Tag Archives: Rory C. Keel

Verbs

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Verbs

Rory C. Keel

 

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

Without Verbs, stories would be boring. There would be no action such as running or jumping. No motion or movement, like when the spy rolled and dodged the bullet. There would be no romance without kissing or holding her tight.

Verb or Noun?

There are times when a word can be a verb or a noun, depending on how it’s used in a sentence. For example, the word dance would be a noun when describing a type of dance. The nutcracker is a ballet dance.

Dance is a verb when describing the action of those in the play. We watched the actors dance during the Nutcracker.

Verbs are what give life to your stories, so use them often.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

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Reasons to Write

     Why do I write? Is it because throngs of fans demand it, anticipating every word of my next masterpiece? Is it because I honestly expect to make millions of dollars on a bestseller, or desire to be famous? No.

This week I will share with you the 5th reason of why I write                                                                                                                                                                                   

Reason #5 – Endless Possibilities                                                    

On a recent business trip to the west coast, I noticed something amazing. Traveling along the highway, I read the billboards. Some of them knew I was reading them and said things like, “Caught you looking!” or “You’re so good. You read me like a book!” As spots on a connect-the-dots drawing, these towering advertisements had information about the grandest hotels, motels and the cleanest restrooms. They pointed the way to the best buffets and restaurants. Some revealed the places to go for the nightlife, and what it will cost if you drink too much of the highlife and turn into a lowlife while driving.

Occasionally we pulled into roadside rest-stops for short breaks and “free coffee,” and then we would load up on all the local vacation magazines, free maps and tourist information to read along the way. One visitor’s guide said that Arizona has more boats per capita than any other state in the nation—and they’re a land locked desert!

My point is that the possibilities for writers are endless because writing is everywhere. From billboards along the American road to epic novels, behind everything you read is a writer.

Rory C. Keel

Beginning, Middle and End – WHAT A RIDE!

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A story has a beginning, middle and an end.

Make a brief outline answering these questions to create a story skeleton to build upon.

  1. The Beginning: What event happens to person, that creates a problem or a need?
  2. The Middle: What struggle does the character face in solving the problem or the need?
  3. The End: How is this person changed and what have they learned as a result of the struggle?

This is where the story is made. Imagine the process like a roller coaster. The reader’s attention is captured by the alluring promises made by the title and then they are locked into their seat at the beginning of the ride. Tension builds as the chain’s click-clack pulls them higher into the problem, and then drops them into the middle of the story where there’s no turning back. The reader struggles back and forth, and then up and down along with the characters to solve the problem. The ride then comes to an end where there is resolution showing a change created by the struggle.

Rory C. Keel

roryckeel.com

Writing Improves Your Skills

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Reasons to Write

By Rory C. Keel

Why do I write? Is it because throngs of fans demand it, anticipating every word of my next masterpiece? Is it because I honestly expect to make millions of dollars on a bestseller, or desire to be famous? No.

This week I will share with you reason number 3, of why I write.

 Reason #3 – Writing improves your skills.

“Practice makes perfect!” I knew there had to be a reason the teacher made me write my spelling words three times each in grade school. There were a few other lessons I learned while writing words multiple times on the chalkboard, but I will spare you from my youthful indiscretions. Yes, the more a person writes the more they learn and the better they become at the craft. Even those who have a level of natural ability will continue to show improvement with every word.

Use of Tools

There are a few basic tools that you will need to help you get started.

  1. A Thesaurus and a Dictionary will help to insure the proper meaning and usage of words, improving your vocabulary.
  2. The Chicago Manual of Style, or Strunk and White Elements of Style, will aid in punctuation and sentence structure. Over time you will notice a marked improvement in your writing.
  3. Use Encyclopedias found online or at your local library, to research your project. It will naturally results in an increased knowledge of that subject and improve your reading comprehension.
  4. A computer with a word processor program, and certainly, pen and paper are still terrific to use for jotting things down.
  5. Find a comfortable writing place.
  6. Then start with an Idea and write it down.

How do I know these points are true? I’ve come along way since the first grade, A-B-C-D-E-F-G . . .

Active Writing cultivates new Material.

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Reasons to Write

by Rory C. Keel

Why do I write? Is it because throngs of fans demand it, anticipating every word of my next masterpiece? Is it because I honestly expect to make millions of dollars on a bestseller, or desire to be famous? No.

This week I will share with you reason number 2 of why I write.

Reason #2 – Active Writing cultivates new Material.

As a writer do you struggle to find new material to write?

For me, ideas often come to mind when I am actively writing, as if one idea sprouts from another. As my story moves along, writing one sentence after the next, a scene will unfold unlocking a previous thought. Occasionally a secret door in that scene will open showing me an object or a thought that feels out of place and doesn’t fit. These are what I call my story seeds, seedsfor another project.

 Story Seeds                                                           

Story seeds are small bits of information that emerge in your thoughts. They can be simple objects like a single red sock hung on a clothesline: why is it blowing in the wind as if forgotten, or was it intentional and a signal for someone? Maybe an animal such as a small brown dog runs through your thoughts while you write. Why is he alone? Does he have a master? These story seeds may be a specific place you’ve never been before or a mysterious person that suddenly emerges in your mind and then vanishes. When these items appear, I quickly record them to use in a future piece.

 Make a List

Make a list in a small pocket notebook or journal of story seeds when they happen. When you struggle to find something to write, use the list to spark a story. Ask when, where, who, what and how about each item on the list to generate the next story.

Make your list!

Rory C. Keel

 

 

PRONOUNS

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PRONOUNS

By Rory C. Keel

 

No, Pronouns are not professional nouns. Pronouns are words that take the place of, or act like a noun. Let me give you few common examples, he, them, this, everyone, myself, mine, and those.

