I NEED DRAMA IN MY LIFE!

Welcome dear readers to our very first mini series! Now the conversation shall star the art of drama making. (Though I'm sure we all know some drama makers.) A drama starts with a need/want of the main character. They are then driven by the need/want thus putting the plot in motion. The need/want pushes the main character to go on their journey. The story then throws challenges in their way and they have to successfully or unsuccessfully deal with them.

So how is the story going to stay interesting? The drama of course! But there is another element to it, the person the story is about has to have some type of appeal. Now some may wonder, "Why is that? If the story is good then can't the main character be a bit lackluster?" And my answer is, NO! For they're the one the story is about! If the audience isn't invested in them, then the story isn't going to be looked at twice after the first time. No matter how great a plot is, dull and empty characters are not fun to follow.

I believe the main person of the book should be the most or at least in the top five most interesting characters in the story. But for some reason, some authors make them hollow. Why this is I don't know. Maybe so readers can insert themselves into the story? I don't know about others but I read a book to follow who the story is about.

But let's get back to the topic at hand. One of the best ways to get drama is for there to be conflict. Now the conflict doesn't have to have violence in it but there needs to be a power struggle. This is where other characters and nature come in. Some ways to get into conflict:

• A character to contrast the hero of the story
• A love triangle involving the main character
• Someone that was important from their past returning and starting up trouble
• Bad weather that's most often a storm
• Lady Luck leaving their side
• The betrayal of an important family member or friend
• Rape of the hero or another important character
• The sudden death of a friend or family member

And that's just naming the few that came from the top of my head. Another way to get drama is through a characters' motivation. The character's motive can be getting a kiss from their crush to killing the person who destroyed their home and leaving them scarred for life. They just need something to forward the plot.

The last example of gaining drama is for the main character to reach their highest and lowest points in the story.  Their lowest is usually when they have been outsmarted or humiliated by the villain. The defeat needs to be caused by something they overlooked or their own overconfidence. This will then lead the main character to reexamine themselves and try to improve from this loss. The highest point is their victory over the main challenge. Once reexamining themselves they then confront the villain once more and beat them this time. The highest point can also be the happiest or peaceful moment of the main character's life. The story can have the main character go through as many high and low points they need; as long as it makes sense within the plot.

So that concludes our chat about getting drama, now let us talk about maintaining it. This is where creating interesting characters becomes key. It's important to have them express themselves throughout the story.

• Disappointment when things go wrong.
• Humiliation when they become outclassed.
• Happiness as they win what they are looking for. 
• Anxiety when they are running out of time.  

The emotions the characters feel fuel the drama and make it believable. But all that doesn't matter if the readers don't care for the characters. That's because no one wants to read a story with lame characters. Funny enough, people will read an alright story with interesting characters. It's the characters that hook readers in and it will be the characters that make them stay. This does not mean that they have to be completely likable. They just have to get the interest of the reader.

With that statement, we are done with part one of the three-part mini series! Next is There's Nothing Like a Good Comedy so be sure to be looking for it. Do be sure to cast your vote for the Halloween Prompt poll that ends on the thirtieth.