Dark Night of the Soul
How to Write A Disaster That BREAKS Your Characters
So it has come to this.
(One of my favorite lines/vibes for writing the 'low' of any story, by the way.)
Everything has gone wrong. Your Main Character has done everything within their power to attain their idea of happiness, and it's backfired to a spectacular degree. They feel completely and utterly alone, figuratively or literally - or both.
How can they possibly go on from here?
Let's back up for a minute. Last week, we went over the plan and decisions your MC makes post-midpoint, and how they all lead to an imminent doom. We also brought the antagonist or villain into play, letting them take advantage of whatever the MC's deepest fear happens to be.
Now we're at the crux of it all. The moment when disaster strikes, and the MC sees their entire world crashing down around them.
A lot of writers end up overdoing it here. I'll be the first to confess, I look forward to this story beat too.
A lot.
But it's not because I just like making my characters suffer; it's because I know the next few scenes or chapters are going to mean the most to the characters, the reader, and myself. So before you get too wrapped up in how many awful things you can make happen to your protagonist, let's look at what the disaster actually is - and what it's supposed to do.
Personal Stakes
Okay, so that goal, fear, and skewed worldview I keep mentioning? The ones I've been ranting about for this ENTIRE series? This is why they're so important. The disaster is not just some horrible event like a massacre or injury or whatever else your mind can cook up. It's an event, yes, and it is horrible - but stop and think for a minute. Ask yourself: "Would this hit different if it happened to other characters?"
If the answer is no, then... You need to rethink your disaster.
It's the same principle as the Inciting Incident: Whatever happens externally has to matter internally in a way that is unique from every other character in your story. An event that would be terrible for anyone to experience is infinitely worse for your MC because it seems to confirm their fear and misbelief, denying them the possibility of ever achieving their goal.
THAT'S what will make your reader catch their breath, cry, scream, and throw the book across the room only to grab it up off the floor to keep reading.
- Self Destruct
The MC had it coming.
The villain might have struck the blow, but part of what makes that so powerful is that every choice, every step the MC has made through the course of this story has led them to this. They brought this on themselves.
This realization is a fantastic way to bridge the gap between the disaster and Great Revelation (which we'll get to next week), though I would advise you not to dwell on the idea itself for too long. There's a lot of emotional turmoil going on already.
Here's the clincher: The reader saw it coming. They've watched this character get themselves in trouble over and over, they watched things fall apart at the midpoint with a single monkey wrench in the MC's first plan, and they've anticipated utter disaster ever since.
So don't worry about writing another plot twist or surprising everybody with a sudden, meaningless bombshell out of the blue. Instead, work on using the chain reaction of the MC's decisions to orchestrate their downfall and bring them to their knees in the face of their greatest fear.
All Hope Is Lost
And so it comes to this. (I warned you, it's one of my favorites.) Your MC is at the lowest point they will ever be, emotionally and mentally if not physically. (I myself like to use all three.) They are at rock bottom. Everything has been stripped away. Broken and hopeless, the MC is left with nothing but their own failure. They've spent all their energy trying to achieve their goal without facing their fear, and it only brought them here.
This is why it's SO important to know who your character is; their personality, the backstory that shaped them, the motives that drive them. Because once you know all that, you know exactly how to break them - and what to leave them with.
- Temptation: An Alternative to Disaster
I can't think of anything that I've actually used this for, but I'll do my best to explain it.
Up until now, we've talked about how everything goes completely, utterly, horribly wrong for your MC. But let's step into an alternate universe for a moment and ask: What if... Everything went right?
What if their post-midpoint plan succeeded? What if they got to the end of it and were presented with the very thing they wanted at the beginning?
What if... They turned it down?
Cool your jets, let me explain before you keelhaul me. The MC's goal has always been rooted in their misbelief, which is rooted in their fear. But throughout the story, despite all the stupid choices they made, their journey has transformed them. They've learned things, about the world and about themselves, that have made them wonder if their worldview is somehow flawed.
When presented with what they always thought would make them happy, that's when they realize: They don't want it anymore.
They've changed. They've grown. If they hadn't, we wouldn't still be reading. And as a result, the MC responds to the temptation in a way that leads to the Great Realization: Their fear-based goal will never bring them true happiness.
But something else will.
So to recap: The disaster and Dark Night of the Soul are more than just terrible events. If properly rooted in who your MC is, this can be the most meaningful part of your story.
Whether you choose to use a disaster or a temptation to bring your MC to their epiphany only depends on one thing: What's right for your story and your character. It all comes down to what will mean the most to you, your characters, and your reader.
Another round of root beer for the table; you're almost to the end of your story! If you found this post helpful, make sure to share it with a writing buddy - and remember to subscribe if you haven't already, so you're notified as soon as a new post drops!
Best of luck to you on your writing journey, mate!
- Lydia
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