On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
In a recent post on the Writer Unboxed blog, USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Heather Webb shared the following advice. Here’s an excerpt from that post:
Sometimes we need to remind ourselves what our goals are with our book to not only find the heart of the story but also to enhance it. I’ve found the best way to do that is to drill down and ask myself some questions. I basically stop and take stock of what I have, what I’m trying to do, and how I want my readers to feel. Here are a few prompts and tips that help me and may help you:
1. What drew you to writing this story in the first place?
2. Identify the story questions you want answered by the end of the book. How would you like those questions tied up? How do they relate to your protagonist’s journey? Are the story questions a mix of external and internal? Let the questions lead you down an intuitive path.
3. More about the protagonist- are their yearnings clear? What do they not yet know about themselves or their journey? If the reader doesn’t know why they’re reading, the story lacks drive and likely lacks a true core or center, a true heart.
4. Hone your pitch and title. Something this simple can help you identify or focus core themes of the manuscript.
5. Practice being okay not knowing everything up front or in a timely manner. The discovery process is key to developing a good story, regardless of how much plotting you’ve done. Our brains need time to process and meld ideas, time to be inspired, time to be curious and experimental so that the heart of the story can reveal itself to you. As frustrating as that can be when we want answers, it’s also a beautiful part of the fiction-writing process. I’m never happier than when I have an A-HA moment that suddenly makes everything clear.
6. What do I want my readers to walk away with in terms of messages, or in a way that creates a lasting impact? Remember that an impact doesn’t have to be to shatter your readers (although that’s fun, too!). It can be to uplift them, inspire them, make them fall in love, or to entertain them.
When we’re lost in the pages—something so easy to do as we try to juggle a million little pieces in our heads—drill down and let the answers to questions like these inspire and guide you. Let them help you join the mechanical, structural mind of the novel with the emotional beating heart of the story.
Joanne Guidoccio 