Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 88

Where Do Character Strengths Come From?

Quick, name a favorite literary or movie character. Now, what is it about him/her that���s so appealing?

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In all likelihood, the reason you love that character is because he or she embodies a trait that you value: Atticus Finch���s bravery, George Bailey���s selflessness, James Bond���s charisma.

It���s not surprising that these icons consistently land at the top of AFI���s Top 100 Heroes and Villains list. While flaws play a part in eliciting reader empathy, it is a character���s ability to overcome his weakness that inspires the audience.

And what enables the hero to win the day? Usually, it���s his positive attributes���his persistence, confidence, responsibility, or ambition���that allow him to succeed. This is why it���s crucial that we pick the right attributes for our characters.

But how do you know which ones are a good fit for your hero? Fully-realized characters, like real people, aren���t formed out of the air. They���re a result of many different elements that come together to make the character who he is in the current story.

When determining which attributes your character will embrace, consider the following influencers:

Past Factors



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Genetics: Since this one is simple, we���ll get it out of the way first. Some traits, like intelligence, talent, and creativity, are simply handed down through DNA. Having a character share a trait with his mother, grandfather, or even a distant uncle can add believability to his embodiment of that trait.

Upbringing and Caregivers: Everything about your character���s first role models will influence him, from their personal values to the way they spoke to him to the amount and quality of time they spent with him.

If his relationship with his caregivers was positive, he may adopt their attributes as his own as a way of showing respect. If the relationship wasn���t great, he may shun the qualities that they espoused so as to create distance. Family dynamics play a huge role in forming personality; this should definitely be taken into consideration when choosing positive attributes for your hero.

Negative Experiences: While these wounding events from the past are most often associated with the formation of flaws, positive attributes can develop from them, too. The victim of a vicious attack may become cautious and alert because of it. The boy whose father never kept his word may grow up to value honesty. The oldest child of a neglectful parent may learn, by necessity, to embrace maturity and resourcefulness.

Without a doubt, flaws do tend to form when we experience these traumatizing events, but positives can come out of them, too. Keep that in mind when mining your character���s backstory for potential strengths.

Present Factors



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Physical Environment: A character who grew up in the mountains is going to have a different perspective than someone who was raised in the big city. Americans tend to value things that Parisians or Brazilians or even Canadians don���t. Physical environments are formative���the ones from the past, and even the place where your character lives now. A southern belle who moves to downtown Chicago is likely going to experience some personality shifts during her transition.

Your character���s environment will subtly influence the kind of person that she becomes; choose her living places deliberately so her attributes will make sense to readers.

Peers: At certain points in life, your character���s peers will become her biggest influencers. Through her desire to please them and be accepted, she may adopt some of their values for her own. Sometimes, she may become like them out of a genuine respect for their beliefs and a desire to embrace them for herself. Like caregivers, past and present peers can greatly impact who your character becomes, so take them into consideration.

Values and Ethics: This one is a biggie, because, in my opinion, it overrides all of the other factors.

The bottom line: your character will adopt or reject attributes based on what he or she believes. Does she place a high value on her reputation and what others think? Then she could likely espouse propriety and discretion while rejecting uninhibitedness. Your character���s morals and personal beliefs will play a powerful role in the formation of her strengths. If you want her to make sense to readers, make sure that her values, ethics, and positive attributes line up.

Putting it All Together

Every character needs some strong positive qualities so she���ll be capable of reaching her goals and drawing in readers. While the easiest method would be to pick and choose random attributes, doing so will result in a character that lacks authenticity.

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To avoid this, look into your hero���s backstory. Dig into these developmental factors to learn as much about them and their effect on your hero as possible. This is where the Positive Trait Thesaurus can come in handy (or maybe our new Character Trait Boxed Set, if you’re wanting a digital copy of the Positive and Negative Trait books).

The Character Builder at One Stop for Writers is another tool that was custom-made with character creation in mind; not only does it contain all the entries from the Positive Trait Thesaurus for you to explore, but it also leads you through the process of understanding where your character’s attributes might have come from.

Whatever resources you use, a little research in the planning stage can really help you create a realistic and well-rounded protagonist armed with the qualities they need to succeed.

And who knows? Maybe they’ll end up on somebody���s Top 10 List someday.

The post Where Do Character Strengths Come From? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Identifying your Character���s Fatal Flaw

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Good characters are often broken characters. They���ve been wounded, and the last thing they want is to be hurt in that particular way again, so they adopt new behaviors���emotional shielding���that are meant to protect them. They believe this shielding will keep them from harm, but these new habits and beliefs are usually dysfunctional, compounding the fallout and keeping them from achieving the things they desperately need. 

This is Character Arc 101; for a character to complete their arc, they have to eventually see that their emotional shielding is actually false shielding, that they must stop sabotaging themselves and start making changes if they want to win at life. And the only way they can do that is to recognize and renounce their fatal flaw. This is a critical piece of the character arc puzzle that you, the author, must know. So how do you figure that out?

First, the obligatory definition:

THE FATAL FLAW is your character���s antiquated and ineffective approach to dealing with life that must be adapted or cast aside to make room for successful methods.

No matter how the character tries to better themselves and their situation, the fatal flaw, which manifests as emotional shielding, is a constant obstacle to success. It���s what the character will have to recognize and overcome if they���re going to achieve the story goal and find fulfillment.

If you���re writing a character with a change arc, it���s crucial to know their fatal flaw so you can get them to the point of addressing it. (This is just as important in a failed arc, but instead of overcoming the fatal flaw, the character will succumb to it, resigning themselves to a tragedy ending.)

