Q&A for How to Plan to Write a Good Story

Figure out what caused the apocalyptic environment, and think of the effect this would have on the setting, the conflicts that this would cause the characters to have, and the struggles they would face in this setting. Reference books and movies that relate to this - zombies, cataclysmic natural disasters, and alien invasions - and come up with your own unique take on the situation.

It depends how your mind works. Try a sample of both, then later, go back and see which one makes more sense to go forward with. You will soon find which way works better for your creativity.

You don't have to write the whole series before sharing the first one. However, you should have a detailed plan of each book or an idea of what's going to happen in each book. If you go ahead with just a general idea for each following book, make sure those ideas are general enough to last a whole book or you might end up dropping the story.

You could write about something dramatic or a tragic event that would leave the readers wanting more..

Start by describing the place lightly and smoothly with simple words. Make sure the most important main character is there and try to hint about the conflict slowly.

Think of a good powerful moral, then write it down. Remember, the moral is the whole point of a fable with a lesson to teach. Next, think of an incident which applies on that moral. While doing this, the characters will automatically appear or start taking shape. Then, you will get the main idea for your story. At this point, you can start writing, and then editing, your story.

The fairy queen is ill and the main character(s) need to go on a quest to find a cure.

You can read a good memoir, and then research how to write one.

Write your plot first, and figure out who you need your character to be based on that. If you have a plot, some good starting points are: What parts of the story do they change or effect. (E.g. your character might be the one to accidentally poison the queen, or the one to find a cure. Your character should change the stakes of the story for another character.) How does your character get involved in the narrative and what choices did they make to get there? What's happened to your character in their past that leads them to acting like they do? (E.g. A character who was neglected by their family might be overly clingy with their friends.)

Get your readers to sympathize with and love the character, then kill them. This way the reader will be emotionally affected by the death.

If it's meant to be a surprise, then yes, sure, go ahead. If, however, the reader knows the character is dead, then lots of tension will be destroyed, and there will be no incentive in rooting for the character. Keep it from the reader that the character is dead until it makes sense for them to know.

Ask friends and family members. They may have their own stories to tell or help you come up with ideas for a story. You could also get help online from other writers. And try looking at how your favorite books are written.

If you are writing in third person, you can objectively describe how they look. If you are writing in first person, do not have them describe themselves in the mirror. Give away bits and pieces through comments and other details, and you can also add illustrations.