Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 30

Meet Our Resident Writing Coaches

I love being the Writers Helping Writers Blog Wizard���and am honored to work closely with the Resident Writing Coaches. They���re all talented, generous authors who share their wisdom to help take your writing to the next level. I’ve learned so much from them, and have a feeling you have, too!

This is the 8th year of our popular Resident Writing Coach program where we feature writing experts through a series of four blog posts scattered throughout the year. We bring in a mix of expertise, so you benefit from different voices and perspectives from all over the world.

Each year we have some new coaches and some returning, so let me first say goodbye to the wonderful Christina Delay. We greatly appreciate all you have shared with us, Christina.

I���m excited to welcome back a wonderful Resident Writing Coach who is returning after a year off! Please give a warm welcome to���

September C. Fawkes is a freelance editor, writing instructor, and award-winning writing tip blogger. She has edited for both award-winning and best-selling authors as well as beginning writers. Previously, she worked as an assistant to a New York Times bestselling author.

She is best known for her blog, which won the Writer���s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers Award and Query Letter���s Top Writing Blog Award, and has over 500 writing tips. She also offers a live online writing course, ���The Triarchy Method,��� where she personally guides 10 students through developing their best books by focusing on the ���bones��� of story.

To learn more about her course, read her tips, or inquire about her editing services, visit SeptemberCFawkes.com. Grab her AMAZING free guide on Crafting Powerful Protagonists while there. You can also find her on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Tumblr.

You can find September���s posts here.

In addition to our new coach, we���re thrilled to have these returning masterminds���

Lucy V. Hay is a script editor, author and blogger who helps writers. She���s been the script editor and advisor on numerous UK features and shorts & has also been a script reader for 20 years, providing coverage for indie prodcos, investors, screen agencies, producers, directors and individual writers. She���s also an author, publishing as both LV Hay and Lizzie Fry.  Lizzie���s latest, a serial killer thriller titled The Good Mother is out now with Joffe Books, with her sixth thriller out in 2024. Lucy���s site at www.bang2write.com has appeared in Top 100 round-ups for Writer���s Digest & The Write Life, as well as a UK Blog Awards Finalist and Feedspot���s #1 Screenwriting blog in the UK (ninth in the world.). She is also the author of the bestselling non-fiction book, Writing & Selling Thriller Screenplays: From TV Pilot To Feature Film (Creative Essentials), which she updated for the streaming age for its tenth anniversary in 2023. 

You can find Lucy���s posts here.

Marissa Graff has been a freelance editor and reader for literary agent Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary Agency for over five years. In conjunction with Angelella Editorial, she offers developmental editing, author coaching, and more. She specializes in middle-grade and young-adult fiction but also works with adult fiction.

Marissa feels if she���s done her job well, a client should probably never need her help again because she���s given them a crash-course MFA via deep editorial support and/or coaching. Connect with Marissa on her Website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find Marissa���s posts here.

Colleen M. Story is a novelist, freelance writer, writing coach, and speaker with over 20 years in the creative writing industry. Her newest novel, The Curse of King Midas, is forthcoming in 2024, and has already been recognized as a top-ten finalist for the Claymore Award. Her novel The Beached Ones came out in 2022 with CamCat Books, while Loreena���s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews��� INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, among others.

Colleen has written three books to help writers succeed. Your Writing Matters is the most recent, and was a bronze medal winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards (2022). Writer Get Noticed! was a gold-medal winner in the Reader���s Favorite Book Awards and a first-place winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards (2019). Overwhelmed Writer Rescue was named Book by Book Publicity���s Best Writing/Publishing Book in 2018. You can find free chapters of these books here.

Colleen offers personalized coaching plans tailored to meet your needs. If you���d like to work on-one-one with an experienced writing coach, check out her flexible and affordable options.

Colleen frequently serves as a workshop leader and motivational speaker, where she helps attendees remove mental and emotional blocks and tap into their unique creative powers. Find her at Writing and Wellness, Author Website, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads, BookBub and Instagram.

You can find Colleen���s posts here.

Jami Gold, after muttering writing advice in tongues, decided to become a writer and put her talent for making up stuff to good use, such as by winning the 2015 National Readers��� Choice Award in Paranormal Romance for her novel Ironclad Devotion.

To help others reach their creative potential as well, she���s developed a massive collection of resources for writers. Explore her site to find worksheets���including the popular Romance Beat Sheet with 80,000+ downloads���workshops, and over 1000 posts on her blog about the craft, business, and life of writing. Her site has been named one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer���s Digest.

Find Jami at her website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub, and Instagram.

You can find Jami���s posts here.

Lisa Poisso works with new and emerging querying and self-publishing writers. A classically trained dancer, her approach to writing is likewise grounded in structure, form, and technique as doorways to freedom of movement on the page. She���s an energetic proponent of one-on-one feedback to accelerate the learning curve of writing fiction. Her Accelerator coaching fast-tracks authors through structure and technique while nurturing the potential of their early drafts.

Lisa is a degreed journalist and a veteran of decades of award-winning work in magazine editing and journalism, content writing, and corporate communications. Her coaching and editorial studio is staffed by an industrious team of #45mphcouchpotato greyhounds. Visit her Linktree for help with your early steps as a writer, join the Clarity for Writers community at Substack, and download a free Manuscript Prep guide. Connect with Lisa at LisaPoisso.com and on Instagram, Facebook, and X/Twitter.

You can find Lisa���s posts here.

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as ���Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.��� She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer���s Digest ���101 Best Websites for Writers���) and Writers Helping Writers. Sue lives with her husband in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3) and Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-7 and continuing). Sue���s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Learn more about Sue and her books at www.suecoletta.com.

Find Sue on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, and YouTube.

You can find Sue���s posts here.

Suzy Vadori is the award-winning author of The Fountain Series and is represented by Naomi Davis of Bookends Literary Agency. She is a certified Book Coach with Author Accelerator and the founder of the Wicked Good Fiction Bootcamp. Suzy breaks down concepts in writing into practical steps, so that writers with big dreams can get the story exploding in their minds onto their pages in a way that readers will LOVE.

