Writing Your Way [Writing Tutorial]

Plot: The basis of every single single story in existence. It's a bit intimidating at first, but let me help you through it. 

First of all, all plots have a structure. The basic plot structure goes like this;

Exposition: Characters, setting, goal, motivation, and the stakes all take place here. Usually, this is where most beginner writers struggle. Maybe it's because it's super scary to look at a blank document for who knows how long before writing anything or maybe it's just a lack of skill. 

Ex. In the morning, I am awoken by my mother's voice shouting from downstairs, reminding me to get up for school. I get dressed, brush my teeth, and do my hair. I was wearing my uniform which consisted of a white buttoned shirt, navy blue trousers with a matching jacket that had the school emblem on it. I quickly grab my bookbag and rush out of the door without stopping for breakfast. I chase after the yellow school bus and-

BORING! Nobody is going to be interested in your story if you start with the most boring things people do in life. That's like writing about someone going to the bathroom. People read books to escape reality not read about everyday things. 

Correction: "MICHAEL, THE BUS IS RIGHT OUTSIDE!" I rush out of my room and just barely get dressed in my uniform. Had my mother been calling me this whole time? I grab my bookbag and trip making my way down the stairs. I jump the last three steps and sprint past Mum so I don't the bus outside. Breakfast could wait!

It's a whole lot more fast-paced because in the scene the character is rushing out of the house. It kinda forces the reader to feel a sense of adrenaline. It also gives the character a name and a relationship. You could also go as far as the goal and what will happen when they reach the location. I think you get the idea by now...

Along with the regular stuff in the exposition, there is this little story element called an inciting incident.

The Inciting Incident is the turning point in the plot. The protagonist meets the conflict or the enemy depending on what it is. Basically, this is where the journey/quest begins. 

Ex. [Stolen from my other book Kings, Queens, and Knights] I sat waiting in the breakfast line in the cafeteria for what seemed like hours all because this dude doesn't know if he should get orange juice or apple juice. All I wanted was a muffin and water, and all this commotion was making everyone behind him impatient. He decides on both and I get my food quickly. I see some people sitting at my usual table so I look for another but someone bumps into me, making me drop my food all over my clothes. I look to see my twin sister, Adeena, looking smug...

It's definitely a problem brewing in this little excerpt! It's the easiest part in my opinion since conflict exists everywhere and is easy to write even for a beginner. Next, is the actual story part,

Rising Action: Conflicts, struggles, and blocks of the main goal. The rising action is 2-3 events that help the reader understand the problem or the conflict of the story. This is the time of action, journey, more characters, new settings, and world-building of any kind. Also more importantly; TENSION!!

Tension helps the stakes become more authentic for any reader and it makes the story have a real-world feel without actually being real*. The more tension, the bigger the resolution will feel. More on this later... (*Works even if the story is nonfiction)

Climax: At this point, the story is at its very intense peak of the entire story. This is also known as the midpoint of the story. Everything before this has been building up to this moment and this climax is the turning point. Did they win or lose the battle? Did they get to their goal or did they fail before completing it? Now this is the event to determine it. Now, the aftermath of everything will determine how your story will end. That is called the falling action. 

Falling Action: The falling action is how your characters react and what happens after the stakes fall and the conflict is no longer a threat. All the mysteries are solved, loose threads are tied up and everyone goes home...if they have one anymore. If you have another conflict, now is its time to shine for one last time so everyone gets prepared for the end. 

Resolution: Now it is the end. There are many ways this ending can go but I'll touch on that more later. Right now, it is just the end of the story. The enemy is vanquished (probably), the conflict is resolved, and a new normal is now in place. 

Fun, right? This is just the very basics of plots, there are plenty of different plots you can choose from. In fact, I can list about 20 off the top of my head right now...and I will! 

Now get to writing already!