Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 43

Historical Fiction: The Story Comes First

As writers of historical fiction, we might be tempted to believe our job is to teach readers about a certain event or era. While that might be part of what we���re doing, I would argue it���s not the most important part. The number one job of a fiction writer is to tell a story. A history textbook tells about history, but historical fiction should bring it to life by showing it. That���s our true mandate. It���s the difference between reading a menu and eating the meal.

But historical fiction doesn���t make this easy. Sometimes facts and figures need to be included; there are real events and people to take into account.

The thing we���re striving for in fiction is authenticity. We want our work to have the ring of truth to it. To that end, research is crucial. If we don���t do our research as historical fiction writers, we lose credibility with our readers. But researching comes with its own pitfalls. Information is dry and boring to read. The trouble is, we authors can get pretty fired up about our research. It���s cool stuff, plus we���ve worked hard to find it. The temptation is to use as much of it as we can. Indeed, the more research we���ve done, the more strongly we���ll feel about this.

But there���s a good chance that, for the sake of the story, a sizable amount of our research will never make it into the novel. We need to make our peace with that because research can easily get in the way of good storytelling. We���ll want to find a way to weave our research into the story seamlessly.

If we don���t, we���re likely to end up with an info-dump.

The Dreaded Infodump

An infodump is an extended section of telling (rather than showing), a chunk of information that is ���dumped��� into the reader���s lap.

Introducing readers to a historical era, explaining the political situation or a technical procedure���these are difficult things to do. The infodump makes it easy. You simply take a couple of pages���or an entire chapter���and explain it. This is why infodumps often show up either in prologues or first chapters. The author explains all the important bits to the reader up front before starting the story.

While an infodump might tell us about the world of the story, it doesn���t do anything to develop character, it doesn���t advance the plot, and it doesn���t really help the reader because usually there���s so much information crammed into one section, the reader won���t remember it. And it���s not presented in scene. It���s presented as information. Those are the moments in a story when a reader���s mind wanders.

Readers want to be immersed in the moment of the story. They want to feel like they���re standing beside our main character experiencing all the exciting things alongside them.

Infodumps also fail to create an emotional reaction in the reader. Most infodumps are written in a way that is cold and flat. When we fail to engage a reader���s emotions, we fail to engage the reader.

���������������������� To Avoid This Kind of Writing:Look for anything that isn���t happening in the present moment of the story. Have a close look at your sections of exposition. Backstory and world-building are common offenders.Figure out what needs to be explained only at that moment. Ask yourself: what does the reader need to know right now? If they don���t need to know it now, cut it, and save it for when they do.Trust your reader. They can piece things together; in fact, they like figuring things out. That���s part of the process of discovery involved in reading.If you���re unsure of whether you���ve given the reader enough information, try it out on someone. But beware of going from zero to overload if your reader asks for more information. Often, a subtle hint is all that���s needed.Incorporating Research into a Scene

            There are a few tricks we can use to weave research into a story as seamlessly as possible:

Integrate it into the scene. Make it relevant to something that���s happening in the moment. That way, it moves the plot forward. Add tension. Make the information something that causes problems for the characters. Show their reaction. This engages the reader. If the information matters to the characters, it will matter to the reader. Write it in such a way that it conveys something about a character���s personality. Then it adds to character development. Keep it brief. A sentence or two of information is enough.Break it up. Don���t stick all your information in one spot. Sprinkle it throughout a scene. Remember, the story comes first.Use Your Research Elsewhere

There will always be a difference between the amount of research we do for a historical novel and the amount that makes it into the book. But why not use that extra information in other ways?

Write some non-fiction pieces about the things you discovered while researching your novel. This is also a great way to generate some additional buzz for your work.Add the additional research to your website or on social media for readers who want to know more.Get creative: turn your facts into a trivia game or add them to presentations when you���re promoting your work.

Research is never a waste of time. Even if it doesn���t make it into the novel, it will show in subtle ways. The more we read about the world we���re building, the more we internalize it, and that is guaranteed to lend authenticity to our work.

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Fear Thesaurus Entry: Losing Control

Debilitating fears are a problem for everyone, an unfortunate part of the human experience. Whether they’re a result of learned behavior as a child, are related to a mental health condition, or stem from a past wounding event, these fears influence a character’s behaviors, habits, beliefs, and personality traits. The compulsion to avoid what they fear will drive characters away from certain people, events, and situations and hold them back in life. 

In your story, this primary fear (or group of fears) will constantly challenge the goal the character is pursuing, tempting them to retreat, settle, and give up on what they want most. Because this fear must be addressed for them to achieve success, balance, and fulfillment, it plays a pivotal part in both character arc and the overall story.

This thesaurus explores the various fears that might be plaguing your character. Use it to understand and utilize fears to fully develop your characters and steer them through their story arc. Please note that this isn’t a self-diagnosis tool. Fears are common in the real world, and while we may at times share similar tendencies as characters, the entry below is for fiction writing purposes only.

