creative writing about a difficult decision

• How to write a story
• How to write a novel
• How to write poetry
• Dramatic writing
• How to write a memoir
• How to write a mystery
• Creative journaling
• Publishing advice
• Story starters
• Poetry prompts
• For teachers

Story Ideas About Difficult Decisions

More story ideas

• Join our free email group to have story ideas and tips sent to you by email.
• Browse more writing prompts here.

© 2009-2024 William Victor, S.L., All Rights Reserved.

Terms -  Returns & Cancellations - Affiliate Disclosure  -  Privacy Policy

Literary Crisis: Why a Dilemma Will Make Your GOOD Story GREAT

by Joe Bunting | 13 comments

You've turned to literature in times of crisis and dilemma, but have you considered how important a crisis or dilemma is in literature?

After you finish writing a book, you should be proud. You're probably excited. Visions of publishing dance in your head. But then you go back and read your story or novel or book, and you think, “Well, this is good and I feel proud of it. But it doesn't match up to the stories/novels/books I know and love.”

You wrote a GOOD story, but not a GREAT one. Worse, you don't know why. In this post, I'll explain exactly what to look for to make your good story great.

Note : this article contains an excerpt from my book The Write Structure , which is about the hidden structures behind bestselling and award-winning stories. If you want to learn more about how to write a great story, you can get the book for a limited time low price. Click here to get The Write Structure ($5.99).

How I Wrote a GOOD but not GREAT Book

A couple of years ago, I finished the memoir I had been working on for over two years. After I finished, I read it, and while I thought it was ok in some parts and really good in others, there was something missing. It was GOOD but definitely not GREAT.

And I had no idea why my book wasn't working. I spent a month trying to figure it out. That month turned into two, which turned into four. I still hadn't figured out what was wrong.

Honestly, there were moments when I thought I would never figure it out. I worried the book would never be published, that the years of work would be wasted. I thought about all the readers waiting for the book, how flaky I would look when I told them that I had decided not to publish the book because it wasn't any good. I was sinking into depression over it.

My author friends couldn't understand why I didn't just publish it. “You'll write another book that will be better. Just publish this and get started with your next one.” It was good advice. I knew that if I were in their shoes, I would say something similar. But even as I didn't know how to fix the book, I couldn't let it go either.

The Secret to Great Books

I had a breakthrough when I went to the Story Grid workshop in New York City led by Shawn Coyne. He's Steven Pressfield's editor , the author of The Story Grid , and the creator of the Story Grid podcast .

I went to the workshop skeptically—attending mostly because my friend Tim Grahl was helping to run it. I had read the book before and listened to a few podcast episodes, but I honestly wasn't expecting to be radically transformed by the workshop. I've been studying writing and storytelling for over a decade. I thought I might get a few good tips, but I didn't believe Coyne or anyone else would have that much to teach me that I hadn't heard before.

I was wrong. The workshop completely changed my writing and editing process. Since then, the Story Grid has become a constant when framing working the structure of my story.

I also finally knew why my good book wasn't great. I finally understood why my story wasn't working.

My story lacked a dilemma, what Coyne calls a crisis

Definition: What is a Literary Crisis or a Dilemma?

A literary or story crisis, also called a dilemma, is a the crucial moment (or moments) when a character is confronted with a significant choice that will change the trajectory of their life.

I find that people get confused with the term “crisis,” though, so in  The Write Structure   framework we call this element the dilemma.

You may have heard that in a good story your protagonist must make a decision . I knew this, but what I was lacking was how to set up that decision. The dilemma is the moment where your protagonist is placed into such a tight spot that he or she has to choose, and importantly, that decision carries so much weight that there is no turning back from it.

This choice represents how a character is forced between opposing forces, internal or external, and the only way to move forward is by making a difficult decision.

In other words, a dilemma is drama.

Why a Dilemma Is the Foundation to Your Story

Have you ever been reading a book when you find yourself thinking, “There's no possible way this character can get out of this situation! This is just too bad. They're in way over their head, and there is no getting out of it.”

THAT is a literary dilemma. And readers love this moment. Why? Because we want to know what happens next!