In addition to her online courses, Suzy offers 1:1 Developmental Editing and Book Coaching services, and gives practical tips for writers at all stages on her vlog.

Find Suzy on her website, YouTube, Facebook, Free Inspired Writing Facebook Group, Instagram, and Tiktok.

You can find Suzy���s posts here.

Michelle Barker is an award-winning author, editor, and writing teacher who lives in Vancouver, BC. Her newest book, coauthored with David Griffin Brown, is Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling.  Her novel My Long List of Impossible Things, came out in 2020 with Annick Press. She is the author of The House of One Thousand Eyes, which was named a Kirkus Best Book of the Year and won numerous awards including the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award. She���s also the author of the historical picture book, A Year of Borrowed Men, as well as the fantasy novel, The Beggar King, and a chapbook, Old Growth, Clear-Cut: Poems of Haida Gwaii. Her fiction, non-fiction and poetry have appeared in literary reviews around the world.

Michelle holds an MFA in creative writing from UBC and has been a senior editor at The Darling Axe since its inception. She loves working closely with writers to hone their manuscripts and discuss the craft. You can find Michelle on Twitter and GoodReads.

You can find Michelle���s posts here.

Tips

If you want to browse past Resident Writing Coach posts, click here.

Love a post? Click on the name up top to see all the posts from that person.

Check out all the Resident Writing Coach bios! You���ll find:

Editing and coaching servicesFree support through online groupsHelpful resources

Don���t forget to follow them on social media for even more tips and updates!

Here���s to another year of amazing posts. Please give a warm welcome our Resident Writing Coaches.

Pssst���when you comment on their posts, they reply to you! So please share your thoughts and ask questions throughout the year. Angela, Becca and I love working with the coaches. They���re an incredible asset to the Writers Helping Writers blog.

If there���s a topic you���d like help with, please add it in the comments so hopefully one of our Resident Writing Coaches will post about it.

The post Meet Our Resident Writing Coaches appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Writing About Pain: Best Practices for Great Fiction

Are you enjoying this series on writing your character���s pain? That���s a weird and slightly sadistic statement���even more so when we say how much we���ve enjoyed writing about pain. But it’s one of those things your character IS going to encounter; it���s not a matter of if, but when (and how often). So we need to be able to write it well.

We���ve covered a lot of ground, from the 3 stages of awareness to the symptoms of minor, mortal, and invisible injuries. But regardless of the kind of pain your character is feeling, there are certain practices that will enhance your descriptions of it to maximize reader empathy and minimize their chances of being pulled out of the story.

Show Don���t Tell

This one comes first, because if you want to create evocative and compelling descriptions, showing is the way to do it. Take this passage, for example:

Pain throbbed in my wrist. It radiated into my fingers. Tears sprang to my eyes.

On the surface, this description gets the job done because it adequately describes the character���s pain. But it���s not engaging. Lists seldom are���yet this is how pain is often described, as a series of symptoms or sensations. This isn���t how real pain registers, so it being described this way won���t read as authentic to readers.

Don���t stop the story to talk about what the character���s feeling. Instead, incorporate it into what���s happening. This keeps the pace moving and readers reading:

Cradling my throbbing wrist, I searched for the rope and loosed it from my belt. I drew a shuddering breath of relief to discover my fingers still worked, though the pain had me biting nearly through my lip.

This description is much better because it reveals the pain in bits and bobs as the character is going about her business. It uses words that describe the intensity and quality of the pain: throbbing and shuddering. There���s also a thought included, which is important because when agony strikes, our brains don���t stop working. The opposite is actually true, with our thoughts often going into overdrive. So including a thought that references the character���s mental state or physical discomfort is another way to show their pain to readers in an organic way.

Take Personal Factors into Account

The character���s pain level and intensity will depend on a number of factors, such as their pain tolerance, their personality, and what else is going on in the moment. Being aware of these details and knowing what they look like for your character is key for tailoring a response that is authentic for them. For more information on the factors that will determine your character���s pain response and their ability to cope with their discomfort, see the 6th post in this series.

Adhere to Your Chosen Point of View

Whether you���re telling your story in first person, third person, or omniscient viewpoint, consistency is a must, so you���ve got to stick to that point of view. If the person in pain is the one narrating, you can go deep into their perspective to show readers what���s happening inside���the pain, yes, but also the nausea, tense muscles, and the spots that appear in the character���s vision as they start to black out.

But if the victim isn���t a viewpoint character���if the reader isn���t privy to what���s happening inside their heads and bodies���you���ll need be true to that choice. Stick with external indicators that are visible to others, such as the character wincing, the hissed intake of breath through clenched teeth, the weeping of blood, or the skin going white and clammy.

Consider the Intensity of the Pain

All pain isn���t created equal, and the intensity of the pain being described will often determine the level of detail. Excruciating, agonizing pain is going to be impossible for the character to ignore; because of their focus on their own pain, more description is often necessary. On the flip side, a lot of words aren���t needed to express the mild, fleeting pain of a stubbed toe or bruised knee. The severity of the pain can guide you toward the right amount of description.

Don���t Forget about It

Remember that pain has a life of its own. Some injuries heal fast, with the pain receding quickly and steadily. Others linger. Many times, healing is a one-step-forward-two-steps-back situation, with things seeming to improve, then a relapse or reinjury causing a setback. And then there���s chronic pain, which never fully goes away.

The nature of the injury will dictate how often you return to the character���s pain and remind readers of it. Minor injuries can fade into the background without further mention. But moderate and severe hurts will take time to heal. This means your character will be feeling the pain well after it began, and you���ll have to mention it again. But when you do, the quality and intensity will be less, and your description will follow suit.

Be Realistic

In serious cases, your character���s pain will become limiting; they won���t be able to do the things they could when they were unscathed. But we see unrealistic practices surrounding pain and wounds all the time in fiction. The hero���s shoulder is dislocated, he knocks it gamely back in place, then goes running after the villain. Maybe he���s grimacing and grunting, but two pages later, he���s duking it out without any mention of the injury or the pain that activity would cause.

Don���t let pain unintentionally turn your hero into a superhero. Keep them real and relatable, which is easy to do with some basic planning. If you know they���re going to be injured in a scene, ask yourself: what physical activity will be happening afterward? Then plan accordingly.

