Category: Writing

Story telling is a fascinating and compelling art. It is a cross-cultural phenomenon that can speak to everyone regardless of culture or station. Stories speak to our shared humanity and are capable of drawing people together in way that is memorable and lasting. Why? what makes a good story?
I think that a story needs four things in order to grab the attention of an audience and hold their attention long enough to speak to them: A hero, A Villan, a setting and a Task. Every one of them is important to the story. Here’s Why:
1. The Hero- This is the character stuff to whom stuff happens He, She they or it, usually start out as insignificant or nobody. through the course of a the story, the hero usually rises from mediocrity to excellence, and gains the wisdom and maturity to solve their own problems and lead their own life. Every hero, from luke Skywalker to Gilgamesh, follows more or less the same path.

2. The Villan- The Villan is arguably the most important element of the story. Everything precedes from The Villan. Without him, her, or it, there is no task for the hero to perform, no ‘wrong’ for him to correct. Without Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, has no reason to get herself in trouble, and Clark Kent has no reason to take off his glasses. Without Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker has no reason to leave Tattooine. The stronger The Villan, the stronger, The Hero.

3. The Setting- The Hero and Villan cannot exist in a vacuum because their actions must effect the world around them. The more the audience knows about the world the characters inhabit, the more they will be able to empathize with them. The audience will become emotionally invested in the story.

4. the Task. The hero and Villan, needs to do something. Something that effects the world around them, for good, or ill. It works best, if the hero and villan are at cross purposes, this creates conflict, which is the main ingredient in drama. For example, Lois Lane see Lex Luthor, Rob a Bank. Lois wants to give evidence to the police to put Lex in jail. Lex doesn’t want to go to jail, so he must endanger Lois to prevent the police from obtaining her evidence. It falls to Superman to protect Lois from Lex’s plan. The successful, or unsuccessful completion of the task will have consequences for the characters’ world.
If a story has these four elements working together, the audience will remember and maybe even enjoy it!

“Why do you write?” I would think that every writer gets asked this question. I would think that the answer is different for every person. For me, the answer is simple. I didn’t have a great deal of choice. Story telling has been a part of my life since Ms Savage’s kindergarten class. I used to sit there and think them up, and the teachers aid would write them down. Over they years, I’ve let the flames of imagination smolder under the bushel of real world expectations. One evening in 2011,I started hearing a voice, it spoke me and Identified itself as Gendar, an Elf. He absolutely demanded that I write his story. Why me? I don’t know. I tried to put him off, I tried to deny him, but that green Elf all two foot five inches of him, sneaked into my mind and stayed there. He took up residence in my head like an annoying roommate and simply would not shut up until I wrote down his story. When I tried to quiet him for but a single moment, he just got louder. Some people just have to be the center of attention.

After three years, Gendar’s story has finally been committed to paper, or at least, word processor. But that little green elf still isn’t satisfied. Now, he insists on try to publish his manuscript! “Do you know how hard that is?” I demanded of him, I don’t care!” he said, “Do it anyway!” and that was that. Elves are very bossy aren’t they? So that’s where we are It may take years, But I am on the road to publication. It may take years, but I am following this road because a little Elf says I must. I will write about our journey on this site. from editing, to finding an agent, and if all goes well, publication in one form or another. Why not? Sometimes, even if the odds are long, you have to take a chance on yourself. One more thing, at the end of the road, my name is going on the cover, I don’t care what that bossy little jerk says.