Write Great Fiction--Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell Read Free Book Online Page A

wellspring of ideas to write about. Moreover, your writing will come alive, and your stories will have the chance to truly move your readers.
    A word of caution, however. To write who you are does
not
mean producing a fictionalized autobiography. All writers have one autobiographical novel inside them, and that’s usually a good place to leave it. These days publishers are wary of autobiographical novels because the prospects of turning them into good sellers are practically nil.
    The market wants gripping fiction without clichés, standard characters, or tired plots. And the key to satisfying this market, to making your fiction sing with originality, is to write who you are.
TAKE A LOOK INSIDE
    All writers should periodically take a good look inside themselves. Before developing your next plot, take some time to answer the following questions. This will create what I call a “personality filter” through which you’ll be able to generate original plots full of interesting characters:
What do you care most about in the world?
If you were to write your own obituary, how would you want it to read?
What is your physical appearance? How do you feel about it? How does it affect you?
What do you fear most?
What are your major strengths of character?
What are your major flaws?
What are you good at? What do you wish you were good at?
If you could do one thing and know that you would be successful, what would you do?
What are three events from your childhood that helped shape you into the person you are today?
What are some of your annoying habits?
What secret in your life do you hope is never revealed?
What is your philosophy of life?
    Answering these questions opens up a door into your own soul. From that viewpoint, you can better evaluate plot ideas. Does the story you’re considering hit a nerve inside you? If not, why write it?
    â€œKnow thyself,” the sages admonished, and that’s still good advice. Especially for writers. By knowing yourself truly and honestly, by writing with passion and intensity, by caring about important issues, you’ll find your writing is not only fresh, but a joy. You’ll have
you
. And that’s enough to start writing.
GOING AFTER IDEAS
    Not every idea is worth writing about. Why spend six months, a year — ten years! — hammering out something that editors and agents, not to mention readers, will not care about?
    Listen: You haven’t got time to waste on mediocre stories.
    So what do you do? How do you come up with an idea so good that it
alone
is almost enough to keep readers reading?
    In school, I was taught to sit and think and formulate an idea, then set to work.
    That’s the path to the reaction, “I’ve seen this before.”
    You need to do the opposite.
    You need to come up with
hundreds
of ideas, toss out the ones that don’t grab you,
and then nurture and develop what’s left.
    In a moment, I am going to give you twenty ways to come up with hundreds of ideas for your fiction. But first, some rules:
    [1] Schedule a regular idea time. Once a week at least.
    [2] Get yourself into a relaxed state, in a quiet spot where your imagination can run free.
    [3] Give yourself thirty minutes of uninterrupted time.
    [4] Select one or more of the exercises below. Read the instructions.
    [5] Begin by letting your imagination come up with
anything
it wants to, and record
everything
on paper (or the computer).
    [6] The most important rule: Do
not
, I repeat, do
not
censor yourself in any way. Leave your editorial mind out of the loop. Just let the ideas come pouring out in any way, shape, or form they want to. Do not judge anything.
    [7] Have fun. Lots of fun. You’re even allowed to laugh.
    [8] Save all your ideas.
    [9] After two or three sessions, it’s time to
assess
your ideas. Use the guidelines in “Nurturing Your Ideas” at the end of this chapter.
    [10] Repeat the process as often as you want.
    And always