Have you watched The Pursuit of Happyness?

Totally judging you if you haven’t.

The last scene… the one where Chris Gardner finally lands his dream job? It’s an emotional rollercoaster. Whenever my wife watches it, she needs a box of tissues handy. Faaaaine. It’s me. I am the one who needs tissues.

But why do I care so much about Chris (Will Smith)?

Why am I rooting for him so hard?

Because if he doesn’t get that job, he and his son won’t have a place to stay. Chris’s confidence would be shattered. His kid would have a hard childhood.

The stakes are high.

Here’s the thing: a great story always raises the stakes. If you want your readers to care about your story, they need to understand what’s at risk for the protagonist. What happens if things don’t go well?

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Here’s an example

Let’s say you’re a productivity coach working with startups. You’re telling the story of a founder who was overwhelmed and unproductive. How do you make people care?

You raise the stakes. If the founder doesn’t turn things around:

  • He could lose his house.
  • His marriage might fall apart.
  • His high blood pressure? Through the roof.

When you raise the stakes, the audience connects.

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P.S. Many experts and Consultants struggle with their narrative, unique POV, and most importantly, the villain they are attacking. I am thinking of putting together a short coaching arrangement that helps them get clarity around their messaging. Depends on the kind of response I get.