but

 Posted on 7/30/1997 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


Chad Underkoffler <102512.1310@compuserve.com> asks:
> Boy shaves his head.") Is there any way for me to strengthen this
> authorial muscle? Advice?
> Hints?

Basic approach: if you know your characters, then find out what
they want, how far they will go to get it, and how far someone else
will go to stop them. From this comes structure, and from this comes
plot.

Put them in *motion*.

As someone noted, "The king died and then the queen died" is not
a story; "The king died and then the queen died of grief" is a story.
Cause and effect.

jms