"N" is for the No in you Novel

There comes a point in most stories where the hero or heroine simply says “No.” It can be at the outset, where they refuse to continue on a path they’re either on, or put on. Or perhaps they say “No” to delaying what they must do, finally starting a chain of events that begins their story. Along each character’s path, chances are they say no to something – to love, to the obstacles they face in the way of their goals, to an answer they know will solve their dilemma but for whatever reason they think this answer will be worse than the dilemma itself.

Over the weekend I watched the old movie My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn. It’s a lovely movie, both visually and audibly. At the very beginning, Eliza Doolittle says “No.” She says no to the lifestyle she’s been born into, and goes after the goal to become a lady. Professor Higgins is just the one to help her achieve that goal.

And while I personally don’t find the end of this movie all that satisfying, the scene just prior to the ending is wonderful. It’s when Eliza confronts the professor for his rude behavior. She doesn’t mind his bark, but she will not be passed over or ignored (as he’d done the evening before with the triumph of having convinced everyone at a fancy ball that she’s a true lady.) She refuses to be invisible to him.

But as the Professor points out, he’s an equal opportunity offender and has treated her no differently than he’s treated anyone else. He says “no” to changing into a gentlemen, to give up his rude ways, but she does get her wish to have him acknowledge that he needs her.

“No” is essential to every story. If someone refuses to do something they (and the reader) know they ought to do, it can show weakness as easily as it can show strength. When the young lord of the castle in Beauty and the Beast says “No” to the enchantress looking for kindness, it shows the weakness of his character—selfishness and lack of generosity. Thus giving the enchantress the opportunity to teach him a lesson by turning him into a beast. And the story begins.

For my upcoming book Whisper on the Wind, my hero says “No” to God. He’s honored him all his life, believed in him, taught others to believe in him, too. But when his father is violently killed during the German invasion of Belgium, followed by my hero himself being whisked off to a German work camp, he comes home having kicked God entirely out of his life. He’s said no, where he used to say yes.

The “no” factor should be liberally sprinkled throughout a book, logically and believably of course, with consequences that will keep the character forging ahead or dodging obstacles while the pages keep turning in the reader’s hands.

As I work on any project, I keep the “no factor” tightly in sight. It’s the source of most conflict, which is of course the fuel that runs the story—at the same time giving the best opportunity to highlight each character’s strengths and weaknesses.

So far, I’ve explored the following letters of my acrostic:

T is for Talking

H is for Hero

A is for Angst

N is for the “No” in your Novel

What letter do you think will be next? If you have a guess as to what word I’m spelling out, let me know! Here’s a hint:

T H A N __ __ __ __

The first person to guess the correct word will win a free copy of my book “My Sister Dilly.” Just let me know your email address so I can contact you. And to avoid spam, spell your email address with [at] and [dot] , such as mine would be:

maureen[at]maureenlang[dot]com