Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 145

One Stop Adventures: Choosing The Right Name

We all know the struggle of naming a novel: trying to think of something catchy, something that aligns with current trends in our genre, but is also highly unique. A title that pops. Of course, our title should also convey the “feel” of our book, the theme that weaves through it, and give potential readers an idea of what the book is about…you know, in only a few words, or even just one, whichever the case may be.

Sounds…er, simple? Yeah, right. Naming a book is a lot like writing that query pitch: not at all easy, and a ton of pressure to hit a home run.

So, you can just imagine the jittery stress that cropped up when Becca, Lee and I knew we couldn’t keep calling our brainstorming software “the product.” We needed a name, and a good one. Something that stood out, was professional, and hinted at what the software will do. A name that conveys our desire to help writers in areas where they need it most so they feel empowered to write their amazing novels.

And so the agony began. Here’s a few of the original ideas:

Writer’s Genie
Creative Genie
Descriptive Genie
Word Wizard
Descriptive Wizard
Creative Wizard
Imagination Box
One Stop
Writing Muse
Muse for Writers

After much debate and research, we thought maybe it might be better to go with a single word, something punchy that represented inspiration. Because at the heart of One Stop, that’s what we’re doing–offering writers that spark, that brainstorming nudge, that sends their fingers tapping like mad across the keyboard. Our goal is to get writers actually writing, rather than spinning their wheels as they think about what to write. Of those, we came up with:

Activate
Flare
Blaze
Boost
Spark
Burst
Inspire
ESP

We all really connected with Spark. In fact we loved Spark. Spark for Writers. Cue singing, the glorious shaft of white light, all that. We imagined logos and letterheads. This was it, our name which would infuse us with purpose!

But of course, we needed to remember we weren’t in the land of book titles any more. This was software, a product/service. In any business, there’s the legal end of things, like copyright and trademark. Loving a name isn’t enough–you have to actually make sure you CAN use it, or risk a lawsuit. If someone has secured a trademark for the same name, or even if there is an existing company or product with a name that is very close in the same industry, a person is rolling the dice to also try and use it. We started researching writing software and related services and took the name to our IP (Intellectual Property) lawyer.

And…it turned out that Spark for Writers was too close to something else out there. So, we had to let this name go.

(You guys know when you love, love, love a book title and then boom, an agent or publisher tells you to change it? Yeah, that feeling.)

We flirted with a few others, like Boost, and ran into more trademark issues. Finally we circled back and asked ourselves, how could we instill a sense of place with our product name? Because that’s what we wanted–a destination, a home. Somewhere for writers to come and get help when they got stuck or needed a spark of inspiration.

We looked at One Stop For Writers again (Becca’s brainchild) and realized this gave us both a sense of place, and told people exactly what they would find: a wonderful array of resources to help them write compelling stories. We decided to go with it. While there were a few similar names out there, we found nothing for writing software or trademarked within that realm, so our IP lawyer deemed we could file for it ourselves. Whoo-hoo!

Of course, this brought us to needing a logo designed, and in doing so, the question of what people might assume our name means came up. Our designer asked, “What is One Stop For Writers? In addition to it being creative brainstorming software, does it help writers publish books? Understand platform building? Give them a place to type their story out? Something else?”

These were good questions, and made us realize we needed to be careful about how we market One Stop For Writers. Because while we see ourselves as a one-stop destination for creative tools and descriptive brainstorming that will allow writers be more efficient while improving their writing craft, we aren’t a one-stop for publishing or self-publishing help, we aren’t teaching platform or social media or marketing or any other aspects of being an author. We are only about the creative end of the writing process and getting the right words, ones that paint vivid imagery and create powerful fiction, on the page.

After discussion, we decided to add a tagline to our One Stop For Writers™ name: elevate your storytelling. This helps to clarify exactly who we are and what we do (empowering & helping writers to craft strong fiction) while also saying what we don’t do: anything not about creating powerful stories. We’re glad our designer asked us these questions because now we can infuse this sense of specific identity in all our marketing moving forward.

The takeaway? Little things are sometimes big things, so don’t be afraid to take the time to get it right. Our name is a big thing–it is who we are and what we do. While it took so much longer to find one than we expected, we are all so happy with how it all worked out.

We hope you like it too.

Did you know there’s a new One Stop Newsletter out with instructions on how to apply as a Beta Tester? You can read it here.

Pic #2: Foundry @ Pixabay
Pic #3 Geralt @ Pixabay

The post appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: Losing a Limb

When you’re writing a character, it’s important to know why she is the way she is. Knowing her backstory is important to achieving this end, and one of the most impactful pieces of a character’s backstory is her emotional wound. This negative experience from the past is so intense that a character will go to great lengths to avoid experiencing that kind of pain and negative emotion again. As a result, certain behaviors, beliefs, and character traits will emerge.

