Stories are full of choices, crossroads, dilemmas. A character may decide whether to speak or keep silent, whether to stay or go, whether to let the rest of the world know who he or she truly is. The character may risk discrimination, injury, or the loss of a dream. As a writer, I build my stories around critical choices.
One of the benefits of literature is the chance to explore alternatives in a way that we can’t in life. In books, we get to try the road not taken. One way for readers, classes, and book clubs to approach a book is to look at the choices made by characters, and to ask:
How did the character’s action and personality set up the choice?
Did you expect the character to make that choice?
Did the consequences unfold as you foresaw?
What regrets do you think the character will have over this choice?
What would’ve happened if the character had made a different choice?
How would other characters in the book handle that choice?
And my favorite:
What would you do if confronted with the same choice?
Comments
1 C. Lee McKenzie // Mar 13, 2009 at 5:50 pm
In books that pull me into, that is the question I often ask. What would I have done
if I had to choose between saving my son or my daughter (Sophie’s Choice)
if bullies were beating my friend and would turn on me if I’d stayed to help (The Kite Runner)
if my dad had killed my mom (When Dad Killed Mom)
Books that take me into myself like that stay with me a very long time.
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