The Three P's of Story

Here's a post for all y'all new writers out there. So, you've decided you want to write a book. There are so many millions of published books out there, so it can't be that hard, right? You sit down and open a blank document, ready to pour words onto the page like a pot boiling over.

And then nothing happens.

Don't worry, you're not the only person who decides to be an author but has no idea what to actually write. It happens to everyone: an overwhelming urge to write accompanied by zero inspiration. Here's a tip for you: don't start writing until you have at least one of the three P's for your story. The three P's are the elements that must exist in any story. They are:

• A Person
• A Place
• A Problem

Once you have one of these, you have inspiration. When you have two, the third usually comes naturally. Let's take a deeper look at these three key elements of story.

The Person in your story is your main character. Doesn't matter if he's good or evil, human or not. His job is to live out the story, and possibly to tell it. Call him the protagonist, the hero, the villain, the MC--whatever. You can have more than one, if you want. But no matter what qualities he possesses, he is the Actor in the story. 

Example from my own writing: In my current WIP (that's work-in-progress), I started with two story elements, and one of them was a Person--a spy. That's all the detail you need sometimes: know what you want your main character to be, whether that's a spy or small business owner.

Next up, the Place. This is your story's setting or world. It can be your hometown or a distant planet or another universe altogether. This is where your story happens, the Set, and it matters more than you'd think. This is where your character lives, grew up, or has been unceremoniously thrown into, so it has a deep influence on him. He knows everything or nothing about it. He's eager to explore or escape. Figure out your Place early on, because it will shape your story. 

Example from my own writing: The other story element in my WIP was an idea about the worldbuilding. I wanted there to be talking cats. Sometimes your idea for Place doesn't have to be geographical. It can be a time period, a system of magic, an institution. All of it counts towards your Place.

Finally, the Problem. This is one of the most important story elements, because without it, the story wouldn't exist or matter. Your Person faces off against a Problem, be that a villain, a natural disaster, or the consequences of his own actions. Will they overcome it? How? That's your story. 

Example from my own writing: In one of my short stories, all I knew was that there should be an issue with the potatoes. I didn't know what that was or how it came about, but that was what I built the story around--and now it's getting published.

Once you have one of these elements, you can start writing. Once you have two, you have a plot in progress. Ready to write?