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let’s say you’re writing about a dinner party. You could describe the first course, the second course, and the dessert, and what people say. You could fill ten pages with that. But you wouldn’t necessarily have a story. Things happen, but there’s not anything giving them a shape, holding them together.
What gives a story its shape is normally a plot. And plot structure is based on conflict. Most stories boil down to the following “formula”: A character struggles to solve a problem, taking various actions in the effort to get the problem solved.. So, going back to the dinner party: your story might be about... A character struggling with her relationship with a difficult parent (the struggle is the problem). An argument that takes place at the dinner table (the argument is the problem). A character’s romantic interest in a man who is interested in another woman (his lack of interest in her is the problem). If you’re having trouble developing your story conflict, try following these steps: Identify something that your character really wants, the character’s goal in the story. Identify a problem or an obstacle in the character’s path, which the character MUST solve in order to reach his or her goal. Think about what actions the character will take to try to overcome the problem or obstacle and reach his or her goal. And think about what new problems or complications might arise as the character takes these actions. The character’s actions to deal with the problem, and the consequences of these actions, will be potential events or scenes for your story.
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AuthorKeith Kelly currently lives in Rio Rancho New Mexico. Archives
October 2020
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