Fear of Losing Control

Notes
To varying degrees, control is something we all desire because we’ve seen what happens when we don’t have it. The resulting disappointments, frustration, and even tragedies can cause a fear to develop, creating problems in many areas of the character’s life.

What It Looks Like
Suppressing emotions
Being rigid and inflexible
Adhering to schedules and routines
Seeking to be an expert on everything so the character will be as informed as possible
Going to great lengths to keep loved ones safe
Displaying Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) tendencies (checking locks, making sure the oven is off, excessive hand washing, etc.)
Using rituals to calm down (counting, breathing techniques, mantras, etc.)
Employing checklists and to-do lists
Anticipating problems before they happen
Monitoring a spouse’s emails and calls
Micromanaging co-workers��
The character restricting their child’s freedom (with early curfews, limited internet access, having to approve their friends, etc.)
Seeing things in black and white
Being a perfectionist
Being overly sensitive to criticism
Not taking action without in-depth research and planning
Being risk-averse
Other phobias arising from the fear of not being in control (fear of flying, being confined, etc.)

Common Internal Struggles
Knowing that life is filled with change and uncertainties but being unable to come to terms with them
Wanting to delegate a job but feeling like no one else can do it properly
Struggling with stress and anxiety
Knowing certain things can’t be controlled but trying to control them anyway
Wanting to know the future ��
Feeling unsafe when things aren’t certain
Fearing for the safety of loved ones
Obsessing over situations outside of the character’s control

Flaws That May Emerge
Abrasive, Compulsive, Confrontational, Controlling, Hostile, Impatient, Impulsive, Inflexible, Irrational, Jealous, Know-It-All, Needy, Obsessive, Perfectionist, Possessive, Pushy, Suspicious, Volatile

Hindrances and Disruptions to the Character’s Life
Losing employees due to micromanagement
Driving a child away with neediness or nosiness
Being overworked due to an inability to delegate tasks
Being unable to live fully in the present
Not taking advantage of good opportunities because they can’t be controlled or predicted
Being unable to be spontaneous
Struggling with letting others make decisions���when a child chooses to go away to college instead of staying close to home, for instance
Being overwhelmed when unexpected circumstances arise

Scenarios That Might Awaken This Fear
A situation arising where the character cannot control the outcome (getting caught in a storm, being stuck in traffic, contracting a chronic illness, etc.)
A teenager rebelling and wanting more freedom
Hearing about a tragedy that befell a friend’s family��
Entering a transitional phase of life (going to college, getting married, having a child, menopause, etc.)
Experiencing the unexpected loss of a loved one
Being the victim of a crime
The character having to trust someone else (a family member, the judicial system, etc.) for their security

Other Fear 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 Fear Thesaurus Entry: Losing Control appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

How to Uncover Your Character’s Inner Conflict

Conflict is a powerful element within the story and can be loosely categorized as either Outer (external) Conflict or Inner (internal) Conflict. The difference is that outer conflict is something external keeping the character from his goal, while inner conflict is a mental struggle over wanting things that are at odds or compete.

Internal conflicts might be:

Opposing or competing wants, needs, or desiresConfusion about how to feelQuestioning beliefs or valuesSuffering from indecision, insecurity, self-doubt, or another emotion that puts the character at odds with themselvesConflicting duties and responsibilitiesGrappling with an aspect of mental healthInternal Conflict Is Relatable

Internal conflict draws readers in because it���s a type of struggle common to us all. Confusion over what to do, feel, and believe, can make us feel exposed. To find a path forward, we must weigh and measure personal beliefs, ideas, and needs. Characters, like us, must do the same, and as they look within themselves for answers, they reveal their vulnerability and humanity to readers.

Scene-to-scene, you���ll usually see inner conflict. At times it���s a heavy weight, other times, indecision over what to do, or deciding what���s better, option A or option B.

Where inner conflict really takes center stage is at the story level. Character vs. Themselves conflict will create a war zone inside your character throughout the story, and they must resolve it successfully to achieve their goal.

5 Ways to Find���and Use���Inner Conflict

This primary inner conflict might be something you need a bit of help to brainstorm, so poke around the psychological side of them to see what shakes loose.

#1: Their Greatest Fear

Fears are highly motivating. The inconvenient, everyday ones? Sure, because no one makes split-second decisions better than an arachnophobe who���s just stumbled into a spiderweb. (This is the voice of experience talking.)

But in storytelling, it���s the larger fears that drive both character and story. Fear of failure, being alone, losing a loved one ��� these can push the character to embrace unhealthy habits or paralyze her into maintaining the status quo and resisting needed change.

Imagine, for instance, a character who is afraid of letting others down. This fear will insert itself into every situation where she���s accountable to others, steering her toward doing what others want rather than what she wants, or causing her to step back instead of stepping up. She may worry that if she takes on something big, she���ll screw it up, so she discards goals that could result in personal fulfillment, such as having children or leading a beloved charity group or event. This fear of disappointing others can influence her choice of career or who she marries. It can lead to her sacrificing her own joy for the happiness of others. Then, before you know it, an important human need has been compromised, leading to more problems.

