Tag Archives: story craft

State of Mind: Motivation Part 1

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State of Mind:  Motivation Part 1

By N. Bright

 

Rejection is inevitable

— if you’re writing and submitting on a regular basis. No doubt, being a writer requires self-discipline and a whole lot of confidence in your purpose.

After a while you have to learn how to let opinions roll off, and if you haven’t been able to take the critiques that go along with the publishing business, the time is now for a new mindset. Stop wasting creative energy fretting over things you can’t control. As long as you keep writing, polishing, learning story craft and submitting, at some point you will have success.

Sometimes though, I have to admit, there’s always that one comment that gets to me and makes me question the whole process. Was it really necessary for that critic to add one more jab after the ‘no’? These types of rejection makes me loose sleep wondering what I could have done differently. Maybe the ending doesn’t fit, maybe the middle sags, or maybe the beginning needs a prologue. Perhpas I need a complete redesign of the website, to work harder on my blogs or make an effort to be more active with my tweets. And then I become obsessed about working even harder and pushing myself to submit more. Good grief! Writing is the hardest work I’ve ever done.

Motivation to Keep Going

The few months of rejections and a few successes as well, got me to thinking about motivation.

As writers, how can we keep a positive attitude?  How can we maintain our creative energy and be productive despite the ongoing criticism?

How-To by A Favorite Author

If you’ve lost your motivation to write and need some inspiration, find a how-to book about story craft written by one of your favorite authors.

TAKE JOY by Jane Yolen (published in 2003 by Kalmbach Publishing Company) is one of my favorite books on writing by one of the most prolific children’s authors of today, whose career span decades and includes hundreds of books. Right at the beginning of the book she states, “We are talking here about the difference between desire and obsession; between hobby and life. But in either case, I suggest you learn to write not with blood and fear, but with joy.”

Many best-selling authors have penned how-to books, and most are available as eBooks. For a small investment in your career, you can be reading one right after you finish reading this blog. There’s something inspiring and motivating about someone who has worked hard and found success.

Where do You Find Inspiration?

Over the next few posts, I’ll be sharing insight on motivation, and we’d love to hear from you, too.

Thanks for joining us at WordsmithSix!

www.nataliebright.com

Characterization Part 5

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Characterization Part 5

By Natalie Bright

 

I’m reviewing my notes from past conferences and blogging about characterization. Please feel free to comment on any tips you’ve learned on developing believable and likable characters. The past few blogs have been a hodge-podge on all concepts of developing characters. We’re digging deeper again this week, because really, you just can’t know enough about your characters.

Have you completed a character questionnaire yet? There are tons of great examples on the web.

Keep Digging Deeper

What is the one unique component of literature that humans enjoy? The key that all writers strive for? The take-away that readers can take pleasure in?

The answer: emotion.

We can read a story and find joy or fear. We can laugh out loud at the antics of a main character, or we can weep for concern at their plight. The power of the written word is an amazing thing.

As a writer, we must dig deeper. You have your character’s profile and you know their attitudes. As Steven James said, “What are your characters passionate about, desire, most ashamed about, afraid to pursue? Now give them what they want the most and snatch it away. Dangle her heart’s desire in front of her and never let her have it.”

Finding Emotion

We’re just human, with human emotions and life experiences. Real life events of experiencing or observing provides the basis from which our characters emerge.

How can your character respond to death unless you draw upon your experiences in being at someone’s bedside when they passed? How can your character experience love lost unless you weep as you write it? How can you write about the power of indifference without drawing upon your own past? Even if you haven’t experienced the emotion, then you can probably find someone who has.

Authors can’t be sissy’s about this. We have to go there. We have to revisit those painful experiences again and convey them to our readers through the fictional characters we create. I’m not saying it has to be the exact same experience, but you can apply the emotions you’ve felt to fictional situations. As your heroine meets those challenges and overcomes the obstacles, this becomes the character arc.

Developing the Character Arc

Character arc is defined as the emotional problems through which the protagonist (and antagonist and sometimes secondary characters) must face to achieve their goal. 

As bestselling author Steven James points out, “At the heart of every story is tension, and tension is that unmet desire which includes both external and internal.” As your character tries to achieve that desire and overcomes the antagonist, they change, they grow, they become better for their experiences. You must dig past the surface elements of your story and determine the why. 

Some of the most common arcs are: going from emotionally dead to being emotionally alive, learn to accept other’s faults, overcome a fear, learn to take risks, overcome guilt, learn to accept his own faults; and the list can go on and on. These are most obvious in movie screenplays where characters struggle with some emotional dilemma that is resolved at the end regardless of the action going on around them.

