Promise. Progress. Payoff.
Those were the 3 P’s author Brandon Sanderson said were what make people love stories (as heard on The Tim Ferriss Show Ep794).
As a predominantly introspective /slash/ comedy writer who has only occasionally dabbled in that of fictional narrative, I instantly fell down the starry-eyed rabbit hole of wonder upon learning of this literary angle.
Is that really all I’d need to follow?
If I don’t need to force-fit* a story into a three act structure [*which I know I don’t, but my anxiety brain doesn’t always listen to logic and reasoning] or worry about the Hero’s Journey, it leaves me feeling more creatively willing to give fiction a try.
OK. Good plan. Writing freedom unlocked. Confidence renewed.
Now what do those 3 P’s really mean? 😅
Honestly… I don't know how they’d be formally defined in this context. I haven’t looked them up. I haven't read into Sanderson's teachings or searched for others' explanations.
I was merely driving home, listening to this podcast episode, when I promptly paused it so that I get to my keyboard and explore it for myself before I listened any further. I still haven't listened any further!
It's not the words people say that are important, it's the ideas they inspire.
Given I haven't read Sanderson's work before, what came to my mind were my collection of David Baldacci detective thrillers on the tiered bookshelf behind me. Something in me knew they'd likely hold up to a 3 P test.
Promise
Baldacci's books tend to open on the villian, the antagonist, that grudge-holding super spy plotting his attack on all that America holds dear.
By the end of the chapter I know one thing, and that is the fact that this character must not succeed.
I’ve created the Promise in my head.
Baldacci never wrote that, but I fully expect that by the time I’ve reached the back cover, I will not have seen them win.
Progress
Decker, Puller, Robie, King, or Maxwell, all of these beloved characters have flaws, else they wouldn’t be that beloved. They might have fantastic memories or knee-shattering kicking abilities, but their internal struggles are often mental and not too different than my own.
I want to believe that I can change, and so too do I want to see them overcome their faults. The bulk of the story is watching the doomsday clock tick one second closer each page, the clues not yet put together, but I’m right there alongside these protagonists in learning what needs to be learned to solve the puzzle.
How is this possibly going to resolve in the last 50 pages? I’m so close to the end of the book, and yet they feel so far off!
Payoff
The hard choices were made, and the big baddie is overthrown. Country saved. Lessons learned. I can now go to sleep easy… that is, after I tell everyone how suspenseful that was cover-to-cover.
And I guess that’s it? The three elements a good story needs to keep the audience engaged. Sounds simple. Let’s give it a crack.
