February 21, 2003, Newsletter Issue #2: The Heart of the Story

Tip of the Week

To find the heart of your story, dig deep into the heart of the situation. A story lies not in the infinite mix of details that beget a scene, but in the one unavoidable fact that alone requires action from the character. A bank teller is robbed by the kid she used to babysit. A man believes his wife has secretly terminated her pregnancy. Etc. When deciding to recreate a story on paper, you must distill it to the one element that keeps it from going in any other direction. Work outward from there. If there´s no *one* element, it may not be the story you set out to tell.

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