“A cloudless plain blue sky is like a flowerless garden.” (Terri Guillemets)
Ah, the beautiful sky. And what can make the sky even more beautiful? Clouds, of course. And their shadows floating over the mountains.
Just as a sky needs clouds, so do stories. Beautiful blue sky and fluffy cloud scenes are good in a story. But wait. A story needs more than that. If my characters have only blue skies and happy, happy days with nothing to work for and no troubles to face, then the story will lack conflict.
Story people need to face challenges and find a way to overcome when dark clouds threaten them. All of us have some dark cloud times that storm into our lives. For fictional people to become real, they have to face those same kinds of dark clouds that will rain down problems on them. As readers, we want to see the characters we care about come through those storms.
Without problems, there is no story. Characters must overcome whatever obstacles are in the way of their happily ever after. Sometimes that’s a bad character like a witch or evil wizard in a fairytales–an easily identified bad guy. Does this cloud make you think of a story monster? It did me.
In many stories, the bad guy is not so easily identified. Sometimes the conflict comes from people the character loves. Sometimes characters are their own worst enemy as some sort of emotional inner conflicts can cause them to careen off on the wrong road. Nature can put up roadblocks for them with storms or mountain ranges or vast seas. Wars can threaten their very lives and/or everything they hold dear.
But one sure thing in every story that holds a reader’s interest, some dark clouds will come along to darken their bright blue sky of happiness. They will have to fight through those clouds or embrace those clouds or float over those clouds or maybe duck under them. Some characters will face their troubles without flinching while others will try to avoid their problems by hiding behind a fluffy cloud of denial but end up falling squarely into whatever difficulty they must overcome.
The best stories, in my mind, have the characters you are cheering for find a way back into a happy blue sky with new experience and courage to face whatever new storms they might face in the future.
But I’m wishing you all fluffy white clouds like the ones in the photo above.
The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn’t it be? – it is the same the angels breathe. ~Mark Twain, “Roughing It”
What makes a great story for you when you’re reading?
The Winner is:
Susan F of NC was the winner of her choice of a Shaker book, a Rosey Corner book, or Words Spoken True. In my post about Words Spoken True, she said Blake, the main male character, didn’t sound like her kind of hero. But she still chose that book, partly to see if the story could change her mind. I think it will. Maybe she’ll report back to us after she reads the story.
I also picked a 2nd winner just for fun. Christie M, I sent you an email. If I don’t hear from her, maybe I’ll pick someone else.
Comments 12
What makes a great story for me is strength of character or rather growth into strength for the main character. I also love mysteries as the characters work it out and I do as well trying to guess how the problem will work out.
Author
Trying to figure out who did what can make mystery reading extra fun, Janet. But you never want it to be some trick the writer pulls right at the end. You want authors to play fair.
I get a feeling for what might be coming in the book when I first get into it. I like seeing how the author weaves and spins the story to get the result I think will happen.
Author
Many stories you do sort of know what will happen in the end, Connie, but it’s the road you travel with the characters before that end that make reading so fun.
If I feel a part of the story from the beginning, and if the characters make me feel like I know them! I have to admit, most of the time, I do!
Author
Sounds as if you have found stories you can really like, Trudy. So many great books out there for readers these days. Never any reason to read a story that isn’t one for you. We all have our individual tastes in reading.
Congratulations to the winners. I’m sure Susan will love Words Spoken True. It’s a great story.
I love stories set in Kentucky and the Appalachian region. I also love stories and book series that grow with the characters. A good book makes the reader race through the story, but also doesn’t want the story to end. I think that’s what made The Little House series so popular. Others that come to mind are Lonesome Dove, The North and South series, Gone With the Wind and other sagas from that time period. I also loved Sue Grafton’s series of stories because she made the readers feel like they were right there with Kinsey. And right up with all of those on my favorites list are your Rosey Corner and Hollyhill series. I especially enjoyed Jocie because I identified so much with her character. I miss hearing from her…maybe an update will be coming soon? Haha 😉
Author
I do hope Susan will check in with us after she reads Words Spoken True to let us see what she thinks. Even if she isn’t won over by the story the way I hope she will be.
I’ve never read the Little House stories. Missed out on that myself and my daughter never wanted to read them when she was a young reader. Unlike my sons, she didn’t grab onto the love of reading until she was a little older. She reads all the time now.
You mention some compelling reads, Lavon, and I appreciate you throwing in my Rosey Corner and Hollyhill stories. I had a great time writing about Jocie and her family and friends.
A great story for me when I’m reading is when I can connect to the characters in some aspect, can visualize the setting, and feel like I’m right there with them watching the action of the story/book. Also, if I find a part in the story that I love, I will reread it and reread it right then before I go on in the book.
Author
Characters make the story, Susan. Great settings and wonderful plots are necessary, but the characters are what makes it all come to life, in my opinion. The same as you, I want to be right there in the story living it with the characters.
It’s interesting that you stop to reread passages in a story. I don’t know that I’ve ever done that. At least not for a passage. A beautifully expressed moment does sometimes make me stop and have a second look.
Loved the photos of the sky and clouds in today’s posting🙂
Author
Thanks, Chris. The photos were the best part. 🙂