Villains, Victims and Victories by Mary Folkerts

 

Every good story needs a villain—the bad guy who creates havoc or the problem that causes misery. Can you imagine a story where everything is always perfect? At first, it might be a great escape from reality, but after a while, one simply gets bored of perfection. There must be a struggle or tension to create a dynamic in the story.

If you have a villain, you will undoubtedly have victims, people in danger or struggling with an issue they can’t resolve. It’s the age-old story of good versus evil where we most often identify with and cheer for the victim to overcome and the villain to be taken down.

The reader needs the author to give hope that they can prevail against struggle and pain and that victory is possible!

Even when we are not writing fictitious stories, these still seem to be necessary components of writing that capture the reader's attention. Who wants to read that Susie woke up to a glorious morning, went through her day without a care or angry word, fell into a deep, restful sleep at night and did the same thing again come morning? It’s not a compelling story without a struggle because it's unrealistic. We want to read about the problem Susie encountered during her day, something she had difficulty coming to terms with. Then, we want to know how she handled it and, hopefully, the steps she took to resolve it. 

We know real life is full of villains and problems, and the reader needs the author to give hope that they can prevail against struggle and pain and that victory is possible! So, what struggle is the villain of your story, who are the victims, and how are they affected? And what are the ways to victory? Let’s tell compelling, vulnerable stories that lead others to hope for their own story.

Mary Folkerts is mom to four kids and wife to a farmer, living on the southern prairies of Alberta, where the skies are large and the sunsets stunning. She is a Proverbs 31 ministries COMPEL Writers Training member and is involved in church ministries and music. Mary’s personal blog aims to encourage and inspire women and advocate for those with Down Syndrome, as their youngest child introduced them to this extraordinary new world. For more inspiration, check out Joy in the small things https://maryfolkerts.com/  or connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maryfolkerts/