Creative Writing Tips ?
When an idea comes to us for a short story, we either think of a story line first or a character first. Whichever we think of first, and later on build, we have to make sure the plot and the character suit each other.
Example one ? We think of a story line first.
Your story is set in a rural area. A company opens a factory and employs workers from that small town. The residents welcome this, as there aren't many jobs going around. The management takes advantage of that fact and exploit the workers.
Using a technicality in the system, perhaps listing them under different job titles in their books, they pay them less than they are entitled. Your main character sees this injustice and leads the workers to rebel against the management.
Now in a plot like this you will need your main character to posses certain qualities. Like?
Leadership
To be able to lead the people to rebel.
Convincing
The workers are from a rural area. Some might be uneducated and not aware of their rights. The main character has to convince them that what the management is doing, is wrong.
Persuader
Living in a rural area, jobs are hard to find. Most of the workers will view the company as their saviour. Their thinking will be that receiving little money is better than none at all. The main character has to persuade them that being in a rural area the company needs them as much as the workers need the company.
Strong Personality & Confident
We need a strong character that will see things through to the end. We don't want someone giving up when things get tough. He will also need to be confident that he is doing the right thing (not to make things worse for the workers) and believes in himself (knowing what he's doing is right).
Strong people skills
To be able to speak and relate to people on all levels.
Negotiator
To negotiate a solution with management and workers.
Public speaker skills
To be able to address this mass group of workers, in a voice that is confident, persuading, authoritative etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So these are the qualities we will need our character to have.
Now let's see if we can make him believable. Remember he lives in the same rural area, so what makes him different from the rest of the workers who are willing to settle for less?
I could say he recently move to that rural area from the city. He used to work as a union leader and wanted to get out of the rat race. But having fought for workers rights his entire career, he can't stand now to see injustices and comes to the decision to fight for them and himself.
So this character would suit our plot because we need someone like him for our story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Example two ? Thinking of a character first
We notice a man on the street. Something about him triggers our interest so we decide to write about him in a short story. So at this point we will build the character first and then work a story around him.
Let's go back to where we saw him?
He's walking briskly along a busy street. He's in a hurry. He's dressed in a three-piece suit, which indicates he might be a businessman. He's got a stack of documents under his arm; a briefcase in his left hand and his right hand is occupied by holding the phone to his ear, which he's shouting into.
Let's observe him closer?
He's in his mid thirties. He looks authoritative. Perhaps he has his own business. Why is he shouting into the phone? Perhaps one of his employees made a mistake, which has cost the character a lot of money.
What if this employee made the mistake on purpose? What if he's secretly working for the opposition, planted to destroy the main character's company? What if the owner of that opposing company is the main character's own brother? Etc?
So as we analyze this character and ask questions about him, our plot begins to unfold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plots and characters have to suit each other.
When we have finished plotting and are ready to write the story, they shouldn't be ill-fitting pieces of a puzzle ? They should be a perfect match.
Does your plot suit your characters and vice-versa?
About The Author
Besides his passion for writing, Nick Vernon runs an online gift site where you will find gift information, articles and readers' funny stories. Visit http://www.we-recommend.com
Beecher limo rentals ..Arrogance has a bad rap. We think of arrogant people... Read More
Lately I've been noticing an odd trend amongst the freelance... Read More
There is one key difference between reports and most other... Read More
What do people expect when they join a writing group?The... Read More
How to Come Up with Fresh Story Ideas When Your... Read More
During my 25-year career in a variety of professional positions... Read More
Short Story Writing Tips:Your title is your selling tool. It's... Read More
I???ve spoken to hundreds of editors, employers, and project managers... Read More
Some writers complain that writing is arduous work requiring long... Read More
A UK based freelance proofreader should be able to provide... Read More
As many authors are fond of stating, "Ideas are all... Read More
For several years before I left teaching to write full... Read More
In my ten years as an advertiser, I've encountered plenty... Read More
Everyone has a book inside them, or so the saying... Read More
The tiniest things can be so useful when you come... Read More
An island in the Mediterranean. A beach in Africa. The... Read More
1. No one else will do it for you.2. No... Read More
A friend and I were talking the other day about... Read More
Fiction manuscripts receive feedback that addresses and scores:? The theme... Read More
You might not need any memoir writing help, per se,... Read More
If you are looking for copywriter books, you'll want to... Read More
What's the best way to plot?Quick answer: the best way... Read More
Q: How do I expand on an idea without getting... Read More
Tips for your writing journeySo, you'd like to be a... Read More
As an International language, English has been used widely in... Read More
Bridgeview limo Chicago ..Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe... Read More
In order to be successful with a newsletter, specialize in... Read More
If you're targeting an educated, more affluent audience with your... Read More
Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More
You may not remember this, but in the early days... Read More
At first, I noticed that I could have written many... Read More
With the advent of email communications in the workplace, it's... Read More
The Benefits of Co-Publishing There are a number of publishers,... Read More
I just finished to read a book. A story for... Read More
Whether you are working for a small business, large corporation,... Read More
Our Image-Driven SocietyWe live in a new image-driven society. It... Read More
This article contains a short guide on how to edit... Read More
Rejection. This scary word plagues virtually every writer this side... Read More
Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on... Read More
You can make a lot of money by writing and... Read More
Persisting With Bulldog Determination [Book excerpt from Successercising} by Rick... Read More
My bookcase take up one whole wall in the family... Read More
To keep it simple and basic: Jack Finney's Invasion of... Read More
What is a prologue? When should you use one? Should... Read More
IntroductionSometimes it may be beyond a companies or individuals budget... Read More
Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My... Read More
First, let's tackle the question that is uppermost in many... Read More
In the 7th grade I wanted to be an architect... Read More
Everyone has a book inside them, or so the saying... Read More
These 8 tips on using characters in your stories will... Read More
Writing |