If you ask the right questions, your characters will tell your story for you.

Let�s say you have a unique, dynamic character in mind, but no story for him or her to tell (yet). How do you get from character to plot? First, ask some key questions:

* Who does this character care about?
* What does he/she value?
* What is the most important conflict or goal in his/her life? (inner and/or outer)
* How does the character feel about this conflict or goal? (resolving it and/or avoiding it)

If you�re not sure how to answer that last question, think of it this way: Your character must have a strong reason to solve the conflict or pursue the objective you establish. Once you�ve decided what that is, invent an equally compelling emotional reason for him or her to give up that objective, to walk away. In many stories, that other emotion is fear, not just fear of physical harm or death, but fear of failure, exposure, loss, embarrassment, intimacy, or just about anything else�as long as it�s important to your character.

Your story�s plot will revolve around how this character goes about resolving the conflict or achieving the goal. You may need to add other characters and conflicts to provide complications along the way, but the plot should always focus on these four central elements.