Where Does a Story Start?

Now that you have some background information on the state of the magazines where a person writing literary fiction would send their work, it seems the next topic to be discussed should be: where does a writer begin a piece of fiction? There are many sources from which a writer can find a story. There are writer's journals, memories, observations, conversations, writing prompts -- just to name a few. A writer has a world full of information and imagination to draw upon. Every writer begins fiction in a unique way. In this article, I will tell you how I start a piece of fiction and I hope to give you some devices you may find helpful in starting your own. Over and over, throughout various classes and workshops, I have been told "write from what you know." That is probably the most helpful information that I have received. I approach every story by bringing to it my experiences and observations from life. For instance, if I were to write about a young couple who were getting married I would use my knowledge, drawn from my own experience, of planning a wedding. The creative part begins with making the experience particular to the characters. I would give them different tastes than mine in decor, different amount of guests, different obstacles to overcome, and/or a different style of catering. In doing this, I am making the wedding planning experience not mine, but unique to the characters -- it's then fiction. The reasons why one should take material from personal experience are obvious. You know what it takes and feels like to be in the chosen situation. If you choose to write about taking a safari in Africa, but you have never been to Africa, how will you know what kind of description to add to the piece. In order to make the piece believable, you could do research, take an African safari, or talk to someone who has. Why do this when there is a wealth of experineces in your own life that you could use for your story? It is fiction, so it's not your memoir. You can change the events to make it totally different from your life. How do you make a story belong to the characters? You have to know your characters before you begin to write. Give your characters names and personalities. Think about people you know or observed and give the characters their traits. Then let them react to the situation and setting you put them in with the traits you gave them.

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