How to Add Drama and Raise the Stakes in Your Story

<p>Want to learn how to raise the stakes in a story? Are you eager to keep your readers on the edge of their seats? If you’ve ever worried that your story is too quiet, The Novelry editor Josie Humber and coach Kate Riordan break down five powerful techniques to raise the stakes and make your story impossible to put down! In this episode, you’ll learn:</p><ul><li><p>How to make it impossible for your character to avoid the situation, forcing them to confront their fears.  </p></li><li><p>Why introducing a compelling antagonist can elevate conflict and tension.  </p></li><li><p>The secret to adding emotional stakes that resonate with readers and make them care deeply.  </p></li><li><p>How to create an unlikely hero who rises to the challenge in unexpected ways.  </p></li><li><p>The impact of a ticking time bomb creates urgency and keeps the plot moving.  </p></li></ul><p><br /></p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p><em>00:00</em> - Introduction</p><p><em>02:35</em> - Tip #1: Make Sure They Can’t Walk Away</p><p><em>06:20</em> - Tip #2: Introduce an Antagonist </p><p><em>09:09</em> - Tip #3: Emotional Stakes</p><p><em>13:32</em> - Tip #4: Create an Unlikely Hero</p><p><em>18:19</em> - Tip #5: Add a Ticking Time Bomb</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Guest Bios</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.thenovelry.com/team/kate-riordan" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Kate Riordan</a></p><p>The Novelry writing coach Kate Riordan is the bestselling author of seven novels, including <em>The Heatwave</em>. Her historical novel <em>The Girl in the Photograph</em> was a <em>Sunday Times</em> bestseller. Kate’s two other historical novels—<em>The Shadow Hour</em> and <em>The Stranger</em>, a <em>Red</em> magazine Top Ten choice of that year—are also published by Penguin. Kate wrote the novelization of <em>Sanditon</em>, ITV’s historical drama series based on Jane Austen’s unfinished manuscript. She also writes thrillers as Katherine Fleet; her latest,<em> The Liars</em>, has garnered praise from Sarah Pearse,<em> </em>Daisy Buchanan, and Lucy Clarke. </p><p><a href="https://www.thenovelry.com/team/josie-humber" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Josie Humber</a></p><p>The Novelry editor Josie Humber was a Senior Commissioning Editor at Hodder &amp; Stoughton (Hachette), home to authors including Jodi Picoult, Stephen King, and David Nicholls. She began her publishing career at Transworld (Penguin Random House) before moving to Mantle (Macmillan). Josie worked with a mixture of bestselling brand authors. At Hodder &amp; Stoughton, Josie worked on the commercial and literary fiction lists, covering historical fiction, crime, thrillers, women’s fiction, and upmarket novels with prize-winning potential.</p><p><strong>Resources</strong></p><p>Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to write a compelling story:</p><p><a href="https://www.thenovelry.com/blog/raise-the-stakes" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How to Raise the Stakes in Your Story</a></p><p><a href="https://www.thenovelry.com/blog/podcast-page-turning-stories" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Novelry on Writing Podcast: 5 Secrets to Page-Turning Stories</a></p><p><a href="https://www.thenovelry.com/blog/how-to-write-a-subplot" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Weaving the Plot: How to Write a Brilliant Subplot</a></p><p>▶️ On YouTube:<a href="https://youtu.be/s7HpTUg5kC8" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://youtu.be/s7HpTUg5kC8</a></p><p>🔔 Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our podcast and YouTube channel for more writing tips, podcast episodes, and creative inspiration! Hit the bell icon to stay updated.   </p><p><em>📖Read the full episode transcript </em><a href="http://www.thenovelry.com/blog/podcast-add-drama-raise-stakes" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>! </em></p><p>📚 Ready to take your writing to the next level? <em>For one-on-one help writing your novel, jo