Do you ever wonder if you have a real plot in your short story – something that an editor will find satisfying and complete? It can be tough, but one way to find out is to imagine your main character in front of you and just ask him or her some questions. What questions? Ah, there’s the key.

"Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water." --Kurt Vonnegut

The first question to ask your character is what he or she wants. A character who wants for nothing is probably not someone an editor is going to find interesting. Let’s ask that question of the main characters in two of my short stories – one for young readers and one for intermediate readers. And while I’m at it, I’ll add in the main character in the science fiction series I’m doing for an educational publisher.

Me: Hi, so, tell me – what do you want most in the world right now?
Penny: I want to go back to my old preschool where all my old friends are.
Hannah: I want Olivia to move back to Texas before she ruins my life.
Carter: I want to make enough money to buy another new cell phone, but I don’t want to be bored to death doing it.

All of these wants are very serious for the main characters. Now, Penny and Hannah aren’t going to get what they think they want – Carter will, but he may learn something about being careful what you wish for. Penny’s family has moved, and they aren’t likely to move back. And Hannah’s nemesis isn’t likely to move away just because that’s what Hannah wants. We can sense the problems inherent in their desire right from the moment they tell us what they want. And that leads us to the second question.

“Our instinct as human beings is to provide answers, to ease tension. As writers our job is the opposite, to create tension and not dispel it immediately.” Sol Stein

So, the second question probes to see if the story is going to be too easy or if the main character is going to encounter problems, thus building tension in the story. An easy story is flat. An easy story is solved simply by having the main character do the thing he/she wants – straightforward and simple. The main character wants a piece of cake, she goes to cut one. The main character wants an ice cream, she walks to the store and buys one. The main character wants to save his injured father/sister/grandfather/dog and so runs through the darkening woods to the ranger station. In stories like that you may have action, you may have dialogue, you may have humor – but you don’t have a real story because nothing of consequence happens on the way to getting what the character wants. Let’s go back to chatting up Penny, Hannah, and Carter.

Me: So, how is that going?
Penny: Horrible. Mom says this is our new home and I’m going to love it. Blech.
Hannah: Horrible. Olivia loves being here and she’s already stolen my very best friend.
Carter: Lousy. My uncle offered me a job and he’s cool but I have to work with my know-it-all cousin. She always makes me feel stupid.

One of the ways to describe the opening to most really good stories is that you take a perfectly nice main character and drop her/him right into the middle of big trouble. The bigger the trouble, the most exciting the story. Facing your third grade class for an oral report after everyone saw you rip your pants open is huge. Facing a spelling test after you studied all week and totally know all the words is not so huge. Running through the dark to save your little brother while coyotes chase you is huge…especially if you trip on some roots that trap your ankle as the coyotes come closer and closer. Just running back to your house and yelling for your dad is not so huge. Choose huge and your reader will be hanging on the edge of the seat waiting to see what your main character does about the story problem. Which leads us to the next big interview question.

“Plot conflict is not conflict merely in a character’s mind or soul, while he sits at home. A plot conflict has to be expressed in action. The more struggle a story involves, the better the plot.” Ayn Rand

For a plot to work, the main character has to do something – something purposeful and vital. Just because the main character is doing a bunch of stuff, doesn’t mean you have a plot. Instead, the stuff the main character does must be purposeful (intended to fulfill the character’s plot need) and vital (creating the eventual story resolution). If the character wants a piece of cake and you have her go brush her hair, tidy her room, call her best friend, then cut and eat the cake – you have lots of action but none of it is purposeful except the very last act. The rest is simply filler. If the character wants a piece of cake and you have her go brush her hair, tidy her room, call her best friend and talk – when suddenly the mom walks in with a nice big piece of cake for her – then you even rob the character of the last bit of purposeful activity. In this situation, none of the characters actions are vital.

Me: So what are you going to do about this problem?
Penny: Well, I might not be able to move back, but I’m not going to have anything else new happen either. Old is best.
Hannah: Well, I’m not going to let Olivia steal my best friend and I’m totally not giving in to her nicey nice ways – she’s evil, I’m sure of it.
Carter: Well, I may have to work with my cousin, but I’m not letting her boss me around. I’m the one who’s climbing into the virtual reality suit – it’s my adventure!

Thus these characters are active in resisting the story problem. They may not be able to completely gain the want they began the story with – but they aren’t giving in easily. They’re doing things. They aren’t just collapsing in a heap and whining until someone else solves the problem. They aren’t just accepting the world pushing them from one event to another. They are acting and active. But what about the ending – did they get an ending that grew out of the actions and choices they made?

Me: So how did that work out for you?
Penny: Well, I didn’t wear any of those fancy new clothes my mom bought, but I did make a friend at school and we had fun. I still like old best, but I like new sometimes.
Hannah: Well, I didn’t lose my best friend, and I did stick up for myself – a little too much, I guess. I found out Olivia had changed. So, I guess she can stay.
Carter: I had an amazing adventure and I guess my cousin has her good points, as long as I don’t have to live with her! But I can’t wait to get back in the suit again.

The character’s actions definitely shaped each story. Penny’s choices got her in some trouble, but it also let her make a friend. Hannah’s actions brought about a confrontation which totally changed the way she saw the situation. Carter’s resistance to getting along with his cousin did up the peril in the adventure, but it also allowed each of them to come to appreciate the other’s strengths – a little. The endings could not have happened if the characters had made different choices and done different things. Also, the endings point up one more important aspect of plot.

“If there is no possibility for change in a character, we have no interest in him.” Flannery O’Connor

The final question is hinted at in the answers I got for the last question – how has the character changed. Is there any area where they see things differently at the end of the story? Change isn’t the same as lesson. A lesson is usually invoked from outside – the wise adult/wise friend gives a lecture and the character magically changes. But story change comes as a result of choices, actions, and issues faced by the character in the story. Change comes to a character just as it comes to use in real life, and by watching a character change, the reader may gain a new perspective as well. And that is one take-away value of story.

Me: So do you feel any differently now from when you started?
Penny: I still don’t like change – except sometimes. Sometimes it’s good.
Hannah: Yeah, I guess I figured out that people can change and I’m glad. Because I totally didn’t want Evil Olivia back in my life, but I really like Friend Olivia.
Carter:I found out I’m not as stupid as I was afraid I might be.

So – quiz your main character. What do they reveal about your story problem, story tension, conflict and change? They have a lot to teach you. Now, I have to go talk to some more imaginary people – see ya later.