Audacious is my latest short story for a word.

As is often the case it was a toss up between the adjective (audacious) or the noun (audacity). The adjective, because it helped to describe the main character, is what I went with. She ‘was’ rather than she ‘owned’.

In case you wonder, I am a whole 5 foot nothing in height and yes that may, or may not, have some bearing on the story.

On recent travels I had the opportunity to truly appreciate the ‘super model’ good looks and attitudes of giraffes up close. It was uncanny how they came instantly to mind in the writing of this story and I am sure they will appear again.

Audacious

Does there have to be conflict in a story for the tale to hold the reader?

The common wisdom seems to be that there does.

This caused me to not only look at the use of conflict in my own writing (some revelations to be had), it also sent me searching for stories where there is no conflict as the basis within the story. Given that most of my reading is ‘western’ writing I struggled.

The struggle was worthwhile though because I discovered Kishotenketsu.

Chinese and Japanese writers have used this plot structure for centuries. It is plot structure that relies on exposition and contrast rather than major conflict. This structure contains no violence, the events need not harm one another as they can stand separately.

I am off to apply this new learning - wonder if you can find it in a short word story of mine sometime soon?

Here is some further reading for you if you are intrigued about the two different approaches to story telling.

• The Significance of Plot Without Conflict - Kishotenketsu

• What is Kishotenketsu?

Sitting down to write can challenge your whole purpose for being, challenge your dreams. No doubts about that.

Getting those words down is food for the soul but it is more than that. All the while you are writing you can see yourself holding the Nobel Prize for Literature, or making it on to the Best Sellers List or getting the blockbuster movie deal. That is the dream. We never want to risk losing our dream because what do we replace it with if it becomes lost to us? Or worse, if we achieve it!

It is not a problem unique to writers, this self sabotage.

There are so many inspirational true life stories out there about how others have faced the loss of their big dream, or found a new one to follow when they have achieved it. We don’t have to reinvent the process, we only have to realise that it applies to writers too!

Just get down one word at a time. Begin. Write hard. Celebrate the small dreams along the way while keeping an eye out for the big one.

Perhaps the way is a ‘list’ of small dreams, that build on each other but also intersect, rather than just one big dream?

• Real Life Inspirations (or expert dream changers?)

• More About Goals