Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Just Before You Start #MFRWauthor

This technique is taken from Dwight V. Swain's book Techniques of the Selling Writer. I do this every time I start a book and I find it keeps me on track. Doesn't keep me from exploring side roads but it keeps me moving toward the end of the book. A few times I haven't done this, the book ends up not as good as others. The other thing is often my stories are a three person bit and each of the characters has a different path to take but entwining these story lines is important. So here goes.

What you need are a sentence and a question. The sentence contains the situation, the character, and the goal. The question gives the opponent and the impending disaster. Sounds simple, and it really is. Here are the ones I set out for my current work in progress.

Threatened with a situation that will destroy her, Amara decides to accept an escape into an alternate Egypt where she must perform a task and receive, love and acceptance. Can she live in an alien land and rescue Namose from the evil priest Hebu to bring justice to the land?

As a prisoner of the evil priest, Namose is forced to aid him in gaining powers granted to the priests of Toth and knowing he must escape to prevent the foreign priests from destroying the Two Lands. Can he find a way to escape and join forces with Amara to bring justice to the land.

Scheming to bring the worship of Aken Re, the one and only god to the Two Lands, Hebu has captured Namose and schemes to kidnap the children who are the future of the Two Lands and turn them into followers of his god. Can he succeed when Amara and Namose join forces to defeat him?

Those are the plot lines that set for me what the story will be. Now it's time to write the story. It's something worth trying. Usually I don't have to put it down. The statement and question form in my head but any time I find myself drifting off track, thinking of the original statement question will bring me back on track.