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Story sometimes starts as doodles

All it takes to begin is to place a mark on the page.

David Gane
David Gane

You show up and place words on the page. They may mean nothing initially, but eventually, they make connections. Images, actions, and characters begin to spring forth.

Keep doodling and keep connecting.

Some parts may not find a home immediately. Set them aside and revisit them later. They may find a place eventually.

Spend more time in each area. Doodle around words and sentences and mine them for materials. You are adding, but you’re also digging deeper into the language, the world, and the characters.

We don’t always need to know where the story is going, but we do need to allow ourselves to sketch and do the work until, eventually, we discover the picture we are creating.

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David Gane

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Co-writer of the Shepherd and Wolfe young adult mysteries, the internationally award-winning series, and teacher of storytelling and screenwriting.

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