My first short story is finished. I really thought I had a premise–a character who could only see her own political perspective.
But halfway through my 5 pages, I started slowing….way down. I hadn’t figured out how to end it. Though I finally came up with an idea, I am not happy with it. This morning, I ran across this post, which is helpful. I think it applies to short stories as well.
Writers often struggle with finding the exact right climax and resolution to their novels, memoirs an screenplays.
So much time and thought and writing goes into developing a compelling protagonist with a mysterious back story, deciding where is the exact right beginning of the story, how to make the action exciting and the book concept big, the details just right, the dialogue snappy, the setting exotic, the crisis disastrous…. (see more)
Martha Alderson also has some videos I’m going to watch. Then I’ll rethink what happens to my character and whether there’s a story there.
I’m also wondering if readers will be frustrated by this character. She’s not too likable and she doesn’t change much. I do look forward to Wednesday night’s class to see what others think about her.