Yet Another 'Secret to Writing' Article

"The 5-Step Secret To Great Fiction" by Suzanne Harrison
Archetype: The Fiction Writers' Guide to Psychology

"Stephen King says he starts his novels with a "What if?" question. What if a woman and child are trapped in a car by a rabid dog? What if a family pet buried in a Pet Semetary came back to life? What if a young girl could start fires with her mind?

"I have also heard many other bestselling novelist such as Jodi Picoult, Janet Evanovich and Nicolas Evans lay claim to the same thing.

"And I have heard others say they just saw an image in their mind, or had a persistent sentence knocking on the inside of their brains, and they just followed that to where it lead them...."

You've probably read about these important ingredients for a story before:

• Desire
• Conflict or Opposition
• Moral Dilemma
• The Battle or Climax
• Resolution

This discussion of them makes efficient use of words: Each point has two to five paragraphs devoted to it. That's all.

These aren't really "secrets," but this article might shed light on a facet of them you haven't thought of before.