Maybe you tailor their injury so it puts them in distress but allows them to do what they need to do. Or, if a severe injury is necessary, you might rearrange your scenes so the character is able to heal up before encountering any serious physical activity. Another option is to let them tackle the active moment following a painful incident, but show their limitations.  Show them struggling and having to compensate. The important thing is to keep their physical abilities in the wake of an injury realistic so readers don���t call Bullcrap and start thinking about what���s wrong with the story.

The Complete Pain Series

And with that, this series is a wrap. Hopefully these posts have provided some solid information and practical advice on how to write your character���s pain effectively. In case you missed any of the installments, I���ve listed them here, for easy reference.

The Three Stages of Awareness
Different Types to Explore
Describing Minor Injuries
Describing Major and Mortal Injuries
Invisible Injuries and Conditions
Factors that Help or Hinder the Ability to Cope
Taking an Injury from Bad to Worse
Everyday Ways a Character Could Be Hurt

The post Writing About Pain: Best Practices for Great Fiction appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Writing About Pain: Everyday Ways A Character Could Be Hurt

We���ve covered many aspects of pain so far in this experience, such as the different categories of pain and how to write the discomfort associated with minor, major, and invisible injuries. All of this is helpful for identifying the pain your character will be feeling and helping you write it accurately. But how will your character sustain their injury?

If you���ve determined that pain is in your character���s future, you���ve got to then figure out how it will happen. The good news is that this can often be done organically through whatever they’re already doing. It���s just a matter of knowing which activities they���d be involved in and the locations they���re likely to visit. Get them there, and let the mishaps unfold.

Here are a few of the common causes for injuries and places where harm could naturally befall your character.

Household Accidents

It���s commonly known that many injuries occur in and around the home. This means your character���s living space can become a minefield of potential hazards. Moving heavy furniture, slipping in the shower or on slick floors, falling down stairs, cutting oneself while cooking, choking on food, fingers getting smashed in a drawer, getting zapped by a faulty electrical outlet���the possibilities, both serious and slight, are endless.

This is also true of incidents happening just outside the home. Your character could be injured while using faulty lawn equipment (or misusing perfectly good tools), tripping over uneven driveway pavers, being exposed to poison ivy, breathing noxious fumes from a DIY painting project, getting a splinter, or falling out of a tree.

Sometimes, the easiest solutions are the best ones. When it comes to injuries, there really is no place like home.

Workplace Injuries

The other place your character spends a lot of their time is at work, making it a logical place for bad things to happen. If your story calls for a certain kind of injury, consider a career for the character where it���s most likely to happen. Maybe a more dangerous occupation is in order, such as construction work, being a police officer, or working as an EMT in a hazardous area.

But even mundane office jobs can provide opportunities for a range of injuries���paper cuts, carpal tunnel, slips and falls, and back and neck pain from staring at a screen for hours, to name just a few. As a matter of fact, a physically painful event at work can spice up a boring day on the job. Just make sure it���s a natural fit so it doesn���t read as contrived.

Recreational Activities

What does your character do in their spare time? Could it be something that would incorporate the injury you need them to sustain? Maybe they���re an exercise enthusiast and enjoy running marathons, lifting weights, or some other way of pushing their body to its limits. Or they could be into extreme sports, like motocross, rock climbing, cave diving, or hang gliding. Even run-of-the-mill activities like hiking, jogging, fishing, hunting, and playing pickleball can end painfully given the right (or wrong) circumstances.

Transportation Accidents

When your character leaves home, some form of transportation is going to get them to their destination. Whether they���re in an isolated area or are surrounded by other people who are also getting from here to there, there are many opportunities for harm to befall them. Car accidents, falling off a bike, suffering a heart attack while riding the city bus, being hit while walking as a pedestrian, difficulties driving in other countries where the traffic laws are unfamiliar���so many possibilities.

Weather Events

Wherever your character lives, they���re going to encounter different kinds of weather that can impact their safety. Slippery roads and icy streets can make accidents and falls more likely. Heavy fog, rain, and snow will decrease visibility. High winds can cause tree limbs to fall, crushing buildings or blocking roadways and causing hazards. And then you have extreme weather���tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, lightning strikes, and hailstorms. The latter are much more dramatic, so you���ll have to lay that groundwork carefully. Make sure your character is living in an area where these threats are real. And use enough foreshadowing to inform readers of the danger so when it happens, it rings true.

Animal Injuries

As much as we love our pets, they can inadvertently be a source of pain. For instance, we know how dangerous it is when an elderly person falls and breaks a hip. What you may not know is that one of the main reasons the elderly fall is because they���ve tripped over a pet. Sustaining an injury while walking the dog is also common, along with the garden-variety scratches, nips, and bites that may occur. It���s also easy to be hurt while trying to help a wounded or scared pet.

But domesticated animals aren���t the only ones your character needs to be careful with. Consider the altercations they might have with animals of the wilder sort: insect stings, snake and spider bites, or being bitten by a tick and incurring the chronic effects of Lyme disease. Is your character the reckless sort that might try to hand-feed a raccoon in the backyard or get a selfie with a bison at Yellowstone? They���re likely to get more than they bargained for.

Physical Violence

Sometimes harm occurs from other human beings, and it���s not always intentional. Being bumped on the street, elbowed in the mouth, knocked down in a crowd, slammed in a concert mosh pit, roughhousing with the kids���there are many ways someone could accidentally injure your character. And then there are deliberate acts of violence in the form of an attack, mugging, bullying, or domestic abuse.

This is a short list, really, of the ordinary ways your character could be injured just going about their day. It���s definitely not exhaustive but hopefully provides some ideas for how you can naturally incorporate the painful events your story needs in ways that are natural and seamless.

And if you need help in this area, consider adding an Emotion Amplifier into the mix. Your character may be a good driver, but what if they���re distracted or inebriated? They might be the most careful person on the worksite until they get dehydrated or are sick with a fever. And consider how added stress can make your character less patient, more reckless, and prone to making poor decisions. Amplifiers are a great way to turn a normal scenario into one where an injury is more likely to happen, so keep those in mind when you need to hurt your character.

