The Importance of Reputation

Tweet: There was a time and place when a man was only as good as his word and integrity was paramount. #writingtips

A clansman's oath was to the death. Tribesmen the world over made verbal contracts often involving an exchange of blood.

If you lived in merry old Europe during most of the regent-named eras, a reputation was considered more important than currency. A man might be poor, but he could still have his good name. Lots of citizens indulged in lascivious shenanigans, though most turned a blind eye while they did so. As long as the shenanigans took place in private and the “public” remained ignorant, all was well and good. Shift the curtains and allow a passerby to see inside the facade and the person in question was ruined.

Are honesty and integrity important in your story world? Is it more valuable than currency? 

Is it important for Dick to have a “good name?”  What will Dick have to do to maintain or regain his reputation? Many a tale hinges on someone trying to repair a damaged reputation. Dick’s integrity might be one of his hot buttons. Others will challenge it at their own risk.

Dick might be proud of his reputation as a womanizer and guy’s guy. Jane might look down her patrician nose at him for being so superficial. In many a love story, she finds out her initial prejudice was unfounded.

Jane might have a reputation as a loose woman with a sharp tongue. When forced to work with Jane, Dick might realize Jane has been unfairly demonized. She is really quite lovely.

How important are honesty and integrity to the characters that move about your story world? 

Not all of them will value the same things. To some, virtues will be of the highest importance. To others, vices might be of higher importance.

Is it better to give than receive? Depends on who is giving and who is receiving, doesn’t it? If Dick is giving money to a charity, it’s a good thing. If Jane is giving crucial intelligence to Iran, not such a good thing. Both might have a reputation as a “giving” sort of person.

What if Dick has earned a reputation he does not deserve? What if he is held aloft and admired by millions for something he didn’t really do, or for doing something that appeared benign when it was secretly malignant?

It might be Jane’s story goal to strip him of his “good name.”

A business’s reputation is worth its weight in stocks. A single incident can trash a business’s reputation. The business may never recover. The stakes are high when a company is fighting to keep, change, or restore its reputation. Those at the top of the corporate pyramid may turn lethal if their reputation is challenged. If Dick orchestrates a coup with the sole purpose of destroying a corporation, the game is on.

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To learn more about the mannequins and how personality types create conflict for your characters, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book, and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook available in paperback and E-book.

Stirring The Plot: Physical Obstacles

Physical obstacles prevent movement, communication, access to a person, the retrieval of an object, and necessary exchanges. 

Physical distance prevents access which increases tension.

Time limits put the tension level at full throttle.

These are the types of action scenes that leave your readers biting their nails. The harder the task, the greater the anxiety level for the reader.

1. A physical barrier, like having to break into a safe or out of a cell.

This is a key tool in every genre from thriller t0 romance. Yes, romance. In the Outlander series, there are numerous times when Jamie and Claire must rescue one another from captors. And what is a heist movie without obstacles to the theft?

2. A situational barrier, such as trying to enter an area that is off limits.

Whether you character succeeds through sweet talk or stealth, waiting for them to get past this barrier can be funny, thrilling, or heartbreaking.

3. Physical restraints, like being stuck inside a car, plane, or train. 

Or trying to break free from handcuffs or a straight jacket. Your character does not have to be a magician to use this tool. They can be tied up or boxed in. Everyone can relate to the need to escape.

4. Missing the target whether it is a boat, train, airplane, or opportunity.

This is another situation your audience can relate to. The nearer the miss, the higher the tension. Will they get another chance or have to find another way?

5. Limited mobility due to a temporary or permanent physical disability.

Self-healing thriller characters aside, when your character is shot, stabbed, or otherwise hobbled, they will have difficulty doing what comes next.

6. Misunderstanding the time frame involved or being given an impossible timeline.

The ticking clock is arguably the most intense tool in the tension toolkit. There must be an "or else" for it to work properly. Nothing is worse than setting a ticking time bomb that doesn't go off.

7. Physical distances that make accomplishing the task difficult or impossible.

Whether you character has to traverse a hall, a flight of stairs, an eighty-story building, or rush from country to country, your readers feed on the the adrenaline rush your character experiences as he tries to accomplish the impossible.

8. Being misled about the correct destination.

Friend or foe, antagonist or love interest, missing the bus gives your readers a feeling of let down. They can relate to that moment when you realize you've taken the wrong turn, the wrong plane, or walked into the wrong bar.

9. Not being able to touch.

Truly, nothing is more agonizing than watching characters who desperately want to touch each other being kept apart. It can be lovers who are forbidden to love, or a mother reaching for a child who is slipping through her hands, literally or figurative. It can be the grieving loved one trying to reach the dead or dying. This tool can gut your reader or fill them with longing.

