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You have a great idea for a story. Interesting characters, great plot, and images floating around in your mind of the world you want to create.
But what is the purpose of your story? What do you want to tell the world?
Is the purpose to share information? Or influence someone’s opinions?
Maybe it is to spark action in your readers!
The reason you are writing this story is important.
Your lovely characters, fantastic plot, and worldbuilding will be used to get your point across.
And chances are you have more than one purpose for your story.
Ask yourself:
· Why am I writing this story?
· What messages do I want to give my readers?
· Who needs to hear my messages?
The answers are your purpose(s).
Once you have your purpose decided upon, then you can adjust your characters, plot, and world, to support and share your messages to your readers.
Use your main character to show your readers the biggest purpose through their character arc. Usually, this is some personal lesson, some internal struggle you want your readers to identify with and overcome.
Use side and minor characters for less important messages. Side characters should have depth as well and through their outlook on life or the situation, another purpose of your novel can be shown to your reader.
Use your plot to convey a broader lesson. Usually, this will be something about the world we live in or warnings about the future, maybe even some information about how society worked or viewed cultures in the past.
Use your worldbuilding to support yet another message. Sometimes, these are warnings about how what we do today affects the future. Sometimes, they show reality for different cultures, places, or times. Usually, worldbuilding is more for more informational messages, though they can be for sparking action and changing opinions.
While you don't have to stick to this structure, here is the breakdown of how to reveal your purposes.
Main character = personal lesson
Side characters = life outlook
Plot = information about society
Worldbuilding = information about the world and cultures
So, what is your purpose? I’d love to know!
Have a manuscript ready for editing, contact me.
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Happy writing and revising!
Kristin Noland – Speculative and Crime Fiction Editor and Ghostwriter
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