She advises that you should dig into the process of plotting the character’s story with this simple template:
Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats compiled some excellent advice about storytelling in a series of tweets. It comes from the mid-18th-century French word dénouer, which translates to “unknot.” Here’s a tip: The term denouement refers to the story resolution that happens after the climactic event. The final piece is the end, or denouement, which wraps the story up in a satisfying way and solidifies both its outcome and its theme. For better or worse, from here forward your character will be changed as a result of his journey through the events. Then, the story reaches a climactic turning point. That’s followed by rising action, which means that every step in the story’s progression raises the stakes just a bit, increasing the conflict and tension. It begins with an event that sets the wheels in motion. The character follows a path called the story arc. The story must have a beginning, middle, and end. You may have learned the basics of story structure in beginning composition class, but here’s a refresher.
One of the primary questions to get a story started is “what if?” What if the car you witnessed heading the wrong way down the freeway at rush hour was driven by a pregnant woman in labor who needed the fastest route to the hospital? What if the man calling out in the dark alley was a widower whose deceased wife was named Maryanne? Creating a Story Framework But events can germinate stories when the writer plants the seeds by asking questions. The act of writing things down will remind you to focus and be in the moment. If you’re old school, keep a small notebook or some index cards. Use your phone’s note-taking app to capture moments. Make a habit of noticing what’s going on around you, from the exciting to the mundane, by writing things down as they catch your attention. Although some of the events you describe may be extraordinary, they don’t have to be.
Those snippets of conversation you overheard at dinner, the car you witnessed going the wrong way down the freeway during rush hour, the elderly man trudging down a dark alley calling the name Maryanne repeatedly, all could spark a story. Pay attention to what’s going on around you. Many aspiring writers believe they need to wait for a sudden flash of inspiration, but generating ideas is more of a process than an epiphany.
Every novelist or short story writer has heard the question many times: “Where do you get your ideas?” The answer is always the same: from everywhere.