It seems like everyone watched this last season of Stranger Things! Did you?
Whether you watched it or not, this edition of 5-Minute Writer will help you think about your own story!
Not since Game of Thrones did I have to methodically avoid social media posts about the show or tell well-meaning friends to keep their big mouths shut.
But while I watched this season, I kept thinking about what made it such a powerful piece of storytelling that had people respond so emotionally to the story. Let’s unpack it!
3 Takeaways
👿 Clear & Powerful Antagonist
Each season of Stranger Things had a clear and present antagonist. And the antagonist, season over season, became more and more powerful.
When thinking about your work, does your audience have a clear sense of who your antagonist is? As writers we are (rightfully so) focused on our protagonists. But equally as important is your antagonist. Think of the Harry Potter series. Each book had its own antagonist. But the main antagonist (Voldemort) had a complex and far-reaching backstory.
Stranger Things reminded me to have a formidable foe for your antagonist to fight against. Someone or something so powerful it seems like your hero has no chance of winning!
Most recently, Jessica Payne talked about building out her antagonist’s story and how important it was to her success with her debut novel. She says, “…and I just love the idea of having a. Kind of the antagonist and getting a view into his mind and why he thinks it’s okay to be so sociopathic and narcissistic.”
🎸 Tone, Tone, Tone
There was something especially dark about this season of Stranger Things. Not only was it the intensity of Vecna and of the death scenes (again, no spoilers but if you’ve seen it, you know what I mean).
But there was also a lightheartedness and humor that is uniquely Stranger Things. In fact, I noticed a little trick the show creators used to maintain the lightheartedness in spite of the darkness.
The show has long relied on one character (Dustin) to carry much of the humor of the show. However, with characters spread across the globe, the writers needed a way to maintain the humor in each vignette. To do this, they kept Dustin (added Eddie). For one group, they introduced a new character (Argyle) who could keep the tone they set within a largely humorless group. And they gave a larger role to a character from previous seasons (Murray).
That way, they could write in jokes to balance the heavier moments in the story despite having the friends spread out and away from one another. All this to say, know the tone you’re trying to set and be sure to maintain it throughout your work.
P.S. When it comes to tone, it helps to have a bitchin’ soundtrack!
❤️🔥 Friend Stories are the New Love Stories
There’s a belief that in fiction you always need some kind of love story angle. Obviously if you’re writing romance, that’s a given. But for all those other genres, what do you think? Do you need a love triangle in your thriller? Do you have to have a long-lost lover return in your sci-fi novel?
It certainly adds layers. And this is not to say that Stranger Things doesn’t have a love story angle. It actually has several. But the main crux of the emotional weight hinges on the friendship of the group.
So I guess what I’m saying is…I don’t know if a friend story can be the only “love” story. But a group of friends falling in and out of “love” is a new angle on a love story. And I’m here for it!
It’s a fresh take on a story that can give your story a unique spin that helps it stand out. If you’re interested in how this might work, Christopher Golden talks about his most recent book utilizing a friendship as its “love” story: “Road of Bones has a real…serious male friendship at its core which was a pleasure to write about.”
2 Quotes
“I think we’re mad fools, the lot of us. But if we don’t stop him, who will?”
“Durable. Deadly and reliable. Hear me now- there will be no retreating from Eddie the Banished.”
1 Question/Thought
Stranger Things has come back in a big way. If you watched the show, why do you think that is?
What was it about this season that made it such a powerful experience for viewers?
Unpacking that might lead you to your own insights into the writing process.
Happy writing!