A dilemma sets up a knowledge gap, and readers become desperate to fill that gap. It's in moments like this that readers are tempted to skip to the last page in the book just to find out if everything turns out ok (not that I've ever done that, of course).

Where Dilemmas Happen in Your Story

Every scene must have a crisis. Every act must have a crisis. And every book must have a crisis.

Crises are the foundation of your story.

Crises are questions, they're dilemmas, and since they're happening in a character's head, they usually occur “off screen.” In other words, they're implied but not specified. BUT you the writer still need to know what the literary crisis is in every story you write.

Where does the dilemma occur? The dilemma occurs directly in the middle of your story, specifically following the last complication that occurs in the Rising Action , or an action or revelation that forces the character, probably the point of view character, into a crisis decision. In The Write Structure framework, it looks like this.

• Exposition . Life as normal.
• Inciting incident . There's a problem.
• Rising Action or Progressive Complications . The character attempts and fails to deal with the problem.
• Dilemma . The character must make a difficult choice to deal with the problem.
• Climax . The character makes his or her choice and the climax is the action that follows.
• Denouement . The problem is resolved (for now at least) and a new normal is established.

A good example of this is the film Gravity (which is amazing, if you haven't seen it). Sandra Bullock's character's problem is that everything is trying to kill her. The progressive complications get worse and worse until *spoiler alert* everyone is dead except for her.

This is where many writers would stop. They would show her struggle to survive and resolve it by eventually getting to a place where she does, in fact, survive.

But what makes this story GREAT rather than good is that her character reaches a dilemma. Finally, it becomes clear that she is definitely going to die. She is faced with a best bad choice situation: take her life into her own hands and end her own life OR keep fighting to survive even though she will suffer and almost certainly die anyway. (If you've seen the film, this is that moment when George Clooney reappears.)

This dilemma is so important because it gives the character the chance to make a choice. Fighting for survival isn't a choice. Who wouldn't fight to survive? But when it becomes easier to stop fighting than it is to just die , then it leads to the crisis.

The Two Types of Dilemmas

In The Story Grid , Coyne says crises are always a choice that your protagonist faces, and they come in two easy-to-follow formulas:

• Best Bad Choice . The best bad choice crisis is easy to understand. Just think of that game “would you rather.” You're given a choice between two horrible things. Which do you choose? For example, would you rather leave the love of your life at a party with another guy, or let her humiliate you as she flirts with him? See? Drama, right?
• Irreconcilable Goods . There is another, somewhat less stressful way to create a crisis. Irreconcilable goods are two values that don't work together. For example, love vs. money. Both are good, but like oil and water, they don't mix. Another example: you get into your dream college, but if you go you have to leave your high school love. Other examples: comfort vs. adventure, personal happiness vs. the happiness of others, and success vs. family.

You can recognize these situations in your own life, right? We've all been through these crisis moments, and the choices we make in the midst of them carry outsized consequences when compared to most of the little decisions we make in our lives.

In my own writing, I use these two formulas to write great scenes , but also to audit scenes, stories, and even whole books I've already written to make sure I'm setting up a big enough story crisis.

For example, in the memoir I wrote, I realized it wasn't working because I didn't have any clear dilemmas. Things just happen . I didn't set up clear literary crises, and therefore the choices my character was making didn't matter. Since the book is a memoir, I couldn't manufacture story crises, and so I had to pull them out of my actual experience.

One that I discovered in the first act of my story was a Best Bad Choice dilemma. In Paris, I wanted to live the “writer's life,” where I hung out in cafés, drank coffee and wine, soaked up the atmosphere, people-watched, and wrote my book. But when my readers gave thousands of dollars to make me take on crowdsourced adventures, I had to choose between either refunding them money and being embarrassed or giving up my comfortable, “writerly” trip for an uncomfortable (but maybe more interesting) one.

I was able to take a dilemma that I was experiencing privately and turn it into a literary crisis that centered my story.

Want to see a crisis in action? Watch this. (My favorite is the woman at 7:06.)

Make Your Story Great

Is your story risky enough? Is your protagonist making life and death decisions? Is he or she making decisions at all?

How can you heighten the risk of those decisions? How can you put him or her into a best bad choice or irreconcilable goods situation?

If your character is just going along with everything, your story might be good, but it will never be great.

