Thread: I think I want to write a story.

One goal in my life is to have something I write published. Like a book or short story. Recently in class we were studying direct and indirect characterization and we were supposed to outline a character any way we saw fit. I wrote in the first person and really it more or less turned out to be the beginning of a story.
I will post what I have written thus far as soon as I get home today. Its really just about a soldier reminiscing (sp?) about home. I have thought a lot about the tense I wish to write in and I believe I will stick with past tense as if the speaker is writing a journal. I'm not however going to use dates and such because i believe this hurts the flow of the story. I will also avoid specific names of places because I wish to avoid 2 things.. 1) I don't want to have to create an entire fictional setting for this story, i would rather spend my time writing it. and 2) I don't wnat to have to do too much research about a place to make the story accurate.

Thats about it until i get to post the actual written part. It isn't very long yet but I plan for it to be a decent length short story.

The same thing happened to me (a small idea runs off and grows into an epic). I ended up spending time creating the fictional world, though. In fact I'm still working on it, but I've been slow. I think your story would benefit greatly from having a well defined fictional setting. When you give places names and history, your story suddenly becomes more alive and believable. I wouldn't say its necessary to devote so much time to creating a world, but it certainly makes the story richer.

I was just trying to avoid making this story seem like fantasy. I wanted to stay more historical fiction almost, similar to Robinson Crusoe which is a bad example because it is based on a true story.

Heres what I wrote in class and which spurred my thoughts.

Arrows flew and once again my line reached behind our heads. In unison we all snatched the feathery fletching of additional ammunition and brought them point down in front of us; strung on our bows. The commands given were simple; ready, aim, draw, loose. As one body we sent arrow after arrow hurtling at our opponents charging the soldiers in front of us; our soldiers. We created a protective shield of death-from-above between each opposing side. As glorious as I make these actions you may think I chose to be here. I did not.
I was pulled from my home shortly after my second son was born. Home is a three room farm house on one hundred acres, not a poor way to live in these times. As my forearms burned from drawing back my bow and my hands shook from recoil the only thing on my mind was the green grass surrounding my house, almost flowing like water in the autumn breeze. The wind next reaches the trees and they bow to the gust.
My children are playing in that grass. I was forced into this life four years ago, by now my youngest son is running, trying to be like his elder. My wife is watching them, leaning on the door frame with her hair back in the wind, hopefully thinking of me.
Retreat. I was violently pulled from my reverie. The line of troops in front of us had broken to a cavalry charge. Ours would shortly join the fray but for then the duty of my brothers and I had turned to survival.



Like I said, its not very much yet but I think I can use this character for a good many adventures.

Then why not use real-life places? Or a real-life war?

Yeah, that single passage does seem to have doors to infinite possibilities. You've got something good going here.

Someone should write a massive book about nothing.

I'd buy it.


Like nothing. No adventure. Just sitting in a room. Looking at a white wall. For 700 pages.

well, I am currently making a game based on a LD I had... you can make up some of the history for the game events. it's better than a short story right?

Originally Posted by Carôusoul

Someone should write a massive book about nothing.

I'd buy it.


Like nothing. No adventure. Just sitting in a room. Looking at a white wall. For 700 pages.

Read Atlas Shrugged