Fiction Writing: What Makes Readers Care About Your Characters? “Really scary books succeed because we come to know and care about the characters. I like to say, “It’s the PEOPLE, stupid” — NOT the monsters!” - Stephen King What makes readers care about your characters? Recognition When you see yourself or someone familiar to you in a character concept, the connection is instantaneous. The situations that your characters experience and the actions they take achieve that bond. Some experiences are universal. Or, maybe the situation is even closer to home. Recognition often creates a bond you can’t find anywhere else. You take these characters into your heart – and they never leave. Personality A character’s personality often seals a bond by making us relate as kindred spirits or by encouraging our smiles. For example, I enjoy witty, charming personalities. Other characters often have two faces that help endear them. And Sunny is… Well, he’s an impulsive firecracker, holding back his emotions and the world with his mental walls. Humanity Enrichment Pain
What Novelists Should Know About Short Fiction When I first started writing seriously, all I wanted was to publish a novel. I thought my intentions were honourable—that I wasn’t just another wannabe with dreams of making it big—but there was always that little part of me that still wasn’t ready to put in my dues. I wanted it all, and I wanted it right away. Then, something life-changing happened. A Writing Revelation In order to be sure I was writing something that wouldn’t be rejected, I read and deconstructed a lot of short stories, listened to them on podcasts, and spent a painfully long period of time perfecting my piece. My piece was accepted. All of this changed the course of my writing forever. And that could have a huge impact on my ability to write, sell, and market a novel. If you consider yourself strictly a novelist, have you given some thought to whether short fiction can help you achieve your goals? Consider: 1. Reading short fiction offers an opportunity to become more widely read in less time. 2. 3.
A Simple Novel Outline – 9 questions for 25 chapters « H.E. Roulo Just as every tree is different but still recognizably a tree, every story is different but contains elements that make it a story. By defining those before you begin you clarify the scope of your work, identify your themes, and create the story you meant to write. At Norwescon 2011 I sat in on a session called Outline Your Novel in 90-minutes led by Mark Teppo. I’ll give you the brief, readable, synthesized version. Here are the 9 questions to create a novel: 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.) Now, with those 9 questions answered to your satisfaction, try to fill in a 25 chapter, 75,000 word outline. Chapters 7-18 are the middle of your book. Chapters 19-25 depict the heroic act to victory. Wasn’t that easy? Okay, sure, the work isn’t done yet. Using the idea that there are 25 chapters, I outlined my current work in progress. I hope that was helpful. Tell me what works for you. Related 6 Steps to Masterful Writing Critiques June 7, 2013 In "Writing Tips" Writers love to write. In "News"
Well-Behaved Characters by John Gilstrap Like all authors, I suppose, I teach a number of writing classes and attend my share of conferences, and one of the questions that always comes up goes something like this: “I hear authors talk about how there comes a point in every story when the characters take over and start writing the story for you. Does that happen to you?” The short answer is no; and frankly, it sort of ticks me off. As it is, my characters just sit there and wait to be told what to do. I faced a storytelling crisis last weekend. So I shot one of the characters. Don’t worry, it wasn’t a gratuitous thing. Seriously, though, when I found myself in this crisis-of-ending, I think I discovered what authors really mean when they talk about characters taking over. I submitted the manuscript a week early! Back to this business of characters taking on lives of their own. I do love this job.
Questionnaires for Writing Character Profiles - Creative Writing Help - StumbleUpon Enter your e-mail to get the e-book for FREE. We'll also keep you informed about interesting website news. "I have searched the web and used different worksheets, but none have come close to your worksheets and descriptions of (what to do and what not to do). Both courses I have taken have with Creative Writing Now have been amazing. Each time I have learned something new. "As usual - I already love the course on Irresistible Fiction, rewriting a lot and improving greatly even after the first lesson. “Essentials of Fiction proved that I could indeed write and I wrote every day, much to my boyfriend's dismay (waa sniff).” - Jill Gardner "I am loving the course and the peer interaction on the blog is fantastic!!!" "I'm enjoying the weekly email course, Essentials of Poetry Writing. "Thank you for all the material in this course. "I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the lessons and feel they were very helpful in introducing new ideas and perspectives to my writing.
150 Resources to Help You Write Better, Faster, and More Persuasively It doesn't matter if you're a student or a professional writer: there's always something new to learn and ways to make your writing more refined, better researched, and more effective. Writing is essential for students who want to succeed, whether they're enrolled in one of the top online colleges or an Ivy League university. As essential as it is, learning to write well isn't easy. The best practices for writing and research can sometimes be subjective, and the finer points of syntax and style often take a backseat to looming deadlines and strict citation guidelines. Luckily, there are many helpful resources that make it easier to build on your existing skills while learning new ones. Blogs These blogs can help you learn more about the profession of writing, brush up your skills, and even see what it takes to get a book published. Copyblogger: On Copyblogger, Brian Clark offers tips on how to improve the content, marketing, and business of a blog. Business and Legal Matters Genres Rhetoric
Story Structure & Plot - Novel Writing Tips Conflict and Character within Story Structure The Basic Three Act Structure The simplest building blocks of a good story are found in the Three Act Structure. In the Beginning you introduce the reader to the setting, the characters and the situation (conflict) they find themselves in and their goal. Short Story Ideas - Home Wordiness, Wordiness, Wordiness List absolutely essential = essential aforementioned = DELETE a bigger/greater/higher/larger degree of = more a considerable amount of = DELETE OR BE SPECIFIC a decreased number of = fewer a distance of 28 kilometers = 28 kilometers a lesser/smaller degree of = less/fewer He noticed a lesser degree of errors = He noticed fewer errors. a lot of = many, much a majority of = most, much of, many a person who is xxx = a xxx person A person who is dedicated will succeed = A dedicated person will succeed. a total of seven xxxs = seven xxxs added bonus = bonus advance notice/reservations = notice/reservations advance warning = warning advance planning = planning after all is/was said and done = DELETE After all was said and done, the trip to the well was a disaster. all across = across all of = all all of a sudden = suddenly all of these = these all-time record = record almost never = seldom along the lines of = like any and all = all are/is such that = DELETE Jack and Jill are such that they are doomed to perish.