WHAT MAKES A GOOD STORY?

I.  SCENE
II. PLOT
III. CHARACTERS
THE ROAD TO WRITING 
BY JUDY HOWARD
Story is NOT about what happens
.
Story is not about the disaster or the crime.

  Story is about people.

Story is about the people in the towers, the EMTs, the victims of the crime or even the criminal.

Story is about what people DO when something happens

Do they rally together?
Do they fall apart, or grow bitter?
Do they deny what happened?
Our Minds Are Geared For Story
Our minds are geared to predict what will happen in the future.
This is a survival technique.
As early as the Stone Age, we have wanted to know what was behind every tree, every rock, and today, what is in every alley and down every dark hallway. 
Why? 
Because this may be where danger lurks.

A critical piece of information
 about the mind

If the mind finds nothing behind that tree or in that alley, it will announce, “clear” and move on to the next tree or alley in its continuous search for something that might be a threat in the future.

Our minds constantly gather information and process it.

When something bad happens to our cave man, or to us today, our mind records every detail and stores it.

Everyone remembers where they were, what they were doing, every detail of that fateful day of 9-11, or when Kennedy was shot.

 Why does the mind do this? 

For survival.
If another event occurs with the same criteria – 
It was a dark and stormy night. 

Our brain alerts us. We react instantly.
 Without having to process the information, seconds are saved which could mean life or death.
Our brain’s function is to keep us safe.

 What Does all This Have To Do With A Good Story?
When we read, our mind is geared to predict what will happen next. 
The mind searches for clues  which suggest something is going to happen in the next scene or the next chapter -- indicators of danger such as a dark and stormy night, a shadowy figure, sets off our brain’s alarm.

What happens if the mind finds nothing suspicious?
When our mind finds nothing imminent or threatening for it to process?
It will want to search elsewhere. 
Another book!!
Your story must begin with an opening that alerts the mind and promises something important will happen on the next page.

The OPENING
SCENE

Before the beginning
Before the reader even cracks open a book, he reads the back or dust cover to find out what the story is about.
In one sentence describe what your book is about.
In one paragraph convey to the reader who the protagonist is and what conflict he faces.
The Pitch
ELEMENTS OF AN OPENING SCENE

 Best opening lines

“Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing.” The Call Of The Wild – Jack London
“The child with only thirty-six years to live is being hunted.” Killing Jesus – Bill O’Reilly
“Gestures are all I have; sometimes they have to be grand in nature.” The Art Of Dancing In The Rain – Garth Stein
“She lay on the hardwood floor next to Lance Corporal Alexander March, USMC, as he slept in the dark. “Masada’s Marine – Judy Howard

Best opening paragraph

“She lay on the hardwood floor next to Lance Corporal Alexander March, USMC, as he slept in the dark. An astringent odor mixed in the autumn air drifted down to her nose. She lay still but opened her eyes. The bedside clock cast shadows across the gold oak floor. She squinted at its green glow and listened to the Marine’s breathing- the only sound – air escaping in jagged puffs from his lungs. The patio door in the room allowed light from a flickering streetlamp to beat against the wadded bed sheets. She jerked her head up, ears pointed, just before the Marine’s flailing arms and legs rustled the covers and his cries pierced her ears. The stinging smells of panic signaled her to action and twenty months of intensive training kicked in.
	Her name was Masada. She was an American Service Dog. She was a professional.
	She stood ready and would never quit. She would never leave her comrade’s side. “
MASADA’S MARINE by Judy Howard

CONFLICT
Establish a problem or hint of a problem
What is happening? 

“An astringent odor	
, wadded bed sheets…”

“… stinging smells of panic signaled her to action …”

Action
Establish a goal for your hero to achieve.
What is the character doing?

 “...flailing arms and legs …..”
“his cries pierced her ears. The stinging smells of panic signaled her to action….”

Suspense
Suggest reasons or hint at the reasons the hero might fail to meet the challenge.

“The stinging smells of panic signaled her to action and twenty months of intensive training kicked in.
	Her name was Masada. She was an American Service Dog. She was a professional.”

ACTIVE VERBS
Avoid,
“She looked at the clock…” 
Instead,
 The bedside clock cast shadows across the gold oak floor. She squinted at its green glow ….
Avoid,
He saw the accident.
Instead,
 “His mouth dropped open, he ran towards the twisted pile of metal.”

