Writing resources
What do I write Next?
After I squeezed out the last of my eleventh book, I experienced a brief moment of panic. I had nothing else to write. What could possibly come next?
I opened up a new file, put “Book 12” at the top of the page, and stared at it for a while. Still nothing. I brought up my list of partial ideas. Nothing stood out. I went to a few online idea generators and, although it was entertaining, nothing sounded usable.
So, I backed up a little. What were the characters doing at the end of Book 11 that might lead into the next book? Was there anything unresolved in the past, which might come up again? And, as long as I was thinking about it, what could I possibly use for the subject of the next lesson I had promised to give for my local writers’ group? Hmm . . .
An unresolved loose end which I had purposely left dangling in the middle of Book 8 suddenly came to mind. Was it time to bring that back? And then, as if I had received a download from the universe directly into my brain, the entire outline of Book 12 materialized all at once. Characters, plot and subplot, conflicts, climactic moments, start to finish, the whole thing. It was an amazing, nearly magical experience. How did it happen? Could I duplicate it? Within three days, I had almost a third of Book 12 written. If I keep going at that speed, I will have to come up with the plot for Book 13 in less than a month!
And I had the topic of the writing lesson!
Where to start?
To write a piece of fiction, you need a characters, a setting, and a plot. It’s about somebody, who is located somewhere, and who wants to accomplish something, but there is some sort of obstacle in the way. Without these basic elements, there isn’t much of a story, no matter what genre you’re writing in.
Who do you want to write about?
Who are you writing for, and what kind of characters might your audience find interesting?
What places do you know well? What places do you want to visit or learn more about?
What kind of problems might these types of characters in this setting have to overcome?
If you’re stuck on questions like these, how do you find the answers?
