The So-What? Factor (Reposted)
I ran across a great article the other day HERE. And almost ten years later (hello 2021), that post is still up!
It mentions a bunch of cool things but a particular idea caught my attention. It's the SO WHAT factor.
From the post:
"It's easy to confuse concept with plot, and that's not it. Because that leaves out something that Lisa Cron's recent book WIRED FOR STORY calls the "'so what?' factor." She goes on to explain that the "so what?" factor is what clues a reader in on the point of the story, the relevance of everything that happens in it, what the story is about."
Basically, why should we care? Empathy is SO important in books. I think empathy and curiosity are the two biggest things that will keep a reader turning pages.
It mentions a bunch of cool things but a particular idea caught my attention. It's the SO WHAT factor.
From the post:
"It's easy to confuse concept with plot, and that's not it. Because that leaves out something that Lisa Cron's recent book WIRED FOR STORY calls the "'so what?' factor." She goes on to explain that the "so what?" factor is what clues a reader in on the point of the story, the relevance of everything that happens in it, what the story is about."
Basically, why should we care? Empathy is SO important in books. I think empathy and curiosity are the two biggest things that will keep a reader turning pages.
What do you think?
If you've got a WIP, check out your first page and ask yourself if it piques curiosity or empathy.
If you've got a WIP, check out your first page and ask yourself if it piques curiosity or empathy.
Think of a book you couldn't put down. What kept you reading? How can you work that "So What" relevance into your WIP?
I would also call this STAKES.
I would also call this STAKES.
What does your character have to lose if he or she does not reach the initial goal? Stakes, stakes, stakes. That's what makes the story matter, in my opinion.
Think even of movies, since they tend to go faster. Immediately the viewer is thrust into a situation with a character who needs to accomplish something OR ELSE ... something bad will happen. This is what keeps us hooked into a story. We have to care about the character.
Whew. So this is a repost almost ten years later but I still feel just as strongly about it. Now I need to revise, I think. LOL And maybe rewrite all my books.
Comments
Flip on, Jessica! :D
~ Wendy
Jen
Jeanette, I would think so, although I think your chapter breaks are different than fiction, and it's okay to have more of a rest between chaps in nf.
I also like what Jody Hedlund said once about how characters who care about others more than themselves (like their main goal is to accomplish something for someone they love instead of accomplishing something for themselves) make really great stories too.
Thanks for sharing the link!
I've been thinking about the "so what" factor for awhile as I edit my ms. You are so right about empathy, and I'm realizing I need to increase that in my story. A reader needs to care in order to continue reading. I recently read the Hunger Games and I couldn't put it down because I was just too concerned about the main character. The stakes were just too high.
By making it something relatable or something that tugs at their heart, they begin to invest their emotions into the story and into the outcome. :-)
LOL Hope it helped, Georgiana. :-)