Continuing with the Series of A to Z tips, here is my Week #2 post which focuses on Alphabet B.... B is for Background. Writing stories is more than just creating characters, developing the plot and writing scenes. To be able to do all that you have to first do the 'background' work. And it begins with brainstorming. Often times, the seed of a story just pops into your head. It might be inspired by something you read in the newspapers, a snatch of conversation you might hear, a photograph or even a long lost memory that randomly floats into your consciousness. Whatever the inspiration, stories rarely come into existence all fully developed with a beginning, middle and end. Before it turns into a full-fledged story, you need to brainstorm the idea. To me, this is the most exciting phase of creating a new story. The possibilities are endless. You can take the idea in any direction and let your imagination go wild. You don't need to set any boundaries such as...