10. Different places or times.

This tool works best in the science fiction and fantasy realms where characters are literally worlds or time periods apart. From Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series to the movie Somewhere in Time, nothing keeps people apart more effectively than being in different eras. Your characters can be placed in different planets, starships, or fairy realms. Your readers will hang on to find out how they resolve these great distances.

For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.

Stirring the Plot: Ability Obstacles

Ability obstacles are created by a character's need to decide what to do, form a plan, and take the necessary action. Some are able to make a plan and stick with it. Others prefer to wing it. Some make quick decisions. Others dither. Pairing opposites to get the job done creates conflict.

Every character has strengths and weaknesses. He has areas of expertise and areas of ignorance. When action needs to be taken, different characters take it in different ways.

Let's look at ten ability obstacles.

1. A character lacks the strength or expertise to perform a physical or mental task.

2. He struggles with forming a plan and seeing it through. Planning may not be one of his strengths or his need to have a plan can keep him from taking action on the fly.

3. He does not have enough or has too much time to think it through. The more a character needs time to process, the more anxious he becomes when under the gun. Does he scatter or can he pull it together?

Some characters struggle with spontaneity, others are chronically impulsive. Sometimes having too much time to think can give the character a chance to doubt the wisdom of his choice.

4. Characters differ in their approach to the problem.

Characters with differences in problem solving methods will clash. Whose method is better? Which will work in the specific instance? Can they balance each other out and succeed or drill holes in the boat and sink the effort? One needs to have a plan, another wings it. One needs to be sure of the outcome, the other doesn't care. He will build wings on the way down.

5. His natural approach fails and he must rely on his weak side.

Giving your character a task that requires him to use his weaknesses can be an opportunity to show growth.

6. He tries the opposite approach and it backfires.

Use this when you want a spectacular failure during the time when it appears all is lost. He can then tell his partner: "I told you so."

7. He invests effort in the wrong solution and fails. 

During the early part of the story, this tactic is often used. The character thinks he knows what the problem is, who the bad guy is, or where the problem lies. He wastes the first half working toward the wrong goal. At the appropriate turning point, he realizes his mistake and recalculates.

8. He is uncomfortable deciding. 

Your character's inability to decide can be his worst nightmare or a silent strength. Perhaps he holds back while everyone else rushes ahead and ends up being the only one left standing. He can be pushed by others into the wrong job, the wrong relationship, or the wrong cause. He can act as sole voice of reason. Others will be irritated with his dithering, but his dithering can result in him being the only one to see clearly. Or it can simply cause passive-aggressiveness that drags out the conflict.

9. His timing can be off. He decides too soon or too late.

His amorous attempts can be too little to late or he can come through at the very last minute and change his love interest's mind. He can choose the wrong girl, then meet the right one. He can decide to join the battle too late and strike out on his own to rectify his mistake. Deciding too late could save him from being collateral damage so he can solve the problem on his own.

10. He just wants the problem gone and takes the wrong action.

This is useful in the early part of the plot where you want things to go wrong for your protagonist. A story problem arises, so he make a snap decision or makes a wrong move. This sets up the conflict for the next act. He must spend the saggy middle cleaning up his mess and choosing a new course of action. This course of action often fails as well and he finds the right path in the final act.

For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.

Stirring the Plot: Knowledge Obstacles

At each stage of the story problem, you have to decide what your character knows, when he knows it, how certain he is, and how hard it would be to convince him he is wrong.

Knowledge obstacles prevent understanding and complicate communication. 

How do your characters communicate?

Do they ask questions or give orders?

Do they listen to answers or brush them off?

Higher education teaches characters to think and debate, rarely does it teach them to get in touch with their feeling side. When it comes to our sweet sixteen, each could strengthen his weak side.

In previous posts, we discussed persuasion plot holes. Knowledge obstacles can create internal and interpersonal conflict. They often require your characters to persuade another to their way of thinking. When they are presented with knowledge obstacles, they can be forced to use persuasion tactics.

1. Missing information.

Some characters are fine with proceeding without all of the information. Others need lots of data to make decisions. Forcing opposites to work together or placing a character in a situation where they need to act outside of their comfort zone increases the tension.

2. Conflicting ways of obtaining information.

Some characters prefer facts, others prefer impressions. The dichotomy between solid and fuzzy data will make different characters uncomfortable. Pair opposites or force your characters to require the opposite of what they rely on. They can argue whether the information obtained was obtained correctly or incorrectly based on their opinion.

3. Receiving the same information but interpreting it differently.

Your characters can look at the same collection of facts, figures, or opinions but have completely different reactions to them. Their differences of opinion can cause low-level or explosive conflicts.

