In this series of guides, I'll be showing you the best techniques for writing your story. These are tried-and-true techniques, and they work.
First up: characters. Every story has characters. We all know that. But what you may not realize is that some portions of a character need not be mentioned. Why spend three pages on your character's dimples if they have nothing to do with the plot? In order to keep your readers hooked, you have to limit yourself to things that are involved with the plot.
Before you decide on a plot, you should get to know each of your characters. After all, you're telling their story. Sit down with each character. Let them tell you everything about themselves. Once you have that, you'll be able to choose what makes it into the story.
Ok, now for the fun. You have your characters all mapped out. Paper and pencil are at the ready. Start writing the idea. Follow it. Get lost in it. Don't stop writing until either the idea, your pencil, or supply of paper runs out. If you think about it too much, you'll get yourself stuck. Don't fret too much over grammer and spelling. You can always go back. You shouldn't need to revise if you wrote the idea exactly as it was in your mind. A few tweaks are usually needed for most stories, as ideas are not usually fully coherent.
Congratulations! Pat yourself on the back! You wrote your story. The next guide will be about finding stories in everyday life. Keep writing!