How to Write a Good Story

HOW TO PLOT A STORY

Anne maybe feels lonely and has always been the nerd, without friends and without love. Maybe she feels if she can't find someone to love before the end of the Olympics she will take her own life? Or maybe she struggles with depression and thinks love is the best cure. Like I said, random example :P but I think it gets the point across easily enough.

The character's goal and what they care for must be put in jeopardy. Let's look at BLINK as an example again. What's at stake? If John fails, the world falls into ruin. Okay, easy enough. What, internally, will John lose if he fails? His family, his little sister, his guardian angel: What he cares about most.

The combination of goal and consequence creates the main dramatic tension in your plot. It's a carrot and stick approach that makes the plot meaningful.

In some stories, the protagonist may begin by deciding to resolve a problem or pursue a goal. Later, that goal becomes more meaningful when he discovers that a terrible consequence will occur if he fails. Other times, the protagonist may start off threatened by a terrible event, which thus motivates him/her to find a way to avoid it.

Either way, both story goal and consequence must be present for a good plot.

3. REQUIREMENTS

Requirements: describe what must be accomplished in order to achieve the goal. You can think of this as a checklist of one or more events. As the Requirements are met in the course of the novel, the reader will feel the characters are getting closer to the attainment of the goal.

Requirements create a state of excited anticipation in the reader's mind, as he looks forward to the protagonist's success.

Fantasy novels, many times, have the easiest requirements to identify. There's a prophecy. The chosen person must fulfil the prophecy, but how? They must:

1.       Seek out the wise elves for wisdom and guidance.

2.       Go on a long journey to find the blessed sword (insert object)

3.       Face down the dark evil with said implement; and

4.       Save the world when the evil thing falls.

Voila. Let's try this with BLINK as an example.

John needs to save his sister (and the world)

How? First he must find out who the Collector is, then he must defeat the collector, then he must reverse the Collector's actions. I won't spoiler the book, but keeping it simple, he aims for this. As the story develops, the "HOW TO" develops, and readers learn more and more about what John must do and face to achieve his goal.

So ask yourself, what is the goal? (internal, external, story)

What's at stake? (consequence, fears)

What steps must the character take to succeed? (requirements)

4. FOREWARNINGS

Forewarnings are the counterpart to requirements. While requirements show that the story is progressing towards the achievement of the goal, forewarnings are events that show the consequence is getting closer. Forewarnings make the reader anxious that the consequence will occur before the protagonist can succeed.

While the Story Goal and Consequences create dramatic tension, Requirements and Forewarnings take the reader through an emotional roller coaster that oscillates between hope and fear. There will be places in the plot where it seems the protagonist is making progress, and others where it seems that everything is going wrong. Structure these well, and you will keep your reader turning pages non-stop.