To clarify things, let me show you how this works with a familiar example: Finding Nemo. Despite the title, this movie isn���t about Nemo at all. It���s Marlin���s story, chronicling the journey of a father to overcome fear and connect with his son. When Marlin���s wife and children were killed (the wounding event), a lie unfurled in his mind: the world is a dangerous and deadly place. That belief led him to adopt certain unhealthy behaviors, which I���ve explored using the One Stop for Writers Character Builder:

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All of this emotional shielding is meant to keep Nemo safe, but Marlin’s extreme helicopter parenting has driven a wedge between him and his son. His dysfunctional behavior, meant to keep Nemo close, is actually pushing him away.

Step 1: Determine your Character���s Emotional Shielding

Because your character���s fatal flaw is part of their emotional shielding, you have to first identify those shielding behaviors. Start by making a list of habits, beliefs, and ideas that were birthed in the aftermath of the character���s wounding event and the lie that was born from it. Here are some questions to move you in the right direction:

What is my character���s defining flaw?What behaviors do they exhibit because of that flaw?Who is your character biased against because of that wounding event from the past?What lie(s) do they believe about themselves, certain people groups, or the world at large?What behaviors do they exhibit based on those lies?

With a little digging, you should end up with a list of emotional shielding behaviors and ideas that are contributing to your character���s stagnation.

Step 2: Zero In On the Fatal Flaw

Somewhere in that list is your character’s fatal flaw. It’s a form of emotional shielding and is two-pronged, consisting of a cognitive and a behavioral component. 

The cognitive component of the fatal flaw is the mental piece���a bias, mindset, attitude, or disempowering belief���that keeps the character from achieving the story goal. Just like in real life, the character���s thoughts will determine their actions, leading to a behavioral component in the form of an unproductive and/or dysfunctional trait or behavior that must be rejected in order for them to find success.

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For Marlin, the mental component is his belief that the world is inherently dangerous. We see this guiding every decision he makes before Nemo is stolen away, and it���s the main reason he sets off on the journey to find his son.

This belief, combined with his unmet Love and Belonging need, has led him to smother Nemo, denying him the space and freedom that would be appropriate for a growing boy. This is the behavioral component of his fatal flaw. His tendency to control Nemo is pushing his son away and contributing to his own unmet need.

To find the two components of your character���s fatal flaw, examine their emotional shielding. Do you already know which of those behaviors is constantly tripping them up? Then start there and work backward, looking for the mental component at the root of that habit. Alternatively, if you know the cognitive component that���s driving their behavior, you can identify that first then turn your focus to the behavioral piece. Once you���ve identified these two components, you���ll have a much better idea of how to resolve their arc.

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In Marlin���s case, it takes many opportunities for him to recognize his fatal flaw as the root of his problem with Nemo. Along his journey, he meets friendly and helpful strangers who challenge his belief that others can’t be trusted. Through his encounter with Crush, he sees an example of healthy parenting based on trust and respect.

By the end of the story, Marlin has learned his lesson. He sees that the dangerous world he inhabits is also a beautiful and exciting place that, with sensible precautions, can safely be explored. And when Dori needs saving, Marlin is able to loosen his stranglehold on Nemo by recognizing his capability and allowing him to take responsible risks. This new, healthy dynamic strengthens their relationship, filling Marlin���s love and belonging void and allowing him to live a full life that���s free of fear.

I know I’ve thrown a lot of information at you here, so let me summarize the main steps to finding your character���s fatal flaw:

Identify your character���s emotional woundFigure out what lie has grown out of itMake a list of all the emotional shielding (dysfunctional behaviors, biases, and negative ideas) that the character has adopted to keep them from being hurt againFrom that list, find the one cognitive component (a bias, mindset, attitude, or disempowering belief) that���s keeping them from succeeding at their story goalIdentify the one behavioral component (a dysfunctional trait, habit, or behavior) that hampers the character throughout the story

With the fatal flaw piece of the puzzle solved, you���ll have a better idea of the scenarios you���ll want to provide for the character���chances for failure (so they can start seeing a pattern to their behavior), and small wins that will allow them to take baby steps toward recognizing the truth about their fatal flaw and renouncing it in favor of healthier responses.

For more character arc help, check out these useful resources, many of which can be found on our Tools for Writers page:

The Character Builder at One Stop for Writers
Character Pyramid
Reverse Backstory Tool
Character Arc Progression Tool

Once you’ve figured out the two components to your character���s fatal flaw, please tell me about them in the comments. I love seeing how all the pieces come together :).

The post Identifying your Character���s Fatal Flaw appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Conflict Thesaurus Entry: Pulling the Plug on Someone

Conflict is very often the magic sauce for generating tension and turning a ho-hum story into one that rivets readers. As such, every scene should contain a struggle of some kind. Maybe it’s an internal tug-of-war having to do with difficult decisions, morals, or temptations. Or it possibly could come from an external source���other characters, unfortunate circumstances, or the force of nature itself.

It’s our hope that this thesaurus will help you come up with meaningful and fitting conflict options for your stories. Think about what your character wants and how best to block them, then choose a source of conflict that will ramp up the tension in each scene.

