Writing for Non-Writers
Do you like the idea of writing a story for Pens of the Earth, but have never written fiction before? This article is about encouraging you to take the plunge. What have you got to lose? A bit of time that’s all. What do you stand to gain? Maybe publication on our website!
To start, you need two things: courage and some ideas.
A blank page is a daunting thing, even for experienced writers with a dozen novels under their belt. So, like an experienced novelist, you have to accept that this is the case, and do it anyway. Some encouragement: human beings are natural storytellers. You actually tell stories all the time – to your family, your friends, your colleagues. The difference is that the stories you naturally tell are true. To write fiction, you need to conjure up a reality that you can write about. For this, you need ideas.
Our Inspiration Pages are designed to give you a good jumping off point. Pick a topic from these pages, or come up with one of your own that fits our current themes of ‘Life Under the Surface’ or ‘Making Places for People’ in some way. There’s no right or wrong way to use them – just go for what appeals to you.
Now you need to grow a scenario from this seed by asking yourself the following questions:
Who might be affected by this idea?
What sort of person has the most to gain or lose? Who might be surprised, delighted, unsettled? For example, who might be affected by the planting of seagrasses in the Solent? A volunteer, who used to be lonely until she found kindred spirits on the mudflats? A marine biologist, struggling to find a subject for their university thesis? Who might be affected by School Streets? A child, seeing a squirrel for the first time? A parent on the school run who resents the extra time it takes?
What if?
What if a kid decides to walk all the way to school (two whole miles) and gets lost, and discovers something amazing? What if someone is participating in a beach clean, finds something of deep personal value, and decides to track down the owner? What if you wrote a story from the viewpoint of a cuttlefish? The ‘what if’ can be a very powerful tool. Let your imagination run riot! Some of your ideas might be too mundane, some too bizarre. Just keep asking ‘what if’ and see what ideas bubble to the surface.
Where’s the conflict?
The essence of drama is conflict. This doesn’t have to be a blazing row or a punch-up, just people disagreeing, for what they believe are good reasons. People can also be at odds with themselves, or with organisations, or with society. Conflict – even very subtle conflict – raises questions in the reader. Who is right? Is anyone right? Why do people think like that? Do you they have a point after all? Questions pull your reader through the story.
A sort of daydreaming state is useful here. Keep musing and thinking and pondering until you’ve got something which shows a little promise. Then, take all of your anxieties, stuff them in a little box, and start to write.
A few other things to bear in mind while you’re getting your story down on paper (or screen):
Show, don’t tell.
This is an old cliché of writing, but for good reason. Try to avoid explaining things to your reader – present them with a scene instead (often with people talking to each other) and let the reader draw their own conclusions about what’s going on. So, rather than saying ‘Felicity was frustrated by her teenage son Nathan because he never recycled’, write a scene in which Nathan tosses a cardboard box into the bin and his mum has a go at him. Don’t say ‘Bill loved nature’ when you could demonstrate it with something specific – perhaps he leaves dishes of water out in the hot weather so the wildlife has something to drink.
Every character is the hero of their own story.
It’s too easy to divide people into goodies and baddies, right and wrong. Resist. People aren’t like that in the real world. They believe things and do things for their own reasons. You should have some sympathy for all of the people in your story, even if, ultimately, you disagree with them.
What changes?
By the end of the story something must have changed. Subtle shifts are often more convincing than sweeping changes. Someone begins to change their mind. Something new is established. A promise is made. An old grudge is buried.
Positive environmentalism.
Remember, we’re not after stark warnings or apocalyptic scenarios. You can be as dramatic as you like, but try to leave your reader with hope, inspiration, optimism. We know things are serious; give your reader a lift.
Having said all this, don’t worry too much about the rules, or doing things the ‘right’ way. Let go. Have fun. You’re more creative than you know. This is where the magic bit happens and I can’t help you with this. You’ll just have to trust yourself. I’ve given you some ingredients; you have to bake the cake.
Once you’ve finished writing your story you’ll have to accept that … you haven’t actually finished. Like all serious writers you will have to edit it. But not yet! That’s the subject of another article (available here). For now, put the story away for at least a week. Don’t go back to it. Don’t even think about it! You need to get some distance from the trees before you can see the shape of the forest.