Get The Write Structure – $9.99 $5.99 »

Have you ever faced a best bad choice or irreconcilable goods crisis? Tell us about it in the comments .

• Does it have a crisis?
• Is it a best bad choice or irreconcilable goods crisis?

Write out the story crisis using one of the two crisis formulas (i.e. best bad choice or irreconcilable goods).

If you are already a Write Practice Pro member, post your practice here in the Practice Workshop for feedback. Be sure to give feedback to a few other writers and encourage each other.

Not a Pro member yet? You can join us here as a Write Practice Pro monthly subscriber and see what a difference a professional writing community can make as you pursue your writing goals!

Happy writing!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

13 Comments

This is the EXACT problem with my novel’s first chapter. In my author’s mind, I thought there was a crisis. But when I picked it up one year later, hardly anything resembling real crisis exists. Yikes! Thanks for the coaching, Joe. I’m bookmarking this one and referring back when I’m ready to give that opening chapter a rewrite!

Awesome! I had the same realization about half my book when I first learned this stuff (and I still have this realization but hopefully now it comes a little faster!).

Thanks, Joe. What’s a story without protagonists agonizing over the right thing to do? I want to make a suggestion, however — from my own observations of myself and others in the worst kinds of crises — namely that when “all is lost”, our faith in our own ability to think is also lost. All is not lost if we still trust our own self-interested mind. So, in the deepest crises we abandon even ourselves, the upshot of which is that we finally and truly SEE. So, it’s not a decision, it’s “seeing.” There is no choice involved. Therefore, I see all true crises as a kind of religious experience, and I doubt that anything short of that is going to give the reader their money’s worth. The woman on the ten metre board — she stops retreating because… she SEES herself for what she is and what she can be. At least, that’s the way I see it. What say ye?

I agree with you. There’s a liminal space that is able to be opened up in the midst of a crisis that we/our characters don’t have access to outside of the crisis. Great observation PJ!

Joe…AWESOME video…it pretty much demonstrates how I feel each time I hit the “submit” button for contest pieces to judges! I also noticed something a bit interesting–it appears it’s much more difficult to climb back down all of those stairs than it is to just JUMP! Thanks for sharing.

I also like a good crisis and always want to know what happens… Come to think of it, I’ve never read a book without skipping to the end first. That’s just the way I am. I don’t like surprises. I have to know if anyone is going to die or if everything is going to turn out okay. That way, I won’t be surprised. I still enjoy the book though so it’s never a problem.

I had almost finished my “crisis” comment when I pressed a key and it all disapeared. That’s my current writing crisis as I can’t face writing it all again. Sorry!!

That’s a perfect example of a crisis! Evelyn 😉 :'( you are the character fighting the evil demon computer.

Thenks B. It may be the evil demon, but I will tame it and continue with my writing.

I need to read this article about 3 x or more. I felt like it was me talking when you talked about how to fix your story. This is probably the key I’m looking for. Thanks

Thanks! The video actually helped too, it turns out I got stuck because I didn’t know how to show her having to make the damn choice during the dilemma crisis. and thinking about hat you’ve said in here too of course. Onward with this exciting flash back! (story within a story kind)

Great article and so glad I found it. I’m VERY stuck at the moment and I think is will help me figure it out!

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

Join over 450,000 readers who are saying YES to practice. You’ll also get a free copy of our eBook 14 Prompts :

Popular Resources

Best Resources for Writers Book Writing Tips & Guides Creativity & Inspiration Tips Writing Prompts Grammar & Vocab Resources Best Book Writing Software ProWritingAid Review Writing Teacher Resources Publisher Rocket Review Scrivener Review Gifts for Writers

Books By Our Writers

You've got it! Just us where to send your guide.

Enter your email to get our free 10-step guide to becoming a writer.

You've got it! Just us where to send your book.

Enter your first name and email to get our free book, 14 Prompts.

Want to Get Published?

Enter your email to get our free interactive checklist to writing and publishing a book.

Nicole Pyles

On My Writing Journey

• Uncategorized

Making Difficult Decisions as a Writer (and Making One of My Own)

I am saying goodbye to my fantasy novel.

