The Big Want

I've said before that a character needs to want something very badly. This strong desire is the engine of your story. The character's desire for this thing must be so compelling and all consuming that it forces him/her into action.

What does Emma want? How is her want made clear on every page?

What do your own protagonists want? What obstacles are standing in their way?

Chapter Endings

Thus far, I have been struck by how strong Flaubert's chapter endings are. What do you think? Do the chapter endings entice you to go on reading? What is he doing in these last few lines to pull us in (introducing new problems, new characters, new feelings, all of the above?)

Have you given much thought to where your own chapters end? Is this important?

Scene Versus Summary

On page 63 (in the De Man translation), Flaubert writes, "She gave birth on a Sunday at about six o'clock, as the sun was rising." I found this line quite arresting because it is so simply stated. There is no scene of the birth, no rush to the hospital, no fanfare or drama. Emma gave birth, that's it.

What did the writer gain by stating this fact so simply, as opposed to developing an entire scene around the event? What effect does it have on you as a reader to read this simple line? What can we learn about the pacing of a story from this one simple, understated moment?

Story Development

So far we have seen two protagonists' childhoods and the early stages of their adulthood and marriage. Now that we are about a third of the way through the book, how do you see the plot growing? What new developments pull you in? What changes are taking place to move the story forward?