Tuesday's Writer's Tip The Character's Dilemma #MFRWAuthor #BWLPublishing #Dilemmas #Opening of a book

The opening of a book needs to either give the character's problems or at least hint to what they are. A character without some kind of dilemma to solve or some goal to reach is flat and lacks interest. This dilemma must be one that can't be solved immediately. The problem must stretch forward in time.

Perhaps the character is lonely and wants someone to share their life with. They may have homed in on one particular person but this can't be an easy fix. There have to be reasons on either side as to why this won't work. The character in the course of the book has to work the levels to gain their goal.

Take the detective who has a good idea as to who the criminal is but there are also reasons their idea could be false. The immediate problem can be spelled out or hinted at but the solving of the problem is the story.

If you fail to at least hint to what the character faces, there's no reason for the story. In the book I'm working on right now the hint to his problem comes as the scene ends. He wants to connect with a woman he's hurt by neglect. At the end of her scene, she wants to find closure with the man who abandoned her. They both have a problem and the reader will want to read on to see who will win, who will lose or if there is a chance of a compromise.