In my last column, I invited everyone to join me in a treacherous, fearful journey from blank screen or blank page to completed draft of a novel.  As soon as the Fear of Writing Gazette came out and I read that piece, I said to myself, “Oh God, Walt, you’ve really stepped in it this time.” 

Why did I feel that way?  Because I had no idea what I was going to write about in my next column and, worse yet, absolutely no idea what I could possibly write a novel about.  I had nothing.  Nothing, except a commitment to “The Gazette” and a commitment to the people who read it.  Of course, I also had a commitment to myself, but that didn’t mean a whole lot.  Over the years, I had let my Fear of Writing a Novel quash more than one commitment to myself.  

So, what to do now?  

Well, I could let my fear paralyze me.  Again.  Or, I could figure out something to write a novel about. 

Simple choice, right? 

Yeah, right.    

It’s not simple with a deadline and that damned cursor blinking in the upper left-hand corner of the monitor.  The cursor that moves forward five words and then backwards ten.  That taunting little bastard that laughs at me with each and every flash.  

Aarrgh! 

A great many instructional books on writing say that the first thing you need to write a novel is a three dimensional character or characters that the audience will have strong emotions about.  

I couldn’t agree more. 

An equal number of books say that the first thing you need is a good solid idea that will hook the audience from the outset and then propel the story along to the end.  

Again, I’d say that is absolutely correct.  

I can hear you saying it:  “Just wait a minute now.  Which one is it?” 

Well, it’s both.  You might get one or the other in your mind first, but before you can start writing, you need both.  In fact, you also need a setting, so in reality you need three things to really start moving:  A Wonderful Character, A Kickass Idea, and an Interesting Setting.    

In my mind, it works kind of like a math equation.  I see it like this: 

Primary Character(s) + Main Idea + Setting = Primary Plotline

Some people see the Main Idea as Plot, but I don’t.  For me, as illustrated in the equation above, the Primary Plotline includes the Idea, the Characters, and the Setting.  Each of these elements is equally important, and there can be no complete plotline without including all three.  

For instance, take a look at these partial plotlines: 

A Philadelphia boxer gets a shot at the World Heavyweight Title. 

Doesn’t sound like much, does it?  But how about this: 

Rocky Balboa is a down-but-not-quite-out Philadelphia club fighter.  Through a series of fateful events, the loveable Rocky is plucked from obscurity to fight for the heavyweight title of the world. 

Significantly different, don’t you think?  Having an idea is nothing without the proper characters to tell the story. 

Now what about this one: 

The son of Italian immigrants, Michael Corleone steadfastly avoided working in the family business until his father’s near death required that Michael take steps to keep the business operating.  

Oh, that’s nice.  Big deal.  Who cares?  

Something that is sometimes helpful is to think of  “The Idea” as Conflict.  Let’s add a bit of Conflict to the above short synopsis and see what happens. 

The son of Italian immigrants, Michael Corleone steadfastly avoided involvement in his family’s Mafia Empire.  When his father is gunned down in the street and nearly killed by rival organized crime members, Michael takes on the roles of both avenger and successor as he orchestrates a bloody and brutal war against other Mafia families.  

Okay, now that made a bit of a difference, don’t you think?  

Now, how about setting?  How truly important is setting in the overall picture?  Well, let’s look: 

Luke, a young farm boy desperate for adventure, is thrown into the middle of a civil war when he accidentally intercepts a plea for help from a dissident leader being held prisoner by the ruling government.   The imprisoned leader must be rescued so vital information about the government’s weaponry can be delivered.    

I’d say that’s not bad.  It’s got potential, right?  But, it sure sounds different when the setting and a bit of detail is sprinkled into the mix: 

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away Luke, a young farm boy desperate for adventure, is thrown into the middle of a civil war between the evil Galactic Empire and the fledgling Rebel Alliance.  After purchasing two robots for use on his uncle’s farm, Luke accidentally intercepts a plea for help from a dissident leader, Princess Leia.  The princess is being held prisoner and must be rescued so she can deliver vital information about the Empire’s most horrifying new weapon, The Death Star.    

Sounds a little more interesting, don’t you think?  I certainly do.  And you know, I didn’t mention Han Solo or Chewbacca or even Darth Vader.  I think it’s safe to say we could ratchet up the sense of conflict – as well as the interest level of the audience – by including a couple of those names. 

Alright, so what I need is three things: 

A character or two; 

An idea that expresses a powerful conflict; 

And, a setting of time and place for the characters to struggle with that conflict. 

Boy, I hope I have those three things before my next column is due.  

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Walt Nickell's homepage is located at:  www.DarkandStormyNight.net.   Please email Walt regarding this column or writing in general at Walt@DarkandStormyNight.net or leave comments below.