Why am I talking about preparing for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in September when it doesn’t take place until November? Because now is the time to begin preparing, especially if you work a day job and fit your writing in late at night or in the predawn hours of your day or are haphazard…
Conflict. In real life, most people try to avoid it, but a story without conflict is like a latte without coffee. In fact, if your story has no conflict, you haven’t got a story. Let’s first look at conflict from a big picture view: external and internal. External conflict comes from outside your character—the people,…
If you close your eyes during a meeting, what message are you sending your colleagues? Is that message universal? Body Language While there are several facial expressions universal to the world, the interpretation of body language varies from culture to culture. Misinterpreted body language opens the door to miscommunication. For the fiction writer, this means…
Culture impacts your story more than you might realize. Distinct cultures exist even within the US, just as there are many dialects. A person’s name often indicates one’s heritage, and thus culture. Did you know the name Dobby, a character from the Harry Potter series, was a real word? I discovered quite by accident one…
We’ve all met them: Miss Sunshine, Mr. Easy Going, Mrs. Bossy, and Ms. Perfectionist. We often chalk it up to “that’s just who they are,” but these titles describe specific temperaments. If you’re not careful, they can become stereotypes. The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Collegiate Dictionary defines temperament as “characteristic or habitual inclination or mode of emotional…
Without unforgettable characters in a story, do you lose interest? I do. But how do you create these characters? Today begins a series on that topic. Let’s get real, whether we do it consciously or unconsciously, we want to connect with story characters. We want to discover something about them that we share–their life goals,…
Imagine, for a moment, that you’re a magazine editor. You’ve just finished reading a submission that’s perfect for next month’s online issue. You start to notify the submitting writer, but discover you can’t. The writer failed to put her contact information in her article. Oh, but there’s the writer’s email to refer to, you might…
I’m pleased to have indie author Melody Balthaser with me today. What does she say about herself? I’m blessed to live with my husband and teenage son on my family’s farm, nestled between the Catskill and Pocono Mountains, in the scenic Upper Delaware River Valley. Sharing the transforming love of Jesus, through writing and speaking,…