Other Posts in This Pain Series:

The Three Stages of Awareness
Different Types to Explore
Describing Minor Injuries
Describing Major and Moral Injuries
Invisible Injuries and Conditions
Factors that Help or Hinder the Ability to Cope
Taking an Injury from Bad to Worse

The post Writing About Pain: Everyday Ways A Character Could Be Hurt appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Whiskey Priest

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes���”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.

Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.

But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.

But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.

Whiskey Priest

DESCRIPTION: A well-meaning priest, pastor, or other religious professional who exhibits moral weakness through a particular vice. Though he is acutely aware of his personal flaws, he continues to carry out his sacramental duties and takes his responsibility toward his charges seriously.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale (The Scarlet Letter), Father Donald Callahan (Salem’s Lot, The Dark Tower), Friar Tuck (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Imperius (Ladyhawke)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Cautious, Centered, Cooperative, Courteous, Diplomatic, Discreet, Empathetic, Generous, Gentle, Kind, Nurturing, Observant, Passionate, Patient, Persuasive, Private, Protective, Responsible, Spiritual, Supportive, Wise

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Addictive, Compulsive, Cowardly, Evasive, Humorless, Hypocritical, Insecure, Nosy, Self-Indulgent, Weak-Willed, Withdrawn

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Struggling with personal demons
Being burdened with a dark secret
Having compassion for others
Feeling deeply compelled to serve God to the best of their ability
Feeling guilty about past mistakes or present weaknesses
Seeking redemption or forgiveness
Willingly making sacrifices for others
Being disillusioned by the cruelties and harsh realities of the world
Going to great lengths to keep his indiscretions secret
Being full of contradictions…

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
A situation that threatens to reveal the character’s vice
Encountering someone who challenges the priest’s beliefs
Being tempted in a new area…

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Is a whiskey priest in an unorthodox genre, such as sci-fi or inspirational fiction
Has a reason for giving in to his temptation that goes beyond a simple lack of will power
Has an atypical trait: disrespectful, disciplined, perfectionist, quirky, etc…

CLICH��S TO BE AWARE OF
The flat character whose vice is the only thing the reader really knows about them
A weak-willed priest who declares a desire to overcome his sin but continually gives in with little resistance…

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.

If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, and then give our Free Trial a spin.

The post Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Whiskey Priest appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Writing About Pain: Taking an Injury from Bad to Worse

In a story, when we put characters in dangerous or unfamiliar situations, they can get hurt, and when they do, it makes everything harder. They might have reduced mobility, the pain may make it hard to think, or the injury makes something they must do (win a fight, escape a threat, or keep their independence, for example) all but impossible.

Injuries and pain lead to problems, meaning they can be great for a story as they generate tension and conflict. Too, readers become more invested when something happens to a character, either because they care about the character and want them to be okay, or the incident leads to a rush of schadenfreude because a nasty character is getting what they deserve.

A writer’s mindset is all about How can I make things more difficult for this character? meaning it can be tempting to pile on the injuries and pain, but this can lead to other story problems. Too many ouchies and a character’s not going to be able to continue their quest, and that means not achieving their goal (or worse, causing the author to manufacture a ‘Hail Mary rescue’ that feels contrived). Or, if injuries are piling up like a serial killer’s body count, readers might get angry and feel the author is going too far. So we really want to find the sweet spot of making things hard, not impossible for the character.

Sometimes a better route than “more injuries” when you’re trying to make a character’s life challenging is to simply add a complication.

In the right circumstances, even a small injury can cause big problems. Cuts get infected. Bites can be poisonous. A blister can make it hard to run flat out to escape. Complications are not only realistic, they can raise the stakes and make readers worry, generating tension.

How to take an injury from bad to worse

Being unable to treat the injury. Some problems require medical intervention, but that doesn’t mean your character can access help. They might be on a remote hiking trail, in the middle of a farmer’s field, or simply unable to go to the hospital because if they do, it will alert the authorities. When a character can’t get the help they need, this not only ramps up the pain, it ramps up the consequences.

An underlying condition. Does your character have a clotting disorder that means a cut on their thigh won’t close? Are they being treated for an illness that leaves them fatigued? Will that concussion re-awaken difficult side effects caused by a previous traumatic brain injury? When you want to make an injury more complicated and particularly dangerous for a character, think about what underlying conditions or illnesses they may have that will make it harder to function.

Infection. Your story doesn’t need to be in the middle of a Zombie Apocalypse to cause characters to worry about viruses. Wounds exposed to the wrong conditions can cause fever or delirium, compromising your character’s ability to function and make rational decisions. Untreated, infection can lead to blood poisoning, gangrene, or even flesh-eating disease. Yikes.

Reduced mobility. If your character breaks a bone or injures their back, they may be unable to move on their own. This can put a strain on others who must step in to help, causing delays or forcing them to expend energy they need for other things. If your character is on their own, say with a broken leg at the bottom of an embankment, an inability to move much will become a crisis if they cannot source food, water, or find help. Sitting or laying prone too long can also increase blood flow related issues, making injuries worse and healing slower.

Muscle tears or nerve damage. A bike accident, overdoing it at the gym, or a pell-mell flight from a pack of wild dogs can mean more than bruises. A muscle tear or nerve damage can affect mobility and dexterity, and generate high levels of pain. These injuries take time to heal, and sometimes require special treatments or even surgery. So think carefully about how this type of complication might play out in the story. Your character might be damaged in a way that their recovery may not fit the timeline for conflict resolution.

Scar tissue. Everyone has a few scars, but what if your character’s reduces function in some way, or even disfigures them? What will this mean as far as their dexterity and range of movement, or how other people view them? Will it close doors because they’ve lost their edge as far as a skill goes, or reveal a lack of depth in their relationships because people can’t accept this change?

Extreme swelling. Injuries cause tissue to swell, and if this happens to a body part that is confined somehow (a swollen foot stuck in a boot, or a wedding ring cutting off circulation due to a broken finger), it can cause intense pain and the need for intervention to avoid losing the limb.

Improper healing. Sometimes a character can’t get help when they need it, and the injury starts to heal in a way that is less than ideal. Bones may not be fully aligned as they knit together, causing a limp or malformation. A deep cut that can’t be stitched in time may result in a scar, loss of sensation, or reduced function.

