Causing Trouble
Greetings, Gather Writers! No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you – I'm not Kimberly. Kimberly is recouping from the surgery. I'm here to help her out this week. She'll be back next week.
Hi! I'm Lynn and I love a good story. I'm hoping we can cause some trouble today.
Trouble? Oh, yeah! I've read there is no good story without trouble. I'm writing my first novel, so have been learning how to write it well enough to get it published. The last book* I read was about how to begin a story, any length story.
Why do we need to learn how to write the beginning of a story? Ever read a story that had a boring beginning? Ever finish reading that story? Truth is, unless you had to read it or the author was so good that you knew it was going to get better, you rarely finished the rest of the story. Why would you?
So what makes a good beginning to a story? The same thing that makes the story itself good – trouble. And, the more trouble, the better. What fun is a story if everything is fine and runs smoothly? There's actually a formula for writing a story. If you think about the stories that you've read or written, you can see this formula in action.
Stability + inciting incident (trouble) = instability = struggle to gain stability (with more trouble) = new stability.
Of course, with movies and TV so much a part of our culture, the original stability may never be seen, it may be shown later as back story, or it may be assumed.
So, do you believe me that all stories have to have some kind of trouble in them? I accept any answer you give. I love a good challenge, and people questioning conventional wisdom. Be forewarned though, I may challenge your assumption, too, but don't worry, it's all about having fun in writing, so I'm hoping we'll have fun, and learn, together.
Prompts:
- Show us what you believe. Tell us a story in (prose or poem form) with or without trouble and with or without the formula presented above.
- Include the words "pop," "biscuit," "can," and "trouble."
- Have fun!
- Tag it with Thursday Writing Essential
If you want to be included in the Thursday Writing Essential Recap, it will have to be submitted by 11 p.m. (I will keep working until midnight, so, will try to squeeze in later than that – but there is no guarantee I can get to them all.)
* * * * *
* Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton
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Comments: 18
Featured in the group, Grass Roots Writing!
Hopefully, my typo's won't be as visible as they were yesterday!
Marilyn
Actually always appreciated a boss, who never re-read - it means she/he trusted you enough to know it wasn't needed. Fortunately, not a boss here, so just having fun with everyone else. ;)
Excellent prompts.
Featured in the Triple Name Club.
John, now, I'm counting on you. We are often disgreeing agreeably. (I'm now even starting to wonder if your concept that Brett Favre "used to be/will be" the greatest QB ever is a bit premature, too. I'm thinking he might well be proving he is STILL present tense. lol) As one, who taught me "rules are made to be broken," I'm hoping you can come up with a story that breaks the rule. (Hint: I write children's stories, too, so know it can be done. lol)
Up for the challenge? Remember it can be poetic, too. Now, you don't seem to be the type of guy, who can come up with a story and have it ready to submit in less than a day - but that's OK. Simply because I'm subbing (thus making this a one day thing) doesn't mean I quit reading at midnight. It just means I'm dome moderating/editing at midnight. If you can pull it off, absolutely have to clue us all in, so we can see the master breaking the rules. ;) lol
Stranger Than Fiction