Plot Help

[wolfroad]

I am having a problem with the intro story for my character. I can't seem to focus on it. At first, I try to write it, but I start focusing on world-building, but then I just stop and go back to story, but never really progressing. Any advice?

[Logan]

Outline the main points first instead of trying to flesh out the entire history/back story. What I mean is something like a general timeline of important events. This will give you a basis of how your character came to be your character, and from there you can flesh out as necessary.

Also, in Althanas you don't necessarily need an "intro story". In reality, when I started Logan, he never had an intro story. I couldn't really even tell you where he came from or how he came to be on Althanas. He has a story, which is in his history in the character profile, but he didn't start out that way. The way I've made it work is simply by making his moments on Althanas his story as opposed to who he was before Althanas.

If you want to include stuff like flashbacks to important events, you can easily do that without breaking character, too.

These are just a few ideas from a seasoned writer who runs into writers block quite a bit himself.

[Ashla]

I usually don't do introduction stories. I tried once and it never got finished. Like Logan suggested, flashbacks are excellent. I use flashbacks as tid bits in other threads a lot. When it does come to writing that first chapter, in any story, I often ask who what when how why? I write from there (having to do that type of build up does make writing first posts difficult). I also make sure I know my character's motives and personality. Sometimes though, the writing takes over and I get a completely different character than I described in my character sheet personality and even skill wise. Just let your imagination win, and backed with your knowledge of the world around you (*Sighs* dang setting...) write it out. It's extremely hard to begin, but after a paragraph or so I find I can't stop.

I hope this somehow helps! :)
~ Ashla.

[Irate Pirate]

With history and stuff I find it's better to add the details as you need them, not dump them on the reader all at once. Write your story and when you reach a point where you feel like you need to add some detail about the world or history then add it.

[Logan]

I'll definitely double up on what the Pirated one is saying.

Think about movies you've seen and books you've read. It is VERY rare for an author or screenplay to give you the history of a character all at the moment you first meet them. Usually, it is drawn out through various means such as flashbacks, others talking about past events, pictures in a house, etc. There is a certain authenticity to having to get to know a character over time, much like we get to know people over time.

[SirArtemis]

As already mentioned, my character's background and history were very basic when I started. As I wrote more, his backstory started to reveal itself. His birth for example, his mother, his affiliations, and the "truth" behind his original reason for leaving home all didn't become clear until many levels later. Just let it unfold naturally.