Characters, like real people, are unique, and will respond to wounding events differently. The vast array of possible emotional wounds combined with each character’s personality gives you many options in terms of how your character will turn out. With the right amount of exploration, you should be able to come up with a character whose past appropriately affects her present, resulting in a realistic character that will ring true with readers. Understanding what wounds a protagonist bears will also help you plot out her arc, creating a compelling journey of change that will satisfy readers.

NOTE: We realize that sometimes a wound we profile may have personal meaning, stirring up the past for some of our readers. It is not our intent to create emotional turmoil. Please know that we research each wounding topic carefully to treat it with the utmost respect. 

Photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs

Examples: Losing a limb due to

a birth defect.
a traumatic accident.
illness or disease, such as cancer, vascular disease, arterial disease, or diabetes.
a bacterial infection that doesn’t respond to antibiotics.
gangrene.
frostbite.

Basic Needs Often Compromised By This Wound: physiological needs, safety and security, love and belonging, esteem and recognition, self-actualization

False Beliefs That May Be Embraced As a Result of This Wound: 

I will never be whole.
No one will find me attractive.
When people look at me, they only see my disfigurement.
The life I wanted is over.
I deserve what has happened (if one is to blame for one’s loss).
I can’t take care of myself or my loved ones.
I am a burden to my family.
They’d be better off without me.

Positive Attributes That May Result: ambitious, appreciative, disciplined, independent, industrious, inspirational, kind, mature, nurturing, persistent, private, resourceful, simple

Negative Traits That May Result: controlling, defensive, hostile, humorless, impatient, inhibited, insecure, needy, oversensitive, pessimistic, reckless, resentful, subservient, timid, withdrawn

Resulting Fears:

Fear of being judged by others
Fear of becoming a spectacle
Fear of being unable to accomplish one’s dreams
Fear of losing one’s independence
Fear of being alone
Fear of being unable to provide for one’s family
Fear of hospitals

Possible Habits That May Emerge: 

Hiding one’s missing limb
Not taking chances; making safe choices
Becoming reckless in an effort to prove one’s capability
Withdrawing from others; becoming isolated
Avoiding public places and social events
Choosing careers, hobbies, and pastimes that one can reasonably accomplish
Pushing others away before one can be rejected
Clinging to caregivers
Becoming dependent on others
Being confrontational or defensive
Getting stuck in one of the stages of mourning
Becoming obsessive about safety
Grouping with other people who have experienced the same thing
Embracing hobbies or interests where one can succeed
Becoming perfectionistic
Accentuating other body parts in an effort to draw attention away from one’s missing limb
Clinging to one’s original habits and pastimes, even if they are difficult or impossible to now achieve
Becoming fiercely independent (moving out on one’s own, refusing therapy, not following the advice of one’s doctors)

TIP: If you need help understanding the impact of these factors, please read our introductory post on the Emotional Wound Thesaurus.

For other Descriptive Thesaurus Collections, go here.

The post Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: Losing a Limb appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

Critiques 4 U, July Edition

Happy Summer, everyone! I hope you’re enjoying the sunshine and warm weather as much as I am. I’d like to see more of it, but I’m in the process of editing all of our thesaurus content to make it neat and tidy for our One Stop For Writers™ launch this fall.  do love to edit, but too much of it makes me crabby, so it’s time to take a little break and do some critiquing!

If you’re working on a first page and would like some objective feedback, leave a comment that includes: 

1) your email address. Some of you have expressed concern about making your email address public; if you’re sure that the email address associated with your WordPress account is correct, you don’t have to include it here. But if you do win and I’m unable to contact you through that email address, I’ll have to choose an alternate winner.


2) your story’s genre (no erotica, please)
3) the intended audience
~ONLY ENTRIES THAT FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED~ 

Three commenters’ names will be randomly drawn and posted tomorrow. If you win, you can email me your first page and I’ll offer my feedback. Best of luck!

*photo credit: Pixabay

The post Critiques 4 U, July Edition appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

Emotional Wounds: Accidentally Killing Someone

When you’re writing a character, it’s important to know why she is the way she is. Knowing her backstory is important to achieving this end, and one of the most impactful pieces of a character’s backstory is her emotional wound. This negative experience from the past is so intense that a character will go to great lengths to avoid experiencing that kind of pain and negative emotion again. As a result, certain behaviors, beliefs, and character traits will emerge.

Characters, like real people, are unique, and will respond to wounding events differently. The vast array of possible emotional wounds combined with each character’s personality gives you many options in terms of how your character will turn out. With the right amount of exploration, you should be able to come up with a character whose past appropriately affects her present, resulting in a realistic character that will ring true with readers. Understanding what wounds a protagonist bears will also help you plot out her arc, creating a compelling journey of change that will satisfy readers.

Accidentally Killing Someone

NOTE: We realize that sometimes a wound we profile may have personal meaning, stirring up the past for some of our readers. It is not our intent to create emotional turmoil. Please know that we research each wounding topic carefully to treat it with the utmost respect. 

