1. _you_can_call_me_maria_

    _you_can_call_me_maria_ New Member

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    I can't find a purpose for my story

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by _you_can_call_me_maria_, Dec 24, 2021.

    So, I'm not a professional writer neither an amateur but, I recently found myself struggling with plotting my story. It's been a year since I finished my last "good" story and my mind has went blank ever since. I mean, I have thousands of amazing different ideas randomly popping up in my head but I just can't put them into one story or in seperate srories. I know who my characters are, I know what obstacles they will face but I don't know why. It's like I'm missing all of the backstory and I'm jumping in the middle of the story but I can't think of a "purpose" for my heroes. Earlier this year I wrote a story about a refugee who's "mission" was to settle in a european country. Some time ago I wrote a fiction story about a couple who's mission was to escape from some kind of prison. All of these stories had a beginning and an end but the ones I currently have in mind are a complete chaos. Ughh I'd like some help over here...
     
  2. baboonfish

    baboonfish Member

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    What length are you writing? I don't think a short story needs a purpose per se, just write and see what happens. If you're writing novella or novel length fiction then writing without purpose will probably lead to a dead end. My advice, if it's short then don't worry about it, write what comes and if it works it works, you can mould it into shape once the purpose reveals itself or stick it in the trunk.

    If you want to write long form then I suggest forget about writing for a few weeks. Instead, read about and study story structure/plotting etc and let your mind percolate some ideas in the background.
     
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  3. Catriona Grace

    Catriona Grace Mind the thorns Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    Writing a story of any length is a process, sometimes a very frustrating process. The hardest work I do as a writer is done with me staring at a wall or a vase of flowers or walking along the river pathway, muttering to myself phrases like, "But why would Marigold want to plant poison spinach anyway?"

    First and foremost, pick a story you want to work on- any story will do as long as it appeals to you. Second, chose a character you sympathize with enough to follow for many, many hours. Third, get on with the work of turning that idea with that character into a tale. Forget all the others stories, characters, and ideas in your head unless you realize one of them is pertinent to the story at hand. It's time to concentrate on a single goal instead of contemplating all the possibilities at once.

    In res media is a classic literary device. By all means, start with the action and go from there. Write all the most exciting parts first and then decide if anything else is needed in terms of background and other expansive elements, or if the action stands alone as a short story. If you want to expand the story to make the action either a step along the way or the denouement, then you can start expanding on motives, wherefores, and whys.

    One step at a time.
     
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  4. _you_can_call_me_maria_

    _you_can_call_me_maria_ New Member

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    Thank you both for your advice! I'll definitely follow it and see what happens... I'm just really stressed lately because I try to balance writing and university and staring blankly at the ceiling doesn't really help me do so XD. I'm going to take a break for a while and then I will continue with the actual writing when I have enough patience
     
  5. Catriona Grace

    Catriona Grace Mind the thorns Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    Try taking a long walk alone. Movement can help with both mental activity and stress. For what it is worth, I couldn't do much creative writing while I was in school because school required so much writing of every kind.
     
  6. Aled James Taylor

    Aled James Taylor Contributor Contributor

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    Stories generally fall into the form; Problem, Working towards a solution, and Solution. Think of a major issue or specific problem the main characters face, or could face in their circumstance. Raise the stakes to make it of life-changing importance. Ultimately have the characters solve it in a clever or unexpected way.
     

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