1
Set the scene and introduce your characters in the beginning. Spend the first 2-3 paragraphs immersing your reader in the setting. First, place your character in the setting. Then, give a basic description of the place, and incorporate details to show the era. Give just enough information for your reader to paint a picture in their mind.
You might start your story like this: “Esther pulled her medical text from the mud, carefully wiping the cover clean on the hem of her dress. The laughing boys sped away on bicycles, leaving her to walk the last mile to the hospital alone. The sun beat down on the rain-soaked landscape, turning the morning’s puddles into a dank afternoon haze. The heat made her want to rest, but she knew her instructor would use tardiness as an excuse to kick her out of the program.”
2
Introduce a problem in the first few paragraphs. Your problem will act as an inciting incident that triggers your plot and keeps your character reading. Think about what your character wants, and why they can’t have it. Then, create a scene that shows them encountering this problem.
For example, let’s say that Esther’s class is going to get the opportunity to work with real patients, and she wants to be chosen as 1 of the students who gets to do it. However, when she gets to the hospital, she’s told she can only go in as a nurse. This sets up a plot where Esther tries to earn her spot as a doctor-in-training.
3
Fill the middle of your story with rising action. Show your character working on their problem. To make your story more interesting, incorporate 2-3 challenges they face as they move toward the climax of your story. This builds the reader’s suspense before you reveal what happens.[7]
For example, Esther might go into the hospital as a nurse, look for her peers, switch her clothes, almost get caught, and then meet a patient who needs her help.
4
Provide a climax that resolves the problem. The climax is the peak of your story. Create an event that forces your character to fight for what they want. Then, show your character either winning or losing.[8]
In Esther's story, the climax might occur when she’s caught trying to treat a patient who’s collapsed. As the hospital tries to remove her, she shouts out a correct diagnosis, causing the senior doctor to demand her release.
5
Use falling action to move the reader toward your conclusion. Keep your falling action brief because your reader won’t be as motivated to keep reading after the climax. Use the final couple of paragraphs to wrap up the plot and summarize what happened after the resolution of the problem.[9]
For instance, the senior doctor at the hospital might compliment Esther and offer to be her mentor.
6
Write an ending that gives the reader something to think about. In your first draft, don’t worry about making your ending good. Instead, focus on presenting your theme and suggesting what your character might do next. This will leave the reader thinking about the story.
Esther’s story might end with her starting rounds with her new mentor. She might reflect on what she would have lost if she hadn’t defied the rules to pursue her goal.
