Wordcrafting
The craft of writing
fiction and nonfiction
By
Ann Fields
&
Katherine “Kat” Smith
Wordcrafting:
The craft of writing fiction and nonfiction.
Copyright © 2008
by Katherine “Kat” Smith and Ann Fields
Publisher: TomKat Productions, LLC.
POBox 701478 - Dallas, TX 75370-1478
United States of America
Smashwords Edition
Discover other titles by Katherine “Kat” Smith at Smashwords.com
I’m Tall, You’re Not; So That Makes Us Even
The Naked Author – Exposing the Myths of Publishing
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Katherine A. Smith.
ISBN: 978-0-9715024-8-2
Writing
Cover design by Kat Smith
Contents
The Basics & Process of Writing Fiction1
By Ann Fields
Learn a process that will set the foundation for successful novel,
short story and screenplay fiction writing, as well as fundamental fiction terms.
The Basics & Process of Writing Nonfiction14
By Katherine “Kat” Smith
Learn the basic creative techniques of nonfiction writing,
which will narrow the writing focus and develop individual style.
Follow easy formats of conducting productive interviews, of per-
forming research, of presenting facts with evocative detail and
making your writing flow with captivating creativity.
Appendix
The Basics and Process of Writing Fiction
By Ann Fields
The task of filling a blank page with words can be daunting if a methodology or process is not known. There are as many approaches to writing fiction, as there are authors. This section will provide one process or approach that is a hybrid of several methods. You may find this process works for you. You may find you’ll skip some of the steps but embrace others. You may not find it helpful at all. The point is to try it in hopes it will make writing a little less challenging.
I. PREMISE/CONCEPT STATEMENT:
The first step of fiction writing is to know what you’re writing about. Whether you’re writing a novel, screenplay, short story or any other form of fiction, you must have a general idea of the story you want to tell.
A premise or concept statement helps you define what you are writing about. It is a statement that basically tells others what your story is about. A premise/concept statement can range from three sentences to a robust paragraph, and it contains the who, what, when, where, how and why of a story. If that sounds familiar, it should. Those are the same elements that appear in the first paragraph of a newspaper story. It is Journalism 101. You may also liken it to telling a friend or family member about a movie you saw. Think about it. What was the last movie you saw? How did you describe it to someone who had not seen it? Writing a premise or concept statement is the same thing as describing the movie.
To help you define your premise or concept statement, it may help to start with four small words… “My story is about…”
Below is a sample of a premise or concept statement to start you on your way…
My story is about an ogre who must rescue a princess and deliver her to the king in order to remove storybook characters from his land so he can return to his orderly, yet lonely existence. After many trials, he achieves his goal only to discover he is a changed ogre who now welcomes others (storybook characters, donkey, princess) in his life. – Shrek
WHO: characters. In this case an ogre, a donkey, a princess and a king (major characters are listed in a premise/concept statement only).
WHAT: the goal to achieve and the obstacles to overcome. In this case, Shrek’s goal is to clear his homestead of all the storybook characters. The obstacles include finding the princess, learning to deal with another person in his life (donkey), rescuing the princess from the dragon, and trying not to fall in love with the princess. In essence, finding the princess, rescuing her and delivering her to the king.
WHEN: time period (contemporary, historical or futuristic) and/or length of time (i.e. 24 hours to diffuse the bomb or one week to come up with the money to save the business). In Shrek’s case, the “when” is based on how quickly Shrek can find, rescue and deliver the princess. Also, from the premise, it is understood this is a “magical” time that is more closely linked to an historical timeframe, given the presence of a dragon.
WHERE: the setting. In Shrek, it is understood this is a “magical” place because of the characters and setting.
HOW: what methods does the main character use to achieve the goal? How does the character overcome the obstacles? Shrek fought a dragon, submitted to the possibility of rejection, and overcame fear to realize love, and more.
WHY: the goal. Shrek wanted to clear his land of all storybook characters. He was used to being “an island unto himself” because of the fear and rejection of his neighbors, and he liked his safe, orderly, yet lonely life. Or so he thought until donkey and princess challenged his beliefs, prompting an internal change that allowed him to embrace others.
