What makes a story a story?

Last week in the Monday Night Creative Writing Workshop series, we asked this question. Here are some prompts to help a writer discover the heart of the story. 

[Protagonist name] is a [description of protagonist] living in [setting]. But when [complicating incident], [protagonist name] must [protagonist's quest] and [verb] [villain or obstacle] in order to [protagonist's goal]. 

I can't remember where I originally found this mad libs format for developing a log line for a story. I didn't make it up myself, and I find it so insightful a tool for going deeper into a piece I've written. Sometimes I apply it to a journal entry or a free write that I want to fictionalize into a short story. Sometimes I brainstorm the many different ways to fill in the blanks to try seeing in new ways something I've been looking at for a while already, a story I've returned to in revision. 

We read loglines in every movie or episode we watch on Netflix or Amazon Prime or Masterpiece Theater. The little blurb describing what this is about, what happens, and why this matters helps a viewer or reader decide if they are curious enough to watch.

When you fill out the mad libs sentence to create your logline, focus on contrasts, paradox, or irony. The description of your protagonist can provide irony or contrast, or it can simply contribute a cliche. What is the possibility of tension and obstacle in the life of a guide losing their eyesight vs. an author with perfect handwriting? This example is overly simplified, but seek out the irony in a situation or a character when creating a logline, and when creating story. 

Consider how different settings for your story can offer different tensions or irony or even a ticking clock for your story. Notice that in the mad lib, you will identify separately a quest from an obstacle or goal. For your character, what matters about each of these elements uniquely? 

Understand what or who is a villain or obstacle in your story so far. Often once you begin to analyze the obstacle, you might realize how much assumption has been made in your own mind about this obstacle. Ask yourself how you can be more particular with how this villain or obstacle affects your character within their setting and time clock. 

And finally, sometimes the verb in the mad lib format is the most difficult to pin down. This verb can determine how or why your character takes action. What is the decision they make in order to take this action, to be in this manner? 

More prompts to free write on your story in development: 

1. What’s your character’s problem or situation? The conflict is at the heart of your story. 

2. Your characters have clear and strong motivations. What do they want? What is at risk or at stake? What choices do they have to make? What obstacles do they face? 

3.What is the internal or inherent time clock? Something that creates a sense of urgency, pressure, or drive. Can you discover a natural time limit that creates tension? 

4. What are the contrasts in your story? Is there a paradox? Irony?