Writing exercise: Stranger than fiction

ARMED WITH THE IDEA FOR YOUR STORY, NOW YOU'RE READY TO START WRITING YOUR BOOK!

You've got the idea for a book. So, where do you start?

Try this writing exercise to get you going:

1) Picture your protagonist (if you don't have a specific protagonist in mind, use yourself! After all, they say that your first novel is usually all about you....).

2) What does your protagonist want most in life (she has to want something, otherwise there is no point to the book….)?

3) What is standing in her way (try to come up with two obstacles)?

4) How does she overcome these obstacles?
Congratulations! You have the broad outline of your book! Granted, it's a very bare bones outline of a book, but it's something to start with nonetheless. You are on your way to creating a novel that will sell! Post your writing exercises here!

Stranger than fiction

So, you think you've got a story to tell…. How do you tell it?

Ever read a novel and think to yourself, "Hey, I could write that?" Well, you can! But don't be fooled by the fun, informal tone of many of today's novels—it's more than just throwing together a bunch of crazy stories. Good novels must follow the rules of conventional fiction.

With that in mind, your story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. There must be conflict driving your story; things must actually happen.

Take that "Stranger than Fiction" moment of yours that you want to turn into a novel and ask yourself: what is the beginning, middle, and end of this story? Post your stories here!