Why Your Novel Needs A Disaster - And How To Write It

The Disaster is my name for the pivotal moment at the end of Act Two which thrusts the protagonist into their darkest hour, before they emerge to continue the Quest during Act Three, leading to the Denouement. This phase has various names – for example, it’s sometimes called ‘All Is Lost’ – but its purpose is always the same.

We will go through what will make a good Disaster, but it is important to state that it is often very useful for the Disaster to feel like one of two things. It should either feel as if it is very unfair, that the protagonist did their best and things didn’t go their way, or alternatively, it should have a sense of hubris, that the excessive confidence or certainty of the protagonist led to the apparent failure of the Quest.

Both of these are great approaches. The first bonds the reader to the protagonist. We as human beings often feel for those treated unfairly. But the second, which is more complex but also more profound for the reader to process, is an opportunity for the protagonist to learn something very painful about themselves and their moral responsibilities.

Neither of these is better or worse: it will depend on what kind of novel you are writing (unsurprisingly, a literary novel will be more likely to have the second approach, but this is also very good in crime and thriller, and works in just about any genre) and what kind of character you are writing (again, the more complex or murky your protagonist, the better the second option works). As always, it is good to be clear in your own head which approach you want to take.

NOTE: It is possible to have neither approach, with a much more neutral take on the events leading to the Disaster, but this will often be less emotionally or intellectually satisfying for the reader.

What Should The Disaster Include?

Dramatic Action:

– Usually, the Disaster will include some dramatic action. It may in fact be one of the big set–piece interludes of action and drama in the novel, the big battle against the Ogre King that the protagonist loses, the attempt in the spy thriller to assassinate the leader of the mysterious foreign gang that ends up with the hero taken prisoner and threatened with death, etc. Or it may be the moment that the lovers, after the delirious Golden Time, suddenly and unexpectedly break up. Or it may be where the sad genius in a literary novel thinks that his journey to philosophical breakthrough has failed, and he rejects the lover who is his muse. Manipulators, get to work, because this connects to the next thing!

Emotional Depth:

– Ensure that the Disaster has a profound emotional impact on the protagonist – and the reader. This is their lowest point. Their heart is broken. Will it heal? The emotional turmoil should be palpable, deeply moving the reader. Make the reader feel what the protagonist feels, even if they are a victim of their own failings. We all have flaws – the reader knows that.

Raising the Stakes:

– The Disaster should always raise the stakes to their highest point. Everything the protagonist has wanted is now in jeopardy, creating a sense of urgency and tension that the Quest is near, or even at, failure.

Character Development:

– Use the Disaster to highlight not only the protagonist's growth but also their vulnerability. This moment should challenge their core beliefs about the Quest and themselves. It sets the stage for their final transformation in Act Three.

Plot Integration:

– Ensure that the Disaster is well–integrated into the overall plot and any network of subplots. It should be a natural culmination of the events of Act Two, and everything you have been drawing together since the Inciting Incident. It is not the end of the book, but it appears to be a defeat, even if it is, in fact, not. Subplots should probably resolve here, or at least not continue far into Act Three. The only real exceptions to this would be a romantic subplot, although it should develop significantly here, or a subplot where an established character can return to help the Quest complete. But hopefully, you can see how both of those would serve the main plot directly. You can integrate the end of subplots with the movement of the main plot into its last part.

This is an excerpt from How To Write A Novel Chapter By Chapter available here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Novel-Chapter-Outlining-ebook/dp/B0DJ8TMVWL?ref_=ast_author_mpb

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