AVOID ABSTRACT WORDS
Avoid,
pretty, ugly, love, hate…
Instead, 
Show these through actions, dress, habits…
Avoid,
“She was kind.”
Instead of, 
“She always tossed a coin in the veteran’s cup as she passed.”
Avoid,
He felt angry. 
Instead, 
“His blood pulsed, he slammed the door 

USE THE SENSES
Avoid,
“The house smelled good.”
Instead,
“The scent of pine tingled his nostrils as he entered.”

Describe the smell, the sound, the weather and how your character reacts to it.

DIALOGUE

Conversations bring the reader into the story. What the character talks about tells you a lot about him. Make the reader want to sit down and join in. 

Make the reader ask…

Could this happen to me?

What would I do if this happened to me?
 
SENSE OF CHARACTERS
Describe the character’s traits, his likes, and dislikes, his habits and compulsions.

How do they react to the problem, the place and other characters in the scene? 

Does he hate the place? 

Is he attracted to another character or annoyed? 

IMAGERY

Describe the place, not just the physical attributes but its history or the weather or the “sense” of the place.
Use the five senses …. And the sixth.
“Shadows crept over the forest floor, tamping out the sun’s invasion. The flaming maples cooled to grey and green and the pines melted to black. I shivered. The moths and insects I enjoyed chasing yesterday flitted and danced in the chilling light. They taunted me as if they knew I didn’t belong”…..ACTIVATE LION MODE

 PLOT
Consists of the events of the main character’s journey as   progresses toward his goal.

The journey usually occurs within three Acts.
 
The journey is laden with a CONFLICT between the PROTAGONIST and the ANTAGONIST.

The conflict begins with a gradual sense of unease in Act One and as events happen, increases in intensity during Act Two and Three.

TYPES OF CONFLICT

1. Inner conflict - the characters’ wants and desires….
I want to be a journalist, but my parents want me to go to medical school. 
2. Personal Conflict Usually of a moral nature– (Pretty Woman – Julia Robertson and Richard Gere) deals  with  - character’s values.
My bank teller salary won’t pay for my daughter’s medical treatments.
3. External – (Jaws with Richard Dreyfuss) Dealing with war, or act of nature.
Surviving a disaster gives the protagonist a different outlook on life.

The Protagonist – The Good Guy – The Hero

The protagonist must have a goal.

Whatever the protagonist wants dictates how he will react to everything that happens to him.

The reader must know why the protagonist wants what he wants, what it means to him and what getting it will cost him.

In order for the protagonist to become a hero there must be a tragedy
The protagonist must have a deep burning desire to solve the tragedy.
   He must risk something.
The risk can be financial, emotional, or moral.

He must have flaws that prevent him from solving the tragedy.

His pride prevents him from making an apology to his wife that might save his marriage.
A drinking or drug problem prevents him from helping his wife deal with a cancer diagnosis.

Everything the protagonist experiences creates an emotion
 How does he react? His reactions to the antagonist must be believable.
The reader must think, “This could happen to me.”
What would I do?
He must react to the antagonist in a way that the reader can understand and relate.

The protagonist’s reactions 
     The protagonist makes another attempt to solve the        problem.
     Each twist of the plot forces the protagonist to deal   with his inner issues and flaws.
      Each attempt alters or improves the character of the protagonist.
     
Each significant event has to be more significant than the last.

Has the protagonist changed? Does he see things differently?
Why did he make the decision to change? 
The reader needs to know why the characters behave as they do. Their actions must be believable.

The Protagonist and conflict
The protagonist must attempt to overcome the conflict.
In the movie Jaws, the protagonist kills a shark that he believes is Jaws.
The first attempt only makes the conflict worse.
Killing the shark only makes the conflict worse.
The Antagonist - The Bad Guy - The Villain

The antagonist and conflict

The antagonist must always have the advantage.
The more powerful the antagonist, the more tension.
The antagonist can be society, an animal or the weather.
The antagonist must always have the advantage
.
The more powerful the antagonist, the more tension.
The antagonist does not have to be a person. It can be society or the weather.
.

The antagonist should be aware of the hero’s flaws

Thus giving the antagonist the advantage by knowing things about the hero that the hero may not know or admit to himself.

The antagonist must construct obstacles in the hero’s path.

The worst that can happen to the hero happens.
The antagonists must test the hero’s values and morals.

Antagonist characteristics
He must force the hero to overcome and face the   flaws that are preventing him from achieving his goal and solving the problem.

The hero’s fear of snakes has to be overcome to rescue the damsel who is thrashing in the murky swamp.

The antagonist must seem normal, even likable.

