Fiction: How To Start?

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Fiction is exciting, fun, to write
about. Find an idea that awakens your
imagination, and has wide appeal.

Fiction is invented, imagined,
or created stories. Characters
are placed in a setting to solve a
problem(s). Look at the idea upside
down, right side-up.

The writing idea is looked at from
different view-points to decide
how best to show-case it. In
other words, make sure the writing
idea appeals to a large segment of the
population, and stirs-up your writing
ability.

Answer the following questions.

What problem will be addressed?
Perhaps, an issue from your life.
A story out of the head-lines. A
friend's plight.

A lost recipe in a certain family
member's house disappears? He/she
claims it was there before anyone
arrived.

The possible plot, problem, is which
relative took it, and why?

The plot's options are too many to
discuss. Actually, the only limit to a
plot is your imagination.

Every story has a beginning, middle, and
an ending.

Allow characters to show what is happening.
Take a look.

"I saw whole thin,'" Beverly explained.
"Pyra ran out da house with da knife in her
hand..."

"Wait," Carrie interrupted. "I don't get
it. She ain't have no knife when..."

Populate the story. Who will be the main
character? Antagonist?

The main character is Pyra in my example.

The antagonist is the person stopping your
main character from reaching his/her goals.
Or, the person pursuing the main
character.

In my example, the antagonist is the
guy in braids.

"She tried to kill my sista." The young
guy in braids spat . "Cops betta catch
her befo street justice does."

Make profiles for each character. How they
look, talk, act, relevant experiences, and
anything you feel should be included.

A main character must try, at least, three
times before reaching his/her goal.

My example will swirl Pyra and the guy
in braids together three times. The
encounters will end in fights, possibly
death.

One problem is handled in short fiction.
Longer fiction stirs-in a major problem,
and a minor one. Add as many problems
in long fiction as you can handle.

Mix-in suspense. Give the impression
something is going to happen. Build it
up, and then allow some event to
explode.

The scene, explosion, can last two
paragraphs, or run for pages.

It, too, has a beginning, middle, and
an ending.

If, for some reason, you have a problem
writing, or have writer's block, write
anything that comes to mind. Or,
write about an object on your desk,
outside, pet, or why a color is your
favorite.

Keep writing until you're ready to start
on your writing project.

Usually, a new writing idea is discovered,
or material for your current writing project
dawns.

All problems must be solved at the end,
or given a satisfactory conclusion.