Fundamentals of Fiction

By Jessica Lynn

So, you want to write fiction.

I'll say it straight off, I'm already excited for you.

    For me, writing fiction has been much more than just a hobby. If I were to describe it to you, I would say that writing fiction has been a yellow brick road. It's an ongoing adventure that has lead me on windy paths through dark, shrouded forests, free open fields, beautifully diverse cities, and empty, lonely wilderness. It's brought me face to face with scarecrows, tin men, lions, bad witches, good witches and wizards hiding behind curtains. And who could forget the magic red shoes? Take me home. There's no place like home. 

There's no place like home.

That's all fiction is.

    A grand adventure to the place you call home. Or in this case, the place your character(s) may consider home.

    Every war story, every romance, every drama, horror or comedy will take you on that same adventure to find home. Look closely. You'll see it. And home doesn't have to be a building, or even a physical place, so much as it is the place of true belonging. Luke Skywalker was meant to assume his role as a Jedi. His purpose was his home. Frodo wanted to return to the Shire, but not to the Shire as he knew before. He wanted his Shire as it was in the end, free from the threat of the Ring. Will from Stranger Things just wanted his life to return to the way things were before the Demogorgon. Just as Elle was searching for a home with a Papa who would love and protect her.

    You get the idea.

    So the first fundamental of fiction is finding home. Where does your character long to be? Find that place and set it as the goal.

Once you've got that, bring in the challenger.

Cue the antagonist.

    A strong opposing force that stands in the way of your character is essential for pushing your character beyond what they have experienced and done before. The antagonist you create will work with you as a partner to push and grow your main character throughout their journey. Additionally, the antagonist will set the tone, the speed and the intensity of the story. In short, villains make really exciting things happen.

 *rubs hands together in a devious manner*

    I think a little part of us likes to write villains. To dabble in the dark side, so to speak. I for one, find it highly entertaining to place myself in an antagonist's shoes and try to see things from their warped perspectives. It's actually a really good exercise for a writer, to place yourself on the opposite side of the conflict and look at it from every angle. This will help you to spy out any plot holes and maintain a well rounded story.

    Developing a convincing villain will allow your readers to see exactly what kind of stuff your hero is made of, and what fate is at stake for the hero should they fail to rise to the challenge.

After all, a victory without cost is no victory at all.

  And so at last we reach the end of our story.

    The storm is over. The villain defeated, and the hero victorious. For better or for worse, the tale must come to an end. But how to end it? Knowing when the story has reached its fullest completion is crucial to avoid overreaching and pushing the plot past its breaking point. You don't want to draw out an ending that could be perfect in just a few chapters.

    But that still leaves us with the question. How do we write a satisfying ending? Well, in my personal opinion, every reader will be hoping and praying for your characters to have their happily ever after. And if you truly love you characters, don't they deserve a noble finish? To me, that's what we writers must focus on.

    In what way does this ending you are composing bring both justice and peace to your character? Now, as we know, not all stories have a happily ever after. But shouldn't your characters at least have an honorable one? I'd like to say yes. Even in some of the most tragic works of fiction I have ever read, the sadness of the endings were balanced out by the weight of their victory. I understood what the victory cost the hero, and the author always made it clear as to why things had to end that way. Even in death, it can be noble. And in life, make it rich.

    After all, haven't we traveled all this way for a satisfying end? Stories are meant to bring joy and suspense, but also hope. And that's what makes a story into a great one. How much does your story's conclusion inspire hope in your readers? That, to me, should be the real victory.

    So, lets give our characters the ending they deserve, and our readers the hope they've been waiting for. 

Happy writing!