Pronouns can be classified into different types such as

Personal pronoun — A word that refers to a specific person or thing.

Demonstrative pronoun — Words that point things out like this, that, these, and those.

Indefinite Pronoun — These point to people or things but in a vague way such as anybody, everyone, someone, something or nobody.

Reflexive Pronouns — Words that end in –self. A few examples would be himself, herself, yourself and myself.

Roryckeel.com

When a name is too close to reality.

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When a name is too close to reality.

www.writers-village.org

 

How do you avoid defamation actions from readers whose real names and circumstances you have (in all innocence) ascribed to your villains?

#1: Portray your most odious characters as Suffering, Complex and Misunderstood victims of circumstance. Not only might this take the edge off any imputation of malice in your alleged defamation, it is also – in these post-Freudian days – good novelistic practice.

Even Hannibal Lecter was a decent fellow in his youth, the author tells us. He went mad only after witnessing an unspeakable atrocity. Without that explanation – and saddled with the name of Hannibal – he might not have been either believable or terrifying.

#2: If your conscience demands that you vilify a real celebrity eg. Bill Gates (oh, but must you, really?), make it clear in the story that your villain can not possibly be Mr Gates. How? Have the villain appear on a conference platform alongside the real Mr Gates, who is agreed by everyone to be a very nice fellow. Obviously, they cannot be one and the same person.

Writers’ Village

 

Research your setting well

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Research your setting well

If you do not want to set your story on the city you live in, then get ready to do some research. It is important that you visit the place you are going to write about. Some writers do it with characters too. If they are writing about a murderer, they will go and interview one to know his psychology. For your setting too, you need to know the psychology of the city, town or village in which your characters live.

Below is a broad guideline on what all to include in your research:

City– Small town, city, countryside, country, village

Geographical aspects– Mountains, rivers, beaches, desert, forest, ocean, hills, plains, vegetation, animals

Culture– Clothes, shops, streets, people, religion, language (dialect)

Climate– Hot, cold, moderate, desert, tropical

There can be more than one setting in your book. For shorter works of fiction, having one setting is best, but for longer works, you can have more settings than one. In Life of Pie by Yann Martel, there were three settings, the zoo in India, the ocean and Mexico (the last one was only a glimpse). He dealt with all the settings brilliantly. That is because he had visited India many times and knew it well. Of course, the writer cannot experience everything he wants to write about. Yann Martel never experienced a shipwreck, still he wrote about it. That is what research does. In one of his interviews he said that he researched about animal behavior for months on end on the Internet after he decided that the story would involve lots of animals. www.literaryzone.com

Roryckeel.com

Research your setting well

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Research your setting well

If you do not want to set your story on the city you live in, then get ready to do some research. It is important that you visit the place you are going to write about. Some writers do it with characters too. If they are writing about a murderer, they will go and interview one to know his psychology. For your setting too, you need to know the psychology of the city, town or village in which your characters live.

Below is a broad guideline on what all to include in your research:

City– Small town, city, countryside, country, village

Geographical aspects– Mountains, rivers, beaches, desert, forest, ocean, hills, plains, vegetation, animals

Culture– Clothes, shops, streets, people, religion, language (dialect)

Climate– Hot, cold, moderate, desert, tropical

There can be more than one setting in your book. For shorter works of fiction, having one setting is best, but for longer works, you can have more settings than one. In Life of Pie by Yann Martel, there were three settings, the zoo in India, the ocean and Mexico (the last one was only a glimpse). He dealt with all the settings brilliantly. That is because he had visited India many times and knew it well. Of course, the writer cannot experience everything he wants to write about. Yann Martel never experienced a shipwreck, still he wrote about it. That is what research does. In one of his interviews he said that he researched about animal behavior for months on end on the Internet after he decided that the story would involve lots of animals. www.literaryzone.com

Roryckeel.com

WRITING CONTESTS BENEFITS

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Writing Contests Benefits

It cost money; why should I enter? What benefit will a contest be for my writing and me? I’m not good enough so I’ll never win.

Those who are looking at entering writing contests frequently express these statements and questions. I know, I’ve asked most of them myself.

Having entered my share of writing contests, let me offer some positive benefits from my personal experience.

  1. Training for working with deadlines – Writing contests give a writer the opportunity to work under a deadline. Most contests will have strict dates for submitting an entry. This is good conditioning for working with agents, editors, and publishers who will place deadlines on your writing.
  2. Provides automatic platform – A platform is your audience, those who will read your writing. While your mother and “BFF” will gladly volunteer readership, contest judges can provide you with an unbiased and anonymous audience for your writing. And who knows, the judge may be an agent, editor or publisher.
  3. Gain feedback – One of the most valuable benefits of a writing contest is the critique. To have the judge’s comments noting any mistakes, suggestions for improvement and yes, even praise can help improve your writing.
  4. Build your portfolio – Writing contests are a perfect why to build your portfolio. When seeking an agent or publisher, a few writing clips, accomplishments and certificates may be the edge you need to sell the deal.
  5. Increase your confidence – Entering a contest gives a writer the opportunity to gain confidence in their writing. Have you ever written something only to tear it up or hide it in a drawer? Have you ever said, “I could never write good enough to be published!” A writing contest provides an inexpensive way to test the waters of being an author.
  6. Avoid scam contests – As with most everything, there are people who take advantage of others. Before entering a contest, research the person or organization holding the contest and make sure they are legitimate. There are a few contests that are no more than book selling scams. When your entry wins, it is accepted for publication in an anthology, with all of the other first place winners, then you must pay an outrageous price to obtain a copy. Winningwriters.com lists a few of these writing contests to avoid. To help find your next contest check out www.placesforwriters.com or www.fundsforwriters.com