Examples:

a car accident (either a passenger in the car or a pedestrian or cyclist one hits)
triggering an allergy (unknowingly serving food to someone highly allergic to it)
a poisoning (a child consuming a fatal dose of medication while in one’s care)
a drowning (a child drowning in one’s pool or bath tub, for example)
killing someone while impaired
instigating a prank and it goes wrong
a fire (failing to put out a campfire leading to a blaze with fatalities, etc.)
a boating or jet ski accident (running over a swimmer)
peer pressure (pushing a friend to drink who later dies of alcohol poisoning)
a freak accident (a fall or fatal injury) on one’s property
a firearm or weapon accident (mishandling of a weapon, a hunting misfire, etc.)
home protection accidents (shooting a family member in the dark believing they are an intruder)
poor home maintenance (stairs collapsing, falling through a rotten floor, etc.)
dares (e.g., to play chicken while driving) which leads to someone’s death
hitting someone too hard in a fight
selling a friend a bad batch of drugs
a sport-related accident (a slap-shot hitting someone in the head, etc.)
malfunctioning equipment (one’s tanning booth that electrocutes a client, etc.)
horse-play between kids (play fighting which leads to a friend falling down the stairs, etc.)
killing a bystander in the line of duty (in a police shoot out, for example)
bumping a friend who then falls off a high story balcony or ledge

Basic Needs Often Compromised By This Wound: safety and security, love and belonging, esteem and recognition, self-actualization

False Beliefs That May Be Embraced As a Result of This Wound:

It should have been me
I am a terrible and worthless person
I do not deserve to be happy or safe
I do not deserve a child of my own and when I took another’s child away
I do not deserve to be loved
I am only capable of hurting people
I cannot be trusted with responsibility of any kind
People will hate me if they know what I did
I should suffer for the pain I caused
I can never fix what I did no matter how hard I try
It would be better for everyone if I was dead too

Positive Attributes That May Result: alert, appreciative, cautious, cooperative, disciplined, empathetic, focused, generous, gentle, honest, honorable, humble, independent, inspirational, kind, loyal, mature, merciful, nurturing, obedient, passionate, private, protective, responsible, simple, spiritual, unselfish

Negative Traits That May Result: addictive, apathetic, cowardly, defensive, disorganized, fanatical, humorless, impulsive, indecisive, inhibited, insecure, irresponsible, martyr, morbid, obsessive, oversensitive, reckless, self-destructive, subservient, timid, uncommunicative, withdrawn, workaholic, worrywart

Resulting Fears:

fear of making another mistake that costs someone their life
fear of responsibility or being in charge (making decisions that impact others)
fear of losing control (if irresponsible behavior led to the death)
fears regarding being safe enough (if disrepair or a lack of safety protocol was involved)

Possible Habits That May Emerge:

paranoia or obsession regarding the circumstances that led to the death: installing safety railings everywhere (a fall), not letting children be alone even for a moment (a drowning on one’s property), refusing to drive if the weather looks even a bit poor (car accidents)
over-preparing: going to great lengths to research a situation so one does not make a mistake, keeping emergency kits on hand everywhere, etc.
avoiding positions of power and responsibility so one does not have a chance to screw things up or fail people again
withdrawing, avoiding friends, family or the public eye
not chasing one’s dreams because one believes one does not deserve to have them
giving up things that one loves for self-punishment
taking risks because one no longer believes one has value
taking risks in hopes death will occur, to atone for one’s mistake
drinking or drug abuse to cope
blaming others for what happened rather than accept one’s role
avoiding situations and people tied to the event

TIP: If you need help understanding the impact of these factors, please read our introductory post on the Emotional Wound Thesaurus.

For other Descriptive Thesaurus Collections, go here.

Image via MemoryCatcher @ Pixabay

The post Emotional Wounds: Accidentally Killing Someone appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

Our One Stop Adventure: Sharing Lessons Along The Way

Recently Becca and I announced we are bringing something new to WHW–the One Stop For Writers™ brainstorming software. While doing something not book-related is new territory for us, making the decision to create software was an easy choice, because we are passionate about helping writers, be it through books, our blog or something else.

As writers ourselves, we know that to be successful in this industry, we all must do more, be more, and juggle more. The problem isn’t that writers aren’t up to the challenge, it’s that tackling these things requires a shrinking commodity: time.  And while all of our books, tools and blog lists are geared towards giving you the information you need to brainstorm and create efficiently, they are stored in different places, and in different formats. This means a bit of a scavenger hunt at times. Hopefully our One Stop library will change this, and truly become a one-stop destination for anyone needing help with the process of story creation.

Now I did say the easiest part was deciding to drop the hammer, especially as our partner in crime, Lee Powell, is a talented developer who also works on Scrivener, is a writer himself, and fits in with Becca and I like the proverbial third pea in a pod. The harder part came after our euphoric decision…following through on all the many details.

