Story Payoff—Not a Slot Machine

 

By DiAnn Mills

 

Story payoff is not a writer gripping the handle of a slot machine and hoping the reader gets it. That, friends, would be a gamble. Who wants to risk their story, a work of the heart that has taken weeks, months, or years to create? 

 

The craft of storytelling weaves the writer’s imagination with logic to develop a unique and unpredictable story. The payoff requires technique; the art of establishing information that is later revealed. The power of the unexpected adds clarity to the plot and becomes the true reward for the writer’s work.

 

The payoff can be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. The process equates to creative foreshadowing.

 

·       The investigator doggedly runs down evidence to later discover the villain.

·       The police officer questions a bystander in which the response means nothing until later.

·       A home builder is known for meeting his deadlines ahead of contract, then later he’s proven to indulge in shoddy workmanship.

·       A young man refuses to date while pursuing his education and a coveted career until later when he settles into a rewarding profession and can devote time to a relationship.

·       A teenager faces bullying, betrayal, and ostracization from former friends but chooses to forgive and later receives her doctorate in psychology with a focus on helping teens.

 

How can a writer create the best setup and payoff?

1.     Establish a strong protagonist who is worth hours of the reader’s time.

2.     Establish a problem that means the protagonist has the most to lose and the most to gain from the outcome.

3.     Establish the protagonist’s worst fear and force the character to face it before the goal can be reached.

4.     Establish a goal, emotive and/or physical conflict, and a high probability of failure in every scene.

5.     Establish an antagonistic setting in every scene.

 

Every story needs the high stakes of an emotional payoff, something sacrificed resulting in something gained. The internal shows the real character and is worth all the time and effort spent to set up the story and implement the foreshadowing to reward the character and the reader. If omitted, the reader feels duped, even if they don’t understand what’s missing.

 

How do you show story payoff?

 Photo by Ays Be on Unsplash

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists, won two Christy Awards, Golden Scroll Awards, and finalist in the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn teaches writing all over the country. Connect here: 
diannmills.com

 

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