The 5W Story Planning Method
The 5W story planning method is based on the advice I received back when I was studying journalism: always remember to convey the 5 W’s: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. In journalism, the rule is to lead with this information in the “lede” (first 2-3 sentences). In fiction, these elements don’t need to be established right away for the reader - but the writer must have a good grasp of all five to make the story coherent and consistent. To start planning a story, the goal of the 5Ws is to create a brief paragraph that answers all five questions. I’m working on a way to connect this method to a modified version of The Snowflake Method.
Take a look at the five questions to answer:
Who
This is the most obvious, and for me, the easiest to start with: character. In this case, the writer should know who is the active character in the tale. Imagine you are writing a log line. The who is the character who is the subject of the log line, the protagonist. Now imagine the log line from a different character’s perspective. Make sure this is a dynamic, active character in the story (one who makes decisions, takes actions that directly influence the plot). You can repeat this experiment as often as you like to get a list of characters, a dramatis personae.
What
The what of a story can refer to the central objective and the central conflict. These two things go together — one causes the other. Either a character wants something and out of that want arises the conflict, or the conflict initiates the character’s want or need. Either way, they are intertwined in a causal relationship. Each active character needs an objective or conflict, though these can be shared with other characters.
When
The when refers to the timeline of the main events of the story. One thing happens, then another, then another. Answering this question, we need to establish a linear relationship between the events in the story. How does one thing that happens cause events to happen, or affect events that are already going to happen? How do events call back to previous events? How does a character’s arc align with the plot?
Where
This refers to the setting of the story. The story needs to be grounded in its world. How does the setting affect the plot? The characters? How does the story tie into its world? Create a picture of the story world, establishing how it is different from our own world. Create a clear backstory for each character and setting so you have a consistent backdrop.
Why
Finally, the stakes. We know the conflict and the objective, now we figure out the conflict behind the conflict and the objective for the objective. Why does the character need what she needs? Why should the reader care? What happens if the characters fail to achieve their objective and lose the conflict?
An example of blurb with all five elements
In a dystopian future in which academia has been criminalized, a 35-year-old lumberjack with a now-useless PHD in bioengineering receives a visit from a government agent who needs his help in stopping an alien plague that could wipe out all life on earth within the year.
In the above, we answer the 5 questions:
WHERE - in a “dystopian future in which academia has been criminalized”
WHO - a “35-year-old lumberjack with a now-useless Ph.D.”
WHEN - a government agent pays him a visit
WHAT - he needs to help stop an alien plague
WHY - or all life on earth could die
see also
references
- Ingermanson, Randy. `How To Write A Novel Using The Snowflake Method.` Advanced Fiction Writing, 7 Dec. 2020, [https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/].