As with a couple other writing exercises we’ve done, this one does not create a new story, but is working with one you already have.

Typically I use my novel that has been in the works for a long time now, but recently I have taken a much needed break from that and am concentrating on short stories.

I’m currently working on a scary short story (I like to do them around Halloween time) and I’ve also been revisiting my novella to submit somewhere – it’s my novella I’ll use for this one.

Characters want something – this is a fundamental fact of fiction. If they don’t, they’re probably nothing more than a prop.

Behind the more specific wants – I want to dump my boyfriend and get out of this dead end relationship – are the more general, abstract wants that most folks can identify with: love, individuality, security, etc.

Continue reading What do your characters want? (writing exercise #13) →