Fears or phobias being triggered. Characters who have suffered past trauma may have their deepest fears awakened when an injury occurs, especially if the injury reminds them of a painful experience. Or they may have a phobia of doctors, hospitals, dying, or another fear that makes them resistant to being treated.

Addictions. A character in recovery will not want to risk medication that may cause a relapse. This might mean having to bear extreme levels of pain to stay drug free, or having no choice but to have drugs in their system so a surgery can be performed, or an infection is stopped before it can spread.

Making the injury worse. When characters are in danger or there’s a ticking clock, they can’t take it easy. A strain the character must put up with to escape a threat can become something much worse if it isn’t treated. Over time, increased fatigue or reduced strength will make a character unstable and more prone to additional injuries, too.

Ideally, injuries should push characters to think of creative solutions to their problems.

When they do, this makes for good reading. Too, characters who don’t give up (even though they may want to) are the ones readers admire most!

Other posts in this pain series:

The Three Stages of Awareness
Different Types to Explore
Describing Minor Injuries
Describing Major and Moral Injuries
Invisible Injuries and Conditions
Factors that Help of Hinder the Ability to Cope

The post Writing About Pain: Taking an Injury from Bad to Worse appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

How To Write A Psychological Thriller Without Frying Your Own Brain

Writing A Psychological Thriller

Whether you’re a fan of the genre or looking to try your hand at writing one, a psychological thriller can be fun to both read AND write. But what goes into making these stories so captivating?

A psychological thriller is a story that combines elements of suspense, mystery, and even horror to create an unsettling and often terrifying experience for the reader. These stories typically revolve around characters who are dealing with some kind of mental or emotional disturbance, which leads them to behave in erratic or dangerous ways.

I’ve written six such novels, with a seventh out next year in 2024. Here are my top tips …

1) Start With an Intriguing Premise

Your story should start with a bang! Draw your readers in with an enticing and mysterious premise. Ask yourself what dark secrets your characters are hiding, or what could drive someone to commit a crime.

In my psychological thriller Never Have I Ever, it starts with my protagonist receiving an anonymous note. It reads: ‘Never have I ever … been punished for what I have done.’ But what could THAT be about?? Eeek!

2) Create Believable Characters

Psychological thrillers center around characters who are often flawed and damaged, which can make them difficult to create.��Pay attention to their backstories, motivations, and needs so you can make them fully fleshed-out individuals.

It’s important to ensure that your characters feel real and relatable, even if they’re not always likeable. (Remember, female characters are often accused of being ‘unlikeable’ anyway, no matter what they do! I call this the ‘female burden’).

3) A Compelling Protagonist

A compelling protagonist is particularly important in this genre. It’s important to choose someone readers can empathize with and root for throughout the novel.

Create a detailed character sketch of your main character, including their motivation for solving the mystery or problem at hand. (Lots of writers struggle with characterization, so I’ve created a free masterclass on creating characters which you can grab HERE).

4) Intriguing Secondary Characters

In addition to a well-developed protagonist, your story will also need believable and interesting secondary characters. These characters should contribute to the plot in a meaningful way, without taking away from the mystery itself.

Since secondary characters should HELP or HINDER the protagonist, I always recommend putting your secondary characters on ‘team protag’ or ‘team antag’. This way, you can be sure secondaries are pulling their weight in the story.

5) Build Suspense Slowly

A successful psychological thriller takes its time in ramping up the suspense and tension. Keep your readers guessing by slowly revealing information about your characters and their pasts, while also raising the stakes as the story progresses.

Avoid rushing things … a slow burn really is key in this genre! Make sure you study structure and plotting archetypes so you can make the most of tension and suspense.

I always recommend the book The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker for this, but there’s plenty of helpful resources to help you – including this site, Writing Helping Writers!

6) A Richly Described Setting

The setting of your story is just as important as the characters populating it. Choose a location that is rich in history and detail, then use vivid descriptions to bring it to life for readers.

In my books, I frequently write about seaside towns out of season. This is because my characters are often outsiders, cut off from others. If you’ve ever been in such a place in winter, you will know seaside towns are often shut down and cut off during the winter months. This is an example of the storyworld reflecting the characters’ lives and dilemmas.

7) Choose Your Ending VERY Carefully

The ending of a psychological thriller is especially important���it should be both climactic and satisfying without being too predictable or pat. Twist endings can be particularly effective in this genre, so long as they make sense within the context of the story as a whole.

Never, ever, ever fly in an ending out of the ‘left field’. Sometimes it can help to START with your ending and plot backwards to ‘find’ the beginning when it comes to twists.

Editing, Polishing and Setting Your Story Free

Editing, polishing and setting your story free are all important aspects of writing a psychological thriller. It is important to keep your readers engaged by making sure your story is well-written and edited.

There are many ways to edit your story, but it is important to take your time and do it right. Here are some tips for editing, polishing and setting your story free:

1) Take Your Time!

Don’t rush through the editing process. Once you have written your first draft, put it away for a few days or weeks before you start editing. This will give you some distance from the material and allow you to come back with fresh eyes.

2) Be Ruthless

When you are editing, be ruthless in cutting out anything that doesn’t move the story forward or add anything new. Get rid of any unnecessary details or scenes that drag on too long.

3) Make Sure Everything Makes Sense

As you are editing, make sure that everything in the story makes sense. Check for any plot holes or inconsistencies and fix them before moving on.

4) Pay Attention to Dialogue

Dialogue is an important part of any story, but it is especially important in a psychological thriller. Make sure that each character’s dialogue sounds natural and believable. Listen for any awkward phrases or stiffness in the dialogue and revise accordingly.

5) Let Others Read It

I know it’s scary, but you need others’ opinions and suggestions on your work. I always recommend going as far as you can with honing your craft, peer review, or writers’ group critiques BEFORE you pay for notes or feedback though. There’s no point paying to get feedback on the basics, get your money’s worth!

Good Luck! One Stop for Writers
is here to help!

Check out these powerful tools that help you create believable characters, including the largest show-don’t-tell descriptive database that fleshes out motivations, negative traits, emotions, settings, and many other items in this post.

