What is Predictability in a story?

Dear Reader,

When ever I write a short story or my fellow Wrimos write one, we often get a reveiw saying that 'this is a predictable story.' I think of twist and turn to tell a story and sometimes it just doesn't work. I often wonder did our Dear Shakespear think of predictability when he killed Sweet Juliet? Did we not alway know from the begining the Our Dear Voldemort will meet a bad end? So did we stop reading Harry Porter? 

So I decided to ask one question to my fellow Wrimo. Some published and some soon to be published authors came up with various answers to the question.-

Hi All, Forgive me my curiousity and lack of knowledge. But I have one question here. In all the SAW stories I see one comment. 'This story is predictable.' Can someone please guide me in this? What is predicatability? Do we always need a twist to say a simple tale? Arent stories supposed to be simple, touching your heart and just being a tale? Something readers want to read just because it is beautifully told? Shakespeare killed Romeo Juliet.. and after that so many follow the same fate.. even our very dear Heer Ranjha.. we knew they were going to die.. but we still loved it. So please can someone tell me what is predicatability? Disclaimer: This is not sarcasm or accusation..just a question from an ignorant.

Sharing the answers of what I have learnt.....

Adite Banerjie:

Adding a new twist to a well loved story (like Romeo and Juliet or Heer Ranjha) adds a new layer to the story, thus enhancing its appeal. Perhaps that's the reason why the well loved stories are being retold and reinterpreted continuously.

Uttiya Roy:

Predictability is when you can even predict the forthcoming dialogues and lines, i.e the writing falls into a certain pattern. For example in Candle's story I knew the events just through the tone. While, it is not bad it takes away from the story.

Esai Arasi:

When the story also becomes predictable, the burden falls on the writing to be that much more entertaining.Ask yourself this, if you knew what the story was, why would read it?

Rubina Ramesh:

But Esai. But don't you think sometimes the treatment of the story overtakes the storyline ?

Rubina Ramesh :

Adite boy met girl, family revolted. Star crossed lovers. It is the only mid section we can change. The reader will know the ending. So do we call it a predictable story.

Esai Arasi :

It can, all I'm saying is that it becomes an additional challenge for the writers. If the story is predictable, then the quality of writing has to keep them hooked.Take movies as an example, 'Now You See Me' while not predictable, had major plot holes. The actors carried the whole movie. 'Inception' however, had both a brilliant story and very talented actors. Now You See Me was a hit, but Inception was massive!We can't afford to take that burden on our writing, we all have our off days.

Uttiya Roy:

See, for me in these stories I could see the sequences before I read the story, because of the tone and the words used. So, basically all the cards were on the table. Now, they all are great writers so they crafted it with language. And believe me language overcomes any kind of predictability there is. Romeo and Juliet is preditable but, it's language is beautiful enough to make us forget that fact.

However, in a short story, the reign should be taut and tight. Since, it is such a short form of art, you have to understand that people would pick apart a predictable story since, the journey is not much.

Destination Infinity 

One of the reasons why I stopped watching Telugu movies (a while back) was, even though everything else was beautiful and glitzy, the story-line was the same: Boy meets girl, there is huge opposition, then they get married. At one point, every movie I saw had the same plot and I got bored. Even though other elements try to keep us interested, same/similar (and hence predictable) plot was a huge let-down.

 If you try to understand why people read and what kind of books they like, it will usually not be just well-written books. It will be those books that enrich their lives in some way or the other. Books have to provide some value, in addition to entertainment. If it is written well, then it is a plus. Style compliments substance, not the other way round.

Adite Banerjie 

Rubina, every happily-every-after story would be predictable to a certain extent. Even so, not every romance follows the same route to its happy ever after ending. In the telling of the tale you can throw in plot/character twists that make it "unpredictable". The reader shouldn't be able to guess the next steps, only then will he/she keep turning the pages to find out... if you can predict exactly how it is going to happen, then the "entertainment factor" of your story would go down.

Uttiya Roy:

For example, you know that in the end Harry Potter would defeat Voldemort but, the twists and the problems that J.K Rowling makes him face and the connections that are made are beautiful.

Same with the O.Henry story where the father organises a traffic jam to create a romance.

Ruchi Vasudeva:

What happens next...is the reason we read stories. And it works when every twist incites an emotional response in us. That is why an epic like Ramayana is still watchable even when we know the story. We still like to relive the emotional journey with the characters. That is why we can read our favourite books again and again. To my thinking, predictable probably means not emotionally grabbing. The reader hasn't become invested in the story. That's the way I see it, Rubina.

Aarti V. 

Raman twists are hooks..they keep the reader motivated to read. but if your twist is bigger than your story, then you have a problem. Uttiya said it..Voldemort is going to be defeated. We all know that. But it still doesn't take anything away from the whole story..the journey of HP and friends...

Thank you all for sharing this wealth of information.. You guys rock!!!

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