Ever get feedback that your main character feels flat, reactive, or like things just happen to them? That’s because they lack agency, one of the main ingredients in narrative drive — the force that makes readers keep turning the pages and engage with the story. In this episode of the Write It Scared podcast, we’re digging into what real agency looks like on the page and how to give your characters the power to act, choose, and change their fate. I’ll walk you through the three key ingredients every active protagonist needs—motive, means, and opportunity—and show you how to use them to turn a passive story into a page-turner.Timestamps 00:00 – Why Some Characters Feel Passive (and How to Fix It) 00:19 – Welcome to Write It Scared 01:15 – What Is Character Agency, Really? 01:55 – Why Agency Is the Beating Heart of Story 05:10 – The Three Ingredients: Motive, Means, and Opportunity 07:54 – Creating Moments of Choice That Matter 09:27 – How to Spot When Your Character’s Lost Control 11:08 – Final Takeaways Links mentioned in this episode:Episode 76: Narrative Drive: The Secret to Story Momentum and Reader EngagementWire For Story by Lisa Cron. Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.Support the show To become a supporter of the show, click here!To get in touch with Stacy: Email:
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