More Conflict Please

In order to dig deeper, Jodi Thomas suggests all dialogue reflect some type of conflict. “It’s not necessarily a conflict between the two characters speaking. One could be having internal conflict while they’re saying something else,” Thomas says.

Author Jennifer Talty explained that, “conflict is the fuel that starts your story. The internal motivation of your character is the fuel that drives your story.” 

As the core conflict between the protag and antag increases, the internal emotional conflict escalates and becomes your character’s arc.

For more information, Goal Motivation Conflict by Deb Dixon is an excellent addition for your writer’s reference library.

Have fun and keep writing!

Nat

 

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!

Characterization Part II

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Characterization Part II
by N. Bright

I’m going back through my conference notes to provide you with a hodge-podge of all things on character development over the next several weeks. (I might add that in a past job I used short-hand every day, so I’m a diligent note-taker. In today’s world his useless skill is next to impossible to forget.)

Creating Ancestors

It was a larger-than-life character who came to me in a dream which caused me to become obsessed with learning everything I could about characterization. As pointed out by a few writer friends, I wrote her adventures but had never given this character a past.

The idea for a young girl who lived on the Texas frontier appeared in my head so vibrant and alive, I couldn’t shake her. Her adventures began as little snippets of scenes in no particular order. As I began thinking about her life, she’d have to be a little independent and more worldly than most kids her age. Her father is a U.S. Marshall so he’d be gone a lot. Her mother is of Mexican descent from a sheepherding family. She loves books, thanks to an Aunt, so her vocabulary would be above average and well-developed. I can imagine she was riding horses at a very young age along with fishing and exploring and doing chores; all of the things necessary for survival on the frontier. All of these things come together to create what I hope to be a unique and memorable character.

Just like real people, your characters must have a past life filled with family, friends, joys, and loss; all of the things that shape their motivation and personality. This gives your characters dimension and believability.

Character History

Most writers I know are curious and fascinated by human nature and their motives. This should be a fun process for you. As you develop your characters past, consider where they grew up, why they moved there and where their families came from.

My grandmother told me about traveling by wagon with her parents to Texas from Oklahoma. That was only three generations away; not that long ago. That independent, can-do spirit remains in the people here, much like those before us who came to this barren place to build towns and raise families in the middle of nowhere. Our buildings and communities are not that old, as compared to places in the eastern United States. I get aggravated at the way we seem to so readily tear down the old to build new in this part of the country. I guess we’re still in pioneer mode.

Kids in this area play video games just like big city kids. My kids and their friends watch movies, read books, and love their iPhones, too.  On the other hand, families here have space; to ride 4-wheelers in sandy river beds, fish and ski on area lakes, and the mountain ski slopes are only half-a-days drive away. As an FYI, not everyone in Texas owns a horse, however, I think my kids are a little more “out-doorsman” than urban kids, but probably not as much as kids from Alaska might be.

Your characters are no different. There is much to think about when considering the many influences that shaped their behavior.

Keep writing and have fun creating a past life for your characters!

Characterization

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Characterization

By Natalie Bright

The spark for your story might begin in various ways. It might be a theme or message, or perhaps a unique setting or time period. Events for a plot might spring to mind based on a favorite historical incident. Whatever the case, at some point the characters will form the central part of your novel.

When you think about the books you’ve read, which ones stand out the most? Can you recall the setting or the plot elements? You may not even remember the author’s name. More than likely you remember the characters.

There’s no question that we’ll have several generations of readers who’ll remember Harry, Bella or Katniss well into their adult years.

Actions have Reasons

One of my favorite authors writes character driven plots. Jodi Thomas, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of 37 novels has a degree in family counseling, with that insight into human dynamics, she creates unforgettable characters who feel more like friends.  “There are two reasons why people do what they do: 1) one reason they tell others 2) the real reason,” she said. Doesn’t that put a whole new spin on what motivates your characters?

Over the next few posts, we’ll take an in-depth look at characterization and how their motivation can be used to move the plot along. I’ll share tips and techniques from all of the classes and conferences I’ve attended.

Chat with you next Monday!

www.nataliebrigt.com

For the Love of History

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Middle Grade Mondays

 For the Love of History

by Natalie Bright

If you love history, a fictional story in an historical setting might be something you’d like to tackle. Historical fiction is a time-consuming, massive undertaking. Not only do you need the common elements of story craft, you also need a basic knowledge of the time period. Your details must be accurate or you will get snippy feedback from passionate readers (ask any historical author about the letters and emails they’ve received).

