Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away, a very unusual person found their way to this website for some unknown reason.
Not true.
You came here for the same reasons everyone else did. Your search history is a little more than terrifying, you are lacking vitamin D, and are wanting to learn how to write a story. Congrats! you’re in the right place.
Let’s just get right into it huh?
Anyone can be a writer. Just like anyone can cook. From the biggest of elephants to our first fox… I think I’m getting my movies mixed up.
Mistakes are being made.
There is a mistake that too many people make. One that is diminishing the creative field every single day. It is making the assumptions that to enjoy something you have to be good at it. Or even know what you’re doing.
You do not need to be a English major to write a story. You don’t need professional supplies to draw a picture. And you don’t need opera classes to sing in the shower. The only thing that can stop you from creating is the idea that art, music, poetry, storytelling has to be anything other than self expression.
If it’s not perfect, good.
If it’s not good, perfect.
You can learn from everything you do, not doing anything is frankly worse than making something and having it be horrible. As long as it exists first, you can make it perfect later.
The Concept behind Fantasy.
What if…
For catastrophizers and new parents, these two words are like caffeine straight to the vein.
The same is true for writers. Not because we’re anxiety ridden and can’t find an hour to sleep, but because we are brimming with possibilities.
‘What if’ is the first building block to any story. You could say it is the floor the tower is built on. What if gamma radiation turned someone into a ripped green monster? What if cars had feelings? What if humanity destroyed the planet… oh wait.
Every story needs three main things.
- A character. Which can be anything from a sentient piece of toast to a teenage girl to a totally non sentient tree. A character for your readers to stay with and follow around.
- A setting. You need a place for your character. Is your piece of bread living in a toaster? Well… not living. Dying. Is your bread dying a slow death in a toaster, steadily approaching its butter bedecked grave?
- A conflict. You need a goal, and a reason the goal cannot be achieved. The bread wants to live but can’t escape, because well… it’s a piece of bread.
But before all of this, you need a what if.
What if a piece of bread knew it was about to be toasted?
What if dragons were the size of dogs and we trained them as household pets?
What if the world ended tomorrow?
Questions create answers. Answers create more questions. Those answers spiral into more questions. And then all of a sudden you’ve gone from a piece of bread to the entire kitchen revolting against their wicked baker overlord.
If you don’t know what to write, start with what if. See what happens next.
The most important thing.
Writing is an art.
Art is supposed to be an expression. It isn’t meant to be neat and perfect, with straight lines and all the colors organized by tint. Unless that’s what you want to do, of course.
Just remember, as long as it came from you, it is going to be amazing.
So. Go find your what if.
Go open a blank document, or a journal, or a napkin and answer your question. No matter how out of the world or totally basic. Everything else will come later. Just write it down and start.
Come back when you’re ready for the next step. Good luck Adventurer!
