Please review the information from the Fall '96 Writing Contest about how to create strong and believable characters. Familiar Setting . Pretend that you're a stranger who's never seen your family, house, or school before, and start noticing things. Strong Plot . Think of your plot as the skeleton that gives shape to your story.
Every good story needs a beginning, a middle, and an end.
It needs an antagonist , which is someone or something that threatens your main character. It needs a climax, a point where your main character is up against big problems. And it needs a resolution, where you tie up all the loose ends in your story and bring it to an end. Problems to Overcome . This is actually a part of your plot, but it deserves some extra attention.