Research-Write Process

Authors confront the research portion of their stories in several different ways. Based on questions to some of my favorite historical writers, here are a few of the processes I’ve learned about.

1) Research the heck out of it first, then power through and write the first draft. Do. Not. Stop. Verification of facts, sensory building, characterization, etc., is done during the editing process.

2) Start with minimal research, character profiles, and develop a basic plot outline. Write, stopping to inquire about specific details as you write. This would be akin to one step forward, three steps back form of world building. By the time you get to the end, you have a fairly polished novel.

3) Total and complete emersion into the time period. You consciously and subconsciously step back into that era.. While you write, you’re developing character profiles, plot elements, intricate details about life, and researching the time period. In your spare time, if not writing, you can rent movies on that time period and read nonfiction books.

Its In the Details

It’s the subtle details about everyday life that brings historical fiction alive for me.  Everything must be true to that time period. For example, in my middle grade western, the heroine’s mother told the town’s sheriff to “give me a call.” When I heard those words as I read them out loud to my critique group, I felt like such an idiot. The only way the Sheriff could have “called” in 1885 is through a mega phone.  Oh wait, were mega phones even invented by 1885? (See what I mean. As if writers aren’t already crazy enough.)

Beware of those every day, subtle details. They’ll sneak up on you. I believe people who lived in other centuries had the same desires, dreams, aggravations that people do today, but their day-to-day realities are not the same as ours.

Timeline

One element that is critical when writing historical fiction regardless of the process you use, is a timeline.  This can be developed on your computer in a spreadsheet fashion, they can be found online on numerous history sites, or you can make your own with dry eraser board or butcher paper to be taped to your wall for easy reference.

1) Time of day and days of the week specific to your characters as your plot progresses.

2) Print a timeline from a credible website with major events. You might want to thread these events through your plot line. Is your character directly a part of that event?

3) A timeline specific to your setting and a plat or map. What’s going on in the fictional town where your character lives and how is it affected by actual events of the time?

Have you discovered a process that I haven’t mentioned?

What process works best for you?

www.nataliebright.com

 

Steven James Keynote on Characters

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Middle grade Monday 

Steven James Keynote on Characters

OWFI Session, 5 May 2012

by Natalie Bright

The keynote speaker for the Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc 2012 meeting was Steven James.  Following is a list on his observations regarding character development:

*  Your main character is a putty person. They change shape as a result of the struggle of the story, and as the story transforms, the character emerges always different

* One moment can pivot your entire book; heroes don’t back down

* Every verb you choose shows status for your character

* Raising the stakes of the antagonist also raises status of MC

* Develop characterization using internal dialogue, show sarcasm by thoughts, not words, posture, body language.

*Main Characters always have self control.

*Give your main character what he wants the most, then snatch it away.  Or,

dangle what they want the most in front of them and never let them have it.

* Main characters must interact with every sub-character; don’t waste characters. For every minor character in your book, the MC has attitude, history, intention

* Your #1 Goal as a writer:  always give the reader what he wants or something better!

Why do You Write? – Keeping the Big Picture in Sight

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Middle Grade Monday

Why do You Write?

Keeping the Big Picture in Sight

By Natalie Bright

So, why do you write?

I don’t mean the reasons that we hear most people repeat: they want an agent to get a big publisher for a big book deal and a big movie deal so they’ll make major bucks and then retire to their massive beach front property. I honestly don’t believe that’s motivation enough to put oneself through the endless torture of trying to write. It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done in my life.

What about the gutt-wrenching, down in your soul reason you’ve never told anyone, ever. If everything suddenly went to ePublishing and all books were free and there was no way whatsoever that you could ever make money writing, would you still write? I’d like to think that most of you would, because you haven’t lost sight of the big picture.

The Big Picture: Story, Story, Story

Story is the reason. It’s the oldest form of human entertainment. Down through the ages, “tell me a story” has brought countless generations together. From the time we were youngsters, we remember stories that spoke to us and left their imprint in our brains or hearts. Agents, editors, publishers, book packagers, book stores, book buyers  and now the ePublishing world all gravitate around a need for quality work. It’s all about story.

Who Holds the Key

Writers are the key to this process. The successful writers I know are continuously learning and improving upon the craft, and they have a zillion ideas in their head, just not enough hours in the day.

Falling in Love with Your Work

It saddens me to meet writers who have lost sight of the big picture. They have talent, amazing ideas that I’d be thrilled to see as a book, and they are very capable, yet they’ve very much attached to their work and remain steadfast to argue and justify instead of moving forward.

