Monthly Archives: March 2013

The Choice

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Outtakes 84

 

The Choice

By Cait Collins

 

I was once asked which one of my senses I would be willing to give up.  The choice was mine. Did I want to live without my sight, my hearing, the sense of smell, taste or touch? I didn’t know how to respond then, and I don’t know how I would answer now.

I cannot imagine not seeing another sunrise or watching kids make snow angels. I’d miss the fall colors and baby smiles. Imagine going through life and not hearing the gentle rain fall, the voice of a loved one, a child’s laughter. How I love the smell of fresh baked cookies and the scents of the forest on a spring day.  What if I could not taste the spicy bite of my sister’s enchiladas or the slight bitterness of dark chocolate? Touch might be an obvious choice, but then again I’d never feel the downy softness of a rose petal or the feathery paper birch bark as I peel it from the tree trunk. The choice is more difficult because I’ve been blessed to have all my senses. I know what I would be missing.

Test your writing skills. Your protagonist regains consciousness following an accident. He cannot (see, hear, smell, taste, or feel). You select the lost sense. How does the character react to the news?  Is the loss temporary or permanent? What ordeals and obstacles are faced and battled on the road to recovery?   Try writing the scenes with each of the senses and note the differences in response and recovery depending on the missing sense.

Enjoy the exercise.

2013 Frontiers in Writing Contest

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Announcing

2013 Frontiers in Writing Contest

Now open for entries 

 For one low entry fee you can now enter multiple categories

Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in EVERY category.

Go to:

www.Panhandleprowriters.org

Entry rules, procedures and format regulations are listed on the FiW Writing Contest page

Download FiW entry Application and mail along with your entry.

Entry fees can be check or Money order, or pay online using “Payments” on the PPW website.

Sponsored by the Panhandle Professional Writers

Characterization Part 4

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Characterization Part 4

By Natalie Bright

 

Characters with Attitude

Based on previous blogs, you now know the history of your characters. You also know what makes them tick emotionally.  It’s great that you know so much about your characters, but you can’t use it in your novel. Do not bore the reader to death with too much back story.

When I lunch with writer friends or meet with my critique group, we have in-depth conversations about our character’s motivations. We question their motives because characters should ‘stay in character’ for the entire novel. I’m reading a book now where the main character steals money from a classmate and plans a trip with a fake passport. I’m totally bummed. I really liked this character and now I don’t. To me this action seemed out of character for the person I thought she was. (But it doesn’t really matter because I’m not the author, and ultimately we can write our story the way we want to.)

As you write, you will only reveal a small amount of the history you’ve created.  Knowing that background is crucial for it will shape how they act and speak. Their personality and attitude will come through as they face the conflict in your plot. You will reveal your character through dialogue, their actions, and how they respond to conflict.

If the main character is only nine, remember his ideas will be shaped by the experiences he had in those nine years. He hasn’t lived a lifetime yet.

Profiling

Put some serious thought and effort into profiling your characters. Identify specific strengths and weaknesses. If you believe they’re real, readers will believe your characters are real too and will care about their story. For example, author and teacher, DeWanna Pace, pointed out that in most main stream action/adventure stories the strengths of the hero overcomes the strengths of the villain. In the case of romances, the strengths of the hero and heroine combine to overcome the conflict in the plot line. You’ve got to know their strengths and weakness in order to intertwine these traits into the plot.

Heroes have Flaws / Villains have Reaons.

Develop a detailed profile for each of your main characters.

For the protagonist, assign three likable traits and one bad trait. These can be internal or external, emotional or physical. Having bright red hair can be a good or bad trait, for example, depending on the circumstances you’ve set-up for your character. Your main character may whine and complain constantly, but please, give your readers something to like about her. Otherwise, we could care less how her story ends.

For the antagonist, assign three bad traits and one redeeming quality. Give your villain one good trait that makes him likable. Maybe he has a deep love for his mother. Perhaps your antagonist is worldly and extremely beautiful, but evil to the core.

Interview your characters to determine their motivations. You can do this through a structured exercise or by free writing. Start writing in first person from your characters head, and see what they can tell you. Phyliss Miranda uses this method and highlights the traits as they are revealed in the manuscript, which helps her make sure she doesn’t repeat the same information.

I attended a workshop given by a romance author who creates astrological signs for her hero and heroine. The conflicts and commonalities are determined by a star chart, and then she fills in the setting and plot line to construct their journey to find love. Also, there is David Freeman’s “Diamond Technique”, basic Metaprograms test, or “The Hero’s Journey” concept of plotting.  

Character development continues next Monday. Stay tuned!

Pressure

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A Pinch of Rodeo

By Joe R. Nichols

Pressure

Dealing with pressure is a big part of winning.

I arrived at my Mom and Dad’s house around five in the afternoon. “Your Dad has been in such a dither about you riding in this rodeo,” Mom confided in me.

“Why?” I asked.

“Well, they interviewed the stock contractor on the radio. He predicted you will win the bronc riding because you drew his best horse. Everyone has been asking Nick about it. It’s got him so nervous he can’t hardly stand it.”

Then Dad came in from doing chores. “Whats this horse you’ve got tonight?” he demanded.

“Red River. He’s a good one.”

“Well, can you ride him?”

I laughed as I explained that I could, and that I already had ridden him several times.

“Well Floyd’s been on the radio chirping about how you have this National Finals bucking horse and you’re gonna win the rodeo. Everyone in Saline county must of heard it. I go to the sale barn, and I got quizzed about it by everybody. Then down at the hardware store, they all had to interrogate me some more. It’s just crazy. Why would Floyd do such a dumb thing?”

“I don’t know. Sounds like a pretty bold thing to say.”

“I wish he’d of kept his mouth shut.”

Mom laughed, as she looked my way, “He’s been like this all week.”

Riding in the hometown rodeo and having the opportunity to win it, might have caused a little nervousness, but I could handle that. This was much different.

A fear of failure welled up inside me. I couldn’t bare the thought of my father having to deal with all his friends if I got bucked off.

When I prepared to ride that night, my mouth was so dry I couldn’t spit. I tried to get myself relaxed and loose, but that sick feeling would not go away.

Who ever drew Red River always went last. The announcer built the tension for the big climax as I settled in to my saddle. I called for the gate, and left the chute with a strong mark-out. I was anxious to get the motion started, but I held my spurs in the neck long enough to feel the timing. The red bronc circled to the right, having his normal good trip.

Dad had good luck that night, and I did win that rodeo. Afterword’s, I went up to where my folks were sitting. I sat down beside Dad. With a big heaving sigh he said, “Man, I’m glad that’s over!”

“Me too.”

Snowbanks

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Snowbanks

 By Nandy Ekle

A rare occurrence happened this week. Snowpacolypse struck. This area of the world is usually very dry. We get occasional snow, even a little rain from time to time, but an actual dumping of snow is fairly rare.

So for two days we were stuck in the house waiting for the wind to stop howling and screeching through our chimney. When all had moved on, we cautiously stuck our heads out the door.

The whole entire yard was covered with the sparkling white blanket.  I stood looking at the beautiful scene and thought about a scene from a book I read as a kid. Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about snow so deep that her pa had to dig tunnels from their house to the other parts of their homestead.

Strange weather makes an excellent backdrop for a story. The storm could be part of the conflict, almost like a character. Or the storm could simply be the setting. It could be the staging or the glue that holds the whole story together. Or it could be helpful in bringing about the conclusion.

Use the weather around you to help your characters learn something.

Congratulations.  You have just received a post card from the muse.