked (as that infamous opening line so often is)? What should writers control in their writing?

The weather can play a role in writing as long as it matters to the story (in terms of outcome/character development etc).  Generally speaking, it matters to the story is the most important rule in all fiction writing! Weather can also be used to reflect or contrast mood. If someone is singing in the rain, we would generally want to know why!  Interest piqued... now follow through with interesting reasons why!

What writers should seek to control in their writing should be:-

1.  Everything that is in the story has to be in there. Something would be lost in terms of character and/or plot if anything was removed. If anything could be skipped, cut it out. It is what readers/editors will skip.

2.  Their characters. Characters should be well developed and should engage with the reader (even if it is to make the reader hate them!).

3.  Dialogue.  This should reveal information/move the story onwards. Any dialogue without a purpose shouldn't be in there.

Image Credit:  Pixabay.  For captions see the CFT post!

Well, should fairytales ever be funny? I suppose your answer to that might be based on what you believe fairytales are for. Many, of course, give moral messages (e.g.  never be unkind to an old person. In the fairytale they often turn out to be someone important and/or magical in disguise. Crossing them or being unkind is never a good move!).  Other fairytales can act as warnings. Some, naturally, can do both.

My own view is where a story (of any kind) can be funny and it gets something across better that way, then do so. Truth is often more palatable when sweetened a bit and making someone laugh or smile as they take in the more serious point behind the gag does make accepting that truth easier. I've never seen anything wrong in "just" writing for laughs.  It's harder to do than it sounds but I've found the most memorable speeches/sermons/stories have all contained at least some element of humour. Humour makes it easier to remember and can be a useful tool for a writer.

Humour should never be forced. It should arise naturally out of your characters and the situations you put them in. I don't think you can fake something to be funny. It either is or isn't. There are topics which are not suitable for humour at all (abuse is the obvious one for me) but a fairytale which is trying to "promote" being kind, for example, could use humour to make more of an impact on a reader.

I love reading humorous prose. I find it a tonic for the soul. Given stories reflect life, and life should have humour in it, so should our tales! But it works best when it suits the material. You can't force humour into a story where tragedy is more appropriate. Nobody went to see Romeo and Juliet for laughs for example.

Fairytales have great scope for flexibility. You have magical creatures and where there is magic, there is always the potential for it to go wrong. The consequences can be funny. Think of The Sorcerer's Apprentice for example.

Happy - and fun - writing!

Image Credit:  Pixabay.

My CFT post this week, Writing Legacy, looks at the legacy of the much missed Barbara Large, MBE, who founded the Winchester Writers' Festival. I also ask what legacy we as writers should try to leave behind.

From a character viewpoint, what is the legacy we as our creators should leave them with?

1. Have we made them unforgettable characters? We should have done...
2. Have we given them plenty to do in the story? We should have done...
3. Have we tested them to see what they are really made of? We should have done...
4. Have they got good dialogue? If not, why not?
5. Do they come across well to a reader? They should do (and this applies equally to villains. They need to be convincing too).
6. Are the motivations of the character strong enough?
7. Will the reader feel a pang of regret when the story is over?

Better get to it then!

Image Credit:  Some are from Pixabay.  The images of Barbara Large and Barbara with Anne Wan were kindly supplied by Anne Wan. The selfie of Val Penny and me was taken by me!

Reading Aloud Allowed  is the topic of my CFT post this week.  I show how it benefits readers and writers alike.

Do your characters read? If so, what do they read? Do they read out loud? What is their schooling like (where reading aloud is really encouraged of course)? Do you have characters who struggle with reading or is your fictional setting one which is aggressive to the idea of books and learning?

Is your fictional world one where stories are treasured?  Is there an oral storytelling tradition? What are the legends which generally are the basis of oral storytelling?

Now you are bound to have some story idea triggers from answering at least some of that!

Have fun!

Behind the Scenes is the topic for my Chandler's Ford Today post this week and I look at it in terms of volunteering and writing. Plaudits and encouragement needed in both I think!

For a piece of work, what would behind the scenes mean? Well, even in fiction, research can sometimes be necessary. This is especially true for any fiction which weaves real life events or people into the narrative. Facts have to be facts. (If it's an alternative reality or history, that should be made clear at the outset). Just watch how much research you do. Research is fun but can also turn into procrastination when you should be writing. We've all done it...

Sometimes research can be as simple as drawing on what you know from life about likely human behaviours. You know humans can be like this in these circumstances so your characters should reflect that too.  Good fiction does reflect our humanity. Nobody said it had to flatter though!

Behind the scenes obviously includes your drafts and edits but also things like ensuring you meet the submission requirements for wherever you are sending work to, as no two places have quite the same needs here. Yes, there will be a lot in common - double line spacing, font size etc - but I take a week off any deadline for a competition to make absolutely sure I've got those details right as I don't want mistakes there to disqualify my story.  (It's not really fair when you have two equally good pieces come in to allow one that didn't follow all the rules properly to win over one that DID).

Perseverance and patience are invaluable qualities for a writer though!

Image Credit:  All images are from the magnificent Pixabay. I particularly like the grouchy looking comment box cartoon!  Suitable captions for these can be found on the CFT link.

What Do You Look For in a Good Book is my theme for this week's CFT post. Hope you enjoy.

The challenge for any writer, whether they're writing novels or story collections, is to ensure their book could be classed as "good".  Allowing for differences in taste I think what writers need to achieve with their writing can be summarised as:-

1. Believable characters.
   
2. Characters we can identify with.
   
3. A plot with twists and turns to keep a reader guessing.
   
4. The story has to have a "got to find out what happens next" element to it. Without that, the whole thing falls down. This element, for me, works best when the characters are so gripping, I've got to find out what happens to them. I don't need to like them. I just need to want to find out what happens to them. Sometimes it can be to follow a horrible character and experience great glee as they get their comeuppance at the end of the story!
   
