WRITING: You probably hear this from every serious writer, but it’s worth restating: it all begins with a character. It doesn’t have to be a likable character, or even someone you would want to talk to in re (...)

What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story?

Whohub

You probably hear this from every serious writer, but it’s worth restating: it all begins with a character. It doesn’t have to be a likable character, or even someone you would want to talk to in real life. Characters become interesting from the way you develop them, the amount of empathy you invest. All the other elements of the story—plot, theme, setting, point of view, etc.—will follow from there, in one way or another. I don’t like rules per se, because most interesting stories bend them. But I don’t recommend that new writers try that: before Picasso invented Cubism, he had his Blue period. You have to know the rules before you can break them effectively.