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Conflict: Pulling The Plug on Someone

Category: Increased pressure
and ticking clocks, failures and mistakes, relationship friction, duty and responsibilities, moral dilemmas and temptation, no-win situations

Examples:
Making a medical choice for a loved one on life support
Choosing to not take measures to prolong someone’s life because it’s the right thing to do (the person wants to die, it would be cruel to let them live perhaps due to lifelong pain or some other circumstance, etc.)
Abandoning someone to their fate because it is the only choice
Putting a cherished pet down
Not intervening as someone is dying
Making a decision that will result in another person’s death
Choosing between two people when they can only save one
Assisted suicide

Minor Complications:
Angry relatives who believe it is the wrong decision
Having to set aside all other responsibilities and commitments
Having to explain the decision repeatedly to justify it to others involved
Rushing to take care of any red tape
Fast tracking any last wishes of the individual and their family (setting up an appointment with a lawyer, bringing loved ones in to visit, making funeral arrangements according to the wishes of the one dying)
Carrying the burden of guilt

Potentially Disastrous Results:
Threats and violence from those who opposed the decision
Discovering after the fact that there was another option
Causing a giant rift in the family
Being sued
Discovering they were used as a pawn by others who wanted this death to come about
The supporters, allies, or family tied to the victim coming for revenge
Nightmares, anxiety, and depression and other PTSD

Possible Internal Struggles (Inner Conflict):
Overwhelming guilt even though it was the right decision
Second guessing one’s decision and actions in the aftermath
Worries about being judged spiritually for their actions
Feeling stupid and worthless for being duped (if this was the case)
Struggling with regret and remorse
Feeling shocked, betrayed, and angry at the reactions of others and their lack of empathy for being put in a no-win situation
Anger at the one who passed followed by shame for being angry

People Who Could Be Negatively Affected: The person who’s life was taken (if it was not their choice), family members and loved ones, people the victim left behind, a community (or cause, a group, etc.) that relied on the one who died

Resulting Emotions: anguish, anxiety, betrayed, bitterness, conflicted, confusion, connectedness, defiant, depressed, despair, desperation, disillusionment, dread, grief, guilt, hurt, overwhelmed, powerlessness, reluctance, remorse, resignation, sadness, self-loathing, self-pity, shame, shock, somberness, tormented, unappreciated, vulnerability, worry, worthlessness

Personality Flaws that May Make the Situation Worse: addictive, confrontational, cowardly, cynical, defensive, disrespectful, insecure, martyr, melodramatic, morbid, needy, paranoid, self-destructive, violent, vwithdrawn

Positive Outcomes:��
Relief at seeing someone’s suffering end
Realizing they are strong enough to make exceptionally hard decisions
A greater appreciation for life and the importance of living it in full
Having a closer relationship with people who were supportive throughout the process

If you’re interested in other conflict options, you can find them here.

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Critiques 4 U!

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Happy October, people! The leaves may be changing where you are, or, if you’re me, it’s still hotter than Hades. Regardless, the writing and critiquing must go on, so let’s get to our monthly first-page contest, shall we?

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 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.

      I���d like to be able to use portions of winning submissions as illustrations in an upcoming presentation on first pages. By entering the Critiques 4 U contest, you���ll be granting permission for me to use small writing samples only (no author names or book titles).

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 left-hand sidebar). Best of luck!

One More Thing!

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Did you know there’s a new book in town? Angela and I have released a boxed set that contains our bestselling Positive Trait Thesaurus and Negative Trait Thesaurus volumes.

What makes the Character Trait Thesaurus boxed set so special is that it has been hyperlinked across the volumes, so you can get to the table of contents for both volumes from each entry AND any traits mentioned within that entry have been hyperlinked so you can move straight to the attribute or flaw being referenced. This should make character building even easier!

For more information (and a 25% off code!), go here.

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Introducing the Character Trait Boxed Set

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Full disclosure: Becca and I have been a bit sneaky this year.

First, we decided that rather than tell everyone which thesaurus we would publish next we would surprise everyone, and in February we launched an EXPANDED version of the Emotion Thesaurus (130 entries). And now, we have another surprise for you…our first boxed set!

Many of you have asked if we would consider boxed sets, and while there’s too many barriers for a print boxed set we decided to go ahead and try a digital one. This is a pilot project, to see if the interest is there, because our books are very link-heavy and so require a lot more work to bundle up than a fiction boxed set.

So, meet the Character Trait Thesaurus Boxed Set. Inside are the complete volumes of The Positive Trait Thesaurus, which covers the different attributes and strengths of a character’s personality, and the Negative Trait Thesaurus, which looks at the different human flaws we can hobble our characters with. These books span more than 200 critical traits and lead you through the process of character creation. Not only will you understand how the past affects the present when it comes to personality, worldview, and so many other aspects of characterization, you’ll find everything you need to build a story cast that feels authentic and memorable, and be able to write their actions, thoughts, and decisions in a way that lines up with their core traits.

Everything contained in the original Positive and Negative Trait books is in this bundle, but with a terrific enhancement: we’ve cross-linked each trait so you can reach the master list of attributes and flaws from any entry. We’ve also linked the options under the section TRAITS IN SUPPORTING CHARACTERS THAT MAY CAUSE CONFLICT so you can quickly maneuver to those entries with a single click:

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Basically, navigating is twice as easy, and twice as fast. And that’s what these guides are about, giving you what you need quickly so you can get right back to what you do best: writing the book!

This boxed set is only available here at Writers Helping Writers.

We have every format you need: Mobi (Kindle), ePub (other e-readers like kobo, etc.) and PDF. Instructions are provided for putting these on your device, so it’s all nice and easy. If you would like to know more, visit our bookstore.

To celebrate this release, we have

an additional 25% discount code:

CHARACTER

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Select your book file, then type CHARACTER in the coupon box during checkout to grab this boxed set for only $7.48!

(Code expires on November 10th, so use it soon!)

Powerful characters lead to powerful stories!

We hope this boxed set is just what you need. Happy writing, all!

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Conflict Thesaurus Entry: Discovering a Spouse’s Secret

Conflict is very often the magic sauce for generating tension and turning a ho-hum story into one that rivets readers. As such, every scene should contain a struggle of some kind. Maybe it’s an internal tug-of-war having to do with difficult decisions, morals, or temptations. Or it possibly could come from an external source���other characters, unfortunate circumstances, or the force of nature itself.

