Inside the Story: Ideas

Every story must start with an idea.  Mine is no exception, of course.  How did it come about?  I wanted to began with a mystery, something vivid which would draw the reader in and propel the narrative forward. 

So I set the first scene in the middle of the woods, and at night.  To throw things off a bit I had as my  witness, a guy who was something of an enigma too. This part of the story was known to the reader, but they would have no idea where it would lead, how the two were connected, or even if they were connected.  Then I added a cast of characters to the mix and started writing.  Theirs was to be a voyage of discovery. 

As for my characters, I did not want to reveal much about them at the outset.  That way the reader would discover things about who they were as the story went along.  Character development would coincide with the story. 

Those were the ingredients I used to initiate the novel.  Once they were in place I had to direct the action so little revelations could be made at just the right time.  Each chapter would end with some sort of discovery and be a lead in to the next.  That way the reader always had some answered and unanswered questions.  The combined effect would be an engaging, fast paced story that culminates in a satisfying and possibly life-changing conclusion. 

And it all started with that little scene in the woods.