Consequences. Follow up

by Suzanne A
(Boston)

So I've been thinking about the Scrooge/Marley example and someone commented on one of my posts. So with those 2 bits of advice I realize that I have instinctively avoided conflict by making the father a RECOVERING alcoholic. So maybe I tweak that part and he is still drinking and then the main characters sister (who is his older daughter) comes home. If the main character sticks up for him and her sister has given up on her Dad yrs ago that could set up the 2 ways of thinking for main and impact character. So then if he drinks and gets in a car and has a small accident maybe runs into a tree or off the road ... And maybe she doesn't know what happened right away... Maybe some helps him and the police don't find out...Then Jane can see that the consequences of his continued drinking and reckless behavior could be him killing himself or someone else.


This may more directly address the topic I have been skirting around the edges of before. Jane has a dilemma because she is serving alcohol but doesn't really understand the effects on the many patrons she doesn't know that well. This major struggle with her father and sisters attitude about whether they should interfere will affect her.

Very rough thoughts but am I getting closer to serious consequences and a more concrete goal for this story?

And you also clarified the impact character with protagonist and main character separated. I actually thought that impact character showed another way if thinking/acting to the protagonist and that was what was confusing me. With the newer version I think Jane will be the protagonist AND main with the goal of getting her father sober. In my head she has already done this and it was back story but I see that this would be more interesting (more trouble) as a part of a story about alcoholism....

Thanks for all the help...

Response: You're welcome. Best of luck with this story.

Click here to post comments

Join in and submit your own question/topic! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Questions About Novel Writing.