Is It an Idea or a Plot

The Next lesson in the course was about shaping ideas into plots. I realize I have at times started a story with things other than plots and then had a hard time getting the story to come together or even making it into a story.

Examples might be a character trait that would sharply define a character such as a kid who in every scene he enters tells a joke. It definitely defines the character but it doesn’t go anywhere. I am actually giving this trait to a character in the new story I’m working on.

Another example would be a pivotal event. I actually had in my head the idea of the unicorn whose horn was cut off for many years before a plot to explain how this happened and the consequences of the event came together to form Henry on Fire.

So for my new story the plot as it is currently understood by me is:

When Frank goes to his neighbor’s door he is met by a man half his neighbor’s age. The man won’t answer Frank’s questions and shuts the door in his face. Frank is convinced the neighbor is being held against his will, but when the cops come its Frank who is in trouble.

Getting Going

Yesterday I completed and got off to the printers this year's book. It is a collection of 4 short stories. The first story is around sixty pages so it may qualify as a novella. As as a self reward for that I signed up for a self paced online course. taught by James Patterson.

So far I have completed the introduction and first lesson and though he is entertaining and enjoyable to listen to he hasn't said much yet except you need to enjoy writing if you are going to write, you need to have a passion for writing and you need to create a habit of when you write.

Fortunately have a block of time in the early morning before work that is my regular writing time on four mornings a week. My plan now with the course is to start a new middle grade novel not in the Henry series.

Watch here and I'll keep you posted.

The new collection is published as Tales of the Mountain Boy and Other Stories