Get 25% off any plan until September 22!

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Writing About Pain: Factors that Help or Hinder the Ability to Cope

We know that pain is an unfortunate part of life. And if you���re doing your job as an author, your character will be put through the ringer, experiencing many painful events���big and small���throughout their story. We���ve talked about the kinds of physical pain they could encounter and how to describe that. But how will your character respond to their pain?

Much like a fingerprint, each person���s pain response is unique. It will be determined by a combination of factors���some that are controllable and some that aren���t. Remember, it���s the character that will draw readers in and keep them engaged, but only if their reactions are believable and consistent. So it���s imperative to know the most sensible responses for your character.

Passive Factors

There are many ways a character can react to physical discomfort, and a lot of them will be subconscious. Their ability to handle their pain will be based on some passive factors that are out of their control and are already running in the background when things go south. Because these factors will dictate your character���s pain response, it���s important to familiarize yourself with them and know what they look like for your character.

Pain Tolerance

This is defined as the maximum amount of physical suffering a person can handle. The higher your character���s pain tolerance, the more they���ll be able to withstand the discomfort they experience. This threshold varies from one person to the next and is established by a number of variables, such as genetics, past experiences with pain, and how much stress the character is dealing with when adversity strikes.

Personality

Your character���s values and dominant traits will play a part in how they respond to pain. Just think about the natural reactions you���ll get from different kinds of characters: melodramatic vs. stoic vs. needy vs. someone who���s always playing the martyr… The traits and qualities your character values will play a large part in how they handle discomfort, so take those into consideration.

Imperative Responsibilities

If the circumstances surrounding their pain are simple, the character���s response can be straightforward. For instance, if they tumble down a flight of stairs with a roommate nearby, they can focus on their physical state and what to do next. But what if they fell, alone, trying to get upstairs to a crying baby? What if they���re a federal agent who was attempting to neutralize a sniper who is now free to keep shooting?

When an injury threatens the well-being of others or keeps the character from an imperative duty, they may be able to ignore or minimize their pain until they���ve accomplished what needs doing. On the flip side, becoming incapacitated while others are in danger may actually worsen the pain.

Pharmacological Factors

Alcohol, medications, and illegal drugs obviously dull pain. This is why drunk drivers can gravely injure themselves in a car accident and walk away without feeling much of anything. If your character is wounded while they���re under the influence, this will impact what they feel and how they react.

Responses That Help Control Pain in the Moment

Now that we���ve had a look at the latent factors that contribute to a character���s pain response, let���s turn our focus to active reactions, starting with those that are most helpful in controlling and lessening discomfort���both in the moment and in the aftermath of a painful event.

Maintaining a Positive Mindset

Positive thinking keeps the character in a forward-focused mindset, concentrating on what can be done and what actions to take. It engenders a sense of empowerment and control as they work toward solutions and betterment. A positive mindset also reduces stress and anxiety, which are known to make pain worse.

Utilizing Mind-Body Techniques

These techniques allow the character use the mind to positively influence the body. Meditation, prayer, relaxation techniques, and deep breathing exercises can mitigate pain and help the character become more centered and calm.

Distracting Themselves

In the midst of even a minor injury, the pain won���t go away completely. Sometimes, the best thing a character can do is to focus on something else. Exercises such as mentally preparing a grocery list or summarizing the storyline of a favorite movie can be beneficial in taking the mind off the pain. If the injury allows, the character can also engage in a distracting hobby. Reading a book, working on a puzzle, or playing a game won���t negate the pain, but activities like these can push it into the background and make it less intense.

Responses That Help Control Pain During RecoveryPursuing a Healthy Lifestyle

Physically healthy bodies heal faster, with a quicker secession of pain. To this end, making nutritious food choices, prioritizing sleep, and reducing stress can improve the character���s overall health and aid in pain management. Exercise is another important factor because while it makes the body stronger and especially helps to manage chronic discomfort, it also released endorphins, which can have a pain-relieving effect.

Educating and Self-Advocating

Healthcare providers are wonderful resources, but they don���t know everything. A character who researches their own injuries and physical limitations will increase their knowledge and likely find new treatment options. This form of self-advocacy can result in a sense of empowerment, staving off despair, depression, and hopelessness.

Volunteering and Altruism

When pain is ongoing and/or intense, it’s often more comfortable to stay at home and avoid the activities that aggravate it. But studies show that when we shift our focus from ourselves to others, amazing things happen with our mindset and our outlook on life. In this way, volunteering and serving others can have a mitigating effect on pain. At the very least, acts of altruism can make physical discomfort more bearable as the character finds a greater sense of purpose.

Attending Therapy

Therapy is a magical tool for helping people find better ways of dealing with their problems. For a character trying to cope with pain, a therapist can provide great insight into the mental and emotional processes that can be adopted to minimize the discomfort or put into a proper perspective.

Responses that Hinder Pain Mitigation in the Moment

For every positive reaction, there are a multitude of negative responses that hinder rather than help. It���s easy for people in pain to resort to whatever works to make it go away. But many of these methods are only temporary or create ancillary problems. Here are some common pain responses that will thwart your character���s healing and possibly make their situation worse.

Focusing on the Negative

For someone battling chronic or intense discomfort, it���s easy to fall into negative thinking by becoming obsessed with the pain, catastrophizing, and becoming cynical. But just as positive thinking has positive benefits, negative thinking begets negative outcomes in the form of increased anxiety and depression, and decreased motivation and self-worth���all of which make healing harder.

Hiding the Pain

People often aren���t comfortable expressing their pain���maybe because it occurred in public and they���re embarrassed or don���t want people to fuss over them. They might need to be strong if they���re with their kids or in a position of authority. Or they could be worried about consequences, such as losing a starting spot on a sports team if they can���t perform. There are many reasons why someone might choose to mask their pain, so it���s worthwhile exploring those possibilities.

Not Seeking Help

While many people run to the doctor when pain sets in, there are some characters who will avoid treatment. This may be true for someone who

Is in denial about their conditionIs highly independent and doesn���t want to rely on others for helpCares deeply about what others think and doesn���t want to appear weak

Refusing to seek treatment or get help won���t expedite healing and the cessation of pain. It also can make a minor injury worse if treatment is needed.