#2: Their Core Moral Beliefs

Nothing causes psychological turmoil quite like a challenge to one���s core beliefs, and no beliefs are more central than the moral ones, because they define who we are.

This is the situation Paul Edgecombe encounters in The Green Mile. As a death-row prison guard, experience has taught him that the men in his charge are guilty and deserve their punishment. But then he encounters an inmate who doesn���t fit the mold. Could John Coffey, a man found guilty in a court of law, actually be innocent? If so, how can Paul execute him?

Think about what your character believes on the deepest level���his thoughts about right and wrong, good and evil. Then introduce an event that challenges those ideas. If his inner turmoil surrounding this issue or theme is what the story is really about, if it���s something he could struggle with for the story���s entirety, it may be a good choice for his story-level internal conflict.

#3: Their Existential Ideas

Another trait particular to human beings is our curiosity, particularly about big ideas: Who am I? What���s my purpose? Is there life beyond Earth? After death? These questions often aren���t answerable, but your characters grapple with them anyway because the answers will impact and define who they are.

If your character already knows what they believe about bigger life questions, that information will become part of their core belief system. Challenging them will throw the character into an emotional and existential tailspin. If they don���t have answers, the struggle to find them can lead to all kinds of internal strife.

#4: Their Wants and Needs

Wants are exactly what they imply: something the character desires but doesn���t necessarily need. By themselves they don���t generate much conflict, but when you set them in opposition to the character���s missing need or a core belief, internal strife explodes onto the scene.

Dan Burns, the protagonist in Dan in Real Life, lost his wife many years prior and is now raising three girls on his own. He hasn���t been truly happy in all that time���but then he meets Marie. Finally! His need for love and belonging is going to be filled���except ��� his brother is already dating her.

Now his need (happiness and love) and his want (to be with Marie) are at odds, because for him to be with Marie, he would have to betray his brother. And how could he be happy doing that?

#5: Their Secrets

Characters jump through all kinds of emotional and logistical hoops to keep important secrets from coming to light. They may withdraw from people, organizations, and cherished hobbies to avoid questions that hit too close to home. You can imagine the inner turmoil that develops when a character must give up an area of giftedness or a close friend in order to keep certain information from getting out.

Many characters will drastically change their behavior to keep their secrets safe. Melinda Sordino in Laurie Halse Anderson���s Speak is so determined to keep a certain event from being revealed that she stops talking altogether. After all, if you can���t talk, you can���t tell. If your character���s secret is one that must be protected at all costs, it can provide compelling fodder for internal conflict.

TIP: Uncover their Backstory Wound

Above are some of the factors that can contribute to a character���s inner struggles, but a lot of times the root of inner conflict can stem from a wounding event in the character���s past, so it���s a good idea to know exactly what that is and the various ways it will impact your character.

One Stop For Writers can help you dig deeper

Uncover your character���s conflicts, emotional wounds, secrets, personality traits, motivations and more using this powerful thesaurus database and character builder tool.

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7 Ways to Find Telling in Your Writing

I���ve been obsessed with the concept of Show, don���t Tell for years. I could geek out about it all day long, and don���t get me started if I find a book that drags me into its pages with Showing details and makes me skip meals, sleep, and time with my family to find out what happens at the end���

              *SWOONS*

So, when I was writing the second book in my The Fountain Series in 2017, and I got notes back from my editor on the draft I submitted, with ���Show, don���t Tell, please!��� in the margin, my stomach sank. I stared at the computer screen, my face hot, scrolling to see those words repeated more times than I care to admit. How could this be? I���d revised that manuscript until my eyes watered.

I thought I was doing it.

It���s Almost Impossible to See Telling in Your Own Writing Just by Reading���

If this has happened to you, don���t beat yourself up like I did. My editor���s notes on that book were the kick in the butt I needed to crack this code, and I���ve since discovered that it���s almost impossible to see Telling in your own writing just by reading. The story you���re sharing is alive in your mind, playing like a movie, with every detail available to your brain, from the pink sky your characters stand under in your scene, to the low hum of traffic in the distance. But most of that detail won���t end up in your first draft because it���s too obvious to you and you don���t want pages of description to slow your pacing.

*YAWN*

To further complicate things, when you read what you���ve written back to yourself, you won���t notice what���s missing, because your smart writer brain will fill in all the glorious details your imagination holds about the sky and the sounds in the distance. To you, your story will read like a masterpiece. The problem is, those details your brain knows didn���t make it to the page, so your reader is going to get a much flatter version of the story you���re trying to tell.

So, how do you fix this age-old writing problem if you can���t find it in your own work? Talented editors and beta readers can flag this problem for you, but the earlier you find it, the better. I developed a checklist that will help you find places you need Showing details in your work without banging your head against the wall.