It’s our hope that this thesaurus will help you come up with meaningful and fitting conflict options for your stories. Think about what your character wants and how best to block them, then choose a source of conflict that will ramp up the tension in each scene.

Conflict: Discovering a Spouse’s Secret

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Category: Power struggles, failures and mistakes, relationship friction, moral dilemmas and temptation, losing an advantage, loss of control, ego

Examples:
The spouse is having an affair
The spouse has been hiding an unhealthy addiction
The spouse lost their job and kept it from the character
The spouse has another family
The spouse is gay
The spouse has been hiding an escalating mental illness
The spouse is a serial criminal (killer, rapist, child abuser, drug or human trafficker, etc.)
The spouse has lied about their past (a wounding event, their biological parents, their medical history, etc.)
The spouse is fighting a terminal or communicable disease
The spouse has an unusual paranormal power
The spouse has been manipulating or gaslighting the character
The spouse has been engaging in illegal activity at work (embezzling, passing off other people’s ideas as their own, blackmailing, etc.)

Minor Complications:
Lost sleep due to worry
Minor stress-related health problems (headaches, an ulcer, high blood pressure, etc.)
Relationship friction with the spouse
Awkward conversations with others as the character tries to gain information
Having to explain the situation to other loved ones
Embarrassment over being the last to know
The character missing work so they can meet with people (doctors, lawyers, a private investigator, etc.)
The character standing up for the spouse, then realizing they’d been played

Potentially Disastrous Results:
The character’s reputation being ruined
The marriage ending in divorce
Fallout for the character’s children
The character being implicated as an accomplice despite their ignorance
Going bankrupt (due to the spouse’s financial irresponsibility, bills, etc.)
Developing a panic disorder or falling into depression
Serious physical ailments, such as heart disease or an STD
The character having to start over on their own (with little education or experience in the workplace, as a single parent, etc.)
Confiding in the wrong person and being betrayed, so the character’s words are used against them and their spouse

Possible Internal Struggles (Inner Conflict):
Struggling to trust the spouse again
Inner conflict about whether the character should try to work things out or give up on the relationship
Difficulty taking others at their word
Self-doubt as the character feels they should have seen what was happening
Guilt over the part the character’s ignorance or na��vet�� played

People Who Could Be Negatively Affected: the spouse, children, parents, the spouse’s accomplices or victims, families of those people

Resulting Emotions:��Anger, anguish, anxiety, appalled, apprehension, betrayed, bitterness, confusion, denial, depressed, despair, determination, devastation, disappointment, disbelief, disillusionment, doubt, dread, emasculated, embarrassment, empathy, fear, frustration, guilt, horror, humiliation, hurt, hysteria, indignation, insecurity, overwhelmed, panic, powerlessness, rage, regret, resentment, self-pity, shame, shock, stunned, vulnerability, worry

Personality Flaws that May Make the Situation Worse: Apathetic, controlling, cynical, gullible, macho, martyr, melodramatic, needy, subservient, suspicious, vindictive, volatile

Positive Outcomes:��
Being determined not to be blindsided in this way again
The character taking control of their life instead of letting others be in charge
Becoming an advocate for the people the spouse mistreated

If you’re interested in other conflict options, you can find them here.

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What Can the Best Metaphors in Literature Teach Us About Writing?

A big hello and welcome to Savannah Cardova from Reedsy today. She’s got some terrific advice (and resources) on Metaphors, so read on!

Life is a highway. Love is a battlefield. All the
world���s a stage. Hope is the thing with feathers.

If
you���re familiar with these expressions, you already know that metaphors are all
around us ��� and that some of the most striking ones come from literature. For
this reason, writers who want to improve their figurative language would do
well to study famous
metaphor examples and see how they���re constructed.

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But
there���s so much more we can learn from metaphors other than how to create an interesting
comparison! Indeed, they���re something of a microcosm for writing as a whole ���
the techniques we use to design metaphors can be applied to countless other
aspects of the craft. To that end, here are five lessons from great literary metaphors that you can use to turn
your writing into a powder keg (see what I did there?).

1. There���s power in brevity

Let���s
return to the examples I cited in my first line ��� all extremely well-known
metaphors, yet none more than six words long. Coincidence? Absolutely not. Just
as with business mottos and political slogans, shorter metaphors are much more
likely to make a memorable impact. I���ll use another famous comparison, courtesy
of the inimitable Bard, to drive this point home:

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
/ It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

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There���s a bit of buildup here, but the last four words make the metaphor: Juliet is the sun. What a perfect way to sum up how Romeo sees her ��� as the center of everything, his source of light and warmth, practically blinding him with her beauty, etc. Reaching a bit further, you might even say that Romeo feels as though he already revolves around Juliet, and perhaps has a sense of foreboding because he understands the danger of getting too close to her.

But
having explained it that way, the metaphor loses its initial impact. This is
why it���s best to simply present an
analogy and allow readers to draw their own conclusions. The same is true of
writing in general ��� brevity is the soul of wit, as another Shakespearean
character once noted. So whether or not you���re constructing
a metaphor,
take care to be concise in your writing.

2. Some references are evergreen

Another
great lesson when it comes to metaphors and writing is that certain reference
points never go out of style. While this may be less relevant to content
creators who strive for topical, Twitter-worthy references, most writers can
really benefit from making their metaphors (and all prose) as timeless as
possible.

One
of the most illuminating experiences I���ve had with figurative language has been
reading Madeline Miller���s Circe,
which retells the story of the titular mythological figure. Naturally, one
repercussion is that all references must be made to things that existed in the
ancient past. But Miller tackles the challenge masterfully, resulting in highly
affecting metaphors like these:

She was very beautiful, it was true, one of the
jewels of our halls.