Responses that Hinder Pain Mitigation During RecoveryMaking Unhealthy Choices

Just as healthy habits can encourage healing and minimize pain, an unhealthy lifestyle often does the opposite. Responding to pain by taking up smoking, compulsively eating, or turning to drugs and alcohol can aggravate existing conditions (and the associated pain) or create new health issues that will make life even more difficult.

Being Driven by Fear and Avoidance

If your character is struggling with a high level of discomfort, it���s normal for them to avoid any activities that might make it worse. But ongoing avoidance often results in a sedentary lifestyle that can actually increase someone’s sensitivity to pain, achieving the opposite result.

Having Unrealistic Expectations

In some situations, people will be living with a certain level of pain for the rest of their lives. The discomfort can be managed, but only if the character���s expectations are realistic. Hoping for an impossible outcome, such as a complete recovery with no more pain, will result in disappointment and an inability to recognize and appreciate small gains.

As you can see, there are many factors that can impact a character���s pain response. Some of the groundwork will be laid before the injury occurs, and other reactions are more controllable. Knowing the possibilities can help you choose the right responses for your character, both at the time of injury and in the aftermath.

Other posts in this pain series:

The Three Stages of Awareness
Different Types to Explore
Describing Minor Injuries
Describing Major and Moral Injuries
Invisible Injuries and Conditions

The post Writing About Pain: Factors that Help or Hinder the Ability to Cope appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition

Hey, wonderful writerly people! It���s time for our monthly critique contest. This month, we have a HUGE prize.
3 winners will receive feedback on 20 pages from a professional editor. So exciting!

PLEASE NOTE: We’ve changed our process for entering this contest.

If you’d like a chance to win feedback, use this link or click the graphic below to reach our ENTRY FORM:

ENTRY FORM

When you enter by form, double check that your email is correct so I’ll be able to contact you if I draw your name. (If I can’t reach you, you’ll have to forfeit your win.)

The editor you’ll be working with:Stuart Wakefield

With 26 years in theatre, broadcast media, and coaching under my belt, I have a visceral understanding of what makes stories work, and I���d like to share it with you because writing a novel doesn’t always have to be difficult and daunting, especially if it���s your first time. Understanding the process, getting started, and seeing it all come together can seem like an impossible mountain to climb.

As an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach, I’m passionate about helping new writers craft stories with passion and purpose, momentum and meaning. I have an MA (Distinction) in Professional Writing, and my debut novel, Body of Water, was one of ten books long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize. My latest novel, Behind the Seams, was a 2021 BookLife Fiction Prize Contest semifinalist.

My first TV show is airing on the UK’s Channel 4 in 2023.

So, if you have a story in your heart, just waiting to be shared with the world, I���m here to offer you guidance and support from developing your story right through to pursuing publication. You can find my website, blog, and free self-editing cheat sheet right here: https://linktr.ee/thebookcoach

**��My new course, “Emotional Echoes: The Art of Character Backstory,” opens Monday 18th September and is available for the special price of $47 until Monday 2nd October – when it goes up to $97! **��

Contest GuidelinesComments will NOT enter you in this contest. To enter, fill out this contest form. (One entry per person.)

Have your first 20 pages are ready to go. 1-inch margins, double-spaced, and 12pt Times New Roman font. Feedback will consist of in-line comments concerning what’s not working and what is.

You’ll need to supply a synopsis (a rough one is fine) so Stuart has context for his feedback.

This contest only runs for 24 hours, so enter by form ASAP.

We use Random.org to draw winners, and post the names in the comments tomorrow morning. If you win, I’ll be in touch!

If you���d like to be notified about our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest, consider subscribing to our blog (see the right-hand sidebar). 

A huge thank you to Stuart, and good luck to all! I can’t wait to see who the winners will be.

PS: To amp up your first page, grab our  First Pages checklist from One Stop for Writers. And for more help with important opening elements, visit this Mother Lode of First Page Resources.

The post Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Writing Techniques: Use and Abuse of ���Lampshading���

As storytellers, we usually want to keep readers immersed in our story. However, we���ve probably all written lines that we worry will break readers��� suspension of disbelief, such as with story events that might feel too clich��, coincidental, or incongruent. Obviously, we can try to fix the issue by changing those elements, but what if they���re necessary for the story we want to tell?

In that case, we might simply hope that the strength of our surrounding lines or story flow will carry readers past that point without pulling them out of the narrative. But there���s another option that may help overcome a reader���s awareness: the writing technique of ���lampshading.��� Let���s explore what the lampshade technique is and how we can use it (and not abuse it) in our stories.

What Is the ���Lampshade��� Technique

Believe it or not, the lampshade/lantern/lampshade-hanging technique is just this: Purposely call attention to a clich��, illogical, or contrived element, often in characters��� dialogue. By calling attention to something that threatens a readers��� suspension of disbelief, we���re essentially telling readers, ���Yep, the story world thinks these elements are odd too. Just roll with it.���

The TV Tropes site includes many examples, which point out how this technique isn���t new:

Sir Toby Belch: Is’t possible?
Fabian: If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction.

��� Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

In addition to simply using self-awareness to point out issues, lampshading can sometimes also take the opportunity to answer or justify how the situation makes sense. For example, to defuse readers��� skepticism or criticism of an event, a character might share further information after the fact, such as explaining unknown motivations:

Lampshade: ���Yeah, I���m glad we won, but why did Klaus suddenly decide to help us?��� Susan threw up her hands. ���That makes no sense. He never wanted our team to win.���
Justification: Paula pointed down the field to the opposing team. ���See that girl? Cynthia broke up with him last night���ugly scene from what I heard. Maybe he wanted her team to lose more than he didn���t want us to win.���

Depending on circumstances, lampshading can create moments that come off as winking, hilarious, clever (or too-clever-for-its-own-good), meta, lazy, handwaving away weak writing, etc. So we need to understand when lampshading will help or hurt our writing and story.

Lampshading Might Hurt Our Story When���

Lampshading done well helps keep readers immersed in our story, but lampshading done poorly risks pulling readers out of our story even more than if we had just left our writing alone.

