The First Step – What needs to be decided before you start?


  • What is the story about?
  • What is the goal of the main character?
  • Who narrates the story?
  • How many mini-stories are included in the narrative?
  • How many themes are there throughout the story?
  • What is the timeframe of the story – short, medium or long?
  • Are you going to define your characters by narrator description, by their inner thoughts, by their actions, or through dialogue, or a combination of these?
  • What is the start of the plot?
  • Describe the characters believable characteristics:

Strong and plausible motivation

Appropriate psychological profile

Change and development throughout the story

  • How are you going to make the dialogue sound like it comes from real life?

The characters can listen to each other

There may be times where characters deliberately do not listen to each other

It can be enhanced by wit and humour

It can be enhanced by a change of mood.

  • What details and gestures are you going to include that makes the story seem true?
  • What outrageous scenes will be used?
  • The main character could have a secret that he / she does not want to divulge – his past catching up with him / her – and there is a revelation at the end – it could be a revelation of his / her own character that he / she has not seen before
  • A vital ingredient - create scenes with conflict

               External conflict - from mild (arguments) to extreme (duels to full scale battles)

               Internal conflict - the character has extreme choices and does not know which to chose

               Or both

  • How are you going to find a unique and exact way of looking at things and finding the right context for expressing that way of looking?

Create a world that nobody knows, but they want to be part of

Characters should be archetypes, not stereotypes

Think yourself into the period and action thoroughly...feel...no...be part of it - use all five senses

Get your main characters to talk to you, then talk to them - what are their actions and reactions?

  • What is the magic ingredient?
  • What is the climax at the end?
  • Start to capture the information you are creating