Options for Decisions in a Sequel

 

PERHAPS THE MOST instinctive of all the scene/sequel building blocks is the decision. This third and final piece of the sequel grows out of the character’s dilemma and leads right into the next scene’s goal. The decision is the little cattle prod on your story’s backside that keeps it moving forward. Conceivably, your character could sit around contemplating his dilemmas for the rest of his life. But good stories require forward motion, and the only way out of a dilemma is to make a decision—whether it’s right or wrong.

As always, the key to a good decision is making sure it is a direct result of the previous dilemma. A random, unrelated decision may well keep the plot moving, but not in the straight line your readers want. If your character’s dilemma is about what to make for dinner, his decision needs to be to make filet mignon and lyonnaise potatoes—not to run down to the hospital and donate blood.

 

Exercise: Answer the following questions about your sequel’s decision.

 

Question #1: What action will your character decide to take?

 

Question #2: How is your decision an organic result of your dilemma?

 

Question #3: How will your decision lead into a strong goal?

 

Question #4: If your dilemma is a long-term problem, how have you narrowed the decision down to the first logical step in solving that problem?

 

Question #5: What new complications will arise from your character’s decision?

 

Question #6: If your character decides not to take action, how is this non-action a logical and important step that advances the conflict?

 

Question #7: Is your character’s decision important enough to explicitly state it in the sequel?

 

Question #8: If you’ve stated the decision outright, how have you kept it from being repetitious in light of either the previous dilemma or the following goal?

 

Reference: Structuring Your Novel, chapter 21, pages 249-254.