I want to teach you something cool I learned at LTUE.
I'm sure it has a name but I don't take that great of notes.
Pathetic? Maybe.
Gonna stop me? NEVER!
So here's what I'm going to call The Fives.
When you are trying to come up with a strong goal for your protagonist try this out. Make a list of five possible strong goals. Pick what you feel is the strongest. (Conquer the land)
Take this new goal you just decided on and ask yourself, why? Why this goal? (He tries to conquer them as revenge for lost love)
Then keep doing that, asking why again and again. Five times is the idea. But the more you do it the more specific and strong your goal would get.
Clear as mud? I should be a teacher, I know it. ;)
LOL! Love this! Way more clear than mud too! Thank goodness. :)
ReplyDeleteI read a book by Orson Scott Card where he talked about this. I think it's brilliant!!!
ReplyDeleteI, as a composition teacher in middle school, tell my students that three is the magic number. Five must be for advanced thinkers! ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Fives? Sounds like explaining the background of any of my stories to my hubby. He's constantly asking 'Why?'
ReplyDeleteIt's such a wonderful worldbuilding question.