Hey, I need a bit of advice. I'm kindof new to writing, and I know that there's a lot of stuff that goes into writing before you start the story, such as building the characters etc. Do you have like a basic overview of the things that should definitely be done before I try to write things out into a story? Also, what is a character arc and how do I write one? I hope this ask makes sense.
Hi!
There is so much going into a story. But this is not the format to analyse every little detail of it and you also just wanted a basic overview before you start, so here it is.
Basic overview: How to write a story?
Theme
What kind of story do you want to tell?
What do you want to write about?
What genre do you want to write in?
What is your target audience?
Is there a message you want to convey?
Specific issues you want to highlight?
What narrator do you want to tell the story?
Structure
Before you start you need a rough idea on where to start and where to end
Beginning
Who is there in the beginning and where are they?
Ending
Who is still left and where do they end up?
Bear in mind that a story doesn’t need a happy ending, it just needs a satisfying one
Middle part (you don’t need to know this in detail)
you just need a few scenes to make a timeline
you need to kind of know how to get from the beginning to the end
you will need ups and downs and twists
Some major plot points for the middle part
Places/stops
Plot twists
When and how does the MC meet the other characters?
Key scenes to further the plot
A few scenes you already know you want to have in the story
Characters
How to create a character? (Tips for creating and developing characters)
Who is your MC?
How many MCs do you have?
How many important characters do you need?
Character arc – your character can’t stand still; they need some kind of drive or problem that is a change to what their life was before
You have to send them on a journey, they have to overcome things you threw in their way
At the end of the story something has to have changed for them
This is just some basic stuff, so if you or anyone else wants some part of this a little bit more detailed let me know.
- Jana
