The Internal Dilemma: The Heart of Every Story

Most readers purchase novels by their favorite authors for new and exciting plots. They want to follow their favorite policeman / CIA agent in their latest attempt to thwart the villain and save humanity. They marvel at the intricate twists and turns of the plot. In a mystery, the readers attempt to catch the clues that the author planted along the way. They want to be surprised at how the story concludes but also satisfied in that they discovered the clues only to be revealed and explained at the end of the novel.

The novel's conclusion must wrap up the mystery satisfactorily with the hero/heroine solving the mystery set forth at the beginning. In a thriller, it is the eternal question of will the protagonist discovers the clues that help them unravel the villain’s dastardly plot to start WWIII or unleash a deadly virus.

However, most readers often confuse the two elements of Story and Plot. Plot is the surface events that happen. The car chase, how the villain plans to kidnap the children or wife of the hero, the hero is threatened with being fired for investigating a powerful politician. All plot elements add further layers of complications and danger to the protagonists.

However, the heart of the story is the protagonist or main character which is important element that drives and transpires to your character…