Know what you're doing

It’s the finale! I know, Tuesday next is still in February, but I have something far more fun planned for that. Don’t you worry.

This month, we’ve been talking about all the basic tenants of story that you need to have figured out before you can really get to writing. We’ve created a world and constructed a setting, we’ve met our characters and decided why we’re writing this story, we’ve even determined what’s going on that’s making the story move forward, and the tension of it all.

So really, there’s only one thing left to do.

Defining Your Story

I don’t mean outline. I don’t mean outline, at all. I hate outlines. I despise them. I used to write the paper before I wrote the outline, in college. Teachers never even noticed. I don’t need an outline—I need a story.

And that’s what I want you to need, too.

That’s your final tenant. You need to have a story to tell.

If you don’t have a story to tell, then why are you writing the story at all?

This is how my books usually start, truth be told. I have a story, and then I have a character. Then I’ll figure out the setting, and from there, I’ll determine the world. It doesn’t matter what order you figure everything out in, only that you take the time to figure it out. Don’t imagine that you already know everything there is to know. Even if this book is the sequel to the last one, I guarantee you that some things have changed. You need to know what those are, and you ought to have them in a file somewhere you can easily access them, because again, I guarantee you it’s going to come in handy.

So, what’s your story?

How does it relate to your characters?

What bearing does it make upon your setting, your world?

How did the tension develop within it?

How will your goals be met through this telling?

You need to know these things, if only so you know them. Your readers won’t even notice that you put in all this work, and that’s the way it should be. Your readers shouldn’t see you, they should see your story. Your story should stand on its own, without you to hold it there.

That’s what we all want. A story that transcends us. 

So make sure you take the time to figure out what your story is. You don't have to know the whole thing, but have an idea. Write down some possible plot points that have popped into your head. If you must outline, then outline, but if you're like me, just write down some ideas and let yourself explore the possibilities in your mind before experiencing the story for itself. 

That's how I write a good story. (editing is what makes it great)

Now you know what you need to get there.

[love]

{Rani D.}