Because of our books, Becca and I already share a company. It’s quite simple and straight-forward, all told. But creating a new one, from scratch, to house an entity like One Stop? Completely different animal. It took significant research (all Becca–she’s a superhero!) to find a way to set up a new company when all three partners live in different countries.

(And the business set up was just the beginning–there’s also the actual building of our One Stop framework, the content creation, formatting, account management set up, finding and testing a payment engine, dealing with trademarks, copyrights, logos, design, branding, deadlines…and so much more!)

Lee, Becca and I have had to really stretch ourselves to plan and set everything up. Most importantly, we had to come together as a team. And as we move forward with implementation, I can’t help but think of all we have learned so far. Becca and I have grown so much during this process, and gained new skill sets, so we thought maybe we could share some of what we’ve learned with you.

We know you haven’t seen One Stop yet, and it’s still a ways from being complete, but maybe some of our insights during this experience will be useful as you go forward and brand yourselves as authors, set up small businesses and even tackle similar challenges of your own. So, we’re going to blog about our journey a bit and hope you’ll stay tuned.

If you have any specific questions or areas you’d like us to cover, just ask!

Heads up: The One Stop library is slowly entering the Social Media sphere….find your favorite librarians on Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook!

 

The post Our One Stop Adventure: Sharing Lessons Along The Way appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: Making a Very Public Mistake

When you’re writing a character, it’s important to know why she is the way she is. Knowing her backstory is important to achieving this end, and one of the most impactful pieces of a character’s backstory is her emotional wound. This negative experience from the past is so intense that a character will go to great lengths to avoid experiencing that kind of pain and negative emotion again. As a result, certain behaviors, beliefs, and character traits will emerge.

Characters, like real people, are unique, and will respond to wounding events differently. The vast array of possible emotional wounds combined with each character’s personality gives you many options in terms of how your character will turn out. With the right amount of exploration, you should be able to come up with a character whose past appropriately affects her present, resulting in a realistic character that will ring true with readers. Understanding what wounds a protagonist bears will also help you plot out her arc, creating a compelling journey of change that will satisfy readers.

NOTE: We realize that sometimes a wound we profile may have personal meaning, stirring up the past for some of our readers. Please know that it is never our intent to create emotional turmoil. We also recognize that an event that is traumatizing for one person may have only a passing impact on someone else. Emotional wounds affect people differently, so we have tried to include many possible outcomes, to give writers many options to choose from. Above all, please know that we desire to treat these wounds and those who have lived through them with the utmost respect. 

Examples: Public mistakes are nothing new and have been happening as long as we all can remember. Luckily, they’re soon forgotten—at least, they used to be. In today’s technologically-advanced world, public mistakes are often recorded for posterity—on YouTube, Facebook, and even on websites set up with the express purpose of never letting anyone forget. This kind of reminder makes it even more difficult to move on after an embarrassing gaffe, such as one of the following:

Backing a cause or organization that turns out to be fraudulent
Getting caught having an affair
Getting caught in a public lie
Getting arrested
Being overheard saying something one would like to keep private 
Losing one’s temper
Making comments one later regrets
Getting drunk and acting inappropriately
Flubbing one’s lines during a performance
Literally “dropping the ball” during a sporting event
Experiencing a true wardrobe malfunction
Making public claims that one is unable to follow through on
Being responsible for a high-profile project or product that either fails or falls short of expectations
Saying something that makes one look stupid or ignorant
Making an accusation that turns out to be unfounded
Accidentally sending an inflammatory email or phone message to a large group of people instead of just one person

Basic Needs Often Compromised By This Wound: love and belonging, esteem and recognition, self-actualization

False Beliefs That May Be Embraced As a Result of This Wound:

This is all people will ever remember about me.
No one is ever going to let me forget what I did.
I can’t be trusted not to screw up.
I’m terrible under pressure.
I’m unreliable.
I’m always going to fail.
If I get in front of an audience, I’m going to mess things up.

Positive Attributes That May Result: ambitious, cautious, discreet, humble, merciful, private, proactive, responsible, tolerant 

Negative Traits That May Result: defensive, evasive, inhibited, insecure, irresponsible, perfectionist, pessimistic, rebellious, resentful, self-destructive, timid, withdrawn, worrywart

Resulting Fears: 

Fear of failure
Fear of speaking/performing in public
Fear of letting others down
Fear of tarnishing one’s reputation

Possible Habits That May Emerge: 

Shying away from ambitious or challenging opportunities
Becoming very private and withdrawn
Becoming overly cautious or even obsessive-compulsive in an effort to avoid the same kind of mistake (obsessively checking one’s work for errors, over-planning, etc.)
Doubting one’s abilities
Not doing anything without a partner; relying too much on others and not enough on oneself
Avoiding social networking platforms where one might be reminded of one’s past mistake
Becoming highly ambitious or driven in an attempt to overcome one’s mistake
Avoiding the venue that was the cause of the public humiliation (public speaking, online interviews, debates, etc.)
Giving up one’s career for one that is lower profile
Going into hiding (becoming reclusive, moving to a new place, changing one’s name, etc.)
Embracing the false perception caused by one’s mistake (becoming promiscuous, flaky, irresponsible, etc.); living up to low expectations

TIP: If you need help understanding the impact of these factors, please read our introductory post on the Emotional Wound Thesaurus.

