Writing strong stakes is critical for any story. But a question that often comes up for newer writers is, “How do I create stakes other than life vs. death?” Or essentially, “How do I write stakes that aren’t life or death, yet are still effective?”

“Stakes” refer to what your character has to lose, what is at risk in the story. And obviously, potentially losing one’s life, is a pretty big risk.

To address the questions, let’s first look at why life vs. death stakes are so effective.

I know, it sounds obvious, like common sense even, and you may be rolling your eyes.

But understanding why they almost always work, will help you see how to create other similar stakes.

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