4. Conflicting information.

Information can come from conflicting resources, multiple resources, or inaccurate people. Muddying the waters will make some characters more uncomfortable than others. It will come down to who they trust or who they believe. How much do they like the person? What do they want to hear or believe? When the facts don't add up, it creates dissonance.

5. Inaccurate information.

Characters can be intentionally or unintentionally misled. How they feel about going forward with faulty information can result in guilt, recrimination, or resentment. It can result in a failure to meet their overall story or scene goals. This results in a need to gather new information or take action to fix the problem it has created. This moves the plot forward.

6. Inability to understand the information due to language differences.

Whether you are talking Mars and Venus, different ethnicity, or alien versus human, not being able to communicate effectively creates conflict. Attempts to overcome these differences can be comic, poignant, or frustrating.

7. Inability to deliver an important piece of information.

Your character can meet many obstacles when he needs to impart crucial information to another character. It could be lack of cell phone signal, being bound and gagged, or being physically prevented from approaching his target.

8. Knowing something he doesn’t want to acknowledge.

This can be a harsh reality for your character. As long as he refuses to accept the truth, he will be unable to solve the issue at hand.

9. Communicating what they know.

This comes back to persuasion techniques. He may not be taken seriously by his audience. He may not be considered a valid source of information. He may not be in a state to inspire confidence in his rantings.

10. Who he chooses to tell.

Your character can refuse to talk unless he is allowed to speak to someone he trusts. He can trust the wrong person. He can withhold important information which can lead to further conflict.

11. How and when he chooses to tell.

Delivery is half the battle. Does he try to appease or inflame the audience? Has he picked the worst possible moment to drop his bomb? Has he reached a point where he just can't keep the information to himself any longer?

Read more about persuasion techniques and pitfalls:

The Persuasion Plot Hole

Persuasion Tactics Part 1

Persuasion Tactics Part 2

Persuasion Tactics Part 3

For more information on crafting characters and plots check out my website and pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict in print and e-book.

Stirring the Plot: Internal Conflict

In addition to the problems the story world, antagonist, friends, and foes cause for our protagonist, there are internal obstacles that prevent him from achieving his overall story or scene goals.

Internal obstacles are supplied by the protagonist’s own mind. They are difficult to overcome because most characters lack objectivity and insight into their subconscious motivations. Rarely are characters self-aware enough to know their strengths, weaknesses, and triggers. 

Friends and foes and the antagonist can hold up mirrors so the character can see himself better. Most people lack self-awareness. Have other characters point out their faulty thinking.

Other characters reinforce these obstacles or help him overcome them. All characters have emotional triggers and cause explosions by pulling other people’s emotional triggers.

Internal obstacles can take several forms:

[ Internal resistance based on temperament to things that go against his natural inclinations.

This is where you can utilize their core traits (introversion/extraversion, intuition/sensing, feeling/thinking,  perception/judging) for or against them. If they are introverted, make them go public. If they are an on the fly guy, make them have to come up with a plan and stick with it. If they don't, the plan goes to hell and creates further conflict. If they hate being in the limelight, shine it on them. If they struggle with commitment, give them no choice.

[ Fears and phobias that keep him from going where he needs to go or taking the action he needs to take.

You can make this a crippling phobia (though a lot of these have been overused). You can make it more subtle, but equally effective if they overcome an unreasonable fear to solve a problem.

[ Desire for a personal currency that tempts him to do the wrong thing or sidelines his efforts.

We covered the sixteen currencies in earlier posts. It is hard to encourage someone by promising them something they don't want or threatening to take away something they don't care about. 

Tapping Your Character's Currency

Character Currency in Action

[ Character flaws such as low self esteem, arrogance, or pride that keeps him from doing what needs to be done or makes him do things that are better left untried.

In SBB II, I talk about ways to bend and twist your character's personality. You can use those emotional wounds and neuroses to create intense conflict at the scene and overall story levels.

[ Psychological barriers, such as conditioning, belief systems, mental illness, anxiety, depression, and addiction keep a character from seeing the situation clearly or keep him from making healthy decisions about what needs to be done or said.

Your characters don't live in a vacuum. There are societal rules, family rules, or organizational rules that they have internalized. Some characters break rules easier than others.

Make it hard. 

For more about how to craft characters, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook, available in paperback and E-book.

Stirring the Plot: External Obstacles

The External Layer of conflict can provide obstacles to overcome or ladders to climb. They can be provided by bureaucracies, laws, societal expectations, or authorities. 

Let's look at ten types of external obstacles.