This decision hasn’t been an easy one, but since I did complete my novel last year, and reading back over what I’ve written, I have been shocked with how much work would lie ahead for me. A lot of the beginning chapters are years – and years old – and I’m not sure I can put in the work needed to improve this novel. I started this novel as a kid and now that I’m in my mid-twenties, I need to weigh the decision as to whether the time and effort is worth it. I’m not sure it is.

Like I said, I think most of all, I want to continue to grow as a writer. Holding onto this novel at this point feels a little bit like holding onto a crutch. Maybe I’m afraid of letting go. Maybe in some way I feel like I need to hold on as an homage to my younger self that started this journey.

I’ve learned so much and I’m still proud I finished it.

So what’s next? I do have a few ideas under my belt and embracing an idea is a little bit like an embracing a new love. It takes nurturing, time, and attention and while I’m in the bed of another (my fantasy novel of my youth), I could never fully explore a new opportunity and idea.

I haven’t quit put the novel in a drawer in my desk. I do have a plan for it as it’s been part of my growth as a writer. I plan on making into a type of scrapbook and adding my own notes and thoughts on what certain sections represent to me.

One thing is for sure, I have prioritized my life lately. I have found a balance in my blog, my writing and my job. I have more energy now as I am not extending myself too much (you may have noticed I am not blogging as much lately!). I am opening myself up again to the muse that can only be found in being still.

Anyways, I wanted to formally announce this to my writing friends – to you – as a way of marking a new chapter. And you will bet I will blog about that as I go along too.

What difficult decisions have you made as a writer? How do you know they are the right ones?  

If you liked this, check out these:

Related Posts

Finding Stories in the Last Place I Look

The Unfaithful Widow Ten Years Later [Book Review]

16 thoughts on “ making difficult decisions as a writer (and making one of my own) ”.

In response to your question: That's the tricky part. Knowing if it's 100% the right thing is never truly possible. But then dwelling on the decision would in ways be no different than never letting go in the first place.

That being said, it seems you have valid reason for letting go. It's not like you're abandoning it. You plan to use it to grow. I actually quite like the scrapbook idea. Best of luck on your new adventures!

Thank you for your support! I hate not knowing if it's the right decision. But I think as I move further away, I will find greater happiness with my decision. I'll be updating on my scrapbook progress for sure, too!

My first novel began as a series of blog posts and was never intended for print. That was the problem. It was like a jigsaw puzzle and the amount of work I had putting it all together I wondered if it might have been better starting from scratch. I could have done better with the book and knew the second one would be better because it would be written as a novel not as a series of blog posts.

I had the temptation to do exactly what you are considering but that is a waste of so much effort. Start your novel again from the beginning with your original work as a reference guide. It should be easier. You know the plot and the structure so it should all come together a hell of a lot faster and you will have a novel a lot sooner than you will starting a new one.

Something else I did which may not suit you but if it does it could solve the problem, I wrote both my books at the same time. It relieved the boredom of going over the same material from the first book all the time. I would skip between books depending on my mood.

You know, the funny thing is, your comment and someone else's inspired an idea. I thought of a new idea that does use elements of the world I created. It takes on a new plot line, but I feel pretty good cause I'm not entirely scrapping my last fantasy world! So, thank you. 🙂

Cutting and chopping things out off a novel is always a difficult decision for me.

Hugs and chocolate, Shelly

Oh definitely – those are forever a challenge!

Sometimes it's good to let go of something old. Chances are your writing has grown leaps and bounds since you started that novel, and you would probably have to rewrite the whole thing to bring it up to your current standards. I like the idea of scrapbooking it or something. It's a creative work in and of itself, too. I'm not too sure about the difficult decisions as a writer… probably decisions like killing off a character that I like.. that's hard. Or having anything bad happen to my characters at all, for that matter… which can make for some boring writing! Hoping your ultimate decision suits you best.

Thanks Barbara! I think I'm really excited about this scrapbook too. And I just can't imagine rewriting the whole thing. I may use pieces of again for future writings though, for sure.

I've abandoned books before, and it's always painful to do. However, sometimes it's better to recognize it's not up to snuff and the work required to get it right would basically mean starting over. Better to move on to a new project at that point.

Yah it's good to know I'm not the only who has to do this. It definitely isn't easy!

