We live surrounded by stories, whether you live them,  get them told to you, maybe you hear them through music or follow on a new show or movie. Or maybe you are like me, engaging with characters out of a book; stories follow us around everywhere we go. People’s attention gets fought over through all this content, and in an ocean of it all, drama gets louder, twists come lining up one after the other. People seek it, chase it even, and yet, for most of us, there is still something missing.

Well let me tell you, you are not alone. I’ve heard this multiple times from people who love reading fiction, and they say similar things, “I was so into it, very excited… but after I finished, I forgot about it”. Interesting isn’t it?

Are stories meant to be just entertainment? What about the ones we do remember? They stay with us for a reason.

Stories as noise

Storytelling these days has evolved into speed plots, and a lot of surprises. Every chapter needs a big twist, every episode is more dramatic than the last. Characters betray one another as they please, problems get bigger and bigger. The purpose of these stories is basically to keep readers shocked and reacting. Sure, it’s exciting at the time, but the more often those occur, the less impactful they become, and it gets to a point where even those are not important anymore.

Betrayal becomes a normalcy, loyalty means nothing. When characters change values or direction just for the twist, their choices feel as if they are not real. So yes, stories become “louder”, but remain empty.

Readers in search of more

Book readers I speak with are not looking for bigger drama or darker plots, they are searching for something simpler, something to relate to. So many times I’ve heard “this character seems like an entirely different one now”, or “that storyline is so forced”. It may be harder to create, but it’s definitely worth exploring. Consistent characters, naturally evolved relationships, consequences that match the situation, difficulty while making decisions, loyalty shown when it’s tested. In other words, stories that feel real, even in a fictional world. Those kinds of stories might have a slower pace, but their impact is more meaningful and tends to stay with us.

Character over Shock

Have you noticed which stories remain in your memory? Think about it, they’re not the ones that shocked us the most, they are generally the ones where we believed what the characters lived through. The ones where one way or another, we related to. We remember when someone kept their word even if it was a struggle, the friend who stood by someone when things got difficult, the one that chose right instead of power. Those are the moments that feel real, the ones that make us feel connected to a made up character on a human level. Those are the ones that remind us that values do matter and even more so when they are tested.

Why I write stories like this

When I write as Pavalo, I ask myself: “What would this particular character really do? not what I want, what would genuinely be done in that situation having lived the way this character did?” and why do I do this? Because I’m interested in staying true to the character, the story will evolve naturally if characters stay true to themselves. Sometimes this leads to quiet moments, sometimes it leads to big revelations, but that’s what makes it consistent, and it’s also what keeps a reader engaged not on the shock and spectacle, but on the characters and their lives. This engagement is more personal, it gets you to feel for them and with them. It makes you think and wonder of consequences, it makes you understand where all of this is coming from.

Stories that remain

Shock and spectacle will still be part of storytelling, it has been for a long time and I don’t see it disappearing any time soon. It can be fun and exhilarating, but I believe it’s best to use only when it fits, and not for the trend.

Readers who want stories that feel certain, that leads to a steady plot, where loyalty is not a sign of weakness, and where integrity is strong; those are the readers I write for. These are the signature stories that I aim to explore, and hopefully, the ones that make you feel everything and remain with us all.

                                                                                                                                                                  – PAVALO