I want Into the Second World (my WIP) to be an adventure. Fine. How does that get created? Surely a sense of wonder figures into that, at least in fantasy. I went looking for resources, but they're almost all focused on the action/thriller genre, and that won't do. So here's my run at it. Some cribbing was involved.
A key point I found is that an adventure moves from the familiar to the unfamiliar. To which I would add: and back.
Another is to keep raising the stakes. That's applicable to lots of novels, of course, but specifically the hero needs to see that the stakes keep going up.
One that I did not expect, but which I think works, is that the hero stays focused on the original goal, which is usually a physical goal. Other things come up, and these might occupy the attention of secondary characters, but the one who keeps eyes on the prize is the hero.
One that I'm less comfortable with, though I agree in principle is that the adventure is set against a larger crisis. Think Indiana Jones or Lara Croft. That is not to be found in something like Treasure Island (and we all ought to make a study of Stevenson's work).
Finally, the heroes win. An adventure story is, ultimately, a story about winning, even if at a cost.
More generally, adventure is about challenge and attendant risk--physical, most importantly, but mental and even spiritual factors can play a role.
How we move through the adventure is driven mainly by character choices. A challenge shouldn't merely be a challenge, it should offer at least two paths forward, so the hero must choose. Especially in a group of heroes, this provides opportunity for disagreement and discord.
Each challenge, its risks and its choices, must be clear to the reader. It can be less clear to the heroes--that's how mistakes get made--and it can be different for different characters. One may have to decide whether or not to betray, or to reveal a secret. One may need to prove themselves. One may be in a life-or-death situation. One may make a mistake.
Make it worse. That's standard advice, of course. Lose the supplies. Lose the key. Lose your way. In any example, the hero does a thing that furthers the adventure but in fact makes things worse. In general, look at what the adventurers need, then take some of that away. You can restore it later, by having the party do something clever.
The challenges must increase in difficulty. I think of it as a ramp running from Chapter One to The End. In a second or third draft, list the challenges and in which chapter they occur. Are they well-spaced, or do they cluster with gaps? Do the stakes keep going up?
Lastly, the resolution in an adventure tale is crucial. The story must resolve in a convincing way, with no fatal flaw in the mechanics. The resolution must be satisfactory to the reader, which means it must be satisfactory to the characters. An important function of the denouement is to provide the characters a chance to react to the climax. But the reader must also feel the characters have been treated fairly by the plot. Certain sub-genres will subvert these expectations, but I'll leave those to one side.
Overall, the reader should feel they have been somewhere new, seen surprising things, and have followed genuine heroes. Like the characters, they have gone from the familiar to the unfamiliar and have returned. A character may die in the desert, but don't leave the reader there.
How about you folks? Do you have specific techniques for creating adventure?
A key point I found is that an adventure moves from the familiar to the unfamiliar. To which I would add: and back.
Another is to keep raising the stakes. That's applicable to lots of novels, of course, but specifically the hero needs to see that the stakes keep going up.
One that I did not expect, but which I think works, is that the hero stays focused on the original goal, which is usually a physical goal. Other things come up, and these might occupy the attention of secondary characters, but the one who keeps eyes on the prize is the hero.
One that I'm less comfortable with, though I agree in principle is that the adventure is set against a larger crisis. Think Indiana Jones or Lara Croft. That is not to be found in something like Treasure Island (and we all ought to make a study of Stevenson's work).
Finally, the heroes win. An adventure story is, ultimately, a story about winning, even if at a cost.
More generally, adventure is about challenge and attendant risk--physical, most importantly, but mental and even spiritual factors can play a role.
How we move through the adventure is driven mainly by character choices. A challenge shouldn't merely be a challenge, it should offer at least two paths forward, so the hero must choose. Especially in a group of heroes, this provides opportunity for disagreement and discord.
Each challenge, its risks and its choices, must be clear to the reader. It can be less clear to the heroes--that's how mistakes get made--and it can be different for different characters. One may have to decide whether or not to betray, or to reveal a secret. One may need to prove themselves. One may be in a life-or-death situation. One may make a mistake.
Make it worse. That's standard advice, of course. Lose the supplies. Lose the key. Lose your way. In any example, the hero does a thing that furthers the adventure but in fact makes things worse. In general, look at what the adventurers need, then take some of that away. You can restore it later, by having the party do something clever.
The challenges must increase in difficulty. I think of it as a ramp running from Chapter One to The End. In a second or third draft, list the challenges and in which chapter they occur. Are they well-spaced, or do they cluster with gaps? Do the stakes keep going up?
Lastly, the resolution in an adventure tale is crucial. The story must resolve in a convincing way, with no fatal flaw in the mechanics. The resolution must be satisfactory to the reader, which means it must be satisfactory to the characters. An important function of the denouement is to provide the characters a chance to react to the climax. But the reader must also feel the characters have been treated fairly by the plot. Certain sub-genres will subvert these expectations, but I'll leave those to one side.
Overall, the reader should feel they have been somewhere new, seen surprising things, and have followed genuine heroes. Like the characters, they have gone from the familiar to the unfamiliar and have returned. A character may die in the desert, but don't leave the reader there.
How about you folks? Do you have specific techniques for creating adventure?
Auror
