What makes a story?

[junipercayenne]

1. Charcters- a colorful group of original charcter can make even watching tv all day into an interesting story.

2. Plot- what is this story about anyway, is it a chain of events, or one big bang? What are the problems, events, and soloutions?

3. Details- how and why did it happen? How did it look, taste, smell? How did the charcters feel? Details can make the difference between a boring story and a page-turner.

4. Order- Thoughts need to be organized and make sense. Events should take place chronologically. (However that's spelled!)

5......

4.

[Sparks]

Characters
(I'm going to elaborate on this, because this is what I like most about my own stories.)

I think it's really important to paint your character out [literally or not], or combine people you know in real life, or someone you saw somewhere, at some point, even in if twas only for a second.
Eg. I was in the mall one day about two weeks ago and I saw this kid, maybe eighteen, nineteen, sitting on one of the benches. He had that beaten look about him, with his faded, dirty leather jacket and washed out orange-grey mohawk, hanging limply against his neck, his eyes hungry.
This happened and I got a million ideas from him. You can get characters from anywhere. I would suggest strangers, because you give them personalities that correspond with their gestures and looks, and you aren't biased at all.
I won't make this much longer.
Give your characters pasts. You don't want to keep coming up with ideas while you write, because then you will add in event after event that took place, and the readers will know you're "Bullshitting" them. Trust me.
So try to learn as much about your characters as you can.
Like people, they might be somewhat introverted, and you'll either have to pry to find out things about them, or you'll learn as you get to know them, and as you grow together.
Whoalong:|

That's all I could come up with.