He was a poison snake, and I was another, and on
such terms we pleased ourselves.

Gods pretend to be parents, but they are children,
clapping their hands and shouting for more.

All
these analogies compare characters in the story to universally recognizable
things: jewels, snakes, parents and children. Such things have always had clear
connotations, so mentioning them is like drawing upon a highly-charged power
source.

This
is what writers should attempt to do ��� use potent language that won���t be
diluted by the passage of time. Of course, this may be difficult when the
situation is very specific, or if you���re worried about being too many
ostentatious with literary
devices.
But luckily, these kinds of evergreen references are so organic, your readers
will hardly even notice them. They���ll contribute to the overall effect without
making a spectacle of themselves.

3. The occasional change-up is good

That
said, sometimes a bit of a spectacle is exactly what you want. While I advocate
for using subtle, organic language 95% of the time, occasionally you want your
writing to stop readers in their tracks. And if you want a metaphorto achieve this, you should try juxtaposing
two highly dissimilar things. Here���s an exemplary excerpt from Run, Rabbit by John Updike:

He flinches when footsteps pound behind him. But it
is just two lovers, holding hands and in a hurry to reach their car, their locked
hands a starfish leaping through the dark.

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When
you imagine lovers holding hands, you probably don���t associate it with a
leaping starfish. For one thing, the shape of two hands clasped together isn���t
especially star-like; for another, starfish don���t leap. But the illogical
nature of this comparison is overcome by the strength of the image. We as
readers are swept up by the nonsensical wonder of a leaping starfish ��� which
indeed, may be just as rare and bewitching a sight as true love.

So
perhaps what I should say here is not to compare dissimilar things, but things that don���t have an obvious
similarity, in order to make the reader really work for it. And this is true of
writing as a whole: you don���t want readers to struggle through your text, but
the occasional challenge (such as an unusually structured chapter) will keep
them on their toes.

4. Lengthy passages should remain clear

On
the note of challenges, and as something of a counterpart to my first lesson,
let���s talk about extended metaphors. These are metaphors that draw a comparison
between two subjects and elaborate
upon that comparison by creating additional parallels.

The
full versions of both Shakespeare quotes in this article are actually extended metaphors, as are numerous song
lyrics (Taylor Swift is particularly skilled in this arena). But my favorite
extended metaphor would have to be The
Road Not Taken by Robert Frost:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood / And sorry I
could not travel both / And be one traveler, long I stood / And looked down one
as far as I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth.

This
is only the first verse, but the entire poem is an extended metaphor about the
choices of life and the various ���roads��� one might take. It���s lovely, evocative,
and easy to understand, despite its length ��� which I think makes it the quintessential
extended metaphor.

While
it may seem like all lengthy pieces of prose are inherently confusing, but they
certainly don���t have to be! In that vein, try to be just as clear in your
longer passages as in your short ones; this will vastly improve your work, and your
readers will surely thank you.

5. The best prose becomes proverbial

As
you���ve probably surmised from some of the examples given here, the best
metaphors are immortalized in the form of everyday wisdom. Here are a few more
you���ve surely heard before:

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A leopard can���t change its spots.

Don���t put all your eggs in one basket.

It���s not over until the fat lady sings.

These
are all implied metaphors about different kinds of people and situations. But
where did they come from originally? Various texts: the Old Testament, Don Quixote, and a short story by
Charles Dickens, to be precise. And I���m sure you can think of plenty more
common phrases, idioms, and adages that have derived from works of literature.

So
if you want to be truly remembered, try to write something pithy and
perpetually true that people will say for generations to come. It doesn���t have
to be a metaphor ��� it doesn���t even have to be figurative language! But if you
can manage to get to the
heart of something in a succinct way, you might just find your words emblazoned on mugs and posted on Wikiquote in the
future. And after all, isn���t that every writer���s dream?

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Savannah Cordova is a writer with Reedsy, a
marketplace that connects authors and publishers with the world���s best
editors, designers, and marketers. In her spare time, Savannah enjoys
reading contemporary fiction and writing short stories (and
occasionally terrible novels). You can read more of her professional work on the Reedsy blog, or personal writing on Medium.

The post What Can the Best Metaphors in Literature Teach Us About Writing? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Story Feedback: Free and Paid Options for Writers

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It’s a sad fact, but most writers don’t have a basement full of money, meaning the word BUDGET is kind of a big deal. We want to publish but to do it, we have to think carefully about where we spend our money and why.

Investing in our career is smart, when we can afford it. There are infinite workshops, conferences, resource books, memberships, courses, and coaching available to us. All can help us develop our skills, better understand storytelling, and navigate the business side of being an author. But what they don’t help with is a question that plagues us more than any other:

“Is what I’ve written any good?”

No matter how many books are under our belt, the same worries about quality surface.

Am I fooling myself that I have what it takes?

Did I just get lucky before?

Is this the book that ends my career?

Impostor’s Syndrome is always there ready to kneecap our self confidence.

On the plus side, I think wobbly self-confidence can also push us to do our best and it encourages us to seek feedback. (And we should. I recently posted about the importance of feedback, which is a powerful way to crowdsource opinions to help answer the question above.)

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Knowing what type of feedback we need and when, and what help we should pay for and what we shouldn’t helps us make sure we’re sticking to the budget. So I’ve put together a list of people to seek when you need feedback, and share the different free vs. paid options.

Free Help For Writers

There are many different ways to get help as a writer without breaking the bank. The more you do on your own, the less you’ll end up paying when you’re ready to take your manuscript to the publication stage.

