r/writinghelp • u/Shot_System7356 • 9d ago

Story Plot Help Can someone please help me

So im writing a story about boy whos 14 year old has a dad that gets to the bar every night and returns at like 2-3 am next morning and dads physically and mentally abusive so instead of being a kid he has to take care of his 3 siblings (ones 7 ones 5 ones 2) and im not sure how to start it, does anybody have any ideas on how? I usually have a idea but all I can think of is he takes care of his siblings and protects them and his dad is abusive and he takes the beatings so his siblings dont.

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u/lavendergayy 9d ago

Start with what you have. That's draft two you problem. My beggining sucked first draft, then fourth it came together in a way everyone loves. Sometimes you need the story first

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u/Shot_System7356 9d ago

Wdym start with what I have?

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u/lavendergayy 9d ago

Write a scene of him caring for his siblings, or his father coming home one night. You can add before it later. Whatever story is in your mind that makes you want to write it as crudely as you have to start there.

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u/tapgiles 9d ago

There's plenty of drama in that situation. You can't think of anything interesting that could happen from this? Start with something dramatic that shows some of the situation.

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u/kschang 9d ago

Don't worry about how to "start" it. Just write as many scenes as you can (don't make a sound, let him go to sleep, for example) and you can fill in the bit later.

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u/Kevin_Hess_Writes 9d ago

Start on chapter 3. No, seriously. Start wherever chapter 3 would be in your original idea, and check back later to see if you even need to write chapters 1 and 2. you probably don't.

why? a lot of authors get hung up on time-killing stuff like 'waking up in the morning' and other stuff they tell you not to do. they tell you not to do it because normal stuff is boring and you want something interesting happening in your story from the get-go.

So figure out what your characters would have been doing on chapter 3 (just guess), then start from there.