Great, you have your outline (your paints), let's paint our story.
Now, what will happen if you dump ALL that paint in ONE spot? Would it be beautiful? Not really. So let's move your character from point A to B. As he/she travels, drop bits and pieces of that paint to make a beautiful picture.
Here is an example:
Who is it about? A frog
Where is he/she? (City, country, home, school. Pick ONE location) In a restaurant, the country
How old is he/she? Seventeen
What time of day (year) is it? Night time, summer
When does this take place? (Past? Present? Future?) Alternative Present
🌟More importantly⭐:
- What's wrong?
- What can he/she do to make it right?
- What's standing in his/her way?
What's wrong: The frog is waiting for a date and sees that he's in the wrong (predator) restaurant. Make it right: get out before he's eaten. What's in his way: His phone's battery's dead and he no longer has the 'instinct' to navigate his way out of there without it! (The solution is for him to relearn the skills he'd neglected.)
And remember, however 'complicated' the obstacle, that will complicate the story. So set the bar LOW. For example, a more complex 'what's in his way' could be: A beautiful frog date he met online who thinks she's an alligator. She's invited him here because he's the first 'gator' like her she's ever seen.
Imagine HOW different those two stories would be.
Great! We have our story. Onward to STEP 3!
YOU ARE READING
Manuscript Critique: a Comprehensive Guide
Non-FictionCritiques, reviews, video tutorials, promos and more. Receive an in-depth critique of your first chapter. Find out what works and what doesn't. This is an honest and fair assessment aimed to help you polish your work. I've taught English for fourte...