7 Ways to Find Telling in Your Own WritingNamed Emotions ��� Don���t tell readers your character feels murderous, Show us their narrowed eyes and shaking body. Search for emotions named in your draft (happy, sad, frustrated, surprised, etc.) then grab your copy of The Emotion Thesaurus and drag your reader into your character���s body by adding Showing details.Using ���-ly��� Adverbs ��� Simply, actually, slowly��� these words are almost always Telling. Hunt them down and get rid of them to make your writing stronger. Info Dumping ��� This is too much information shared at once, without anything happening in story present to move the story forward. Scan your draft visually for text-heavy pages without much white space, and these areas will stick out like a sore thumb. Eliminate any information your reader doesn���t need, find a more creative way to deliver it, or break the information up between actions that happen in your scene.Recapping Events that Happened Off-Screen ��� It���s never fun for a friend to say ���you shoulda been there!��� If your characters are sitting around in a scene Telling each other about blood they spilled in an epic battle, bring your reader to the battle instead, so they can hear the screams and feel the wind that blows through your character���s hair, first hand.Showing Many vs. One ��� Rather than saying your character often went fishing, Show us a specific fishing trip, where the character���s boat sprang a leak and they had to swim to shore. Instead of writing that the crowd surged forward, show us the boy who darted in front of the surging crowd, getting trampled by their feet.Being Vague vs. Specific ��� Watch for words like something , things, stuff, objects, etc. that are vague, and replace them with a specific detail that adds to your worldbuilding.Saying What Isn���t in the Scene ��� If your character sees ���nothing��� in the dark, or there were ���no books��� on the shelf, you���ve missed an opportunity to Show your reader a detail or two about what is there – the soupy fog that swallowed up the character���s view of the forest, or the bare slats of the bookshelf covered with a thick layer of dust.

Once you find these pesky places in your writing, have fun adding Showing details, so your reader can experience your cascading purple waterfalls or dark musty caverns up close. Adding these details to your book during your revision process stretches your brain in the most creative way, and might just become your favorite part of your writing process.

              Love these practical tips? I break down writing concepts into steps you can take today to make your writing stronger in my Wicked Good Fiction Bootcamp.

The post 7 Ways to Find Telling in Your Writing appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Fear Thesaurus Entry: Losing Financial Security

Debilitating fears are a problem for everyone, an unfortunate part of the human experience. Whether they’re a result of learned behavior as a child, are related to a mental health condition, or stem from a past wounding event, these fears influence a character’s behaviors, habits, beliefs, and personality traits. The compulsion to avoid what they fear will drive characters away from certain people, events, and situations and hold them back in life. 

In your story, this primary fear (or group of fears) will constantly challenge the goal the character is pursuing, tempting them to retreat, settle, and give up on what they want most. Because this fear must be addressed for them to achieve success, balance, and fulfillment, it plays a pivotal part in both character arc and the overall story.

This thesaurus explores the various fears that might be plaguing your character. Use it to understand and utilize fears to fully develop your characters and steer them through their story arc. Please note that this isn’t a self-diagnosis tool. Fears are common in the real world, and while we may at times share similar tendencies as characters, the entry below is for fiction writing purposes only.

Fear of Losing Financial Security

Notes
Food and housing security is one of humankind’s oldest needs. The fear of losing it (along with the corresponding conveniences and perks of modern life) can be rooted in many causes and will manifest in diverse ways.

What It Looks Like
Marrying for money
Being frugal
Picking a career based on salary over personal fulfillment
Frequently negotiating for a raise
Working more than one job to maintain a certain income
Job-hopping to take advantage of better paying opportunities
Pursuing higher education, certifications, and continuous learning opportunities
Being conservative and risk-averse when investing
Obsessively watching the stock market and the current financial climate for signs of a downturn
Being paranoid about scams
Living by a strict budget
Living simply (buying generic brands, choosing staycations over vacations, not engaging in expensive hobbies, etc.)
Building up and jealously guarding an emergency fund
Closely monitoring credit reports and credit card charges��
Making fear-based financial decisions rather than logical ones
Getting frustrated when family members overspend or don’t follow the character’s budget
Measuring financial security by an arbitrary goal (having a certain amount of money in the bank, being wealthier than a sibling or neighbor, etc.)
Personally going without so other family members can have a little extra

Common Internal Struggles
Always thinking about money��
Worrying about running out of money later in life and having to depend on others��
Wanting to enjoy life and the fruits of working but being consumed with worry
Constantly trying to anticipate and plan for scenarios that will create a financial bind, such as a medical emergency, car repairs, etc.
Second-guessing financial and career decisions
Anxiety spiking when a new expense is added (a child asking for money for a class trip, insurance premiums going up, etc.)
Wanting to give a child or spouse what they want but having to say no
Being tempted by a risky investment that, if it pays off, ensures financial security

Flaws That May Emerge
Compulsive, Controlling, Dishonest, Flaky, Greedy, Impulsive, Indecisive, Irrational, Nervous, Obsessive, Pessimistic, Possessive, Stingy, Unethical, Workaholic, Worrywart

