Who, What, When, Where, Why

By Margaret Lucke

One of my favorite quotes about writing came from novelist, essayist, and playwright Robert Paul Smith, who wrote, among other works, The Tender Trap and Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing. He said:

"A writer, at least this writer, writes not because he has something to say, but because he has something he wants to find out."

I like Smith's comment because it reminds me that writing a story is a process of exploration. The genesis of a story is that moment when an idea comes along and beckons you to follow it, and you go, not knowing what the destination will be. Most writers will agree that no matter how carefully you outline a story in advance, and certainly if don't outline but jump in and start writing, the story you have at the end is never quite the one you were expecting when you began. The idea will lead you down unexpected side roads, through swamps and dark forests and bramble patches—and you go willingly because you know you’ll discover something interesting along the way.

The novelist Margaret Atwood once said, "I think a lot of novels begin as questions." As an example she cited her novel The Handmaid's Tale, whose genesis was her wondering, "If you were going to take over the United States, how would you do it?" Then she began to speculate about how women would fit into the society that the new masters created.

But you don't have to think on the scale of world conquest. A short basic question or two is often enough to start a story rolling:

Who? Who, of course, refers to your characters, especially the protagonist. Who is this person who has wandered into your mind and pitched a tent there?

What? There are lots of what questions. What does the person want to acquire or achieve? What are the stakes for her; that is, what consequences will come if she succeeds in getting what she wants, and what consequences will come if she fails? What does she do to try to reach her goal? What gets in her way? What happens to get the events of the story rolling? What happens next?

When? And where? The answers to these questions provide the setting of the story or of particular scenes. They shape the physical and emotional environment in which the characters operate. Where and when can have a profound impact on their beliefs and understandings and also on the options that are available to them.

Why? To me, why is one of the most intriguing questions. It’s the one that really propels me forward as I chase the story through the wilderness. Why is this happening? Why do my characters want what they want? Why would they make the choices they do? Why do people behave like that? Why is about motivation and all of the fascinating secrets of the human psyche.

Any one of these questions—who, what, when, where, why—can be the genesis of a story, setting you off on your exploration. Add the next question, and the next, and you'll be well along the forest path. There is no predicting what the answers will be, but what you find out is sure to be interesting.

 

Comments

[Camille Minichino]

This post reminds me of a great reference book I have: "Writing Mysteries" by Margaret Lucke!

[Margaret Lucke]

Thank you for the kind words, Camille! I'm glad you find the book helpful. :-)