The Motivational Editor

Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published

characters

5 Questions for Character Growth

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Readers want to see character growth and change through the course of the story. This is the character arc of your story. Character growth can be as simple as having your heroine realize she doesn’t need a man in her life to be happy, or as complex as overcoming the childhood trauma of abuse.

Here are 5 questions to ask yourself either before you begin to write or during.

  • What is my protagonist’s/antagonist’s overall goal in the story?
  • What change in my characters do I want to make happen as she/he journeys toward the goal?
  • What obstacles can I throw in the way to help my character grow? These can be internal or external.
  • What is the character’s goal in this scene?
  • How does the conflict in this scene affect change in my character?

As in life, it usually isn’t any one thing, but a combination of happenings that bring about change/growth in our lives. So it is with your story characters. These five questions will get you on your way to creating characters readers can connect with.

I highly recommend Nancy Kress’s book Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint. Check the link to the right for more information (affiliate link).

Debra L. Butterfield © 2013

 

Writing Good Dialogue

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“Bloated, chunky, dull dialogue is a five-alarm warning to the reviewer that you can’t write salable fiction,” says James Scott Bell in his book The Art of War for Writers.

Dialogue, like any other part of your novel, must move your story forward.

An important part of good dialogue is the distinctive voice of each character. Even if your characters grew up in the same neighborhood and went to the same schools, they have different parents, siblings, and perspectives on life. Those things will affect the way they speak.

Discover your character’s voice by creating a voice journal, a stream of conscious writing you write from a character’s POV. Start your character’s journal by having her or him respond to the questions “Who am I and what do I want?” Then write for about 10 or 15 minutes.

I recommend creating a journal for each main character of your story. Utilize these journals throughout the process of writing your novel, especially when you feel stuck.

What tools do you use to create compelling dialogue?

Debra L. Butterfield © 2013

Use Art to Spur Your Creativity

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fire escapeTake a look at the picture above. What’s the first thing that comes into your mind? Danger? A bygone era? What ever your thought was, the fact is the picture triggered that thought. That is the creativity of your mind in action.

Now think about how you can use what’s in this photo in your work in progress.

  • Can the building serve as a location for one of my scenes? Where is this, what is this, what did it used to be?
  • Can your protagonist elude capture by climbing up the fire escape? Climbing down?
  • Was your antagonist once trapped here as child? If so, how? As a kidnap victim? Was the building on fire? Was she/he homeless?
  • What would your antagonist and protagonist think about this building? Spend 15 minutes writing in your voice journal for each character.
  • How can I use this building to bring conflict to a scene and my characters?

When you’re stuck on a plot point or feel your story is dragging, step away from your writing and visit a local art gallery or do some web surfing to galleries. Use the pictures to inspire you and spur your creativity.

As you meander through the exhibits, ask yourself the questions above and anything else that comes to mind. What is the potential conflict this setting can bring to my story? Even what appears to you as the most tranquil scene can spark conflict in your character if he/she associates that scene with bad experiences.

Be sure to take along a notebook or digital recorder so you can record your thoughts. Who knows, you might even find the gallery you visit to be a perfect scene location.

Debra L. Butterfield © 2013

 

How to Analyze What You Read

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Even though I make it a point to read bestselling authors, I often go to the library to pick out books by authors I’ve never heard of. After all, how would new authors ever make it the best seller list? I’ve discovered some wonderful authors this way. And in all honesty, I don’t pay that much attention to the lists.

As a writer, I make it a point to read novels specifically to learn writing technique. If I happen to enjoy the story as well, all the better. I do most of my pleasure reading in the summer when I can sit outside while I read. Even when I read for pleasure, I learn.

How do I analyze what I read?

  • Does the first page grab my interest?
  • How does the author develop the book’s characters?
      • Are the characters individuals or do they all to think and talk alike?
      • What techniques does the author use to make his characters unique?
  • Can I follow the plot?
  • Are there passages of narrative that drag or begin to bore me?
  • How does the author treat dialogue?
      • Does it seem real? Why? or why not?
      • Does it flow smoothly? Why or why not?  
      • Does it create mood and express emotion?
  • How does the author make use of similes and metaphors?
  • Does the author draw me into the story by appealing to my sense of taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing? If yes, I make note of how and what I like about how it’s done.
  • How does the author employ point of view (POV)?
  • Am I bored? Why or why not?
  • Do I like the story? Why or what not?

The list could on, but I don’t have all day and neither do you. This should be enough to get you started on your own journey.

What do you look for when you read a book? Share your comments below.

Debra L. Butterfield © 2013

How Do Plot and Scene Work Together? Series Conclusion

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Let’s connect the pieces of plot, scene, and sequel.

Plot at its most basic level is your lead character’s goal and the journey to reach that goal. That journey is played out in the scenes and sequels of your story.

Scenes show the reader the individual steps your character takes to reach his or her goal and the setbacks along the way. Sequels bridge your scenes and present the character’s reaction—emotions and thoughts—to the setbacks, and his or her subsequent decisions and renewed action toward the final goal.

In your WIP, can you identify:

  • The beginning, middle, and end of each scene?
  • How each scene moves your plot forward?
  • Your sequels?
  • How your sequels move your plot forward?

For practice, look for the scenes and sequels in your favorite novels. Does some aspect of your WIP have you stumped? Share below.

Debra L. Butterfield © 2013

Dealing with Time in Sequels, Part 5 of our series

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Unlike the scene, which happens moment by moment, the passage of time in a sequel is flexible. Here you can move quickly through hours or days (even months) in your story. What took 158 words as a scene can be written in much fewer words. I’ll take our last example, a scene, and make it a sequel.

Example: Marta searched her Excel file for the next group of potential investors to contact. She made phone call after phone call as she identified names, her temper rising with every conversation. Ten calls, and ten “no’s.” The clock on the wall read 3:30. She shut down her laptop, stuffed it into her briefcase, and tromped out of the office. She’d start again tomorrow.

I have sufficiently covered several hours in her day vs. the few minutes of one phone call I used in a scene. We see her emotional and mental state, and her decision and action (all the elements of sequel).

Questions? Ask below in the comment section.

Debra L. Butterfield © 2013