Outlining your story for first time.

We have various ways to outline our stories. Many of the writers focus on characters where as writers like me love to focus on the plot and play with it. For me the story idea comes as a form of scene or situation for some they might first think of a character and then weave a story around them. Outlining is essential when it comes to build a strong plot.

So, whatever the format might be we all need to at least prepare a five page outline of the same. Without the outline we would be trapped in an endless loop of conflict and relief kinda thing. So here is what I do when I outline. These steps may or may not be similar to you, but these steps might help you to build your story.

1. Writing down your plot ideas on a paper: I think of the scene that had just flashed a couple of minutes ago before I started to write this article. The scene was about fire and love, something correlated – how ? I don’t know. The second step comes to weave something around the same topic fire and love. What can the possibilities be? Maybe whenever they touch there will be fire around them ? Maybe both are the fire gods’ descendants. It can be pretty much anything. So jot down the ideas. PS. Please don’t use this idea, I’m trusting you guys. Any how this is a published, copyrighted story on wattpad.

2. Putting the ideas in chronological order. This is very important while outlining. The scenes or even rough ideas of what will happen after what.

3. Think of the character now. Who he/she is? Is she tall or short with straight black hair or curled up blonde hair. Think of her eyes, are innocent, almond shaped or wild, catlike, if they are wild, catlike, is she really wild in her nature or she pretends to be wild- I guess this trope is overused, so let’s put a innocent, short, girl with large almond shaped eyes, straight nose with piercing and black curls with highlight. And now try to put her into plot. Think of what all difficulties she will have to face while leaving in a strict house where piercing are considered are doing of wayward kids. Make a basic character chart of their external appearance, and their traits. BASIC.

In short, play with your characters and plot until you move towards next topic.

3. The supportives and love interest. I guess you all have thought of supportive characters when you were plotting out scenes. The supportive consists of the friends, family and love interest (only if you want to keep one) Is your main character’s family with her traditions or against her. Are her friends supportive about most of her decisions or critical. Or they just don’t care? Does she have any love interest ? Or will she meet in the story further.

4. Now tap into her back story, under what conditions she was born in. How did she meet her friends? If she had an ex, how did they date and what was the reason for their break up. Maybe you can use it to create more conflict.

5. Once you have all these things think about the setting. Is it an ancient or modern story? Is it taking place in small town, countryside or huge city? Is your main character studying, working or too old for both the things, then describe the character’s school, office or home, respectively.

6. Now you might have enough knowledge of how your character looks and what her nature basically is like, so start interviewing them. An questions about every small and big thing you want to know from them. Their reactions on certain things etc.

That’s all you need before you start writing your story, once you’ve finished these steps you can start writing. So everybody enjoy your writing hours and I’ll enjoy mine. See you all later!

Until then,

Happy writing!

Adiós!

Some five prompts which might help you write something. These were used on our Instagram page for a writing challenge. There are word prompts, picture prompts, dialogue prompts and situation prompts. Write on whichever you want.

I would love to read the stories you’ve wrote. Feel free to send me a link via tumblr or Instagram. Maybe we can have a writerly chat. And if you think you know a friend who has a writer’s block or is trying to start a new story, help her out by sharing this article. Enjoy!

If you love reading poetries and short stories make sure you check out Weavingdreams0 our Instagram page and also don’t hesitate to say hello on Twitter(poojawriites) if you need writing prompts check out our pinterest Weavingdreams0. See ya.

Leave me. A story

Tanya, 18 just out of high school, walked home from a local diner on the chilly December morning. She stomped her feet as she walked on the pavement, tears ran down her cheeks and she constantly tried to rub them off her face, but she failed to do so. A thousand things cluttered her head.

One. She had lost her job. Two. She had just broken all her strings, with her boyfriend kyle, who also turned out to be the son of the diner owner who fired her from the diner and from his son’s life. The owner thought, the girl full of piercing and vibrant hair color was the reason why his son’s grade’s were getting low. But both Tanya and kyle knew, it was Kyle’s disinterest in the subjects. And three. She had a huge amount of rent pending.

She pressed past the bodies on the pavement, it was a rush hour of 8:30. Everyone was up on to be somewhere, even those who stayed on streets appeared to be more busy than her. Crushed, broke, agitated Tanya reached near the crossing line, she didn’t notice that all the people had stood back. And that the signal lights for pedestrians were red, her head hung low as she wiped her tears. She didn’t notice that she had stepped ahead. She didn’t notice a car was speeding towards her. She didn’t notice until…

A ring went by in the diner, it was kyles phone that rang. Kyle was in the changing room, cursing himself for the break up with his first love. I must tell dad I’m not interested in becoming doctor, not anymore. He thought. He raked his hand through his hair and banged the small metal locker besides him. The phone rang again, he searched for his cell, but it wasn’t near him, someone from outside knocked the door.

“Kyle, its from hospital,” he heard his father’s c voice. He opened the door of changing room, his father’s face had changed considerably. A few minutes ago he had see his dad all jolly, just like when he had been last year when he had caught the biggest fish amongst his friends. But, now his face was pale, no emotions no nothing was written on his face. This look was quite familiar to Kyle, he knew this kind of face of his dad, meant something major thing and not a good one.

He grabbed the phone from his dad’s hand and placed against his ears, “Hello,”

“Is this kyle I’m speaking to ?”

“Yes,” he waited for the person to speak

“We found your number on the speed dial on Miss. Tanya Lambert’s phone. She was hit by a car and is admitted in hospital,” everything stopped right there. All his senses went numb, his brain couldn’t wrap all these things, he glared at his dad and dashed out of the room. He wasn’t thinking straight, all he knew at that moment was she needed him and he wanted to be with her. He had even forgotten that the doctor was speaking on the phone.

Hello are you still there ? Hello ?” the doctors voice brought him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah. Which hospital ?” he breathed out. He got his keys from the front table of he diner and strutted out to his car.

The doctor gave him the hospitals name,“She has hurt her head pretty bad and needs immediate medical attention even a surgery,” “I’ll be there in a few,” Kyle bit his tongue and hung up the phone.

Please don’t leave me, Tanya. Not now, not ever. He prayed as he sped towards the hospital.