Stories are universes that begin with the spark of an idea and burst into existence. When an author has this fledgling thought, it grows, expands, and won’t stop nagging at her. New authors often don’t know how to make that idea into the kind of story they have always wanted to write.
The basic premise of any story in any genre can be answered in eight questions. I have listed them before, but here they are again:
- Who are the players?
- Who is the POV character?
- Where does the story open?
- What does the protagonist have to say about their story?
- How did they arrive at the point of no return?
- What do they want, and what will they do to get it?
- What hinders them?
- How does the story end? Is there more than one way this could go?
Question number two is where, once the first rush of creativity passes, many would-be writers give up. They experience a momentary lull in creativity and don’t have the tools to visualize what to write next.
When we have a lull in creativity, we wonder how to free the words and get the story back on track.
It helps to consider what kind of story those ideas want to be.
Sometimes stories want to be novels.
Has the story decided what genre it is? Mine always come into existence with a setting, and that determines the genre. If your story wants to be a novel, ask yourself what the central theme is.
- Theme is a core thread, such as love lost and regained, or coming of age, etc.
If you have a theme to write to, the plot will emerge more easily.
Will you “pants it” through the plot or create a plot outline? Outlines are just me thinking out loud on paper.
There are times when my stories want to be poems, because poetry is emotional and emotion powers my words. My poetry details the fantasy that is the memory of my childhood home.
It describes the way I felt about lake where I grew up, the forest surrounding our property and the swamp that bordered our driveway. A river emerged from the south end of my lake, and I write about the memories of fishing with my father. To the west of the lake, the high hills rise above, dominating the western sky from every view in the county. When I see those hills, I know I am home.
When poetic words have a grip on your imagination, write them down. If you want to learn more about the different genres of poems and how to write them, here is a short list:
Free verse is a modern construct that may not rhyme but the cadence and pacing of the syllables have rhythm.
Traditionally structured poetry includes Odes, Haikus, Elegies, Sonnets, Dramatic Poetry, or Narrative Poetry.
In my misspent youth, I was a musician and wrote lyrics for a heavy metal band, so I tend to write lyric poetry. I have a friend who writes sci-fi poetry.
Much of my work is in the form of short stories. In the beginning of your writing life, you work might be short forms too. Will you “pants it” or write little outlines? I work both ways when it comes to short stories.
I’ve written more than a hundred short stories in the past few years, enough that I can put together several collections. I am working on editing one as we speak.
If I have learned anything over the last decade or so, it’s that a collection of stories can’t be a bunch of random tales shoved into a book. To make a coherent collection of stories in one volume, I must consider several things.
What genre? Or will it be a mix of genres? This is a risky choice but could succeed if a specific theme binds the stories together.
Another thing to consider is whether or not I have enough stories featuring a recurring character or location to bind the collection together. I do for one series but will have to rely on a theme for the other collection.
You’ve noticed that I’m repeating myself—but trust me, a fiction project is easier to create if you know what genre you are writing for and can see the central theme that will bind it together.
Sometimes new authors say their project is a memoir. If a new writer tells me this, I always wonder if they have read any. If they haven’t read any memoirs, there may be a problem. Reading the memoirs written by successful authors is the best way to learn how the plots of outstanding memoirs are constructed.
Memoirists should ask two questions of their work. Will you detail actual memories or write a fictionalized account? Do you dare to name names or not?
- Naming names could be opening a can of worms, so think long and hard before you do that.
Some new authors have no intention of publishing a memoir. They just want to write a family history, a fun project. Here are some considerations if you fall into that category.
Are you just curious, or are you searching for an identity, trying to discover who you are and where your family comes from? Research from a site such as ancestry.com or gleaned from family bibles, letters, and other collected papers will greatly help you.
Will you include photographs or interviews with older family members who may remember something about your family’s history?
This is a project I’ve thought about embarking on, but I know I would never finish it. I don’t need another unfinished project laying around.
When we have the spark of a story, an idea that won’t let us go, we can spend years trying to get that vision out of our heads and ready for publication. It takes an incredible amount of work and a continuing habit of self-education to grow as a writer.
Getting your book to the publishing stage can be expensive. When we think we have our novel, memoir, or short story collection finished, we must consider hiring a freelance editor—even if we plan to find an agent and go the traditional route. We never submit anything that isn’t our best work.
But if you are in the “just starting out” phase, please know that you are not alone. When you hold the finished product in your hand, you will know the struggle was worth it.
Life in the Realm of Fantasy 