Hindrances and Disruptions to the Character’s Life
The character losing sleep because they’re always worrying about money
Not being able to have the same experiences as others
The character lacking fulfillment in their career
Missing out on important family moments because the character is always working
Bypassing lucrative opportunities because the character is too afraid of the risk
Suffering the physical effects of too much worrying (headaches, weight loss, ulcers, etc.)
An inability to be content; always striving for more financial security
Having strained relations with a spouse or child because of the character’s stinginess or inflexibility

Scenarios That Might Awaken This Fear
The character or their spouse losing their job
The boss announcing cutbacks at work
Sustaining an injury or incurring a serious illness��
Losing everything to a scammer or in a bad investment
Watching the economy plummet toward a recession or depression
Having to take on caregiving duties for an additional family member
Having to file for bankruptcy
Being sued

Other Fear 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 Fear Thesaurus Entry: Losing Financial Security appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

The Role of Failure (and Conflict) in Character Arc

The change arc. The process whereby, over the course of a story, the protagonist becomes aware of their weakness and evolves in whatever way is necessary for them to achieve their story goal.

Joseph Campbell called this kind of character The Hero with a Thousand Faces because, while each protagonist is different and they each have their own problems, their journey is the same. Their success and happiness are being blocked by a specific flaw that must be dealt with. And most of the time, when their story begins, they’re blissfully unaware that there’s even a problem.

So how do we turn our ignorant, stuck character into someone who recognizes their fault and actively works to overcome it? 

Failure. 

Yes, you read that right. Failure is the key to growth. When a character makes poor choices, acts impulsively, or lets fear get the better of them, things don’t end well. Failure generates more (and bigger) problems and conflict���which lead to more chances for them to either dig a deeper hole or climb toward the light. 

Failures are learning opportunities. And just like parents have to sometimes let their kids fall down, authors must provide those same chances for our characters if we want them to grow.

Failure Accents the Character’s Flaws 

The fatal flaw is your character���s antiquated and ineffective approach to dealing with life���s problems. It consists of mental and behavioral components that work in tandem to protect the character from experiencing emotional hurt. For example, someone who believes people will exploit his vulnerability if he lets them get close may embrace unfriendliness. Technically, this approach works; it certainly keeps people from taking advantage of him. But it does a lot of damage because no one is willing to risk a verbal lashing to have a relationship with him. Over time, he���ll feel isolated and lonely and will probably start to doubt his own worth because he can���t seem to build connections with anyone. 

At the beginning of the story, your character is likely oblivious to their fatal flaw. But then conflicts arise, and as they maintain a death grip on their ineffective but comfortable old habits, they become aware of the flaw and how it’s holding them back.

Just like real-life self-awareness, this is a slow process for our characters. They may not want to see the truth at first, but as each failure brings their weakness into focus, the character eventually becomes aware of it. This is the first step toward growth, and the only way for the character to get there is to fall on their face multiple times. As authors, we have to provide the conflict scenarios that will provide these important failures.

Failure Highlights the Need for Change

But awareness doesn’t necessarily result in change. How often do we recognize a flaw or shortcoming in ourselves and actively take steps to correct it? Your character will react the same way. With each conflict that comes along, they’ll stick with their old ways because those are familiar. But each instance of digging in their heels and refusing to change will create bigger problems���not only for them, but for the important people in their life. And those choices will bring them no closer to reaching their story goal.

It’s painful (for them and for us), but these repeated failures are necessary if the character is going to not only recognize their flaw but realize a need for change.

Failure Pushes the Character to Embrace New Methods

Once the character acknowledges that something’s got to give, they’ll begin altering the way they respond to conflict. Instead of always resorting to dysfunctional methods, they’ll toy with new, healthier approaches, taking baby steps toward change.

But while the character is now moving in the right direction, they’re still going to struggle and make mistakes. As the story progresses, the character’s plight will worsen until they’re faced with a situation where half-measures just won’t work. They must fully embrace the change they’ve been flirting with. At this point, the character will finally reject their old, ineffectual habits and replace them with new ones that will allow them to become the person they were meant to be.

���Finally��� will always show up toward the end of a character���s arc because growth takes time. 

The character will need multiple conflict opportunities to face their demons. In the beginning, they’ll fail spectacularly, which will reinforce (in their mind) the need to cling to methods that aren’t working. Toward the middle, they’ll have more successes���but those will only be partial victories. Growth still needs to happen. And then, in the end, once they fully commit to their new way of dealing with conflict, they’ll finally be able to win.��

This is the one-step-forward-two-steps-back formula that works so well in stories because it mirrors real life. It takes time and courage to see flaws for what they are and choose the hard road of discarding them and their limitations. Success and failure are intermingled, both parts of a process that eventually result in meaningful growth. And conflict is the vehicle through which we provide these necessary opportunities for our characters.

Want your conflict to go further? 

The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer���s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles (Volume 1 & Volume 2) explores a whopping 225 conflict scenarios that force your character to navigate relationship issues, power struggles, lost advantages, dangers and threats, moral dilemmas, failures and mistakes, and much more.

