Would you like a fiction writing process that will help you to write good stories; stories readers love? Try this: “make your hero want something so badly that he’ll fight for it—to the death.”
This isn’t a new formula, by any means, but I found that Ray Bradbury’s version resonated with me.
Here it is; from Zen in the Art of Writing:
“So, simply then, here is my formula. What do you want more than anything else in the world? What do you love, or what do you hate? Find a character, like yourself, who will want something or not want something, with all his heart. Give him running orders. Shoot him off. Then follow as fast as you can go. The character, in his great love, or hate, will rush you through to the end of the story.”
The formula works for every genre
You’ll find many versions of “make your character want something” because fiction must have a point. Your main character must have a goal.
We looked at Pixar’s plot formula:
- Someone wants something.
- They can’t have it. Someone or something seems to stop them from getting what they want.
- Nevertheless, they don’t give up.
- Finally, they realize that to get what they want, they need to change.
Let’s look at some tips to help you to master Ray Bradbury’s formula.
1. Be subtle: create suspense and a twist if you can manage it
I’ve been on a W. Somerset Maugham reading binge. Although I’ve read and reread his famous short stories over the years, I always find something new in them.
Recently, I’ve been looking for “who wants what?” in the stories. Many of his stories start off as frames. The narrator arrives somewhere in the South Pacific or Southeast Asia, and someone he’s met tells him a story—there’s always a twist at the end of the story, often it’s horrific. You remember the story long after you’ve read it.
All his stories are subtle. You think they’re going one way, but they’re not. Although the ending is a shock; you realize that Maugham doesn’t cheat; the ending makes perfect sense.
2. Your main character may not know what’s driving him
How often do you do something that makes no sense? Not very often. After their mid-twenties, most people’s personality is mostly set. As the saying goes, never mind what they say; watch what they do.
Staying with W. Somerset Maugham, his character-building is a joy. The eponymous character in the story “Neil MacAdam” behaves according to his nature, as described by Maugham. At the climax, Neil acts consistently. Nevertheless, the ending is a shock; it made me shiver.
We’ve often talked about the story question. Maugham makes Neil’s inner drive obvious. When you think about the story, you realize that Maugham set up the ending perfectly, according to Neil’s nature and the story question, but you don’t see it coming.
3. Allow your character’s burning desire to emerge in later drafts
A novel allows you much more space to explore characters and the story question than a short story. Although it’s a good thing, this means that you may wander off track—you can lose the thread of a character. (This is why I recommend you create a book journal for each novel.)
Keep what your main character wants in mind. What does he want so much that he’d kill for it? If you can’t find anything, that’s a red flag. If you’re writing genre fiction, your characters can’t be wishy-washy because your book will be boring.
A hint: create strong characters, always. They don’t need to be likable, but they do need passion.
In your first draft, you may be unsure about a character’s motivation. That’s OK—think about it when the draft is done. Then revise. Establish it as soon as possible if you can because it helps you to create conflict.
Think about what YOU want when you’re writing fiction
Keep Bradbury’s words in mind:
Find a character, like yourself, who will want something or not want something, with all his heart.
For new authors, it’s easier to create characters like yourself. It can be easier to write in the first person, too.
However you manage it, be aware that nothing happens in your story until someone wants something passionately.
How To Write, Even If You Think You Can’t: 21 Easy Exercises To Bring Out The Writer In You
Is writing a struggle for you?
You CAN write. It doesn’t matter why you think you can’t. You can write, and writing will become easy for you.
Do you find writing a struggle?
I work with writing students every day who believe that they “can’t write.” And yet, they must write, for one reason or another. My students include: * Business people who need to write for their job: their livelihood depends on writing frequently, and well; * A group I call my “at last” writers, who finally have time in their lives to write. They have time to write… and now they find that the words won’t come. It’s a cruel irony; * Hobbyist writers, who’ve enjoyed writing, but are suddenly blocked. They’re disappointed, because their writing brought them joy. They have no idea how they’ll get the joy back; * Professional writers who’re burned out. They need to write; writing is their business. However, writing’s become a stressful chore. They procrastinate. Their clients are angry. One writer signed a book contract, and by the time she got in touch with me, the deadline had long passed.Try these easy exercises. They teach writing processes and strategies which work.
These exercises have helped many writers. They’ll help you, too. You CAN write. It doesn’t matter why you think you can’t. You can write, and writing will become easy for you. Each exercise in this book helps you to write, even though you think you can’t. Some exercises take under five minutes. None will take you longer than an hour. You can build on your exercises later, if you’re inspired to create a complete work. For example, Exercise #4 – Tell Me a Story, often produces seeds of stories. Use your intuition. Pick an exercise a day – any exercise which appeals to you on that day. Alternatively, write your way through them all. You can repeat an exercise as many times as you like. Let’s get started. These exercises will change your writing life.