The reader must have an understanding of why he is evil. 
A horrible accident on Christmas Eve killed his family and that is why he wants to abolish Christmas 
He should be normal with a hint of abnormality. 
He likes Dalmatian puppies, but later the reader finds out why.

BUILDING CHARACTER
AUTHORS BUILD CHARACTER
BUILDING CHARACTER
All books are about people.
A character is:
What he says.
Who he says it to.
And how he says it.

Who is your character?
The name of your character must match his nationality, age, etc.
Avoid names that start with the same letter. It confuses the reader.
Show your character in a classic moment.
	Waking up in the morning.
	Waiting in a long line.

What is the character of your character?

A woman in a good marriage sees a couple in a park in a loving embrace as romantic.

Another woman sees the same scene as a man sneaking around on his wife because she suspects her husband of cheating.

One character has a fearful or hateful reaction to a dog or people.
	
Another character rescues a dog or gives money to a homeless man.

The characters work for you
A Character is your employee, offer him a position in your story. Interview the character. 
Is he an antagonist or protagonist?
What is his personality?
If the character doesn’t do his job… Get rid of him.
Every character must be essential to your story, if not, fire him.

Even walk on characters like a waiter can interact with an essential character to enhance the scene, if not, lay them off.

The character’s job
What is the job of your character?
To fall in love with the high school sweetheart?
To solve a crime?
To overcome a great injustice?
To be a boss, a parent, a pet, or an aggressor?
To rob a bank, assassinate the president?

CHARACTERS REACT WITH OTHER CHARACTERS
Give them strong opinions.
Father hates gays. 
Pit them against each other.
They both want the same girl, job, etc.
Make one character sacrifice or risk something for another.
Misplaced loyalty to a job. 
Should I lie to save the program?

CHARCTERS HAVE FLAWS
Make your character vulnerable.
A disability
Be afraid of something
Just suffered a great injustice
Make them stop and think.
Why am I here?
Should I do this?

Characteristics of the character
The character must have characteristics of his job.
A cop: eats donuts, sits with his back to the wall.
A boss: long hours, better car, confident.
A pet: dig holes, chews, bite.

Let them explore beyond their jobs.
The boss has to solve the crime.
The dog becomes a police dog.

	
The BEGINNING OF THE END
In summary
Story is about people. 
People = character
Story is about what people do.
 Action = plot
A good story = a good plot 
A good plot =
Descriptive scenes
Believable characters
Action and suspense.

So what makes a good story?

An opening scene ….
That hooks the reader. 
That has Conflict, Action and Suspense.
That has Imagery which pulls the reader into the scene.
That has Characters that the reader cares about.

A plot which continues to …..
Keep the reader engaged thru Continuing Action, Suspense and Detailed descriptions.
Keep the characters struggling in every chapter.
Keep the reader lost in the complexity of the characters’ dilemmas.
Keep the reader wondering, “What would I do if I were the character?
Keep the reader rooting for the characters.

A conclusion …..

	That makes the reader feel good that he has stood by the characters like a good friend throughout their experiences of conflict.
	That makes the reader feel enlightened by the characters’ struggles in life.
	That makes the reader want to cheer for the hero who overcame his flaws, evolved, and reached his goals. 

And most important
What do you want your reader to learn from your characters?
What do you want your reader to feel from experiencing the characters’ lives through their eyes?
What do you want your reader to think differently about?

The power of the writer
A writer can change the way people think by giving the reader a glimpse of life through the character’s eyes.

A writer allows the reader to imagine how it would feel to see life through the character’s eyes.

As a writer, what message do you want your readers to walk with?

CONTACT INFORMATION
JUDY HOWARD
EMAIL: JHOWARD1935@GMAIL.COM
WEBSITE: WWW.JUDYHOWARDPUBLISHING.COM
PHONE: 951-544-3046
References
Books and websites
1. WIRED FOR STORY BY LISA CRON The writers' guide to using brain science to hook readers from the very first sentence.
2. STRUCTURING YOUR NOVEL BY K.M. WEILAND Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story. Weiland has an informative blog and website. Be sure to follow her at
	http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/
3. SANTA BARBARA WRITERS’ CONFERENCES -2012 and 2013 – The conference is a wealth of information on all aspects of writing.
4. THE WAY OF THE STORY BY CATHERINE ANN JONES the craft and soul of writing.  Jones is an award-winning screenwriter whose credits include “The Christmas Wife” and “Touched By An Angel.”
5. STORY ENGINEERING BY LARRY BROOKS Mastering the six core competencies of successful writing.
6. DAILY WRITING TIPS http://www.dailywritingtips.