You can also find the whole collection of entries in one place at��One Stop for Writers.

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Find Creative Gold with Author Collaborations

So often, writing feels lonely, doesn���t it? We���re alone in our writing cave getting words onto the page, and it���s not until we���re ready to show polished pages to a trusted critique partner that we embrace working with another creative. Or we���re alone in marketing our book, finding readers, or just figuring out how to get our final manuscript into an agent���s hands.

What if I told you that it didn���t have to be that way? According to Statista.com, in 2021 there were over 49,500 authors working in the United States alone. That is a lot of creative brain power and publishing know-how. Instead of working alone, expand your options and paths to success with author collaborations.

Collaboration is the action of working with someone to produce or create something. I like this definition for multiple reasons. First, collaboration is an act. It demands that two or more people work together toward a common goal. Second, the reason behind the collaboration is directly tied to creating or producing something. The nature of collaboration is a driving force to an end product. Third, it requires people to work together.

If you were a person who hated group projects as a student, I don���t blame you. Collaborations are only as good as the people involved and their dedication to the project.

But if you get a group of authors to work toward the same goal…that���s where you find priceless creative gold.

Types of Author Collaborations

Let���s first cover a few types of author collaborations.

Anthologies – a collection of written works, usually by various authors. Can be themed to a subject, character archetype, world, holiday, etc.Cross-promotions – an agreement between two or more authors to promote each other���s books during a set time and method.In reader groupsThrough newslettersOn social mediaAt conventionsPublishing Teams – an exchange of skill-based services instead of money.Group Giveaways – authors who have a similar theme or world and giveaway a free copy in order to either increase sales or newsletter subscribers.Group Sales – authors who have a similar theme or world and have come together to do a group sale.Author Events/Book Signings – authors with similar titles or similar audience team up to share a table at an author event or host a panel during a book signing.Co-writing a book or series – two authors, one story. Yes, it can be done!Author Co-ops – a group of authors with varying publishing talents form a cooperative to publish and market their books.

Some of these you���ve probably either heard of or participated in, but the two I���d like to focus on are Co-Writing and Author Co-ops.

Co-Writing, An Intense Author Collaboration

Co-writing involves sharing the creation of the novel in any way you see fit. That is, co-authors could alternate writing scenes, discuss and write chapters together, have one plot and the other write, or choose POVs you each represent. But the process and the result are the same: a book that represents both of your ideas, abilities, and creativity.

How can you possibly write a novel with another writer? The key is picking the right writing partner. Ideally, you choose someone who complements or enhances your skills as a writer. Yet, many authors have found success writing a book with a partner, including such bestsellers as Neil Gaiman and Rachel Caine.

The most important aspect of a co-writing partnership is trust. And trust is often built by defining expectations and following through. How will the process work? What responsibilities do you each have? How will you resolve any disagreements?

Co-writing with the right writing partner can lead to faster turnaround times on projects, more creative solutions to plot problems, and an excitement for the project that is fueled by two authors striving for the words The End.

Oh, and this entire section was co-written with my own co-writing partner of The Muse Island Series, Julie Glover/Jules Lynn. Could you tell?

Book View Caf��, An Author Co-op

Author co-ops are groups of authors that volunteer their time and expertise to help other members publish or promote their work. In a well-run co-op, with clear rules and responsibilities, an author co-op can operate just as any other publishing house.

Book View Caf�� (BVC) is an author-owned and operated publishing cooperative. Their authors range from New York Times bestselling authors to award winners. They write across all genres, from science fiction to romance to historical to mainstream. At BVC, authors function as editors, copyeditors, ebook formatters, cover artists, website maintainers and more. Titles are offered in both reprints and new titles in ebook form, and many titles are also available in print. And 90% of the cover price goes to the author. That���s more than at any other online bookseller (Amazon, B&N, iTunes, or GooglePlay).

Author co-ops are a lot of work. Time is spent beta-reading, copy-editing and proofreading, marketing, and managing the overall logistics of running a co-op. But the creative gold found within many co-ops is priceless.

A Unique Opportunity for Author Collaboration

Are you in the process of discovering and completing your author team? Or perhaps you just need that precious time with other authors. Good news! There are still retreat spots open on the April 1, 2023 Cruising Writers Writing Cruise to Grand Cayman. Cruising Writers brings together talented authors along with respected teachers to provide writing time, feedback, and craft improvement. This year, Becca Syme of the Better-Faster Academy and Kirsten Oliphant of the Create If podcast are leading our cruising writers through the gorgeous waters of the Caribbean. Registration is easy on the CruisingWriters.com website, but book your spot soon. Spaces are limited and only a few retreat spots are left!

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Fear Thesaurus Entry: Feeling Unsafe

Debilitating fears are a problem for everyone, an unfortunate part of the human experience. Whether they’re a result of learned behavior as a child, are related to a mental health condition, or stem from a past wounding event, these fears influence a character’s behaviors, habits, beliefs, and personality traits. The compulsion to avoid what they fear will drive characters away from certain people, events, and situations and hold them back in life. 

