This live interactive workshop happens Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, at 1:00 Central time. Characters that captivate the reader are essential to all good novels. This workshop discusses a 3-step method to build your characters as well as utilizing elements outside the norm such as cultural communication differences and temperament devices like Myers-Briggs and Keirsey. Then…
Originally published Aug. 11, 2015 as “Can you recognize your character’s voice?” UPDATED June 3, 2024. My last blog talked about point of view (POV), so it seems appropriate today to discuss creating a unique character voice for each of your book’s main characters. Our voice is as much a part of who we are…
(updated Jan. 31, 2023) In a recent reader survey, several readers mentioned struggling with dialog, so today I’m pulling from the archive and updating it. Dialog must accomplish 1 or more of 9 tasks, according to award-winning author Cecil Murphey. Perhaps that’s why it can be so difficult to write. In real life we learn…
Updated October 12, 2020 Last time we looked at scenes and how to build them. Most writers don’t have trouble writing scenes, and moving from scene to scene can be accomplished with as simple a statement as “Later that day…” However, there are times when you want to provide your reader with more. The sequel…
Updated September 14, 2020. In my last post we looked at plot. Today we’ll look at working with scenes. What goes into a scene? All the same things that go into plot. Think of a scene like a mini plot. The character(s) has a goal, which represents a small step in achieving the story goal….
Updated August 2020 Many fiction writers struggle with what plot is and how to develop it, including me. We envision the end product and wonder how we’re going to get there. Some writers develop their plot through first writing outlines (called plotters); some write by the seat of their pants (called pantsers). But much like…
Guest Posting today is Jennifer Slattery Every first draft I write seems to be crammed with cliché characters. The Sunday school teacher with silver hair pulled back in a bun. The buff and burly loan shark. The alcoholic husband who burps and slurps and does all sorts of other crude things unfit to share in…
As discussed in “6 Steps to Story Development,” a story needs conflict. In fact, without it you have no story. So let’s take a closer look and see how you can make sure you’re developing the conflict in your story. James Scott Bell, in his book Conflict & Suspense, defines conflict this way: “a clash between…