Now, write your own premise or concept statement. How does your premise or concept statement compare to the sample above? Try testing your premise by verbally sharing it with a friend or family member. Take note of the follow-up questions they may have. You can use those questions to further develop your premise.
NOTE: The terms premise and concept statement, are used interchangeably. Some writers use premise; others concept statement. You may also hear the words pitch and logline. They all basically mean the same thing, which is boiling your story down to a bite-size statement. However, the type of writing (screenplay, novel, short story, etc.) and length of words (25words, 250 words, etc.) differentiates these words. Use the word that fits your type of writing. Logline and pitch is associated with screenplays; the rest to all other types of fiction.
II. CHARACTER:
Story is story; plot is plot, but in my opinion it is “character” combined with a fresh storyline that makes a story unforgettable…and a bestseller (unless you have a super-fantastic premise like the DaVinci Code, then who needs interesting characters?). How do you create characters that are not quick to evaporate from the readers’ mind? You spend time getting to know the character. You question the character like you would anyone who you are getting to know. Think about it. People are more than their external shells, and it is the “stuff” on the inside that makes people interesting and unique. One of my most interesting characters is based on a lady I saw in Hawaii who was pushing a grocery cart with a red rooster in the upper basket. She was wearing a black velvet evening dress although it was 1 p.m., and she was holding an animated conversation with herself. Looking at her, one would label her crazy and not give her a second thought. But if you took time to interview her, what would you discover?
Below is a list of sample questions to ask your characters. Start with the major characters first—your protagonist and your antagonist—and then move to your minor or secondary characters. You don’t need to spend as much time with your secondary characters as with your majors but beware that some minor characters might demand their own story. Keep that in mind when you’re building them. I recall a minor character I created for my fifth novel. She was really smart and powerful, but as I got to know her, her “bad” characteristics eclipsed her good ones and those are the ones I focused on in the novel. As soon as the fifth story was on the printing press, she demanded to tell her story, and would not let me rest until readers knew her good as well as her bad. Her story is now a screenplay…and she is one of the major characters.
As you’re interviewing your characters, don’t stop at the first answer they give you. Sometimes characters are shy so keep probing. How? Ask why and keep asking why at least five times. By the fifth time, usually you will be at the heart of the answer. For example: Are you nice or mean? Mean. Why are you mean? Because I want to be. Why do you want to be mean? I don’t want to be but people expect me to be. Why do people expect you to be mean? Because my father was mean. Why do you think your father was mean? Because he was a bitter man who resented us kids. “Ah ha, dear Watson” …and now you have arrived at an interesting fact that is internal to your character. Continue this interviewing process until you finally discover that gem that makes your character real.
Take time now to develop unforgettable characters. This is the fun part of writing. Find a secluded spot. Get a pen and paper or turn on your computer and loosen your creative mind. It’s time to interview your characters. Below is a sample list of questions to get you started…
1.What is your full name?
2.Where were you born?
3.What is your pet peeve? Why?
4.Do you consider yourself frugal or extravagant? Why?
5.Describe your parents?
6.What is your birth order?
7.Did/Do you like your parents? Why or why not?
8.What is your greatest failure?
9.What do you wish for the world?
10.Who did you vote for in the last presidential election? Why?
11.Would you ever take a ride on a space shuttle? Why or why not?
12.What are your non-negotiable religious beliefs?
13.How do you celebrate Halloween?
14.Do you smoke? If so, how did you get started? What and how often do you smoke?
15. How do you spend free time?
16.What are your hobbies or interests?
17.When was the last time you went to the doctor and why?
18.Name your favorite animal. Why is it your favorite?
19.Why did you have children? If you’re not a parent, why?
20.Can family and friends count on you? Why or why not?
21.How many times have you moved? Were they long distance or short distance moves? Why did you move? If you’ve never moved, why not?
22.What were/are your favorite subjects in school?
23. What is your preferred method of travel…car? plane? train? bus? Why?
24.Are you a steak and potatoes or salad and soup person? Describe your favorite meal. What memories are associated with that meal?
25.How do you feel about the second amendment?
26.If you could change your name, would you and if so what would you change it to?