I understand that you may not agree with others opinions. That’s okay. In the end, remember that it’s your work and you can write it however you want. I’ve discovered that most writers and editors and agents tend to be very generous people. They enjoy helping others reach their dreams.

When someone says “I have this story”, my first instinct is elation. I want to grab it up, I want to read your story, I want to love your work, and I want to help you make it better. People who work in publishing have never lost sight of the big picture and know that there’s always a better word or phrase. There’s always a better way to tell the tale.

So Why Be Snarky?

Here’s a thought; don’t submit your story to a critique group, editors or agents if you don’t want to know what’s wrong. Don’t waste other people’s time by asking for advice that you never have any intention of following. It’s okay to be completely and absolutely in love with your work. Treasure it, keep it safe in a beautifully padded box, but don’t make copies and don’t ask me to read it.

Honest opinions are golden in this business, so why do writers waste their creative energy fuming and fussing over opinions when they’ve solicited said opinions? Let me repeat, in the end, it’s your work and you can write it however you want.

Listen, Learn, Find the Magic

For me, once I was able to really hear the feedback without argument and move past the fear of chopping off the fish head or rewriting parts that didn’t fit, then I understood even more about the writing process.

The story will take over and empower you and you’ll know why you write.

My hope is that you’ll realize you write because you want your story to be the best that it can be, and it will entertain, teach, touch a heart, or make a life-long impression on a reader. And you’ll know when it’s ready.

In short, the big picture of this maddening process:  you write because there’s a story burning deep in the core of your being, and no one can tell it like you.

www.nataliebright.com

GO FOR THE OUTRAGEOUS

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GO FOR THE OUTRAGEOUS

By Natalie Bright

Hilary Sares, freelance editor and ghostwriter, spoke at the recent Frontiers in Writing Conference this summer and encouraged us to go for intensity and outrageousness in all of our writing. “Stories can take on a life of their own and don’t be afraid to spin your story into something new without loosing sight of the craft,” Sares told us. The example she gave is a self-pub runaway bestseller by John Locke called SAVING RACHEL, the story of what happens when killers force a man to choose between his wife and his mistress…and the one he rejects must die. It’s different, it’s a new premise and readers loved it. She reminded us that structure must include magic and plot. “Write from your soul, write from your heart, and write your life experience,” Hilary said. If the topic means something to you, you will reach people in a direct way. The trick is to put yourself into it and leave yourself out of it. One of the biggests problems she sees with newbie writers is the intrusion of clever asides. The author must be invisible. In today’s market we see larger story arcs where individual characters can be spun off into their own series. “The writing is tight, fast moving and stripped down,” Hilary said. “You are a pro. Be willing to change and edit.” She encouraged us to work our contacts, be shameless in promoting ourselves, and always keep the magic in mind.

Natalie Bright

www.nataliebright.com

Reading for the Music

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Reading for the Music

By Natalie Bright

Successful authors tell us over and over again to write every day and read every day. Why is reading so important?

Do You Hear the Music?

NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Jodi Thomas, [www.jodithomas.com] explained it like this at a talk she gave to area writers; “writers must be able to hear the music.”

As you listen to the radio, you can distinguish between rock and roll or country.  How about classical or bluegrass? By reading the genre you want to write, your brain becomes geared to the flow of a romance novel, or the twists and turns of a mystery, or to the humor that would appeal to children.

Goodbyes are Hard

I found this to be so true in my own writing. My first middle grade novel took three years to write. I loved those characters, and never got bored with the editing process. I probably read that story hundreds of times. My husband, a man of few words, said, “It has no plot.”

As much as I loved that story, he was right. I had to bury that one in the closet. I then focused on reading middle grade novels, starting with award winners and those that made bestseller lists.

Story, Story, Story…

I printed lists by authors who posted their favorite reads in blogs or on their websites, and scanned Amazon for used editions of Newberry winners. I read hundreds of middle grade books over the next year, and discovered so many amazing authors.

Recognition!

From a dream, a new character took shape in my head:  a feisty, eleven year old named Silver Belle. Her personality jumped off the page, and the story emerged. Recently, Silver Belle’s Train Caper received a 2nd place award in the OWFI ’12 contest, which tells me the story has potential but still needs polish. The work goes on.

Have I finally recognized the “music” of a middle grade story? I don’t know, but the melody continues to fill my soul and keeps me on task.

Are you listening to the music of your story?

Natalie Bright