Photo credit: opensource.com @ Creative Commons

The post Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: Making a Very Public Mistake appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

Truth and Fiction: Girl Cliques

My daughter just finished first grade—a year of filled with holiday parties, cutesy art projects, and learning to read. It would’ve been altogether wonderful if it wasn’t for the mean girl. Yes, the 6-year-old mean girl. It wasn’t anything major, just your typical using-guilt-to-manipulate, ruling-the-first-grade-roost-with-a-pink-clad-fist kind of thing. It ended up being a great learning experience for my daughter, as we were able to teach her some valuable life lessons and give her the tools necessary for dealing with not-nice people. But honestly, in the beginning, I was totally at a loss.

Growing up, I didn’t understand girls; girl relationships were complicated with way too much subtext for me to figure out. So I hung out with boys. Boys were straightforward. I didn’t have to play games or curry favor in order to be friends with them. But my daughter’s a social BEAST. She wants to be friends with everyone and play with everyone and my advice to avoid the little Napoleon just didn’t fly with her. Then one of my friends told me about this book she had read. So I checked out Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman. And oh boy did I get an education.

This book, to put it simply, is AWESOME. Written by a former educator who has spent most of her life studying teens and their group dynamics, it pulls back the curtain to reveal the intricacies of the typical girl clique: the players and their roles, currency within the group, what motivates them, and a ton of other stuff. This book has been incredibly useful because it’s TRUE; as I’ve looked back over my experiences with other girls, I’ve seen it played out at all different ages and in different groups. When I shared what I’d learned with my neighbor, she said that she’s unfortunately seeing this among the women at the nursing home when she goes to visit her 80-year-old grandmother.

So as the mother of even a six-year-old girl, I’ve found this information to be really helpful.  As someone who would like to relentlessly stamp out bullying, it’s invaluable.  But I’m blogging about it today because of its practical use for writers—because if you’re writing about girls (or even women), the information can come in really handy.

As I say in most of my webinars and workshops, one of our most important jobs as authors is to make readers care about our characters. And one way to do that is to write characters who are believable. If your writing involves girls and the popular girl clique, it’s important to understand the way these groups typically operate, so you can write their dynamics in a way that rings true with readers.

Now, I’m just getting started and I know that some of you are already bristling, so please allow me to disclaim. The information from Wiseman’s book is applied mostly to the popular girl clique, not to every group of girls; girl groups do exist that are healthy and positive. Dynamics within these popular cliques are often (but not always) similar. While I’ll be sharing these commonalities, I understand that every human being is intrinsically different and not all girls fit this mold. But by understanding how the dynamics typically work, we will hopefully be able to 1) write girl groups realistically, according to the way they tend to exist, or 2) turn the cliché on its ear by using the information to write girls in a new and fresh way.

Enough posturing ;). Let’s get to it…

According to Wiseman, most girl cliques have an established social structure, with each person playing a clearly-defined position. Today I’d like to focus on those roles within the popular girl group, and what they typically look like.

Wiseman’s book was the basis for the movie “Mean Girls”

The Queen Bee 

Reigns through a combination of charisma, force, money, looks, and social intelligence
Strengthens her power and influence by weakening girls’ relationships with each other
Is usually at the center of the group
Transfers affections from one girl to another as she deems strategically appropriate
Seeks revenge when someone has “wronged” her
Uses subversive means to maintain control or subdue a perceived threat
Is always in control
Can manipulate girls, boys, and even adults to get them to do what she wants

The Sidekick

Gains power by being in close proximity to the Queen Bee
Is closest to the Queen Bee
Unquestioningly backs the Queen Bee
Works with the Queen Bee to intimidate and bully other girls to get them back in line
Becomes jealous if the Queen Bee warms to other girls
Often loses her sense of identity as she adopts the Queen Bee’s attitudes, likes, and dislikes as her own

The Banker

Gains power by being the one who always knows what’s going on
Is the confidant of the group; can easily get information out of other girls
Uses learned information strategically against other girls
Causes conflict through the sharing of information

The Messenger

Gains power out of her ability to “save” relationships and resolve conflict
Delivers information about others, but does so out of a desire to act as mediator
Appears to be a peacemaker, as she’s always trying to fix people’s problems
Loves to create drama
Is always involving herself in other people’s conflicts

The Wannabe

Gains power by feeling that she belongs in the group
Will do anything to keep her spot in the group
Imitates the behavior of the others in the group
Is always currying favor from those in a position of power
Has no sense of personal identity as she takes on the likes, dislikes, and opinions of the powerful girls in the group