Beta Readers are typically your first readers, people who may be writers but often are not, rather they are potential readers, people who enjoy the type of books you write and they won’t let a personal relationship with you get in the way of offering constructive feedback. They give “overall” feedback on the story (usually when it’s in an early draft stage so you know if it works or not), and will tell you what pulled them out of the reading experience, like a lack of emotional connection to a character, a confusing plot, etc. If they are the first person to lay eyes on your draft, some refer to them as a Alpha Reader.

You don’t need to pay for beta reads (although there are some services that do offer experienced editorial feedback, so do your research to make sure they are legitimate if you choose to use them.) You can find readers by asking people that you interact with online if they would like to beta read for you, or ask unbiased family or friends who read your genre.

More on beta readers here. Here’s how to be an ethical beta reader. Grab this excellent Beta Reader Worksheet from Jami Gold. To organize feedback, try out BetaBooks (they have a free trial). Bonus: BetaBooks has a Book Club feature that matches books with readers. Did you know there are many Beta Reader groups on Facebook?



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Critique Partners are those who will workshop a book with you, meaning they read each chapter and offer your feedback on any (or all) story elements that you want their opinion on. I recommend running through your book chapter by chapter at least once by other writers (yes, writers — having more than one partner means different perspectives and strengths are applied to your story).

Critiquing is free, but based on give and take: someone critiques you, and you critique them. This is work, but work well worth doing. Some writers try to find critters for a one-way relationship but this shortchanges them on a valuable opportunity to improve. Why? Because when you critique others, you learn a ton about what works and what doesn’t in a story. And once you “see” a problem in another person’s manuscript it becomes much easier to spot the same issue in your own stories. These epiphanies are golden opportunities to grow your skills quickly!

Critiquing shouldn’t cost you, although there are services who do charge, so again, if you go that route, do your research to make sure they are legit and are worth the return on investment (ROI). To find critique partners, ask your writer’s network or join a site like the Critique Circle. This is where Becca and I met and we have both workshopped many stories there.

More about critique partners (including where to find them) How to know you’re in a good critique group Six rules to keep critique partnerships golden How to evaluate critique feedback Our 2-level critique checklist (life changing!)

Full Swap Partners are writers who are looking for a full novel read. Typically this happens when a writer has already had their manuscript workshopped extensively and they now need fresh eyes to have a look before they take the next step, either querying it or to hiring an editor to self-publish it.

Full swaps are about viewing the story as a whole rather than line editing, and passing on honest opinions afterward about the book. Swaps are often between writers who are more advanced and write in the same or similar genres. Typically the writers involved do not steer the other in any way so that they are not specifically looking for issues or problems as they read. This way it’s easier to see if improvements made during past revisions were effective. After the read is complete and the critiquer submits their impressions about the book, and the author may send along follow up questions on specific areas if they wish.

To find a writer to swap with, ask your network. Think about the forums you belong to, the social media writing groups you interact most with, and the people you trust. It can be beneficial to swap with people you don’t know because they will spare your feelings, but always research first. Ask questions about the person (and the story) to ensure it’s a good match. If you are seeking swaps as you move toward publication, you’ll want to make sure the other person’s work is of the same quality and that they are a skilled writer as reading a full manuscript is a bigger time commitment. No money changes hands for a swap.

Necessary Writing Help that Will (Probably) Cost Money



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Keeping costs down is every writer’s goal but the trade off should not be quality. A poorly written book will not sell, and this will only lead to self-doubt and disillusionment about making writing a career. Don’t be afraid to invest and pay for the help you need.

Freelance Developmental Editing is something to look into if you are self-publishing, but I don’t recommend it if you are trying to traditionally publish. Why? Two reasons. First, the publisher will assign an editor to you and they will ask for edits that align with their house style and vision, overriding any edits you paid for. Second, and I know this might sound harsh, but your writing should be strong enough to gain a contract without a professional editor shaping it.

I say this because you’ll be expected to follow editorial directions and return quality work after a contract is signed. So while all writers do need an editor, we also need to bring our own skills to the table. If a writer leans too much on a freelancer so they can shop a book, it could leave them in a sticky predicament if their writing skills are not up to the task of following editorial directions once under contract. It’s best to apply yourself as a writer to learn the craft, taking advantage of the many blogs, books, courses, and workshops available to you, often for free. Then workshop your book extensively with critique partners. This, and your own abilities, should be enough to get your book where it needs to be to interest an agent and editor. However, if time is an issue and money is not (and sometimes this is the case), then hiring an editor might be right for you even if you do plan on traditionally publishing.

One important thing to note: if you are offered a deal by an agent or an editor on the condition that you pay for editing, this is a scam.

If you self-publish, you should hire a professional editor. No matter how strong we are at writing there will always be gaps in our knowledge. A professional freelance editor can help with this and because the story isn’t theirs, they also have the distance we lack.

There are different types of editors, so you should research what you need for your story. This is one part of publishing where paying is sort of unavoidable, so just make sure you choose someone who is professional and experienced in your genre.

Costs will vary, but if the price is too low, be aware that sometimes you get what you pay for. Always ask for a sample edit first so you can see their style and skill level, and don’t be afraid to ask for references from past clients.

A breakdown of the different types of editing (with examples) Looking for an editor? Scroll down to “Editing Services.” 3 Signs it might be time to stop editing a manuscript How to boost your self-editing superpowers

Proofreading is something I recommend. You can pay for proofreading (Becca and I do) but it is also possible you might know someone who is very skilled in grammar and punctuation that may be willing to help you for free. Or, you can try to use a tool like ProWritingAid (good options for writers going the traditional route if their grammar and proofing skills need support).

