How do you raise the stakes in your writing?
Do you confront your protagonist with something that challenges their deeply held beliefs? Is there a threat that your characters will lose the thing they want most in the world? Does somebody pull out a gun?
There are lots of ways to raise the stakes of your story, and a good story continually ratchets up the pressure as it progresses. Conflict is the catalyst for character growth. The more conflict, the more growth—be it good or bad—and the more interesting story.
So, raising the stakes is always a good thing, right? Let me give you a qualified answer:
Yes, but it has to suit the story you’re telling. First, let’s distinguish between two types of stakes you will have in any story: personal and global.
Personal vs. Global Stakes
Simply put, personal stakes are what’s going on inside the character and within their immediate sphere of influence. Global stakes are what’s happening in the world around them.
Now, if I had to give those stakes a hierarchy, I’d say that personal stakes are more important. A story can often survive on the strength of its characters, even if those characters aren’t doing much to change the world around them.
Take the movie Rudy as an example. It’s about a young man who dreams of playing football for Notre Dame. He wants to break free from his family’s small-town expectations and achieve something that—to him—is meaningful. Globally speaking, the stakes are pretty low. But it doesn’t matter. We care anyway—and care deeply—because we have an investment in the personal stakes of the character and want to see him succeed.
Alternatively, how long you would stay invested in a story with great global stakes but an annoying or unlikeable character? It would be tough sledding, right?
What’s Right for Your Story?
So, how do you determine what’s right for your story? Oftentimes, your story’s genre will give you guidance…
Romance stories have an outsized focus on the personal stakes of the characters falling in (or out of) love.
Sci-Fi and Fantasies tend to have huge global stakes (e.g., dark lords and world-ending weapons), but they only resonate when complemented by significant personal stakes.
Thrillers hinge on the personal stakes of life or death for the protagonist or someone close to them.
The global stakes in Action stories can vary wildly, but having strong personal stakes to match a propulsive plot is key.
Westerns generally limit their global stakes to a particular geographic area—maybe a town is under siege from outlaws or an unscrupulous land baron.
Ultimately, I believe the best stories marry meaningful personal stakes with impactful global ones, regardless of your genre. Let’s look at some more stories that raise their stakes the right way…
Story Examples that Raise the Stakes
Star Wars
Let’s start with a big one. In A New Hope, the story’s global stakes grow to a level of galactic importance. But it’s appropriate—the threat of the Empire is established early, as is the destructive power of the Death Star. We know they must be defeated. But those massive stakes are interwoven with the personal journey we take with Luke Skywalker. That makes it particularly satisfying when Luke’s personal stakes and the fate of the galaxy dovetail in the film’s climax. Luke has grown into the type of person who could save the universe—and it feels great for the audience when he does.
In The Empire Strikes Back, the stakes keep going up. But this time, it’s different. The fate of the galaxy takes a backseat to the those of the characters we’ve come to know and love: Will Luke become a Jedi? Will Han and Leia admit their feelings for one another? Will the Empire catch up with them, and what will be the consequences if they do? It all culminates with a very personal revelation—that Darth Vader is actually Luke’s father (spoilers, btw). For the audience, the stakes are sky high, with or without a Death Star.
The Bear
The Bear is about Carmen, who takes over a restaurant in the wake of his brother’s death. The global stakes are low—will the restaurant stay afloat and, eventually, become something more—but they don’t feel that way. Like Rudy, the personal stakes are huge, and we become invested in the success of Carmen and the many other characters featured in the show.
And we stay invested, even when some episodes consist mostly of people yelling at each other in a kitchen. It’s all very well done and adds to the personal stakes of the characters while keeping the global stakes suitably contained.
Die Hard
In Die Hard, police officer John McClain must battle terrorists when they hold the occupants of a skyscraper hostage—including, crucially, John’s estranged wife. The personal stakes are high, but the global stakes don’t really extend past Nakatomi Plaza. The terrorists aren’t trying to blow up the world, they just want money. But that’s all we need. As an audience, we’re gripped as John tries to save his wife and the other hostages, all while trying not to get himself killed.
There’s also this great tension running through the film—will the antagonists learn that one of the hostages is John’s wife and use her against him? The answer is yes, and it happens at the very end of the movie, perfectly tying together John’s personal stakes with the story’s broader global stakes. There’s a reason why Die Hard is the best Christmas movie ever (only kidding, that’s this one).
Conclusion
In summary, I would leave you with this suggestion on how to raise the stakes of your story the right way: the world doesn’t have to be ending, but somebody’s world does. We care about stories because we care about what happens to the characters in them.
So, make sure your global stakes fit the story you’re telling. Ratchet up the personal stakes as high as they can go. Then, weave them together and you’ll be well on your way to something special.
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