Short Story Contest #4 - Great War Stories

[The World Is Flat]

No. hes not.

 

[Tharkas]

To write a story you need, at least but not only: A general idea about what kind of story you're going to write, at least one character (that can be a nation, a tribe, etc... if you're going to write some kind of war chronicle) and an ending to the story that can change as the story goes on. With that you're good to go. Using the general idea you've got and the character/s, you write a starting. Now you "just" have to connect the start with the end with a series of main events that make the main plot advance and make sense with the characters characteristics and the world setting. But, what if you finish writing that and it's too boring? Well, then you just have to add some scenes between main events that add a bit of variety to the story.
And what if the story is too short? Well, then you should add secondary plots but... if you add them after the story is finished, they would be irrelevant to the main plot and so would be some kind of senseless adition...
After all maybe it would've been better to plan it from before...
In the end, what I come to say is...

What Miz said

I disagree, Overplanning is a bad idea, but planning in general depends on the style of writing you are doing. Writing a Mystery or some kind of psychological thriller or horror; if you don't plan it won't make any sense, at all.

I personally think Basic Planning; essentially to have some basic outline is a requirement but under planning can be a problem especially in longer works because you might not even see how you can draw a clear line to your climax and then to your conclusion that you want to make without making huge plot holes in the story.

Character Planning on the other hand is critical, you have to know your characters better then you need to, to make them realistic of any sort. If you don't think a character through they won't seem like real people. (i.e.: a robber who just robs for no exact reason or depth in his personality.) If that is the case, the reader might just lose any appeal, feelings or interest in that said character.

 

[The World Is Flat]

I agree wholheartedly.

 

[Grey Nightmare]

Yes that is rather disturbing... are you sure your going to make a good and fair judge?

+When exactly are we going to get the poll up?

 

[Vengeancekael]

When pyritie bothers to make the poll and when i get the time to review the other ones xD
Edit : Contacted pyritie, he should be making the poll soon

 

[Pyritie]

http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/arena-226/short-story-contest-4-poll-170280/