In your story, this primary fear (or group of fears) will constantly challenge the goal the character is pursuing, tempting them to retreat, settle, and give up on what they want most. Because this fear must be addressed for them to achieve success, balance, and fulfillment, it plays a pivotal part in both character arc and the overall story.

This thesaurus explores the various fears that might be plaguing your character. Use it to understand and utilize fears to fully develop your characters and steer them through their story arc. Please note that this isn’t a self-diagnosis tool. Fears are common in the real world, and while we may at times share similar tendencies as characters, the entry below is for fiction writing purposes only.

Fear of Feeling Unsafe

Notes
Safety is a basic human need. When it’s lost, everything can feel like a threat. The analogy��being scared of your own shadow��isn’t far from the truth for a character with this fear, which can progress to the point of them being afraid to leave home. Their unease can be focused on certain locations and people or spread to everyone and everywhere, including their safe places.

What It Looks Like
Always erring on the side of caution
Being risk-averse
Being short-tempered and snappy��
Isolating themselves and loved ones from the outside world
Physical ailments associated with worry (headaches from grinding their teeth, ulcers, fatigue, etc.)
Nervous habits���wringing their hands, eyes darting around the environment, etc.
Scanning rooms or restaurants for exits��
Being perceived as unfriendly or standoffish
Constant exhaustion from always being on high alert
Not going out after dark
Avoiding certain parts of town
Believing the worst about people
Being obsessed with self- and home defense
Being overprotective of loved ones
Becoming confrontational when cornered��
Carrying a weapon, such as a gun, a taser, or pepper spray
Investing in security measures (a dog, a security system, a concealed carry permit, etc.)
Frequently checking locks��
Not going anywhere alone
Obsessing over news accounts of people being attacked
Distrusting the police or those in authority
The character being edgy when they’re alone

Common Internal Struggles
Feeling compelled to flee a situation despite there being no visible threat��
Wanting to go out with friends but being too overwhelmed with worry
Missing out on professional or relational opportunities due to a fear of traveling alone, at night, or in a strange place
Being compelled to protect family and friends despite knowing those efforts are pushing them farther away
Being obsessed with the news even though it makes the��
Feeling like a burden (because the character can’t stay alone, needs someone to drive them after dark, etc.)
Disliking the perception they’re creating about themselves but not being able to change

Flaws That May Emerge
Antisocial, Apathetic, Cowardly, Defensive, Evasive, Indecisive, Inhibited, Insecure, Irrational, Morbid, Nervous, Obsessive, Oversensitive, Paranoid, Pessimistic, Subservient, Superstitious, Suspicious, Timid, Withdrawn, Worrywart

Hindrances and Disruptions to the Character’s Life
Having to schedule their plans around other people’s timetables��
Living as a recluse
Hiding from the real world so much that they become out of touch with it and the people in it
Being limited professionally because of their fears
Being pitied, judged, or rejected by others
Difficulty trusting others
The character’s relationship with their children deteriorating because of their obsessive need to keep them safe

Scenarios That Might Awaken This Fear
A stranger approaching the character’s house at night
Feeling watched in a restaurant or store
A loved one getting involved with someone the character doesn’t trust
Being a victim of a home invasion
Losing a driver license or other documentation containing sensitive information
The political climate changing for the worst
Hearing a friend’s first-hand account of an attack or violation
Being pulled over by police in an isolated spot
A child not arriving home when they were supposed to

Other Fear 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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How to Tell If You���re Self-Publishing Your Book for the Right Reasons

Should you self-publish your book?

It���s not always an easy question to answer. Too many authors these days self-publish for the wrong reasons, and that sets them up for failure.

As a hybrid author���I���ve self-published 3 books and traditionally published 3 novels���I have some ideas about how you can increase the odds that your self-published book will succeed.

#1 Wrong Reason to Self-Publish Your Book

The number-one wrong reason to self-publish a book���and one many writers use to justify the move���is that you failed to get a traditional publishing contract.

It could be that you didn���t submit to enough publishers. Or maybe your book appeals to a very narrow audience.

But it could also be that you need to work harder at developing your storytelling skills. If the latter is true and you self-publish too soon, you could be setting yourself up for failure.

Too many writers are in a hurry to publish. You���ll create a much better foundation for yourself if you���re willing to spend some time in the trenches. Your work will have to compete with millions of other books published every year. Make sure you���re as ready for that as you can be.

#2 Wrong Reason to Self-Publish Your Book

Another reason many writers self-publish these days is that they think it���s a surefire way to get rich quick.

This is a na��ve idea, as anyone familiar with the publishing world knows. Unfortunately, many so-called publishing gurus out there tell writers they can do this.

���There are people out there on the internet who will tell you it���s so easy to make money at this,��� writes author and writing coach Tiffany Hawk. ���Just throw a book together in a few weeks and make a ton of money. But what are they selling you? The odds of getting rich from a really good book are very low, and very arbitrary, and the odds of getting rich from a weak, slapdash book are almost nil.���

Yes, you can earn more per book when you self-publish vs. when you traditionally publish. But you still need a strong author platform (which typically takes years to build) and a lot of marketing savvy to make substantial earnings.

