Read Time: 4 minutes
The best stories often hinge on impossible decisions.
These gut-wrenching choices don’t just captivate audiences—they define characters, drive plots, and leave lasting impressions.
Today, we’re diving into the art of crafting impossible choices that’ll have your audience on the edge of their seats.
Now let’s get into it.
Why Impossible Choices Work
Impossible choices tap into our deepest emotions and moral quandaries.
They force characters (and audiences) to confront their values, fears, and desires.
- Psychologically, these dilemmas trigger our problem-solving instincts. We can’t help but engage, imagining ourselves in the character’s position.
- For character development, impossible choices reveal true nature under pressure. They’re crucibles that forge deeper, more complex personalities.
- Plot-wise, these decisions are narrative dynamite. They create tension, drive action, and can spin a story in unexpected directions.
Crafting Effective Impossible Choices
- Raise the Stakes: Ensure both options have significant, lasting consequences.
- Make Both Choices Valid: Avoid obvious “right” answers. Each option should have merit and drawbacks.
- Tie to Character Values: The choice should challenge the character’s core beliefs or goals.
- Create Time Pressure: Add urgency to amp up the tension.
- Show the Struggle: Let audiences see the character’s internal conflict.
Avoid clichés by subverting expectations. If audiences think they know the “right” choice, throw in a twist that challenges that assumption.
The Impact on Story Structure
Impossible choices are plot turning points. They can:
- Trigger new conflicts
- Alter relationships
- Reveal hidden aspects of characters
- Set up future dilemmas
Use these choices to shape character arcs. A series of increasingly difficult decisions can chart a character’s growth—or descent.
For plot twists, the fallout from an impossible choice can upend the story’s status quo, launching the narrative in a fresh direction.
5 Types of Impossible Choices
1. Self-Sacrifice for Loved Ones Example: “The Hunger Games” (2008 novel, 2012 film)
- When her younger sister Prim is selected for the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen faces an impossible choice: volunteer as tribute, likely sacrificing her own life, or allow her vulnerable sister to face certain death in the brutal arena. Katniss’s decision to take Prim’s place sets the entire plot in motion, showcasing her protective nature and launching her into a life-changing journey.
2. Duty vs. Desire Example: “Dune” (1965 novel, 2021 film)
- Paul Atreides, heir to House Atreides, must choose between his duty to lead a revolution and his desire to avoid the bloody future he foresees. Embracing his role means unleashing a fanatic holy war across the galaxy.
3. Truth vs. Loyalty Example: “Gone Girl” (2012 novel, 2014 film)
- Nick Dunne discovers his missing wife, Amy, faked her disappearance and framed him for murder. He must decide whether to expose her elaborate lies, risking his life, or maintain the facade of a reunited couple for mutual benefit and protection of his unborn child and himself.
4. Moral Principles vs. Survival Example: “Ender’s Game” (1985 novel, 2013 film)
- In what he believes is a final training simulation, Ender Wiggin chooses to destroy an entire alien planet to end the war decisively. His impossible choice: commit apparent genocide in a game, or risk humanity’s future in a real conflict. The devastating revelation that the “simulation” was real forces Ender to confront the moral cost of survival.
5. Justice vs. Peace Example: “The Dark Knight” (2008 film)
- Batman faces the dilemma of revealing his true identity to save lives, upholding justice but potentially throwing Gotham into chaos, or allowing the Joker to continue his reign of terror to maintain the city’s fragile peace and hope in Harvey Dent.
Crafting Your Impossible Choices with AI
Ready to create your own gut-wrenching dilemma? Use this customizable prompt with your favorite AI assistant:
/ copy below and edit the bold text in [brackets] /
Imagine you’re a master storyteller known for crafting compelling impossible choices that keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
Consider these key elements for your story:
• Genre: [Insert Your Genre(s)]
• Central Story Idea: [Provide a brief overview of your story’s plot, characters, themes, etc.]
• Protagonist: [Insert your protagonist’s name and key character traits]
Now, develop an impossible choice for your protagonist:
1. Choice Setup: Describe the situation that leads to the impossible choice.
2. Option A: Detail the first option, including its immediate consequences and long-term implications.
3. Option B: Outline the second option, with its consequences and implications.
4. Stakes: Explain what’s at risk with each choice. How do they challenge the protagonist’s values or goals?
5. Time Pressure: Add an element of urgency to the decision.
6. Internal Conflict: Describe how the protagonist struggles with this choice.
7. Twist: Introduce an unexpected element that complicates the choice further.
8. Aftermath: Regardless of the choice made, how will it impact the story going forward?
Craft a scene that presents this impossible choice, showcasing the protagonist’s internal struggle and the high stakes involved. Consider how this choice will drive your story forward and reveal deeper aspects of your character.
That’s it for this Saturday.
If you’re finding value in TSS, please share it with a fellow storyteller.
See ya next week!
— Dave