Week 4 – What to Do – Plot or Characters?
At this point if you are a pantzer, you will probably start writing. But if you are a plotter who needs a little direction, this is when you will probably need to decide whether to plot or create your characters. Most of the how-to books suggest one or the other. I usually do a combination of both; it depends on where my idea came from. If I start out with a scene in my head, I usually take it the next step and find out how I got to that scene and where it needs to go. I’m not suggesting you plot out the whole story here but plot enough to give yourself a little foundation. I then start thinking about the characters. What kind of character could get into this kind of a situation?
If your spark of an idea comes from a character rather than a situation, now may be the time to work on developing this character and a few more. Again, I’m not suggesting that you delve into total character development. Maybe develop the protagonist and the characters immediately connected. Then start looking at what kind of a story you’d like to share about this character. What does this character have to tell?
Since the story, I’m working on started with a scene. I wrote a draft of how I pictured that scene. I then took the characters in that scene and started developing them. I use a template that helps me to describe their physical appearance. Then I start answering questions about their current situation, where they live, what kind of clothes they wear, what their occupation is, anything that helps me get to know the character better. I then look at the past and try to create some history for that character. What happened to them that brought them to where they are now, type questions.
I will get more in-depth with both plotting and characterization but this is where I stick my toe in the water to test the story. I bounce back and forth between the plot and character, working on each character and storyline as it comes to me. This practice helps me to determine if I have a story or just an idea.
What do you do at this stage? I would love to share your ideas with readers.
Your Assignment:
This week take your original idea and test it by developing the scene or characters to help you determine if you do have a story or just and idea.
Next week – developing characters.
Happy writing,
Virginia
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