A plot outline should first address the story goal. This is something your protagonist would like to achieve and/or a problem she wants to resolve. This is also called the big “want” in the story, where your protagonist wants something from herself, another character, an institution, etc. A plot outline should also note the consequences for your protagonist if she does not achieve her goal. These are also called “the stakes of the story”, where the protagonist will suffer in some way if she fails to reach her goal. Having high stakes in a story usually encourages a reader to stay engaged and care about the fate of your protagonist. If you’re struggling, first look for your concept. Then, think about how that plot is going to work—and usually that involves structure and character, which usually go together.
A plot outline should first address the story goal. This is something your protagonist would like to achieve and/or a problem she wants to resolve. This is also called the big “want” in the story, where your protagonist wants something from herself, another character, an institution, etc. A plot outline should also note the consequences for your protagonist if she does not achieve her goal. These are also called “the stakes of the story”, where the protagonist will suffer in some way if she fails to reach her goal. Having high stakes in a story usually encourages a reader to stay engaged and care about the fate of your protagonist. If you’re struggling, first look for your concept. Then, think about how that plot is going to work—and usually that involves structure and character, which usually go together.
Most writing prompts have a time limit (i. e. , write about the prompt for five minutes). You can extend the time limit for the writing prompt if you feel it is helping you generate useful material for your story. You can also deviate from the writing prompt if your writing takes you in a different direction. The prompt should act as a way to get you started, but it should not feel restrictive or limiting in any way. A writing prompt can be anything from a phrase, such as “I remember. . . " to an image, such as “Imagine you are trapped in your childhood bedroom”. You can also use a phrase from a favorite poem or a book, as well as a phrase from a favorite song. You can find a list of writing prompts at http://www. writersdigest. com/prompts Writer’s Digest and http://www. dailyteachingtools. com/journal-writing-prompts. html Daily Teaching Tools. You can also try an online random http://writingexercises. co. uk/firstlinegenerator. php first line generator.
The protagonist also does not necessarily have to be the narrator of the story, but they should be the one making decisions that move the story forward. Your protagonist should drive the events that occur in the story and their fate should give the story meaning.
Focus on simply telling the story and getting it down on the page. This could take you one hour or several hours. Pretend you are talking to a good friend and sharing the story with them over coffee. Avoid doing any outside research or reaching for information outside of the story you are telling. Try not to slow down to really think about certain sections or areas of the story. You will address any issues in the story once you reread it later.
You should choose a scene that is essential to the main character or the narrator and shows them in action, doing something that will have consequences later or sets up the plot. For example, rather than start with, “Walter thinks the day will be the same as usual,” you may start with, “Walter wakes up from a bad dream and realizes that today will not be like any other day. ” Though you may decide to use the past tense for your story, using the present tense will give the story a sense of urgency, which can help to propel the reader forward. For example, starting with “Today, I will rob a bank” may be more effective than “Yesterday, I robbed a bank”, as the present tense allows the action to unfold for the reader in real time. The reader gets access to the main event and experiences it with the characters.
For example, in the short story “Oceanic” by Greg Egan, the first lines focus on establishing the setting of being in a boat in the ocean: “The swell was gently lifting and lowering the boat. My breathing grew slower, falling into step with the creaking of the hull, until I could no longer tell the difference between the faint rhythmic motion of the cabin and the sensation of filling and emptying my lungs. " Egan uses specific, sensory detail to give the reader a sense of sitting in the cabin of a boat and starts his story in a particular moment in time. [7] X Research source Keep in mind you can also do scene setting later in the story if you do not want to start right away with setting. If theme or plot is more important to your story than setting, you may start with these elements first. You should still try to start your story in scene so your reader is engaged right away.
Though J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is a novel, not a short story, it has an opening line that establishes the narrative voice right away: “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. ”[9] X Research source The narrator sounds sour and rough but he also draws you in with his frustrated view of the world and his disdain for traditional narratives. The narrator has a distinct perspective that gives the reader a good sense of what the rest of the story will sound like.
Many short stories will start with one line of dialogue and then zoom out to tell the reader who is speaking or where the speaker is situated within a scene. The dialogue is also usually spoken by a main character or one of the central characters in the story. For example, in Amy Hempel’s short story “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Was Buried”, the story begins with a striking line of dialogue: “Tell me things I won’t mind forgetting,” she said. “Make it useless stuff or skip it. ”[11] X Research source The reader is drawn into the story right away by the funny, strange dialogue and the presence of a “she”.
For example,the opening line for Jackson’s short story “Elizabeth” raises several questions: “Just before the alarm went off she was lying in a hot sunny garden, with green lawns around her and stretching as far as she could see. ” The reader wonders why the main character is dreaming about a hot sunny garden, what she is waking up for, and what the dream will mean later to the character. This is a minor conflict, but it can be an effective way to ease the reader into the larger themes or ideas in the story. If you’re planning a mystery story, do some research into thinking about how thrillers work, and how mysteries work. One of the key elements is usually tension, and it’s important to make it compelling from the beginning.
You may be able to tweak your opening lines to fit with the tone, mood, and voice of the rest of the story or you may need to write a new opening to better suit the story. You can always file away your old beginning for another story or a future project, especially if you think it is strong but just does not fit that particular story.
You may notice that you are using weak verbs or adjectives in your first line that feel vague and nondescript. Replace them with strong verbs and adjectives so your first line makes a lasting impact and sets the bar high for the language and description in the rest of the story.
Using Kurt Vonnegut’s rules for a short story, a popular reference for writers, you should always try to “start as close to the end as possible” in your opening lines. [17] X Research source Place your reader right in the action as soon as you can so they are hooked into reading on. Often, editors will read the first several lines of a story to see if it’s worth reading to the end. Many short stories are selected for publication based on the strength of their opening line. This is why it is important that you consider how you can make an impact on the reader and make an impression with the first one to two lines. [18] X Research source
“The first great act of love I ever witnessed was Split Lip bathing his handicapped daughter. ” “Isabelle” by George Saunders. “When this story goes out into the world, I may become the most famous hermaphrodite in history. ” “The Obscure Object” by Jeffrey Eugenides. “Just before the alarm went off she was lying in a hot sunny garden, with green lawns around her and stretching as far as she could see. ” “Elizabeth” by Shirley Jackson.
How does the writer set the tone or mood? For example, the first line in Eugenides’ short story “The Obscure Object” introduces the narrator as a hermaphrodite and lets the reader know that the narrator’s life story is going to be told. It sets up a reflective mood, where the narrator relays their life as a famous hermaphrodite. How does the writer introduce key characters or setting? For example, Saunders’ first line in his short story “Isabelle” introduces a character named “Split Lip” as well as his handicapped daughter. It also provides a key theme of the story: love between father and daughter. Jackson’s first line in “Elizabeth” uses description and sensory details, like “hot sunny” and “green”, to paint a specific image in the reader’s mind. What are your expectations as a reader, based on the opening lines? A good first line will signal to the reader what they are in store for, and provide just enough information for the reader to be drawn into the story. The opening line in Saunders’ story, for example, lets the reader know that the story may be a bit quirky or strange, with a character named “Split Lip” and a handicapped girl. It is a bold opening that lets the reader know how the story is going to be narrated, with a unique narrative voice.
