Focus the material on a few hours. Focus the story on a main character.
Your story will be unfocused and lack detail if you try to cover too much time.
Focus on a single character and tell his or her story.
Whose story is this? This is the first question that should be answered. Once a main character is chosen, be sure to tell his or her story only.
Recognize the other people in your story are villains, side-kicks, and supporting cast--but this is NOT THEIR STORY.
Instead write about:
Don't write about:
the moment they met
the moment she knew something was wrong
the day he knew that he would go to college without her
the hours she spent deciding what to do after seeing him with someone else
an entire love relationship
Instead write about:
Don't write about:
his first time approaching battle sneaking into a house that might or might not be occupied by the enemy
her first time seeing casualties arrive in the mobile medical unit
How he had to train new recruits for chemical weapons defense and they wouldn't take it seriously
someone's experience through the war
Focus the material on a few hours.
Your story will be unfocused and lack detail if you try to cover too much time.
Don't write about:
Instead write about:
the moment they met the moment she knew something was wrong the day he knew he would go to college without her the hours she spent deciding what to do after seeing him with someone else
an entire love relationship
Don't write about:
Instead write about:
his first time approaching battle sneaking into a house that might or might not be occupied by the enemy her first time seeing casualties arrive in the mobile medical unit How he had to train new recruits for chemical weapons defense and they wouldn't take it seriously
someone's experience through the war
Focus the story on a main character.
Focus on a single character and tell his or her story.
Whose story is this? This is the first question that should be answered. Once a main character is chosen, be sure to tell his or her story only.
Recognize the other people in your story are villains, side-kicks, and supporting cast--but this is NOT THEIR STORY.
