Covering All of the Bases
No matter what we are writing about, we have a duty to cover all of the bases. We need to supply the who, what, where, when, how, and why. This is where we begin to develop our story and give it substance.
When looking at who, we are looking at the cast of characters in the story. We have two components that are very important here. Introduction of the character is important. Imagine reading a story and all of a sudden there are several new characters that you have not encountered before. It becomes a bit disconcerting. It is okay to introduce characters suddenly, but we need to introduce them in such a way that they make sense.
The other important part of who is character development. As we write we expand on who our characters are. How much we divulge depends on the type of work we are producing. Character development will also depend on the character's importance to the story. A bit player does not require as much development as a main subject.
The "what" part of the formula equates to the story plot. What is the story about and what happens? While remembering to include all of the necessary elements, we need to tell the story. For more complex pieces, there may be more than one "what" to deal with.
This piece of the formula has three distinct parts. We have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning generally introduces us to the story. The middle is where most of the action takes place. The end ties up all the loose ends and provides us with a conclusion or closure. Of course, this is overly simplistic, but I think you get the general idea.
The "where" component allows us to give details about setting. If the story centers around a house, we want to take more time describing the house. We might want to tell where the house is located and what it looks like. We might provide some background on the house in how it came to be a part of this story.
For example, the house had been left to Emma by her grandmother. Emma had been very close to the old lady since here parents were both killed when she was quite young. The high ceilings used to intimidate Emma when she first came to stay with grandma because they seemed to far away. As she got older, she learned to appreciate the intricate artwork displayed on the ceilings in each room. She wouldn't change a thing.
The description we provide may or may not be important to the story. Those items that are more important should be given more verbiage, of course. We want the characters and the setting to be adequately described to enhance our story. These things don't necessarily need to be done in the beginning, but the foundation should most definitely be laid out there. Additions to character development and setting can be added along the way as well.
When might play an important part of the story. If the story takes place in the horse and buggy days, we know that things took longer back then. Mail could take months to be delivered and travel was quite an ordeal that required a lot of time. The modern conveniences just did not exist in this era and must be consciously omitted from the telling.
Another aspect of when would be whether the story is taking place in the past, present, or future. The selection of tense, so to speak, must be in keeping with the initial era of the story. Consistency is the key. If our story takes place in 1800, those items that weren't invented until much later cannot make an appearance in our work. This aspect might require some research. Can my character receive a telephone call or do I need to rely on the telegraph? These are the considerations a write must ponder.
How becomes a little fuzzier. If what we are writing is a murder mystery, how might be the method of the murder or the method used to investigate the killing. How does the "what" happen? Previously, I mentioned "how" in relation to the means used to write the story, however, today we're trying to apply the formula to the story itself.
Another aspect of this is whether we use example or expository writing to get where we're going. Is narration a tool that we want to use. Often, it is possible to include a combination of these tools when telling a story. Each writer must make these decisions when creating written masterpieces.
Finally, we come to why. Why was the story written? Some stories present a moral once the ending has been reached. Some stories have a lesson to present. Some stories are simply meant to entertain. This is the overview of the "why" component.
If we internalize this a bit more, why does the suspect commit the murder? Why does the main character get killed in the story? Why is it important to know that the house is haunted. If we can answer the why, we can justify our stories and the actions of our characters.
There's a lot to consider here. Most of us cover this formula without really even thinking about it. If we gave these items more thought, however, we might be able to make more sense of why we do what we do.
When looking at who, we are looking at the cast of characters in the story. We have two components that are very important here. Introduction of the character is important. Imagine reading a story and all of a sudden there are several new characters that you have not encountered before. It becomes a bit disconcerting. It is okay to introduce characters suddenly, but we need to introduce them in such a way that they make sense.
The other important part of who is character development. As we write we expand on who our characters are. How much we divulge depends on the type of work we are producing. Character development will also depend on the character's importance to the story. A bit player does not require as much development as a main subject.
The "what" part of the formula equates to the story plot. What is the story about and what happens? While remembering to include all of the necessary elements, we need to tell the story. For more complex pieces, there may be more than one "what" to deal with.
This piece of the formula has three distinct parts. We have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning generally introduces us to the story. The middle is where most of the action takes place. The end ties up all the loose ends and provides us with a conclusion or closure. Of course, this is overly simplistic, but I think you get the general idea.
The "where" component allows us to give details about setting. If the story centers around a house, we want to take more time describing the house. We might want to tell where the house is located and what it looks like. We might provide some background on the house in how it came to be a part of this story.
For example, the house had been left to Emma by her grandmother. Emma had been very close to the old lady since here parents were both killed when she was quite young. The high ceilings used to intimidate Emma when she first came to stay with grandma because they seemed to far away. As she got older, she learned to appreciate the intricate artwork displayed on the ceilings in each room. She wouldn't change a thing.
The description we provide may or may not be important to the story. Those items that are more important should be given more verbiage, of course. We want the characters and the setting to be adequately described to enhance our story. These things don't necessarily need to be done in the beginning, but the foundation should most definitely be laid out there. Additions to character development and setting can be added along the way as well.
When might play an important part of the story. If the story takes place in the horse and buggy days, we know that things took longer back then. Mail could take months to be delivered and travel was quite an ordeal that required a lot of time. The modern conveniences just did not exist in this era and must be consciously omitted from the telling.
Another aspect of when would be whether the story is taking place in the past, present, or future. The selection of tense, so to speak, must be in keeping with the initial era of the story. Consistency is the key. If our story takes place in 1800, those items that weren't invented until much later cannot make an appearance in our work. This aspect might require some research. Can my character receive a telephone call or do I need to rely on the telegraph? These are the considerations a write must ponder.
How becomes a little fuzzier. If what we are writing is a murder mystery, how might be the method of the murder or the method used to investigate the killing. How does the "what" happen? Previously, I mentioned "how" in relation to the means used to write the story, however, today we're trying to apply the formula to the story itself.
Another aspect of this is whether we use example or expository writing to get where we're going. Is narration a tool that we want to use. Often, it is possible to include a combination of these tools when telling a story. Each writer must make these decisions when creating written masterpieces.
Finally, we come to why. Why was the story written? Some stories present a moral once the ending has been reached. Some stories have a lesson to present. Some stories are simply meant to entertain. This is the overview of the "why" component.
If we internalize this a bit more, why does the suspect commit the murder? Why does the main character get killed in the story? Why is it important to know that the house is haunted. If we can answer the why, we can justify our stories and the actions of our characters.
There's a lot to consider here. Most of us cover this formula without really even thinking about it. If we gave these items more thought, however, we might be able to make more sense of why we do what we do.
posted by Vickie at 12:19 PM
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