The Torn Bystander

Gains power through her silence, which she utilizes so she can stay in the group
Often disagrees with how the group treats people but is afraid to act on those beliefs
Rationalizes her decisions to not oppose the group
Often has to choose between friends in the group
Tries to accommodate everyone
Toes the line when she’s with the powerful girls but is often a truer version of herself when she’s not with them

The Target

Has no power within the group
Is at the bottom of the pecking order within the group
Is often made fun of or humiliated by the other girls
Doesn’t truly feel part of the group
Will change herself in an effort to fit in

The Champion

Gains power by knowing she’s liked for who she is as a person rather than who she is within the group
Belongs to different groups and can move freely between them
Is able to take criticism
Doesn’t view or treat people as commodities in the social game
Stands up to the Queen Bee when she feels it’s necessary
Treats people with dignity and respect

So there you have it. In most popular girl cliques, these are the players. Depending on the size of the group, some of these can be missing, or numerous roles may be combined and taken on by one member. What’s interesting is that while most parents would say that their daughter is The Champion of her group, most parents would be fooling themselves. But the fact is that every girl can have champion moments; it’s these moments of growth that give girls the strength and confidence to rise above their roles, move out of these relationships—which are sometimes abusive—and become better versions of themselves. In books, it’s these champion moments that provide important crossroads scenarios that can propel our heroes along their character arcs and help them become happier and healthier characters.

So when you’re writing a story where your main character is part of a group like this, consider this information and ask yourself the following questions:

Which role does my hero play?
Is she satisfied or conflicted about the role she plays?
At the end of the story, will she be in the same position?
At the end of the story, will she be in the same group?
What will she gain by changing her role?
What will she lose by staying the same?
Who is speaking truth into her life? Who is challenging her?
What circumstance would make her rise above her role?

Here are some questions to consider if you’re looking to switch things up:

How can I make my girl group different?
How does the dynamic change if I remove one or more of the players?
What new roles can I add?
Does any one character play more than one role?
What other ways can a girl gain power within the group? What role might emerge out of a desire to gain power in that way?
What character could I add that would throw the group into disarray?
If the Queen Bee abruptly disappeared, what would happen to the group? Would it fall apart? Would someone new rise to take her place? Would that person come from within or outside of the group?

I hope I’ve given you some helpful information today, or at least some food for thought—either for a writing project or your own personal introspection. If you’re interested in learning more about girl dynamics, do check out Queen Bees and Wannabes. And because I’m just figuring all of this girl stuff out, I’d love to hear any comments, opinions, or girl-group stories that you’d be willing to share.

photo credit: Yoko @ Creative Commons

The post Truth and Fiction: Girl Cliques appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

Emotional Wound Entry: a Role Model Who Disappoints

When you’re writing a character, it’s important to know why she is the way she is. Knowing her backstory is important to achieving this end, and one of the most impactful pieces of a character’s backstory is her emotional wound. This negative experience from the past is so intense that a character will go to great lengths to avoid experiencing that kind of pain and negative emotion again. As a result, certain behaviors, beliefs, and character traits will emerge.

Characters, like real people, are unique, and will respond to wounding events differently. The vast array of possible emotional wounds combined with each character’s personality gives you many options in terms of how your character will turn out. With the right amount of exploration, you should be able to come up with a character whose past appropriately affects her present, resulting in a realistic character that will ring true with readers. Understanding what wounds a protagonist bears will also help you plot out her arc, creating a compelling journey of change that will satisfy readers.

NOTE: We realize that sometimes a wound we profile may have personal meaning, stirring up the past for some of our readers. It is not our intent to create emotional turmoil. Please know that we research each wounding topic carefully to treat it with the utmost respect. 

A ROLE MODEL OR MENTOR WHO DISAPPOINTS

Examples:

a pastor’s affair
a teacher’s arrest
a coach’s abuse of a player
a parent charged with propositioning a prostitute


a teen or adult sibling caught selling drugs
a respected boss being caught embezzling from a business or non-profit
a family member discovered scamming seniors out of pension checks
a favorite uncle or aunt being accused of child abuse
a parent lying about an severe addiction (drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc.)
close family or friends who preach Christian values but are involved in activities not approved by the church
a parent or close friend’s infidelity
a family member or friend who is on the take (a police officer, a judge, etc.)
an athletic cousin who preaches clean living caught doping for a competition
a relative’s bad choices leading to public humiliation, dragging the family name through the mud

Basic Needs Often Compromised By This Wound: physiological needs, safety and security, love and belonging, esteem and recognition

False Beliefs That May Be Embraced As a Result of This Wound:

Everyone lies; I can’t trust anyone
I am gullible and will believe anything
People are all hypocrites
I have no one to look up to
I cant be an example for others when I’ll fail at it like everyone else
If my mentor was weak inside, I must be too
If I let people get close they will find out how gullible I am
Why try to be a good person when no one else is?
Why work hard when the world rewards cheaters?
People only want to take advantage of me
I need to keep my distance from people so they can’t abuse my trust
No one respects me and that’s why they lie
Following rules is for chumps
At the end of the day, everyone is just out for themselves
People pretend to be genuine but they aren’t
I need to learn how to take, not give, if I want to make it in this world

