Chapter 9: Story Building Part 1

So for this weeks installment I am going to start cataloging work on a short story idea that has been bouncing around in my head. As a writer it's easy to focus on one single project, but from a marketing perspective it's important to have several works in progress, or completed.

I'm going to try to keep this story as close to 5000 words as possible, so I'm going to have to keep that in mind as the story progresses. I hate counting words.
If I'm writing a short story that has to be a certain length than I'm conscious of my word count; a good practice for disciplined writing. However if this were a full-length novel, then I would throw all notions of word count out the window, until I was much further into the process.

The first step is the idea, the second is the characters, the third is the storyline.

The idea:

The story will be about a man trapped in an alien concentration camp. It will focus on the trauma he endures. He will only see one other prisoner, a female. They will develop a bond, which will ultimately grow into love, and we will see how far that bond can be stretched.

A little side-note btw: I will need to be extra careful to establish the location of this story as early as possible in the storyline. Prisons/concentration camps are something very common in today's day and age. This is a positive, because most readers will be able to relate very easily with the setting, giving me space to focus on character development and the core of the story. However I must establish this story as a piece of science fiction as soon as possible so as to not confuse anyone.

Characters:

In my vision for this story, I really want to capture the contrast between humanity and alien culture. How I plan to do this is expose humanity at its core, most specifically in the feelings of love. Love is a powerful motivator and can be used effectively in pushing a character in the direction you want it to go.
So my two main characters are going to be a male and a female, and they are both soldiers.

Plot:

The prisoners will be in side by side cells, with walls made of soundproof glass. Unable to hear each other speak, they will find other ways to communicate as they slowly fall in love.
The main points will be the sharing in the suffering, and trying to establish a connection when so many forms of communication are unavailable to them.
Both will be tested, but he will start to notice that she is being broken down. Then he will be given an opportunity to try and escape, and be forced to decide between fleeing, or staying with the woman. Will his growing love for her be enough, or will he leave her behind?

Now, for my own reference point I'm going to create a simple outline. That way I have something to go back to when I need to revive story details in my mind. I can't advocate for outlines enough, if you're writing you should be using one.

Part 1: Our protagonist is in a torture chamber. I will use this time for introducing the main character and his dilemma. I will also introduce the alien antagonists and explain the war that has brought both sides together. Also this room will be revisited later so I had better give some details for my readers benefit.

Part 2: Immediately following part. 1. Will explain his surroundings from his cell, and introduce his female companion

Part 3: Two weeks later He will see her dragged back into her cell after a torture session. They will communicate by writing on the glass walls in blood.

Part 4: They will witness another prisoner trying to escape and dieing in the process.

Part 5: They will develop a bond together.

Part 6: He will have an opportunity to escape, and be forced to choose between freedom and leaving his new found love.

Some of the key points I want to capture in this story will be the psychological toll of human solitude, the cruelty of the aliens, and the feeling of being torn between love and freedom. And of course the big finish, which we'll keep hidden for now.

Next week I'm going to draw up my characters, give them names and appearances, and expand my plot a little further. After that I just might start the first draft. I have a lot of story I need to pack into a small amount of words so I'm interested to see if I can do it.

‘til next time…