Tag Archives | stakes and motivation

I saw two suspense movies this weekend:  I am Number Four and Unstoppable.  Both were enjoyable – both captured my attention and moved me into the story.  But neither of were epic.  Neither  of them made me care, rooted me to my seat in fear, or made me jump from it yelling.    Why?   Because they both lacked the key elements of Stake and Motivation.   The key to a great story is the combination of both, and this is the third element needed in a great suspense.                In a riveting suspense, there is always a rising interplay of balance between the motivation and stakes of the story.  As things get worse, and their fears grow, so also do their motivations to defeat the fears.    Let’s start […]