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Tempted on skipping this type of editing? I wouldn’t. If you traditionally publish, too many errors will pull the agent or editor out of the reading experience as they assess your story. And if you self-publish, readers will ding you on reviews if they notice too many mistakes. We are often blind to our own typos and grammar missteps, so another set of eyes can be really helpful. And, if you are a Canadian like me writing for the American market (or vice-versa) there will be all sorts of “isms” that a professional proofreader will catch. (Michael Dunne loves turning all my greys to gray and neighbour to neighbor!)

TIP: If you are interested in hiring a proofreader, ask for a sample page or two. We did this with 5 proofreaders, seeding certain mistakes into a sample, to see who would catch them all. Only one did, so be aware that not all proofreaders are created equal.

Using text-to-speech as a self-editing tool ProWritingAid (free and paid options) Michael Dunne, proofreader (this is who we use)

A one-on-one Writing Coach is another option for feedback. While Becca and I are writing coaches we focus on groups, not individuals. A one-on-one coach is someone who will help you through the process of writing a novel by being your sounding board, and by offering you feedback, education, and keeping you accountable.

There are various places to find coaches. Many authors have a side business where they offer coaching because they have been through the book writing process. There are also highly professional coaching firms with a professional coaching team. The one I recommend whenever asked is Author Accelerator as I know the skill level of many of their coaches, and I love the fact that they partner each client with a specific coach based on the writer’s needs, genre, and style.

One-on-one coaching is often a higher price investment. But, what a writer learns while in a program will help them accelerate their writing skills exponentially. The knowledge they end up with can be applied to every novel moving forward. So for writers who are able to afford this investment, it’s well worth considering.

What does a Book Coach do Watch a Book Coach in action in this Character Clinic replay Author Accelerator

Looking for MORE help? Check out this MASTER LIST OF WRITING & PUBLISHING RESOURCES .

The wonderful thing about choosing writing as a career is that there are many, many ways we can steer our own growth and development, and this in turn helps us develop our Writer’s Intuition which let’s us better evaluate feedback and view our own writing objectively. Opening ourselves up to learning at every step means each novel will get a little easier. It’s hard work, but that’s also how you know it is work worth doing.

Happy writing, all!

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Conflict Thesaurus Entry: A Repressed Memory Resurfacing

Conflict is very often the magic sauce for generating tension and turning a ho-hum story into one that rivets readers. As such, every scene should contain a struggle of some kind. Maybe it’s an internal tug-of-war having to do with difficult decisions, morals, or temptations. Or it possibly could come from an external source���other characters, unfortunate circumstances, or the force of nature itself.

It’s our hope that this thesaurus will help you come up with meaningful and fitting conflict options for your stories. Think about what your character wants and how best to block them, then choose a source of conflict that will ramp up the tension in each scene.

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Conflict: A Repressed Memory Resurfacing

Category: Power Struggles, Increased Pressure and Ticking Clocks, Failures and Mistakes, Relationship Friction, Losing an Advantage, Loss of Control

Examples:
Being triggered by something in their environment
Overhearing a discussion that leads to forgotten memories
Uncovering something unexpected during hypnotherapy
Experiencing a traumatic situation that awakens memories of past trauma
Finding mementos from the past that trigger a flood of unwanted memories

Minor Complications:
Becoming highly emotional and anxious
Experiencing fight or flight and causing a scene
Shutting down (disengaging from work, forgetting to pick kids up from school, becoming unresponsive, etc.)
Revealing secrets that will impact others
Feeling unsafe and insecure and not knowing how to cope
Underlying behaviors becoming worse (fear reactions) because the character now fully understands the reason for them

Potentially Disastrous Results:
Post traumatic stress disorder derailing one’s life
Depression and suicidal thoughts (or attempts)
Self-isolation and paranoia caused by trust issues or disillusionment
Feeling betrayed if they are not believed
A family fracturing when a member’s involvement in a past event is revealed
A family member being incarcerated for their past actions
The character acting on their anger and seeking revenge, breaking the law which leads to incarceration

Possible Internal Struggles (Inner Conflict):
Doubting their own memories and what is real or not
Self-loathing and self-blame (often undeserved)
Feeling unsafe and not knowing how to fix it
Feeling like their life has derailed and it no longer fits who they are
Wanting to move past what happened and being unable to
Struggling to decide what to tell others
Frustration over holes in one’s memories and wanting to remember
Anger and resentment toward others involved who should have done more to offer protection or made different choices
Religious disillusionment

People Who Could Be Negatively Affected: People they accuse of wrongdoing (and by association, their family), family or friends who engaged in a cover up and their actions are coming to light, people in power who dropped the ball or looked the other way and now that’s being revealed, people the character is responsible to while they time to work through these memories and any resulting fallout)

Resulting Emotions: anger, anguish, anxiety, betrayed, bitterness, confusion, depressed, disgust, disillusionment, fear, grief, guilt, hatred, humiliation, insecurity, neglected, overwhelmed, panic, paranoia, self-loathing, shame, terror, tormented, vulnerability, worthlessness

Personality Flaws that May Make the Situation Worse: addictive, impulsive, insecure, irrational, needy, nervous, paranoid, reckless, uncommunicative, vindictive, violent, volatile

Positive Outcomes:��
Knowing their past trauma allows them to seek help and start working through it
Having an explanation for why they feel a certain way (when in a specific place, with a person, or doing an activity)
Having answers about a past event or situation which brings relief
Knowing they may finally get closure when there was no chance of it before

If you’re interested in other conflict options, you can find them here.

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How To Scare Your Readers Using Deep Point Of View

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I love to get geeky about deep point of view and I���m so excited to be a guest writing coach here. *mittened fist bump* What is Deep Point Of View? It’s a writing technique, a strategy, that removes the perceived distance between readers and characters so readers feel like they’re IN THE STORY, in real time. Deep POV straps a Go-Pro to your main character and takes the reader on an intimate, visceral, emotional journey. You can use deep POV for your entire novel or for key scenes where you���re looking for an emotional gut-punch. 

