WRITING TIPS: REHERSAL

Sometimes I have the gist of a story. But that’s not enough to dive into writing just yet.

I’ve found that writing the summary of the idea over and over again helps.

Start with a few sentences of your story.

Character has to battle demons. Character finds out he’s actually a demon. Ends with a really cool action scene.

Then come back and write it with more interesting details

Bob is a demon slayer, it’s not his only job, so he’s constantly trying to hide that he’s a demon slayer. But things get worse when he finds out he’s actually a demon and has been serving the wrong master, they battle over a giant lava pit.

Then add more details.

And then more.

Rinse and repeat.

Keep expanding. Add more characters and the scenes you know will take place.

Practicing your storyline helps. You’ll notice the natural flow, and whether or not it is likely to stay interesting throughout of if you’ve scheduled a ‘lull’ in the plot.

I do all of this before eventually creating my plot outline, and the best part about rehearsing is you’ll end up knowing your story inside and out. When I’ve rehearsed enough, I can write without any pause as to what comes next. There are still things to discover though. Characters have a way of taking over . . . but that’s another topic.

Want more writing tips? Check back every last Wednesday of every month for a new tip.