Yes, I’m also sick of all the ways the media are spinning
out the story of the (non) Balloon Boy, but we can’t deny that it’s a story
that gripped the world. Whenever a story does that, I’m interested to consider
what elements made it so compelling and this time there are two levels of story
to learn from.
The original story was a simple one, with familiar elements:
- a child in danger
- a ticking clock—how long can the balloon stay
aloft?
- a mystery: is he really in there?
- someone whose emotions we can share: the
distraught parents
- a weird twist: the kid isn’t down a mine or
trapped in rubble (which would also work for dramatic purposes), he’s up in the
sky in a UFO-style balloon
- a strong emotional image: him dropping out of
the balloon while it’s still up high or crashing with it to earth; like looking at a car crash—we don’t
want to see it but we can’t help looking (or imagining)
Anybody writing a thriller could take a cue from these
elements, and many have: have you noticed how many thrillers are about a
missing child?
The second story layer appeared when it turned out the whole
thing was a hoax. Now it’s not about life and death, it’s about psychology. Now
we had:
- a villain: the father who deceived us and forced
his child to go along with the plan
- an innocent victim: the little boy, who was so
uncomfortable with lying that he threw up—twice!
- an ambiguous character: the mother—was she a
willing accomplice? Or was she bullied into it by the father? Why did she tell
on him?
- a new mystery: what will be the father’s
punishment? Will the kids be taken away?
That has taken us into the realm of motive and of course our
response is also fueled by outrage that we were fooled in the first place. My
hunch is that this emotion is stronger at the moment than it would be in good
times. We already feel like we’ve been fooled by the bankers and politicians
and we know we still don’t have the full story, but it’s hard to pin down
exactly who is lying and about what.
With Balloon Boy father, it’s a lot simpler. My guess is
that there’s going to be a big market over the next year or two for stories in
which pinning blame is easier than it is in real life.
(for guidance in writing your book, get a copy of mine: "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey--see more information at www.yourwritingcoach.com)
