Every Normal World Needs Intrigue…Or Danger

What is normal life like before something disrupts it?

That’s where most stories begin, and what many writers refer to as the “normal world” element.

For many of us, real life is the same for days, weeks, or even months on end. Then a flat tire or an illness disrupts our day-to-day life.

But normal world for a story isn’t like the real world. The beginning of the story needs to show who the character is in their everyday life, but also convey intrigue or danger fairly quickly to draw the reader in.

Intrigue

The intrigue may be a character whose profession or circumstance is unusual or uncommon.

For example, the normal world of a crime scene investigator is collecting and deciphering tiny pieces of evidence. That world is unusual and intriguing to many of us. The disruption would be clues that don’t fit any experience or crime he’s ever investigated.

Danger

A story may open with a family eating cereal for breakfast, but from the point of view of a stalker peeking in the window. That’s the normal world for the family and the stalker, but definitely conveys danger.

Genre Expectations Vary

Every genre includes certain elements. For example, a murder mystery needs to have a murder, whether it occurs before or during the story.

The genre also determines how much “normal world” information to include.

An adventure may start with the hero in action, which is his normal world. Small bits of other aspects of his life enrich the story. The disruption typically occurs almost immediately.

The normal world in stories such as To Dance With The White Dog by Terry Kay is enriched by including more detail than in action or mystery. But even in this type of story, the disruption of the normal world needs to be very early in the story.

The Beginning of the Story

As I mentioned in The Story In Life, in every compelling story, external troubles (plot) trigger the point-of-view (POV) character’s internal struggles (character journey).

Every normal world needs intrigue…or danger.

And it begins with the character in his normal world before something disrupts it and sends him on his quest.

What aspects of a character’s normal world draw you into the story?

Every Normal World Needs Intrigue…Or Danger – What aspects of a character's normal world draw you to a story? Share on X

Joni Vance is an award-winning author of fiction, essay, and poetry. She loves mystery, history, and how God reveals Himself every day.

May God reveal the mystery of His love in your life story.