Free Advice for Fiction Writers
Okay, I teach fiction writing, so this is my chance to share the love. Stop back from time to time and see what kind of tips and advice I have to share.
First piece of advice -- and this is for beginners more than anyone. A story is about character, not plot. Plot is something that comes out of character. If you start out with a plot in mind, most likely you'll write a story with two-dimensional characters.
So, where does plot come from if you start out with a character? It comes from conflict. The character has to be up against something. And, something has to be at risk. What will the character lose if he or she makes bad choices? Or, what could be won? If there's not something at risk, then you probably don't have a very engaging story.
Someone might say, "Well, what about Jack London's "To Build a Fire"? That's a great short story. And, that's just about a plot." Well . . . not really. Look at the beginning of the story. The man in the store tells the main character that the weather isn't fit for travel. Hearing that, what does the main character do? He travels anyway. As a person, he doesn't do a very good job of reading the writing on the wall. It's not a plot that brings him into the sub-zero weather, it's a character flaw. What's at risk? Well, his life, which he loses.
What's important, though, is that Jack London imagined a character. He didn't imagine "some guy" out in the tundra. He imagined a very specific guy. The plot comes out of that guy's character. Had he been a different guy, he may have said, "You know, you're right. I'm not going to travel today. I'll wait and see if it warms up tomorrow." But, he didn't say that and as a result we have Mr. London's excellent story.
So, don't overthink the plot. Instead, decide who your character is and what he or she is up against. Plot will come from there.
First piece of advice -- and this is for beginners more than anyone. A story is about character, not plot. Plot is something that comes out of character. If you start out with a plot in mind, most likely you'll write a story with two-dimensional characters.
So, where does plot come from if you start out with a character? It comes from conflict. The character has to be up against something. And, something has to be at risk. What will the character lose if he or she makes bad choices? Or, what could be won? If there's not something at risk, then you probably don't have a very engaging story.
Someone might say, "Well, what about Jack London's "To Build a Fire"? That's a great short story. And, that's just about a plot." Well . . . not really. Look at the beginning of the story. The man in the store tells the main character that the weather isn't fit for travel. Hearing that, what does the main character do? He travels anyway. As a person, he doesn't do a very good job of reading the writing on the wall. It's not a plot that brings him into the sub-zero weather, it's a character flaw. What's at risk? Well, his life, which he loses.
What's important, though, is that Jack London imagined a character. He didn't imagine "some guy" out in the tundra. He imagined a very specific guy. The plot comes out of that guy's character. Had he been a different guy, he may have said, "You know, you're right. I'm not going to travel today. I'll wait and see if it warms up tomorrow." But, he didn't say that and as a result we have Mr. London's excellent story.
So, don't overthink the plot. Instead, decide who your character is and what he or she is up against. Plot will come from there.
posted by Jeff Vande Zande at 7:06 PM
2 Comments:
Jeff, Thanks for that post. It's the little stuff like that (which is actually huge) that young writers need to hear. It may seem simple, but it's got to be said.
Here is something else that must be said: "you've got to update your blog for it to be a blog!" Seriously, though, if you don't post regularly people will forget to check your blog for new posts. Rule of thumb is at least once a week.
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