Fiction: How To Start?

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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.

Easy Steps To Writing An Adventure Story

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with me? Leave me your opinion.

The adventure story takes the
main character, protagonist, to
a new place, different from his/her
own. The place should be dangerous
for the main character to be in.

Read adventure stories. Take them
apart, and re-write them from your
imagination.

Take notes. Did you see a better
writing idea? Jot it down. Make
sure the writing idea is from your
imagination.

Let's look at steps to make writing
an adventure story, novel, easier.
The following steps will fill-in the
story, and bring it to life.

A. What adventure will the main
character have?

1. A person finds an ancient coin,
but it's a door-way to the past.
The right spoken words will
unlock the door.
2. How will the main character
find the words?
3. Will he/she want to?

B. A time period is decided on.

1. The coin, from the above example,
takes the main character from
our current century to the eighteenth
century.

C. Pick the characters for the story.

1. Will a male or female be the main
character?
2. Will friends make the journey?
3. A main character and his/her pet?

D. The reason for the adventure?

1. The main character is always
complaining how boring his/her
life is?
2. A small town kid looking for
an adventure?
3. An adult looking to explore,
has something to prove?

E. Show-case the events.

1. The main character goes to
a library, and accidentally
happens upon the correct
words?
2. A person discovers the secrets
of the coin?

The story is started in the middle
of a problem, issue.

The main character is transported
back in time, for example, opens
the story. He/she grabs his/her pet
before disappearing. Or, a friend
jumps into the hole before it closes.

Gather-up, share, the other ingredients.

The antagonist is a person opposing your
main character. Make his/her presence
known in the opening scene.

He/she wants to steal the object, thing,
that made the main character's trip
possible.

The main character struggles, at least,
three times with the antagonist before
succeeding.

The main character's goals are to get
back home, and stop the antagonist from
returning with him/her.

The antagonist is willing to kill for
the coin.

Self-preservation is the main
character's motivation.

The antagonist wants to slide in and
out of time periods. He/she wants
to change pass mistakes, lives.

The antagonist is motivated by curiosity,
possibly greed. He/she will stop at
nothing to get the coin.

As with any other writing idea, turn
it upside down. Select an idea that
most excites your imagination.

You Want To Write A Book?

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

"I want to write a book."
Several people have told
me.

It's a rewarding journey.
It involves writing, re-writing,
but well worth the effort.

I know the excuses that
you give yourself.

I gave myself reasons to
avoid writing book length
work too.

I don't have time, not sure
where to start, no one
will like my book, and/or
where will I write?

You're giving yourself
excuses for not writing.
Instead, find time during
the day or night to write.

It takes several weeks,
years, to complete a
novel. It depends on
you.

What will your book be?
Fiction or non-fiction?

My book is a work of
fiction.

Your writing time should
be in a place just for
writing. Tune-out
everything else.

This means turning-off
your cell phone, television,
ignore loud neighbors,
and write your book.

Today, I'm going to
discuss fiction.

Start by deciding on
what the book will be
about. Create characters,
and a setting.

My setting was any urban
city USA.

Where will the
story take place?
Locked Library?
City? Rural?
In the middle of
a crowded
restaurant? Or,
a country different
from your own?

Make a profile for each
character. Will the main
character have a limp, blue
eyed? Or, a female with
a rude manner? Still,
she has many friends? Or
not? Educational back-ground?
Employed?

Profiles contain any information
you feel a character should
have.

What problem will the main
character be forced to resolve?

The main character in my novel
had to find a way out of a dare,
and handle her female boss'
sexual harassment.

Long fiction, book length,
has more than one problem
to address.

Chapter one introduces
the main character, and the
problems he/she is engulfed
in.

Other characters are stirred
in. The secondary characters
must move the story along,
and not just take-up space.

Write two or three pages daily.
Write for, at least, two hours.

The first write-up is a
draft. There will be time
to edit. For now, write.

Make sure, there's
plenty of conflict,
suspense.

A character must try
to succeed a minimum
of three times before
reaching his/her goal.

Throw obstacles at him/her.
Have a scene where the main
character almost makes it,
but some force ruins it. Or,
the opposing character
spoils it.

Show the character's reaction
to this disappointment.

At the end of the story,
a character is different.
Perhaps, he/she learned
to stand-up for him/herself.
Found a new meaning to
his/her life?

The change is for the
better, or worse.

Always explain any
issues introduced
during the story, or solve
them.

Don't dream about writing
a book. Do it. I know
you can.

Simply, believe in yourself.