19.29: A Close Reading on Character: Barriers vs. Stakes
Our episode today focuses on C.L. Clark\u2019s short story \u201cYou Perfect Broken Thing\u201d for how the character's stakes shape the barriers facing her. We use this story to examine how to tell the difference between barriers versus stakes. We also examine how to do this in a compressed space\u2013 whether that\u2019s a short story, a single scene, or a compressed timeline.\xa0
Thing of the Week: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Homework: Write a short scene in which your character has to deal with a mundane obstacle, then rewrite it as if that small obstacle has life-or-death stakes. How did you shift it to make the stakes clearer?
Liner Notes:\xa0
Sandra Tayler's new book, Structuring Life To Support Creativity. Preorder your copy today at sandratayler.com!\xa0
And help fund Mary Robinette Kowal\u2019s Silent Spaces, a collection of short stories on Kickstarter here:\xa0
(Or go to kickstarter.com and type in \u201cSilent Spaces\u201d)\xa0
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Credits: Your hosts for this episode were DongWon Song and Erin Roberts. Our guest was Arkady Martine. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
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