Your wild and rebellious character has been forced to spend his summer with his elderly aunt and uncle on their farm. Seeking an escape from the laundry list of chores that fill each waking hour, he hides out in the locked-up barn the one place he’s forbidden to go. What he finds inside fills him with terror.
One Stop for Writers
Guidance & Tips
Write the scene of discovery (i.e., tell a story), or brainstorm and create a list of related ideas.
Here’s five story elements to consider:
- Character
- Setting
- Plot
- Conflict
- Resolution
Never forget, writing is a process. The first draft is always a mess.
The first draft of anything is shit.
Ernest Hemingway
Author: Richard L. Fricks
Writer, observer, and student of presence. After decades as a CPA, attorney, and believer in inherited purpose, I now live a quieter life built around clarity, simplicity, and the freedom to begin again.
I write both nonfiction and fiction:
The Pencil-Driven Life, a memoir and daily practice of awareness, and the Boaz, Alabama novels—character-driven stories rooted in the complexities of ordinary life.
I live on seventy acres we call Oak Hollow, where my wife and I care for seven rescued dogs and build small, intentional spaces that reflect the same philosophy I write about. Oak Hollow Cabins is in the development stage (opening March 1, 2026), and is—now and always—a lived expression of presence: cabins, trails, and quiet places shaped by the land itself.
My background as a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor still informs how I understand story, though I no longer offer coaching. Instead, I share reflections through The Pencil’s Edge and @thepencildrivenlife, exploring what it means to live lightly, honestly, and without a script.
Whether I’m writing, building, or walking the land, my work is rooted in one simple truth:
Life becomes clearer when we stop trying to control the story and start paying attention to the moment we’re in.
View all posts by Richard L. Fricks
The Pencil Driven Life 