by Ciara Gold
The Game:
I had the opportunity to play poker the other night with the college boys across the street. Little did I know I’d be learning more about the craft. Halfway through the evening I stared down at my cards and gawked. I had the hand, the one card players around the world envy. A royal flush. My eyes got wide, my hands trembled. My bet and I threw out two twenty-five chips. They all stared at me and then I knew. I’d tipped my hand. Sure, I won that round, but I didn’t win big. I hadn’t bluffed my way into the big bucks. (Mind you, we were only playing for pennies, but even so . . .)
The Cards:
You don’t have to have face cards to win big. The cards in writing would be your characters. And yes, it’s possible to win a hand with only two three’s. Sure, your three isn’t a king. This character is a working man with flaws. Winning a hand with two threes is far more exciting than knowing you have two queens. I think characters who aren’t Dukes and don’t have millions at their disposal are far more intriguing. If they have goals, motivation, and internal conflict, you can’t lose.
The Hand:
Okay, I have a winning hand. I have all the characters for a great romance. The King, the Queen and their royal court all line up for my great story, the ending a foregone conclusion. Love will reign. How many stories have we read where the writing is superb, every word well thought out and yet, we were bored halfway through? The writer had laid the cards on the table too soon. We were told the twists and turns before the twists and turns had an effect on the storyline. Or perhaps the conflict was resolved too soon.
The Kicker:
In poker, two players can have essentially the same hand. To determine the winner, the highest kicker card wins. Let’s say I have two pairs. I have two kings and two threes and low and behold, so does my opponent. But my fifth card is an ace and I take the pot. That’s the kicker card. It comes out of the closet to lend a swift kick to the game. I relate the kicker card to foreshadowing. It’s there in the beginning of the story, a subtle hint placed in the most strategic of places. Foreshadowing is perhaps one of the most difficult elements of a story to master. We have to be careful to tie up all those lose ends we dangle in front of the reader. I set up a chart or outline as I go and anytime I place a kicker card in my manuscript, I write it down otherwise I’d forget and never resolve that particular issue. It would just dangle there, useless and inactive.
Buying the House:
Buying the house refers to bluffing your way out of a really bad hand and winning the chips in the middle of the table. In this case, let’s think of buying the house as bluffing our way through the twists and tangles in our plot. With the stroke of our mighty word processors we must bluff our readers into thinking we are leading them into one direction, when in reality the story will take a totally different path. The surprise is exciting for the reader.
Winning the Pot:
You can have the most interesting plot in the world, but if the hand isn’t played well, you’ll come away with less than you hoped. So, how do you play your hand?
Rules of Engagement:
1. The Game - master your knowledge of the game, master the craft.
2. Your Cards - Choose your court well and develop each character fully. Make sure GMC is well established. You don’t have to have face cards to have an interesting figure for your story.
3. The Hand - Develop your plot and tie up all loose ends. Nothing is more aggravating than having a question posed in chapter one which goes unanswered by the end of the story.
4. The Kicker - Weave in kicker cards, foreshadowing that will keep the reader interested. End each chapter with a hook.
5. Buy the House - Don’t show your hand too soon. Let the tension build slowly. Give us hints so when you hit us with the twist we’re not blind-sided, but at the same time the change in direction will make perfect sense.
6. Win Big - That’s the ultimate goal. Write the story of your heart, excite your reader with your mastery of the elements, and wow your publisher into giving you a really big advance. Okay - I can dream big. But then, maybe that’s the secret to winning big. Set your goals high and write the best story you can.
So, are you ready to deal? I’m in the mood for a game of poker.