Choosing a Beginning and an End

The network of ideas that make a story is a complex web that sometimes reaches far back in time. When you examine everything that leads to your novel's events – the entirety of a story – it's easy to lose track of what the actual narration should be.

White Echoes, for example, is Henry's fight to bring to light a conspiracy that led to the death of thousands civilians, a decade ago. We're already ten years back into time. But what about the events that led to this conspiracy? They involve a war, which is another decade (or about) earlier, in which the villains' brother dies. But even that isn't enough. This death wouldn't bring about the same consequences had my two villains been different people. The events that shape their personality are part of this novel, too.

It's what is called backstory.

So where to start? Where to end? It all depends on what you want this story to be about. There is one constant, however: you should raise a question at the beginning, and only end your novel when it is answered.

I made White Echoes about Henry's struggle. The question is "Can Henry Schmitt uncover the conspiracy?" His decision to try comes at the start(ish) of the story. It's my First Plot Point. Readers will expect to know of his success or failure by the end.

If I'd wanted to make the novel about the villains, the beginning would feature scenes of their youth. I'd establish their characters and kick the action proper with the brother's death. The question raised is different (it'd be related to their goal in all this) and thus, the answer must be, too.

The type of question you raise – the conflict you'll want to resolve – will be bring about a different type of story. Orson Scott Card outlines four types in How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy, the MICE – Milieu, Idea, Character, Event.

Any story will have more than one of these elements, and I think it should have all of them to some degree. One, however, will predominate and determine what type of question you need to answer before the end.

The MICE story structures are what will occupy most of the next two weeks. Hope you find it interesting!