| Most people think writing a novel is just writing. I | | | | importance of from the above exercise. With your |
| have lost count of the number of people who say "I | | | | character's weakness in place, you can now begin to |
| want to write a book" and think that they will just sit | | | | put them and their weakness under pressure and |
| down, put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, and | | | | suddenly your story is off and running. |
| the whole thing will just unfold before them. I've read | | | | Predicament |
| a few books, they think, why can't I write one? | | | | Stephen King says he starts a story with a character |
| If only it were that easy! | | | | in a predicament and watches them to see how they |
| The process of writing any book is exactly that, a | | | | get out of it. So at the start of your story your main |
| process. And whether you are tackling a novel, a | | | | character must be in some sort of predicament or |
| short story, an essay or a non-fiction book, you need | | | | stuck in some way. The predicament your main |
| to begin by planning your story. | | | | character is in should be a symptom of their |
| This is the most ignored stage in the writing process, | | | | weakness. They are aware of their predicament, but |
| and yet it is by far the most important. JK Rowling | | | | they are not aware of their weakness. |
| spent five years planning the Harry Potter novels. | | | | For example, a character who needs to learn the |
| And that certainly paid off, didn't it? | | | | importance of patience, is stuck underground on a |
| The key to writing any story well, is to find the | | | | broken down train. He becomes more and more |
| story that only you can write. This story carries your | | | | exasperated and angry as the minutes tick by as he |
| own emotional truth, and as you progress through | | | | needs to be at an important meeting. As he's |
| the story writing process, your character will take | | | | underground his mobile phone has no signal, and he |
| you on the journey of emotional growth just as they | | | | also can't just jump off the train, as the doors are |
| will your readers once it's published. | | | | electronically sealed, and besides he's underground so |
| The Deeper Character Journey | | | | he can't just wander off up the tracks in the dark. |
| The deeper character journey is the most important | | | | So we know our character's predicament will expose |
| aspect of any story. It is what your readers will | | | | his weakness, which is impatience. The question for |
| remember and it is what makes the process of | | | | you to answer is, what does he do? How does he |
| writing a story so worthwhile for the writer. Every | | | | respond? What choice does he make? And he will |
| time you take your character on a journey, you go | | | | make that choice based on his personal values. |
| on that journey yourself. | | | | Values in Conflict |
| So how do we find that deeper character journey? | | | | Conflict lies at the heart of all powerful stories. It is a |
| Where do we begin? | | | | well worn adage in story writing that nothing moves |
| We begin with this simple exercise: | | | | forward in a story except through conflict. |
| Without thinking too much about it, finish this | | | | But a good story also isn't just a sequence of |
| sentence: | | | | random conflicts, things that happen with no |
| • I am interested in writing a story where | | | | apparent pattern or meaning. It is a series of events, |
| the main character discovers the importance of | | | | putting your character(s) under more and more |
| ¦ | | | | pressure, forcing them to respond. This then shows |
| Write for 5 minutes, preferably in long hand, allowing | | | | us their true character. |
| whatever comes up to just flow onto the page. | | | | Values underlie our choices, our decisions, and in |
| When you have finished you will find that you have | | | | storytelling they drive the story through the |
| written a lot of different values into your answer. | | | | characters being forced to make difficult decisions |
| Values are universal qualities of human experience, | | | | where their values are challenged. A value is a belief |
| either positive or negative. Take a few moments to | | | | system based on what is important to the individual. |
| divide these values into their positive and negative | | | | A value represents something in your character's life |
| groups. You'll find that a few similar ones in each | | | | that they are willing to fight for. So if you have a |
| group will stand out, so isolate these and then decide | | | | married woman who is attracted to another man, her |
| on the most important ones from each group. | | | | choice of whether to go with the other man or stay |
| Once you have done this you can now write your | | | | with her husband will be based on the values of |
| deeper character journey in one simple sentence. | | | | romance versus fidelity or loyalty. |
| • I am interested in writing a story about a | | | | Once you have nailed the values underlying your |
| character who goes from being….. to | | | | character's choices, you will have connected strongly |
| being….. | | | | with your character's deeper journey. This in turn |
| What is your character's weakness? | | | | connects you to your readers, who will recognise |
| Every character has a weakness - something they | | | | similar conflicts in their own lives. |
| need to learn to have a better life. Your character's | | | | And you also have the essence of the story that |
| weakness should now be pretty clear to you, as it is | | | | only you can write. |
| strongly connected to what they need to learn the | | | | |