When, How, Who, and What?

Those are the four questions we ask ourselves every day as writers.

When does our tale take place?
How is the feat accomplished?
Who are our characters?
What are those characters doing?

Those four questions are the basis for everything we write. If you aren't constantly asking yourself those questions, you're likely not really writing a compelling story. There must be action in every chapter. You have to keep your reader engaged and feeling something throughout the whole story. If you don't, they will lose interest and toss your book aside.

Are you having trouble with tension? Change a scene. Throw some obstacle in the path of your protagonist. That obstacle can be a rift in a relationship, an unexpected change, or the antagonist but it must be something. Characters that don't DO anything are boring. Ask yourself, "HOW can I create some tension? WHAT will my character to in response to the obstacle?"

Then, write about it.

Don't let your characters float through your story. Give them a goal and see what they can accomplish.

Is there a question you ask your characters or yourself to keep the tension? Share it!

That's all for today. Just some food for thought.

Until next time, WRITE ON!!

Jo