Consequence

by Justina
(Michigan)

Question: I'm kinda planning a series ahead of time, myself. But only the general information about it - such as the goal and consequence. Specifics will be determined after the first book is finished.

However, I'm a bit stuck on the second and forth story. My main character and her twin sister get stuck on a roller-coaster and because their fictional city is mostly filled of wild-life they are easily in the wild and it will take a long time for them to get back to the park and home.
But they have to - and I'm trying to figure out a good reason for them to make the effort. one of the things could be that they are stuck with three boys and a bad guardian unless they get home. There are obstacles in the way- they can't just go straight home or anything.

I have good plans for the first, third, and fifth, story, but for the fourth one, what's a good reason to find out the truth- it starts with an fight between Josephine and Sampson. Josephine says, "THEY SHOUD HAVE KNOWN!" (THE KID" And Sampson replies, "It's not our job to tell them. They need to figure it out themselves."

Any ideas?


Answer: You haven't told me much about the world of your story, however there are plenty of possible consequences that could result from being stranded in the wild. It could easily be a life-threatening situation, with possible dangers such as predators (animal and human), starvation, dehydration, accidents (such as falling while trying to get off a stuck roller-coaster), etc.

Another possible consequence is being late or absent for something important if they don't get back in time. Also, what about that bad guardian? Is he dangerous? Will he take advantage of the situation if they don't get back quickly?

As for the goal of "finding out the truth..." again it's hard to answer without knowing what truth your characters are trying to find. However, there are limitless situations in which discovering or knowing the truth can avoid a bad consequence.

I'll just name a few off the top of my head...

If you don't find your late uncle's last will, his fortune could go to your evil cousin.

If you know which door is booby-trapped, you can avoid being killed.

If you discover the real murderer, you can stop him from killing again.

If you know about the coming disaster, you can take steps to protect everyone in time.

If you know your enemy's weakness, you can avoid losing the conflict.

If you know the facts about a situation, you can make a plan that avoids potential pitfalls.

I'm sure if you brainstorm a little, you'll see a reason why it's important for your characters to know or discover the truth. Just ask yourself, what bad thing will likely happen if they don't find out?