Writing Advice: The Starting Point

A lot of aspiring writers have that desire to tell a great story that will captivate readers, and keep them flipping pages well into the early hours of morning, unwilling to put down their book. But that is a lofty goal to have in mind from the start. How do you break that down into something that is not only achievable, but but simple and fun?

I’ve decided to break down my own writing process in hopes that some other writers who may just be starting out, or have found themselves stuck, may benefit from my experiences (good and bad).

In this first segment I’m going to be breaking down my starting point- and why I ALWAYS start here.

The blank page can be super intimidating- but it really doesn’t have to be. See, truth be told, the writing process starts long before we ever even look at a blank page or pick up a pen. It starts with daydreaming! But daydreaming about what?

Characters.

The foundation of every story is it’s characters. Your character development depth is the root system that feeds the rest of your story. Without strongly developed original characters your story has nothing to stabilize it, and one good wind (of someone actually analyzing your story) and it crumbles into a pile of plot holes, broken promises, needless filler, and shallow plot devices. (That may have been slightly over dramatized to scare you and make the point super clear.)

A great story rests on its characters

See people naturally seek connection. We are wired for community- even the most introverted among us. So when a story resonates with us, it isn’t only because of the events that happen, but because we’ve attached ourselves in some way, shape, or form to the WHO the events happened to.

We HATE a villain- that is what makes the events surrounding their downfall satisfying.

We LOVE a hero- and we are filled with anxiety when they face any sort of danger or peril. We rejoice when they have a victory. We desire their happiness and success!

It’s not the what that matters- story isn’t about the what or the events- it’s about the people carrying them out, or being affected by them. Story is about the human experience. (Unless of course you write fables- then its about personified animals’ experiences- but you see that word “personified”).

The readers ability to connect in some way with your characters directly correlates in their reading experience and how much they enjoy your story.

So maybe you’ve had an idea for an epic battle, or some other event, and that was the birth of the idea for your story. Or maybe you’ve got nothing. My challenge to you is to start daydreaming about your characters. Put them in everyday scenarios. Watch them interact with people they like, and people they don’t. Get to know the misbelief they cling on to. What is their greatest desire, and fear. Then, once you know your characters completely, you can begin to put them into the events of your story, and they will be strong enough to tell you how they want to respond. Not to serve your plot- but to live a life that will become a story.

As the author you still get to drive, you choose the scenarios they find themselves in. But it is crucial that your characters are developed and strong enough to have their own voice. We partner with our characters to tell the best stories. And when we work together we end up in places we might never have been able to imagine all on our own.

Disclaimer: I am something between a plotter and a pantser. I have a general idea of the story I want to tell, or the message I want to convey, or some of the major events that will take place- HOWEVER my characters have veto power. Once we get to that place, if they have grown and changed in a way where it would be “out of character” for them to do that thing that would serve the plot- then like an offshoot into the multiverse, I let them take me into uncharted waters and we discover the new version of how this is all going to play out.

Caveat: IT’S A LOT OF FUN!

You can read an example of this by trying out my first book in The Kingdom Come Series, Transgression.