Hello everyone!
Writing a book is a lot like exploring. You start with a vague idea and discover the rest as you go. For me, the most important part of the creative writing process is asking my way through plot issues and character inconsistencies.
Whenever I run into an underdeveloped point in the plot or a behavior in a character that I can’t justify, I try to summarize the problem as a question. Then, I write down the question and brainstorm answers for about ten minutes. (Think of this process as a structured free write. No idea is too crazy during those ten minutes.)
When the ten minutes are up, I choose the potential answer that I like best and explore it further. (Sometimes, this involves doing another guided question free write.) If the answer I selected solves my problem, great. If the answer doesn’t fix the issue, I look back at my list of potential answers and choose a different one to explore. I do this until I have the answer that works for the story and that satisfies me as the writer.
Below is a list of question words with some sample questions from my own writing projects:
What if…? (What if the crystals had power? What if the villagers were wary of 21st century technologically?)
Who? (Who betrays the group? Who stole the sheep?)
What? (What is the ultimate insult for a fairy? What is my protagonist’s deepest desire?)
When? (When did the elves and humans start attacking each other? When does my protagonist start trusting authority figures?)
Where? (Where do they fight the soldiers? Where does my protagonist’s grandmother work?)
Why? (Why won’t the dwarf take them into the caverns? Why does my protagonist want to befriend the new kid?)
*Which? (Which route is safest?) (*I personally don’t use “which” as often as I do the other question words.)
How? (How do I get them out of the fight alive when they are outnumbered ten to one? How do I get my protagonist to be more respectful to adults?)
I hope this gives you some good ideas for how to ask your way through your own stories.
Happy writing!
Katie
katiemerkelwriter 
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