What if I told you that most writers don’t know how to truly destroy their characters? It’s true. If you think the “disaster/dark moment” is just some crazy horrible thing that happens to your protagonist… you are wrong.

See, when most writers arrive at this point of a story, they get a little too excited. They’ve been saving up their sadism for this moment, and now they just want to make their characters suffer by inflicting some random and terrible pain on them. That is the point, right? To cause your character pain, make your reader cry, and be a loathsome person in general?

Actually, no. Making some “horrible thing” happen to your protagonist is actually NOT the best way to make your character suffer. Why? Because a “horrible thing” is a horrible thing if it happens to anybody. But this isn’t a story about just anybody. This is a story about your unique protagonist.

In today’s video, we’re exploring the Disaster and Dark Moment plot points – and, more importantly, the brain science behind them. If you thought you knew how to make your characters suffer, think again! In this video I share the golden rule of causing your protagonist (and reader) pain by rooting the “disaster” in your character’s greatest fear and misbelief. 

Let’s talk.

Let’s talk disasters! Do you know what the disaster + dark moment is going to be in your story? How are you going to make your character suffer by rooting their disaster in their greatest fear and misbelief?

If you liked this episode of WritersLife Wednesday, please share it with a writer friend! Also be sure to subscribe to my channel to get new videos every Wednesday all about writing, publishing, and making your author dreams come true.

Rock on,
Abbie

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