Positive Attributes That May Result: analytical, cautious, discreet, ethical, honorable, independent, just, pensive, observant, perceptive, private, proactive, responsible, sensible, wise

Negative Traits That May Result: abrasive, antisocial, apathetic, confrontational, defensive, dishonest, evasive, hostile, humorless, hypocritical, impulsive, judgmental, martyr, needy, obsessive, prejudiced, rebellious, resentful, stubborn, suspicious, timid, uncommunicative, vindictive, volatile, withdrawn

Resulting Fears:

fear of trusting the wrong person
fear of vulnerability or being exposed in some way
fear of being taken advantage of
fear of failure
fear of moral failure (giving into temptation or being weak)
fear of authority or government (if this factored into the disillusionment)
fear of sharing (ideas, beliefs, convictions) only to have them stolen or used against oneself
fear of responsibility (and failing as others have)
fear of being viewed as a role model and failing another
fear of being dependent on other people
fear of being genuine or honest

Possible Habits That May Emerge:

becoming secretive, refusing to share information (especially anything personal)
being distrustful with others, always looking for ulterior motives
avoiding close friendships or relationships (becoming unsocial)
a suspicious nature which makes it difficult to relax around people
adopting antisocial behaviors (inciting rebellion, encouraging others to buck the system to expose corruption (if this factored into the original disillusionment)
watching what one says to avoid giving true feelings away
antagonism and bias toward people who remind one of the person who let one down
avoiding a sport or activity tied to the person who caused the disillusionment
refusing to plan long term or have “big” goals, especially ones that rely on other people to reach fulfillment
cutting a person, organization or group out of one’s life completely (who was involved in the original situation)
being unable to forgive people (even for the smallest transgressions)
avoiding responsibility or decisions that may cause one to fail others
developing high moral standards and condemning others who do not adhere to one’s beliefs

TIP: If you need help understanding the impact of these factors, please read our introductory post on the Emotional Wound Thesaurus.

 

Image via bykyst @ Pixabay

The post Emotional Wound Entry: a Role Model Who Disappoints appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

Will Readers Find Your Protagonist Worthy?

There are many facets of a strong protagonist. And as we juggle the different pieces of characterization with the goal of building someone truly exceptional, one of the biggest jobs is to make sure readers connect to the protagonist, understand his or her goals, and most importantly, find them worth rooting for.

Stating the obvious here, right? Sure. But achieving worthiness is easier said than done. Deeper and more complex than simple likability, worthiness means delivering on meaningful character qualities that will elevate your protagonist in the reader’s eyes.

Any Character Can Be Likeable, But Your Protagonist Must Be Worthy

There are many attractive traits and behaviors that hold universal appeal. Recently I wrote this post discussing how the Love Interest in a romance novel needs to capture not just the heart of the protagonist, but the reader’s also. Why is this so important? Because if an author does their job correctly, readers will want the protagonist to get what they deserve, and in romance, that’s a likeable match…the perfect partner.

The stakes are even higher when it comes to the protagonist, however. To win over the reader we need to stretch past likability and achieve true worthiness. We want readers to believe there’s something compelling and special about our character so they root for him. To do that, not only should the very best bits of a protagonist’s personality shine throughout the story, but something even more meaningful.

Your Hero’s Center: Their Moral Compass

What really resonates with readers is when a character shows deep convictions–a passion for something meaningful. Why is this? Because buried deep within each of us is our moral center, a belief system that influences our every thought, action and choice. And, for characters to be authentic, they too must display a highly tuned set of beliefs that guide their motivations.

While it’s easy to assume that “good” or “worthy” characters must all have a similar moral compass, the truth is that this part of an individual is truly unique. How a person was raised, who and what influenced them, and the positive and negative lessons learned along the way will shape their moral code.  This is true of life, and so should be true in fiction.

In light of this, do you know what represents right and wrong to your hero or heroine? What moral lines will he or she never cross? What moral belief stands above the rest–kindness? Loyalty? Justice? Equality? Something else? Understanding your hero’s moral center is key to knowing which attributes will naturally line up with his beliefs.

(WHW Target Tool Printable)

Think of your character’s personality like the “bulls eye” target. The innermost circle (the eye) contain positive attributes that go deepest, influencing which other traits will also likely form. In The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Attributes, Becca and I refer to these as Moral Attributes as they are tied directly to the character’s belief system. For example, if kindness is a core belief, it becomes one of the character’s moral attributes, and will help dictate what other attributes form. A kind person may also be perceptive, courteous, unselfish, and tolerant, because these traits are supportive of this central trait and moral belief.