1. Conflicting goals. The goals of the individual(s) is in opposition to their story world.

2. Inefficient practices, policies, or procedures. The characters are fighting for change, but rules get in the way. Do they break them or change them?

3. Needing consensus or permission from a superior to move forward. The character must find ways around the authority or convince him to change his mind.

4. Lack of funds to implement the plan. How do they get the money? Who do they get it from? What compromises must they make? What loops must they jump through to get it?

5. An action or decision that counters a religious or political agenda. You call illustrate the power of change or the tragedy of an insurmountable foe.

6. Prejudices against people, places, things, and behaviors. You can show character growth and a groundswell of change here.

7. Moral restrictions enforced by society based on the time and place in which he lives. Does he circumvent them or work to change them?

8. Taboos that forbid the action or decision and result in fatal or highly unpleasant consequences. Does he break them or take them down?

9. Police enforcement of the legal rules of the society your character lives in. What are the consequences for your character's actions? Does he serve time, become a suspect, or go on the run to achieve his goal?

10. Rulers (bosses, kings, dictators, starship captains, or tribal chieftains) can be fatal to cross. They set the tone and hand down the mandates for the world they control. Who rules your story world?

Their function can be to slam on the brakes or push the gas peddle as your character navigates his story world while attempting to solve the overall story problem. Along with motivated friends and foes, and the antagonist, external conflict can help you avoid sagging middles.

For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book. 

For free tools and an explanation of the conflict layering process, visit my website.

Stirring the Plot: Friends and Foes

In addition to the antagonist (sometimes in place of) there will be friends and foes who provide obstacles to the scene and overall story goals. 

They don’t have to be evil masterminds or have malevolent intent. They can be fake friends, family members, coworkers, the antagonist’s henchmen, or part of Dick’s social circle. They can be loved ones and love interests.

The Obstructionist: Jane loves to play Devil’s advocate. She points out how things can go wrong and the reasons why Dick shouldn’t consider his goal. She puts up roadblocks just to prove her point. She erodes Dick's ambition and makes his resolve falter. She encourages Dick to give up instead of push for the finish line.

The Snake: Sally likes to push buttons: everyone’s buttons. She has no personal issue with Dick; she simply enjoys messing with people. If Dick innocently wanders into her path, she strikes instinctively like a cobra. She examines per prey carefully and figures out what he wants and makes certain he doesn’t get it. She might trick Dick into doing something he doesn’t want to do. If Dick unknowingly alienates her, she attacks aggressively. Her secret weapon is her ability to manipulate people. She can keep Dick distracted from reaching his goal or convince him he does not really want it. If she has the power to withhold what he needs, she does so with a sly smile.

The Gossip: Jane says what she wants when she wants regardless of its impact. If Dick has a secret, she  blurts it out, usually at the worst possible moment. If you alienate Jane, she gossips and digs until she finds a juicy bone she can use against you when you least expect it. Jane can be thoughtless or deliberate in her attack. She wouldn’t know a healthy boundary if it bit her. Her behavior can embarrass or betray, create an awkward moment, or a dangerous one.

The Manipulator: Sally is dangerous because you never really know what she is thinking. She never offers a sincere opinion. She answers questions with questions. She isn’t intentionally manipulative; she’s simply a vat of Jello in which Dick can drown. Her opinions vary from moment to moment, so you can’t trust anything she says. Her emotions and attachments are shallow. If Dick needs information from her, even if she gives a direct answer, he won’t be able to trust it. If he needs her cooperation, she’ll fail him. If thwarted, Sally pretends to be Dick’s ally but stands on the sidelines bursting with laughter when he fails.

The Narcissist: Jane isn’t interested in messing with Dick. She is focused on the woman in the mirror. Jane is all about Jane. It never occurs to her that other people have needs, wants, and opinions. Getting something from her is an impossible task unless Dick has something Jane wants. She will concede for personal gain, not to help Dick out. Dick wastes time trying to figure out the right carrot. Once Jane has her carrot, she can’t be trusted.

The Enforcer: Sally acts as the thought police. She has a very stringent view of right and wrong. She is quick to point out when people behave in unacceptable ways. If Dick needs her approval or assistance, he may have to hide what he is doing or waste time pretending to be someone he isn’t. If he disappoints her, she quickly withdraws her support and makes certain other people do too. She will actively work against his goal just to put him in his place.

These friends and foes are not rational. Dick can’t reason with them. He has to find ways to mollify them or go around them and that creates effective tension and stretches out the timeline.

They can make Dick doubt his goal or convince him to give up. They can make Dick believe he is the crazy one.

Use these friends and foes to create speed bumps, stop signs, and road blocks at scene and overall story level.

For more on how to create obstacles, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict available in paperback and E-book.