I've shelved two novels, but they weren't completed, so it wasn't as much a painful decision as yours. I think your decision is a brave one, but I also think you will find another project and when you do, it will progress much more quickly than your fantasy novel, only because you are a more experienced writer now than you were when you started.

Wishing you the best of luck, Nicole. You can do it. 🙂 We'll all still be here to cheer in your corner whatever you decide. Just keep writing.

Thank you Diane! I think you're right – my next novel won't require so much out of me and for that I'm grateful.

I put a book in the bottom of the draw last month. It was my first novel. I read the first chapter recently at a workshop and realized it need way to much work to be worthwhile. I may get back to it again, someday. Now, I am so happy to not have to stress about it anymore.

This was exactly my experience – after getting some people to look at it and reading it myself, I just can't imagine going through a rewriting process.

Life is full of trials and errors. We grow and learn. It is good that you have put the novel in a drawer. You've recognized how far you've come as a writer. That's important. Some novel ideas just don't peter out the way you want them too. That shows growth on your part. Sometimes you just have to say enough is enough and move on.

There are definite advantages to moving on. You refresh your perspective. Creativity flows better. You can only try so many times before frustration overwhelms you.

Sounds like you've reached that point. WTG on your decision.

I just have to say you are awesome

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Difficult Decisions Make Great Stories: Tell How You Made Tough Choices

by Laura Hedgecock | Mar 13, 2014 | How-to , Memories , Writing and Sharing Memories | 0 comments

Even when you regret your choices, your process of making difficult decisions can make a great story (or two).

In Important Life Decisions: Writing your Stories , we looked at how to identify important life decisions to write about. In this post, we’ll look at the stories behind the choices we made.

The story behind a difficult decision can be as important (and interesting) as the decision itself. Great stories result from examining difficult decisions in hind-sight, relating how you arrived at your choices. In fact, this is a common theme among best-selling memoirs. ( Click here for examples .)

Decision making process

One of my favorite quotes when I was a teen was “Not to decide is to decide.” But that was my goal, not my modus operandus . I was more likely to take the path of least resistance than I was to make a touch choice.

How did you approach your decision? Did you inundate yourself with facts? Did you go with your gut? Did you meditate? Did you examine all possible outcome scenarios?

When faced with difficult decisions, do you have trusted advisers that you turn to? When you’re writing about the choices you made, include who you trusted. What was their role? Did you bounce ideas off of them or did they guide you?

Support Network

Often we’re able to make a decision based on the support of friends and family. For example, a relative providing child-care can enable a loved one to go back to school or pursue a new career. A spouse willing to tighten the budget could allow you to take a job you love over one that has better pay. Was your choice facilitated by a support system? How did that impact you?

Remember these?

In some cases, there’s a driving rationale behind a choice. Was this true in your case? This approach is particularly interesting when, in hindsight, you wish you had handled your difficult decision differently.

Higher power

What about spiritual advisers or a higher power? Did you pray about your decision? Did you consult Scriptures? A pastor or other religious leader? How did this help you to discern which choice you should make?

Emotional toll of difficult decisions

The emotional toll accompanying a decision doesn’t necessarily relate to its importance. Just because a decision is a “no brainer” doesn’t mean it wasn’t important. The reverse can also be true. We can torture ourselves over a decision that seems unimportant.

For instance, the decision to support a relative might be easy to arrive at, but could turn out to be a turning point in your life. Similarly, it may be difficult to decide about home renovations, but in hindsight, those decisions seems mundane.

Examining the emotional cost of difficult decisions gives insight into your personality and what matters to you. Did you experience anxiety? Lack of sleep? Dread?

Were you able to let go after the decision was made or did you have second, third, or too many thoughts to count?

What stories of difficult decisions do you have to tell. Please, leave me a comment!

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Don't Wait.

Read more...

View posts by category:

Let’s be friends.

Don't Wait. Put the episodes of the past to paper.

Pin It on Pinterest

• Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraHedgecock
• Twihttp://www.twitter.com/LauraLHedgecocktter
• Google+http://google.com/+LauraHedgecock
• Pinterehttp://www.pinterest.com/lauralhedgecock/st
• Print Friendly
• LinkedIhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/laurahedgecock/n