Writing Questions Answered

Writing Questions Answered

When I started writing, I had lots of writing questions and no one to ask. I didn't even have a computer to search with so I was up a creek without a paddle. I wouldn't wish that kind of education on anyone and that's why I publish these articles.

This should be of some help. When you don't understand, the answer is to research it.

         1. What is the first step in developing a story?
Ans: Plunge into the middle anti-climax scene first and develop your story around it. This way, you know what characters you will need and where the story is going. Next, decide on the end of the story and write that. After you decide on both of these, decide what kind of lead-in you need, and voila! You have a complete story. This is called the DeBowen writing system and it's great. Even a beginner can do this.

Let’s do one for practice: First – the middle. A detective goes home to find his wife dead and his daughter kidnapped. The end must be happy, and the detective is the hero. He will nab the killer and rescue his daughter. Now that we know the middle and the end of the story, what would you write as the beginning?

         2. What is a plot?
Ans: Some people call it the climax (conflict scene), but I would say the plot is the vehicle that takes you to the climax. It is the means by which you arrive at said point.

         3. What is a theme?
Ans. The theme is what the overall story is about. It could be about a man changing his ways or about a miser (like Scrooge), who learns to be kind and generous. It is the one thing that you want your reader to learn from your story.

         4. What is style?
Ans: Style is how you phrase your thoughts. It is how you express the character in dialog. In essence, your style is you—how you look at things, the way you talk, the way you think; your style is how your mind processes your thoughts and spits them out on the printed page.

         5. How do I develop my style?
Ans: You don’t. Let your style develop itself. You do that by reading everything you can get your hands on and writing stories. As a young writer, it doesn’t matter if your stories are good or not. You’re developing your style! You’re learning how to string words together in the way that typifies you.

Eventually you will borrow a little from this author and a little from that, and you will flavor the mix with your own experiences, concepts, and fantasies, and POOF! You have your own style. It will change as you learn more, add more, and write more, but your style will always be you. If you admire a certain author and wish you could write like him/her, read everything they wrote, but beware: If you're reading anything more than two years old, it may not be what editors are buying now.