Take fear, for instance. It’s such a common emotion that it’s sometimes hard to make it real for readers. When I���m critiquing, I find that writers don���t go ���deep enough��� into fear to really create that emotional punch they���re looking for in key scenes. Have you ever had an editor or crit partner say ���go deeper?” Here are some of my best tips on how to dig deeper into fear to really make it work for you. 

You Understand More About Fear Than You Think



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Fear is not only horror, terror, or panic. It has many faces. Worry is a form of fear. Perfectionism is a form of fear. Doubt, being shy or timid, having cold feet, agitation, suspicion, concern, phobias, lying/boasting, jealousy, loneliness, anxiety, PTSD ��� these can all be fueled by varying degrees of fear. (On a sidenote, fear and excitement use the same neural pathways ��� they FEEL the same.)

You know how fear feels. You���ve been afraid, you���ve reacted poorly when afraid. Everyone has. Get curious about how that felt! 

Get Curious With Your Emotive Memory 

Take a few minutes and think back to a moment when you were afraid. Fear is uncomfortable because it���s supposed to be, so this will have to be an intentional choice on your part. 

Reflect on why you were afraid (what was at stake, what did you risk losing?) and how it felt to be afraid. Where did the fear sit? Did it clench your gut? Constrict your throat? Make it hard to breathe? Were you able to think your way out or did you just react? Were you jumpy? Did you startle easily or remain calm? Relive that experience and get curious about it. Most of the time, the reason for our fear is very individual, can be irrational, is rarely linear, and can be volatile or unstable. How can you make your character���s fear uniquely theirs? 

Fear Involves The Body And The Mind

Overly simplified, fear is an alarm system that warns of danger, and that alarm is connected to other important systems in your brain ��� thinking and reasoning, emotions, physiology, etc. Fear will shut down systems not deemed necessary to survival (like feeling pain for instance) and amp others up (breathing, heart rate) to allow for a quick response. Learn more about the body language of fear here. Have you considered how you might employ this reality in your fiction? How this could create problems or amplify tension in a particular scene? 

Fear has many uses, but don���t get fixated on being strictly realistic. Real life doesn���t happen in tidy three-act structures. Technically someone in a life-and-death showdown probably isn���t thinking very much at all, but you need the scene to feel like time has slowed for readers, so you use more internal dialogue than would happen in real life. That���s a stylistic choice. 

Fear Must Be Specific And Unique To Each Character



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Take bees, for example. We know how helpful they are, but many people fear them for a variety of reasons. Maybe Sally is afraid of them because when she got stung, she cried and her friends laughed at and excluded her. Cindy, on the other hand, is afraid of bees because her mother told her a sting will hurt and her face might swell up and she might have to go to the hospital (and Grandpa died in the hospital). Jamie is afraid of bees because the sound they make is too loud, and loud things aren���t safe. Rich is afraid of bees because the first time he was stung he couldn���t breathe and the next sting might kill him. 

First ��� notice how each fear is specific and unique to the individual AND shows us a good deal about their character. Sally���s fear is fueling shame, maybe. Cindy���s fear is fueling anxiety. Jamie���s fear is irrational but still has huge stakes for him. Rich���s fear fuels his survival instinct. 

While Rich is the only one with a tangible reason to be afraid of bees, the other children���s fears feel as real and as incapacitating as Rich���s. The stakes aren���t the same though, right? The thinking fueling their fear (the WHY) will be very different and so will the consequences of feeling that fear, which is what deep pov drills down into. Your job is capture that experience of fear for your character in the way that feels real to them, that shows the stakes they���ve attached to that fear.

If you want fear to really grab readers, the fear needs to be specific, needs to have high stakes, and readers have to understand WHY the character is afraid.

Prime The Fear Pump



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���Wendy? Darling? Light, of my life. I’m not gonna hurt ya. I’m just going to bash  your brains in.��� Stephen King, The Shining

Once fear is already present, even innocuous events can bring it about. How many people shiver when they see a clown or red balloon? For them, that association with Stephen King���s It primes the fear pump with specific imagery.

The abusive husband/father comes home from work and slams doors, kicks toys out of his way, curses at the dog. The family sits down to dinner and the father cracks open a beer and chugs it. He demands another beer and cracks that one open, too.

His family is now primed for a fear response. They see the red flags that will set him off, and experience tells them they’ll be the first targets of his rage. They���ll be hyper-vigilant to a threat, and any small thing will push them into a fear response. They���ll adopt whatever behavior they���ve learned de-escalates the situation, even at great physical or emotional cost.

The father leans over to cut his four-year-old son���s meat, the knife scraping the plate with a wicked screech, and the father curses at the sound. The child winces and begins to cry but stays in his seat, shoulders hunched. Mom stares at her plate and resists the urge to comfort the boy. The father bursts out of his seat and tosses the chair aside. He hasn���t DONE anything to make the boy cry. What are they all afraid of? All kinds of things could be explored in a scene like this from various points of view.

Fear feels like a complex emotion, but it���s not. What makes fear work in fiction is when we take the time to make it personal and give it high stakes. When we prime the character to feel fear through deep point of view, the reader will be on the edge of their seat as well!

Join my free 5 Day Deep Point Of View Challenge on Facebook starting on October 14th. 5 days of lessons and personalized feedback to help you implement deep point of view in your stories!

Lisa Hall-WilsonResident Writing Coach

If Lisa had a super-power it would be breaking down complicated concepts into digestible practical steps. Lisa loves helping writers ���go deeper��� and create emotional connections with readers using deep point of view! Hang out with Lisa on Facebook at Confident Writers where she talks deep point of view.

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