���Self-publishing careers typically take years���and four or five books���to gain traction and produce earnings that are meaningful,��� writes publishing expert Jane Friedman.

#3 Wrong Reason to Self-Publish Your Book

Some writers think if they self-publish a book and it does well, the traditional publishers will come calling.

Be prepared to be disappointed if you go this route. Whatever you may have heard, self-publishing is not a good way to land a traditional publishing contract.

It happens, but it���s extremely rare. More likely, once you self-publish your book, you���ll no longer have the option to traditionally publish it.

Right Reasons to Self-Publish

Now let���s talk about the right reasons to self-publish.

1. You have an entrepreneurial spirit.

When you decide to publish your book yourself, you take on the role of publisher as well as author. That means you���re responsible for:

Financing every aspect of producing the book and getting it onto the market.Shepherding the book through editing, copyediting, proofreading, cover design, interior design, printing, and distribution.Marketing the book. Yes, you need to do this as a traditionally published author too, but when you self-publish, you are on your own.

In truth, you���re starting a new business as a self-publisher, which is a large undertaking. All these tasks will require a significant amount of time, organization, and education. You���ll want to be sure you can fit it all into your schedule.

2. You have the budget for it.

How much money you put into your self-published book is up to you. Costs range depending on how much you do yourself. But keep in mind that your self-published book will be competing with all the traditionally published books out there as well as the other self-published ones, so it needs to be as high quality as you can make it.

That often means hiring a professional designer for the cover and possibly the interior, and hiring a developmental editor, copy editor, and proofreader as well.

Every book needs quality editing, and editing is by far the most expensive part of the process. Too many writers skimp on this to their own detriment. Don���t be one of them.

3. You have a ready audience for the book.

I chose to self-publish my nonfiction books for writers because I already had an audience for them. Subscribers to my Writing and Wellness newsletter were the ones that gave me the idea for each of my books in the first place.

If you already have an audience to sell to, you don���t need a publisher to help you reach readers. A traditional publisher could introduce you to a broader audience, but you may be able to do just as well selling your books to your audience as well as to attendees at your workshops and other speaking engagements.

4. You have definite ideas of what this book needs to succeed.

I knew exactly what my readers were looking for in my self-published books. I didn���t want to have a publisher tell me how I would have to change my books to suit what they thought would be best. I wanted to deliver what I knew my audience wanted.

If you have a similar situation, self-publishing can be very rewarding.

5. You are ready and willing to market like crazy.

No matter whether you traditionally publish or self-publish, you must market your book if you hope to reach readers. But when you self-publish, you have no help in doing that.

That means you���ll be responsible for whether your book cover design resonates with readers in your genre and whether the back cover copy sells. You���ll be responsible for choosing categories on Amazon, creating a book trailer (if you want), creating graphics for advertising purposes, promoting the book, pricing the book, managing giveaways, and much more.

How much you market is up to you, but the more you do, the more books you���ll sell.

Bottom Line:
Should You Self-Publish Your Book?

Self-publishing offers a lot of opportunities for writers these days. But it’s not the right choice in every situation. Before you invest all the time and money that’s required, make sure you’re making the decision for the right reasons, and you’ll likely be happy with the results.

Self-Publishing Resources

*Traditional vs. self-publishing���which is the best for you?
*Mostly Free Tools for Your Self-Published Book
*Best Self-Publishing Companies for Novels
*Most of our Resident Writing Coaches offer editing, coaching and other services that help with traditional or self-publishing
*Colleen used these book designers: Damonza and Vellum

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Phenomenal First Pages Contest

Hey, wonderful writerly people! It���s time for our monthly first-page critique contest

If you���re working on a first page (in any genre except erotica) and would like some objective feedback, please leave a comment. Any comment :). As long as the email address associated with your WordPress account/comment profile is up-to-date, I���ll be able to contact you if your first page is chosen. Just please know that if I���m unable to get in touch with you through that address, you���ll have to forfeit your win.

Two caveats:

������������Please be sure your first page��(double-spaced in 12-point font)��is ready to go so I can critique it before next month���s contest��rolls around.��If��it needs some work��and you won���t be able to get it to me right away, let me ask that you plan on entering��the next contest, once any necessary tweaking has been taken care of.

      This contest only runs for 24 hours, start to finish, so get your comment in there!

Three commenters��� names will be randomly drawn and posted tomorrow morning. If you win, you can email me your first page and I���ll offer my feedback. 

We run this contest on a monthly basis, so if you���d like to be notified when the next opportunity comes around, consider subscribing to our blog (see the right-hand sidebar). 

Best of luck!

PS: If you want to amp up your first page, grab our helpful First Pages checklist from One Stop for Writers. And for more instruction on these important opening elements, see this Mother Lode of First Page Resources.

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