On the other hand, attributes like analytical, flamboyant, and persuasive may not be personality stepping stones. An analytical person studies and weighs, and only then chooses to act (or not). A flamboyant person isn’t afraid to be themselves, even if it means making others slightly uncomfortable. A persuasive person likes to be involved and drive decisions rather than wait to see where a need might form. So in some way, each of these attributes doesn’t quite line up to a person who prizes open giving and goodwill above all else.

Understanding the character’s moral center helps you build a protagonist that sticks to who he is deep down no matter what. To peel back the layers on your character’s morality, think about the person’s backstory and which people and events taught the character something about life and how the world works, in good ways and bad. Here are a few more articles on this important aspect of character building:

Building Authentic Heroes Using Attribute Categories

How Morals and Basic Needs Influence a Character’s Positive Traits

Deepen Conflict By Forcing Your Hero To Embrace The Grey Areas of Morality

Justifying Evil: Understanding Moral Ranges as a Writer

Creating a Moral Villain

image: JohnHail@ Pixabay

The post Will Readers Find Your Protagonist Worthy? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: Suffering From A Learning Disability

When you’re writing a character, it’s important to know why she is the way she is. Knowing her backstory is important to achieving this end, and one of the most impactful pieces of a character’s backstory is her emotional wound. This negative experience from the past is so intense that a character will go to great lengths to avoid experiencing that kind of pain and negative emotion again. As a result, certain behaviors, beliefs, and character traits will emerge.

Characters, like real people, are unique, and will respond to wounding events differently. The vast array of possible emotional wounds combined with each character’s personality gives you many options in terms of how your character will turn out. With the right amount of exploration, you should be able to come up with a character whose past appropriately affects her present, resulting in a realistic character that will ring true with readers. Understanding what wounds a protagonist bears will also help you plot out her arc, creating a compelling journey of change that will satisfy readers.

NOTE: We realize that sometimes a wound we profile may have personal meaning, stirring up the past for some of our readers. Please know that it is never our intent to create emotional turmoil. We also recognize that an event that is traumatizing for one person may have only a passing impact on someone else. Emotional wounds affect people differently, so we have tried to include many possible outcomes, to give writers many options to choose from. Above all, please know that we desire to treat these wounds and those who have lived through them with the utmost respect. 

Examples: Suffering from a learning disability such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia,  slow processing, executive functioning, and visual or auditory processing disorders.

Basic Needs Often Compromised By This Wound: love and belonging, esteem and recognition, self-actualization

False Beliefs That May Be Embraced As a Result of This Wound:

I’m stupid.
I can’t learn.
There’s something wrong with me.
If I engage at school, everyone will know how dumb I am.
If I only focused better/worked harder/practiced more, I’d be able to do X.
If people know about my disability they won’t want to be friends with me.
It’s pointless for me to even try to excel academically.
If I can just get through school, I won’t have to deal with this anymore.
If I _____, no one will notice that I can’t do the work. (become the class clown, act like an airhead, turn on the charm, etc.)
I should attack others before they attack me.
I’m not smart, so I’ll have to gain respect some other way (through looks, popularity, sexuality, sports prowess, excelling at the arts, etc.).

Positive Attributes That May Result: adaptable, cautious, charming, disciplined, empathetic, flirtatious, funny, imaginative, industrious, meticulous, pensive, persistent, private, tolerant

Negative Traits That May Result: abrasive, confrontational, cruel, cynical, defensive, dishonest, evasive, hostile, inhibited, insecure, know-it-all, lazy, macho, nervous, oversensitive, rebellious, reckless, resentful, self-destructive, timid, uncommunicative, uncooperative, violent, volatile, withdrawn

Resulting Fears:

Fear of failure
Fear of being unable to achieve one’s dreams or goals
Fear of being picked on
Fear of being called on at school
Fear of letting others down
Fear of others finding out one’s secret
Fear of being labeled
Fear of passing one’s disability on to one’s children

Possible Habits That May Emerge: 

Avoiding responsibility out of a fear that one will let others down
Thinking small; limiting one’s dreams or goals so they will be reachable
Thinking negatively about oneself and one’s abilities
Withdrawing from others as a way of avoiding ridicule and teasing
Bullying others
Overcompensating in some way
Becoming angry or volatile
Engaging in destructive or risky behaviors 
Diverting attention from one’s disability (never answering correctly in class to discourage the teacher from calling on oneself)
Avoiding those who could help (counselors, teachers, tutors, etc.) out of denial or a desire to keep one’s disability secret
Making fun of people with similar disabilities
Working super hard in order to succeed
Learning to compensate or work around one’s disability (developing one’s memory, utilizing software or other tools, etc.)
Becoming an advocate for those with learning disabilities
Focusing on one’s strengths rather than one’s weaknesses
Excelling in the area of one’s strength
Choosing jobs, hobbies, and activities that don’t utilize one’s weakness

TIP: If you need help understanding the impact of these factors, please read our introductory post on the Emotional Wound Thesaurus.

photo credit: Kristine Lewis @ Creative Commons

The post Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: Suffering From A Learning Disability appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.