Write Four or Five Sentences

Use One Syllable Words if Possible – Max Two

Include as Many of the Following as Possible:

Main Character (Name if Appropriate) - Who

Point of View - How

Initial Goal - What

Internal Motivation (Feeling) - Why

External Motivation (Observable) - Why

Obstacle Preventing Goal Achievement – Why Not

Reason for Reader to Care – Reader Bonding – needs to be “feeling”

reason for attachment

Example: It’s hot, baked, sun scorched plain, now dry and parched. The corn is half-grown, brown, dead on the stalk. Like my mouth. But coach makes us run wind sprints. I want to bend down to catch a breath, but I want to make the team more.

It’s hot, baked, sun scorched plain, now dry and parched. The corn is half-grown, brown, dead on the stalk. Like my mouth. But coach makes us run wind sprints. I want to bend down to catch a breath, but I want to make the team more.

The Main Character: “I” – still don’t know male/female/age … but that will come quickly

The Point of View: First Person Singular

Initial Goal: Make the Team – still don’t know what sport, but that will come

Internal Motivation: Don’t Know Yet

External Motivation: Don’t Know Yet

Initial Obstacle: two: weather (dry and pouched) and the “coach”

Reason for Reader to Care: It promises to be a struggle (Like my mouth), but it can be done. Coach will only select the best – “I” want one of those to be me. Will it, or will I be a second fiddle? How will that affect me?

It’s still too early for a real story, but most of the basic starting elements are there - in the first five sentences.

Is this too much to ask? I did it in five minutes – so you can do it also.