Situations where lampshading can hurt our story or writing include:

Our story���s style is serious or sincere, so even mild or well-done lampshading risks a tonal change of being too-clever, meta, or jokey.Our story���s narrative is strong and/or readers of our genre won���t question the plot tropes/clich��s, so lampshading risks an impression of ���apologizing��� for lines or elements that readers may not even notice if we don���t point them out.The questionable elements are part of a strong emotional moment in our story, so lampshading risks undercutting���or at least interrupting���the emotions we wanted to evoke (such as in the game-winning example above).Our story naturally keeps readers at a distance���less engaged or immersed���so any lampshading, especially meta, fourth-wall-breaking, or too-clever-by-half moments (unless, of course, that���s the kind of story we���re trying to tell), risks preventing readers from taking anything seriously (e.g., if our characters don���t seem fully invested and care about the story���s events, readers might not care either).The questionable elements are part of a major or important moment in our story, so lampshading, with its ���don���t worry about it��� and ���just roll with it��� attitude, risks giving readers the impression that the moment isn���t important.There���s no story at all without the questionable elements, so lampshading that emphasizes the issue can make the entire story feel weak or ���fake.���Our characters��� reactions are believable within the story world, so lampshading risks an impression that we aren���t confident in our writing, worldbuilding, or characters.

Most importantly, as alluded to in that last bullet point, we don���t want to lampshade something simply because we���re not confident in our writing. Once per story, we might need to move the plot along with a contrived situation that we���re not entirely happy about, and maybe that event could use a lampshade, just to keep things moving. But lampshading due to self-consciousness can feel defensive, like we���re trying to avoid any-and-all criticism or essentially apologizing for our work. Instead, we should fix the problem so we can feel at least somewhat confident in our writing.

How to Properly Use Lampshading

Given all the above risks, we might wonder why we���d ever use the lampshading technique. However, done well, the technique can create a ���we���re all in this together��� bond with readers. In fact, lampshading can deepen readers��� immersion, preventing readers��� natural disbelief or skepticism about events.

So what are some ways to ensure we���re using the lampshade technique well? We can���

Use the right level of lampshading (minor vs. major, explicit vs. subtle, frequency, etc.), matching the story and its needs.Maintain the narrative flow of the story through the lampshading (unless we���re not trying to be subtle with our use), as the more interruptive the lampshade is, the more noticeable it is.Keep any comments or reactions true to the character and/or believable for character and story world.Make characters react the way readers would react to the incongruent events, which can make our characters more relatable.Ensure the events surrounding the lampshading are still earned by the story, rather than using the lampshading to kick off a lazy-writing sequence of events.Anticipate readers��� thoughts of alternate plot directions, such as ���why don���t they try XYZ���, and lampshade why that wouldn���t work to keep readers on the intended plot path.Maintain the ���fourth wall��� between the character���s lampshading commentary and the reader, such as by having the character comment about a character in a movie they���re watching (e.g., the boy and grandfather framing device of The Princess Bride).Ensure the lampshaded events add value for the reader, as they���ll be less interruptive if readers want to accept the events and move on from the issue.Keep the story���s style/tone and the target audience in mind with regards to frequency and placement of the technique, as even in stories where a winking, self-referential type of joke fits the tone, it���s possible to overdo, undercut important or emotional moments, or limit the appeal of the humor style (e.g., the lazy-writing complaints about recent Marvel movies).Final Thoughts about Lampshading

The lampshade technique shouldn���t be used as a general Get-Out-Of-A-Plot-Hole-or-Lazy-Writing Card. Hanging a lampshade to flippantly dismiss real problems in a story doesn���t make them go away.

But when done well, lampshading can help us keep readers engaged with our story:

At its least, readers see the lampshade as a fun wink rather than bad writing that causes them to disengage from the story.At its best, we can use it with a plot event that feels like a plot hole to readers���but that we know will have a strong, perfectly logical explanation later���to let readers know this ���hole��� is part of the plan and they should continue trusting us and our storytelling. It hints to readers that they���re still missing a puzzle piece to understanding the story so just enjoy the journey.

In short, lampshading done well is about keeping our readers��� trust, adding value that proves our story is worthy of their suspended disbelief. *smile*

Want to learn more about subtle vs. explicit lampshading or see examples? Visit my companion post!

Have you heard of the lampshade technique before? Did you know how to use it properly, or were you worried about the risks? Do you have any questions about the technique or how to use (and not abuse) lampshading?

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Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Loner

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes���”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.

Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.

But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.

But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.

Loner

DESCRIPTION: This character lives an isolated life due to their inability to relate to or connect with others. Loners can be��Rebels��(and vice-versa), but because the former are more comfortable with their background status-quo, they don’t typically seek to effect major change.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre), the Grinch (How the Grinch Stole Christmas),��Boo Radley (To Kill a Mockingbird), Eleanor Oliphant (Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Adventurous, Alert, Cautious, Confident, Focused, Independent, Industrious, Intelligent, Introverted, Meticulous, Observant, Organized, Pensive, Philosophical, Private, Quirky, Studious, Talented

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Abrasive, Cynical, Grumpy, Inhibited, Insecure, Judgmental, Needy, Nervous, Obsessive, Self-Destructive, Selfish, Stubborn, Suspicious, Tactless, Timid, Workaholic, Worrywart

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Preferring to observe rather than engage with others
Living on the fringes
Avoiding crowds and large social gatherings
Having a quiet voice
Having understated mannerisms
Preferring to work alone (and being more efficient that way)
Being misunderstood
Being socially awkward
Expecting to be underestimated by others
Naturally distrusting others
Being secretive

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Being forced to interact in a group
Being transferred to a new city where new friendships will have to be made
Having an extroverted or rowdy friend whose antics force the loner into the spotlight

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Is a loner sometimes and a people-person in other situations
Is an excellent public speaker
Is forced into a leadership role and turns out to be very good at it
Has an atypical trait: cocky, funny, mischievous, sentimental, superstitious, vain

CLICH��S TO BE AWARE OF
The lone wolf character who doesn’t need anyone and is perfectly happy on their own
Jaded, cynical, emo loners

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.

If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, and then give our Free Trial a spin.

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