Storytelling

Stuff about telling stories

14

Mar'18

Assess Your Plot

Joseph Campbell's stages of the hero's journey inform a massive number of books, television shows, and movies. The structure is not genre-specific, and if you're not sure where your plot should go next, consulting the common path of the hero's journey is a great way to get the ball rolling.

This infographic breaks down Campbell's ideas to help you understand the pattern and apply it to your work. ...

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24

Jan'18

Fill Your Plot Holes

As much as I am in love with my current work in progress, I am aware that it has a few major problems.  This novel truly is my tester novel, where I am making every writer mistake out there from spending too long on the first draft to under-developed characters to impressively poor world building.

Now that you all want to hire me to market your novels as well as I am marketing mine, let’s continue.

I have learned so much from making these mistakes, and though it is taking me some time to work through this novel, I know it will be worth it in the end.

My most recent round of editing has focused on filling potholes.

I mean, plot holes….see what I did there?..?..?  Okay, moving on.

Since I initially wrote this story without an outline (big no-no, I would not recommend this) my plot was holier than a nun at a golf course.  There were small plot holes, large plot holes, confusing plot holes and plot holes with the potential to turn into plot twists.

After navigating the treacherous plot road of my novel and carefully filling all the holes I could spot, I’ve learned quite a few techniques that I want to pass on to you wonderful readers. ...

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22

Feb'17

Surviving Your Own Torture

Have you ever had to inflict pain and suffering onto a character who you like . . . a lot?

Have you ever tipped a bucket full of "life hell" over your character and whilst you were doing it felt like you were betraying an old friend?

This week I have struggled with making one of my characters suffer. As you know I am close to finishing the second draft of my romance novel, and everything was fine until I had to write the twist at the end. I wanted to shake things up a bit for my reader and not let them think the romance was going to run smoothly. Plus, and more importantly, this particular character needed to understand the consequences of his past actions.

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28

Dec'16

Playing by the Rules

It’s tempting to believe that novelists who have already published books know “the secret.” But every novel, whether it’s your first or fifteenth, poses different challenges. Even the most experienced writers get stuck in dark alleys and thorny woods as they lose their way.

I’m about to publish my sixth novel, Folly Cove, this fall, and my means of feeling my way out of those slimy or prickly places is pretty simple: I read other people’s books and keep learning. This past week, I’ve read four novels that have taught me there really is only one rule in fiction: If it works, do it! ...

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14

Sep'16

Tips on Writing Better Villains (Video)

Your hero is well-developed and believable. You know him or her inside and out, have created character profiles and conducted interviews, have written and rewritten the perfect backstory until your hero’s author headcanon is as long as the manuscript itself.

So why would you settle for a bland, cookie-cutter villain? A strong, believable villain is crucial, and in her YouTube video, Shade gives fantastic tips for fleshing out your villain and making him or her a true antagonist, in the best sense. ...

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04

Feb'15

Why More Authors Should Use Micro Chapters

Micro chapters gave me the ability to pick up that book and read at almost any given moment during the day. If I had a few minutes on the toilet, time to read. If I had a couple stops on the bus, time to read. If I was waiting for the rice to boil, time to read. Structuring a book with micro chapters offers functionality that I hadn’t yet seen and have since adapted into some of my short stories, quick fiction and some of the longer endeavors.

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