Hey guys,
So I have been reading The Fantasy Fiction Formula by Deborah Chester and I am in love with this book, it covers everything from developing ideas to the publishing industry. This is one of those books I know I will be coming back to again and again. Keep an eye out for the review of this book, coming soon!
One of the key concepts in her outlining and development sections is to create a SPOOC statement, two sentences long.
S- Setting: Where the story is taking place.
P- Protagonist: The central character to your story.
O- Objective: What is the main aim of the story?
O- Opponent: Who is the ‘enemy’ of the protagonist?
C- Conflict: What does the protagonist have to get passed to get to their aim?
Using these five elements, Deborah states that you will know if you can make your story work. I have used this with my current WIP and I’m glad I did because it highlighted that my conflict just wasn’t enough, and it allowed me to make changes early on.
Here is an example she uses:
When her pet unicorn escapes it’s pen and runs away, Ala searches for her beloved pet. But can she regain her unicorn when her envious cousin Melie steals the animal and hides it in a dangerous cave?
Notice that all five elements are present in the two sentences and you can understand what is going to happen in the story.
So, my slightly different writing challenge for you today is to create a SPOOC paragraph for either your current WIP or for a short story you intend to work on.
Post them in the comments below, I would love to read them!
Helen
mythical musings 