What should we write about?

Guest post by Paulina Czarnecki. 
Bio: Hi! My name is Paulina Czarnecki. I’m fourteen and—obviously—I love to write. I’m very excited to be guest-posting on TWFT. I also have my own blog at www.paulinaczarnecki.wordpress.com.

When I got the email saying I could write a post, my first question was, “What should I write about?” If you’re going to write, you’re going to ask that question. Because, let’s face it—most story plots don’t just come to you. Most plots, you have to catch.

A lot of my early manuscripts were left unfinished because I lost interest or had a new idea. I jumped from story to story. Now, I realize that’s because I never had a solid story idea. All I had was the premise. A premise is that ‘Hey! What if…’ moment writers have when they first have an idea for a book. Usually, that premise isn’t enough to carry a writer through the whole story. Premise does not equal plot.

Everyone has different styles of writing, though. So if you like to sit down and write whatever comes out of your fingers, and it works for you, perfect. Even so, you have to think about what you’re writing.

Take advantage of a quiet moment to develop your ideas. There will be holes in the plot. So you should ask yourself: Why does the heroine do this? How does the hero save her? What happens afterwards?

Don’t just wait for the answers to come to you. Actively ask questions and search for the answers. The internet is useful for this—you can Google just about anything, click on the hundredth result, and be inspired. You can also ask others what they would do in the situation your hero is facing. You can play out several different versions of a scene in your head and choose the one that works best.

So, my advice to you is: Chase after those stories! Be active rather than passive. Find answers to your questions.

I hope this helps you find your next plot.

~Paulina