137
shoots a small grappling hook and line across the pira-
nha pond, enabling Bond to cut his leg restraints and
swing to safety on the other side of the pool.
Now, if we had been reading along in the story and
gotten to this point, and Bond simply produced those
items for the fi rst time, we’d all be groaning. How con-
venient! What a cheat!
But of course, it was all set up by the Q scene. Be-
cause we saw these items before, we are perfectly accept-
ing of them when they come out at the right time.
In fi ction, the Lead character should reach a point
near the end when everything looks lost. This can be
something outside or inside the character, or both. But he
is, in fi gurative terms, dangling over a pool of piranha.
What he needs is courage for the fi nal battle, to face
the ultimate test. This is where the Q Factor can help.
It is something that is set up early in the story that will
provide the necessary inspiration or instruction for the
character when he needs it most.
Sometimes, the Q Factor is an icon of some sort, a
physical object. Sometimes, it is the memory of a beloved
mentor. It may simply be the character digging down
into his moral reservoir. Whatever it may be, it is the
storyteller’s job is to give it life on the page.
In the great Frank Capra fi lm Mr. Smith Goes to Wash-
ington, the naïve young senator played by James Stewart
arrives in Washington, D.C. for the fi rst time. He is mes-
merized by the city that represents everything he loves
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