Hi Reader,
Before I started dating my now fiancé, I couldn’t have cared less about soccer. I may have understood the basics of the game and even played soccer for a year as a first grader (it did not go well...), but I never sought it out.
Until the 2022 World Cup final, that is.
Four years ago, I found myself glued to the TV as Argentina played France. And when I say glued, I mean I was perched on the edge of the couch, stomach in knots, watching the last minutes tick down. Highly unusual for someone who usually treats soccer games like background noise and is happy to stand in the pretzel line when we go to a local Rhode Island FC game.
Why was I suddenly invested in a soccer game between two countries I’ve never visited / have no ancestral attachment to?
It all comes down to two things that were present in that particular soccer game: conflict and emotional stakes.
First off, the game wasn’t smooth sailing. Argentina had to fight all the way to the end. Then, at the climax, it all came down to penalty kicks. Watching the teams trade off with no idea who would win until the very end, I couldn’t have changed the channel if I wanted to.
Which brings me to the second factor. I wasn’t just invested in the game itself. I was invested because I knew what it meant to Lionel Messi.
To be clear, I don’t have a long history of following Messi, knew nothing about him before 2022, and haven’t watched him play since then. But a few months before that final, I’d listened to a podcast all about Messi’s history and long-standing desire to win the World Cup for his home country.
Because of that podcast, I wasn’t just watching a soccer game. I was watching a man pursue a goal that meant everything to him (at least as far as that podcast was concerned).
As the game progressed, I saw him get closer to that goal. I watched those final, nail-biting moments as his personal and professional success hinged on who could kick a ball into the goal first. Without that context, the game still might have been interesting, but it wouldn’t have gripped me the way it did.
Here’s the lesson for writers:
- Make things difficult for your characters. Don’t pull your punches or smooth the pathway prematurely. Readers chase conflict in fiction with just as much fervor as we avoid it in real life. If you are not putting real, meaningful obstacles in your main character’s path, you are not doing your job as an author.
- Conflict isn’t meaningful just because it’s dangerous or world-changing. Conflict is meaningful because your characters care about the outcome. Something in their backstory or character makes this goal the most important thing in their world–at least for the moment–and that makes readers care too. Don’t just throw in conflicts because they’re bigger and badder and flashier than what came before. Make your conflicts more meaningful and readers will follow along. In other words, don’t just give readers something to cheer for, give them someone to cheer for. It’s a small but mighty difference. A difference that just might turn casual readers into fans who devour your future books (or games…).
Better Writing
Part of being a better writer is writing to create a better world.
This week on the podcast, I’m talking about ways to start writing for a diverse audience by ensuring that you aren’t replicating harmful tropes or alienating potential readers by falling back onto old, tired stereotypes about groups you don’t belong to.
Watch or listen here!
Better Living
After a spate of miserably cold spring weather, it's finally warm and I’ve been enjoying every minute of my walks with Min!
Better Reading
I’m still reading Quicksilver by Callie Hart* and enjoying it immensely. Something about it feels like classic fantasy but with a hefty dose of romantasy tropes thrown in. I’m a fan!
Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful week and happy writing!
With love,
Olivia
Your story matters. Let's make it great.
Curious to know how I can help? Check out my services here. I can't wait to work with you, so you can write the book your future readers are waiting for!
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