5. An easy to read style. I've got to enjoy the way the prose flows. Easy to read takes time to get right and I learned a long time ago that whenever someone makes writing look easy, that same someone has worked for years to get to that point.
   

Good luck with your own writing! And whoever said writing is easy has never done any...!

Image credit:  All images in the slideshow are via Pixabay.

Nobody really needs a reason to love fairytales, of course, but for the less convinced I offer the following:-

1.  They are often the first stories youngsters come across and are a gateway into the wonderful world of reading. Once that spark is lit, there should be no turning back.  It is no coincidence that those who read more develop a larger and more wide ranging vocabulary.

2.  There is a clear sense of right and wrong in fairytales. (That appeals to children and those who decided growing up was overrated). 

3.  Some stories can act as warnings.

4.  The stories can reflect injustice and cruelty but also usually have those things stopped by the end. (In life so often these things are not stopped.  It is good to have stories where matters are rectified, justice is done etc.  This is something shared with good crime stories too).

5.  They're great stories (reason enough!).

My latest CFT post is a review of the annual Fryern Funtasia, which is a great fun event for all ages.  What I particularly love about events like this is the ongoing links with the medieval fairs.  It was appropriate there was a Hog Roast and an archery practice range (for children) at the event which was held on Bank Holiday Monday, 6th May 2019.

Historical links can be great for inspiring story ideas.  These can range from timeslip novels to ghost stories involving historical characters (do check out the works of Jennifer C Wilson for some great examples here).

I use historical links in flash fiction as a quick way to show when a story is set.  For example, if I mentioned someone's ruff was distinguished, you'd know from that one detail alone the tale was set in the Tudor court (Elizabeth's).

You can also be inspired by the stories of historical characters.  Anne Boleyn inspired my Dignity and Injustice which is on Cafelit (and will be in their Best of Cafelit  8 due out later this year).

So think about how you can use history to shape your own fiction. And a character's sense of history (their own, their country's etc) will affect how they think and act and can add great drama to your story.

My CFT post is a review of The Chameleon Theatre Group's latest production, Spring Trio of Plays.  This included Effie's Burning, Ghost of a Chance, and In For the Half.  The performances and the impact of the plays were fabulous.

I like going to productions like these as they are another way for me to take in story.  Reading will always be phenomenally important to any writer but that doesn't mean you can't take in stories in other media.  With plays particularly, you get to "see" the impact of well written dialogue and that can help inspire you with your own writing, whether you write scripts or not.  You get to hear what works.  Memorable lines stay with you for a reason!  The goal of course is to be able to create your own memorable lines in whatever format you choose to write.

Another favourite form of storytelling for me is audio books.  Being told a story by someone else is one of the great joys of human existence for me. Again you get to hear what works.  If you listen to an abridged version, and you have the unabridged book version, find out what they cut and see if you can work out why.  Does this have an impact on what you put into your story or leave out of it?

I don't watch a lot of film but it's a very valid way of exploring stories.  Learn to spot where the Three Act Structure is in the movie you're watching!

I was surprised to find links between flash fiction and plays in my latest CFT post, which is on Plays - The Joys and Challenges.  More on that in the post itself but it made me wonder about links in our stories. 

Some of these are planned of course but others can crop up as you are drafting your story.  One of the great joys of writing I think is when you've drafted a story and you spot other links between characters/with your theme etc., all of which have come out of your sub-conscious mind. 

Reading widely in all genres and including non-fiction will help feed that sub-conscious mind which is why doing this is such a good idea for all writers, regardless of what you write. 

You want to be able to draw on thoughts that have occurred to you as you read something, which you may not have noted for a story at the time of reading the piece concerned, but which come back to your mind as you write/edit etc and you realise it could fit in really well with your character. 

So where to look for links then?

1.  Look at links between what characters fear.  Enemies can be united by a common fear of something or someone else.  Those links can be played on for good or evil.

2.  Look at links between what characters love.  That can also be used for good or evil.  If two characters love the same person, there's going to be fallout from that.

3.  Look at links with regard to what makes people tick.  The basic drives - the need to survive and pass on genes to offspring - are common to most of us.  It is how we act on them that differentiates us of course.  One of my favourite moments in Star Wars is the famous scene where Darth Vader reveals he  is Luke Skywalker's father.  Luke is horrified of course.  The very thought of there being any link at all between him and Vader is horrifying for Luke. What links can you use to make other characters react in a similar way?

My CFT post Story Analysis - Why Bother? looks at why story analysis works and why it is useful for writers.  But how do your characters work out if things are working the way they should be?

Usually your characters take a while to work out when things are going wrong (and this is particularly true if someone is a traitor to a group of characters.  It takes time to figure out something is not right and then deduce who the guilty party is).

I suppose it is a reflection of human nature that characters often have to realise something is wrong (as opposed to knowing things are going well).  But therein lies the drama and conflict and without all of that, there is no story.

Interesting lines of thought to follow for stories are when characters are put in situation where they are in a different culture and have to adjust their thinking.  How easy is it for them to do that?  Do they manage to blend in with their new surroundings or do they stick out? 

But there you have a character who has to got to work out how things work in their new environment.  Also work out what the consequences are for if/when your character gets this wrong.  Is the new situation they're in welcoming to strangers or not?  Increase the tensions and the pressures on your characters to get this right to ratchett up the stakes the character has to "play for" to achieve whatever goal has been set as the story aim.