Friday, April 22, 2011

S is for ... Story Question

Okay, I could've done Sports, or Social Media, or Sticks (like hockey and lacrosse), but I think the most important one is Story Question.

Without a Story Question, an author really has no basis for their manuscript. This is one of the first things that we teach at our writing workshops - Story Question/Problem. What does the main character expect to achieve by the end of the book? If we pose it as a yes/no question, it seems to make better sense to our participants.

Will the girl escape the vampire or fall in love with him?
Will the boy accept being a wizard and survive his first year at school?

Do you start with a story question/problem?

3 comments:

  1. I don't consciously write down the question, but I certainly have it in mind. Maybe I should start writing it out. Great post!

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  2. Sara~I think most writers have it in their heads when they start. I suggest to workshop participants to write it down and have it in plain sight while writing to keep them on track.

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  3. I don't sit down and write out a question. Sort of have the entire book idea in mind though. Hmmm...

    Monti
    NotesAlongTheWay

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