Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 9

Character Secret Thesaurus: Hiding Wealth

What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What���s at stake if it���s discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden?

This is some of the important information you need to know about your character���s secrets���and they will have secrets, because everyone does. They���re thorny little time bombs composed of fear, deceit, stress, and conflict that, when detonated, threaten to destroy everything the character holds dear.

So, of course, you should assemble them. And we can���t wait to help.

This thesaurus provides brainstorming fodder for a host of secrets that could plague your character. Use it to explore possible secrets, their underlying causes, how they might play into the overall story, and how to realistically write a character who is hiding them���all while establishing reader empathy and interest.

For instance, let���s see what it might look like if your character���

Is Hiding Their Wealth

ABOUT THIS SECRET: Transparency is a vital part of healthy relationships. But not everyone is comfortable sharing their financial status, for a variety of reasons. Whether a character���s motivation is noble, self-serving, or coming from a place of fear and distrust, no one likes being lied to, and a secret this big is bound to come out eventually, laying the foundation for inter-relational conflict down the road.

SPECIFIC��FEARS��THAT MAY DRIVE THE NEED FOR SECRECY: Becoming What One Hates, Being Judged, Being Labeled, Being Responsible for Others, Being Taken Advantage of, Being Unsafe, Betrayal, Competition, Conditional Love, Criticism, Isolation, Leading, Losing the Respect of Others, Rejection, Relational Commitment, Trusting Others

HOW THIS SECRET COULD HOLD THE CHARACTER BACK
Having to live well below their means to maintain the fa��ade
Always worrying that if people find out they���re rich, it will change the way they view the character
Money taking up too much space in the character���s mind and choices, making it too high a priority for them

BEHAVIORS OR HABITS THAT HELP HIDE THIS SECRET
Living frugally
Helping friends or family surreptitiously through anonymous donations
Using a lawyer or steward to manage their wealth, or channeling it through a business
Claiming to be struggling financially

ACTIVITIES OR TENDENCIES THAT MAY RAISE SUSPICIONS
Maintaining a modest middle-class lifestyle but placing children in expensive private schools or joining elite clubs
Purchasing new vehicles, the latest tech, or high-quality clothing
An audit of the character���s business showing finances that don���t match the character���s claims

SITUATIONS THAT MAKE KEEPING THIS SECRET A CHALLENGE��
Encountering an unexpected personal, legal, or financial issue, such as a medical emergency or expensive repair, that requires large expenditures to handle
Being targeted by government institutions for audits or other financial scrutiny
Having to disclose financial documents as part of a lawsuit

Other Secret Thesaurus entries can be found here. Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (18 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, then give our Free Trial a spin.

The post Character Secret Thesaurus: Hiding Wealth appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

How to Show Emotional Volatility

Facts are facts: writers throw a lot of rocks at characters. Enemies. Obstacles. Maybe a rabid zombie or two. And we aren���t nice about it, spacing out each projectile, no. We like to line up our canons and see just how many hits a character can take���all in the name of character arc growth.

Whether it���s marriage problems, a car breakdown, or a killer taunting our character by choosing victims they know, at a certain point, our character is going to blow up. And when they do, they���ll set aside rational thought and act. Luckily for us, this almost always turns out bad for them, but good for the story because poor judgment, rash decisions, and risks usually generate conflict.

When characters become volatile, it doesn���t matter if they have a good reason or not, only the mistakes and missteps that often follow. But what does ���acting on emotion��� look like���is it all road rage and smashed windows? Heck no!

What a Loss of Control Can Look Like

Impaired Decision-Making

When someone is emotionally activated, they aren���t thinking clearly. Feelings are so close to the surface they can crowd out everything else. In this state, your character may. . .

Fail to apply common senseJump to conclusionsThink irrationallyAdopt an all-or-nothing mindsetBe swayed by personal biasRefuse to compromise

It never bodes well when a character acts without thinking. All the above can lead to a delicious stew of misjudgments, poor decisions, risk-taking, and mistakes. Hello, conflict!

Damaged Relationships

If a character���s emotions are elevated, whatever is causing them to be upset is their focus, not the people around them. Even though they may not intend to hurt anyone, they may do so anyway, especially if your character . . .

Shuts loved ones outLashes out in frustrationQuestioning someone���s motives or loyaltySpurns an offer of helpMakes a false accusationSays something hurtful or rude

Things said and done in the heat of the moment usually end with regret as the fallout and misunderstandings will take time to undo. Most likely the character will feel bad for anything unfair said or done, but they will need to take accountability and make amends to undo the damage.

Questioning Themselves

Sometimes a small burden comes along that is small on its own but becomes the ���one thing too much��� when added to everything else. The feeling of being undone by something small can cause self-destructive thoughts and a crisis of faith in themselves. This might be shown through. . .

Feeling less thanHeightened vulnerabilityBecoming self-criticalTearing themselves down to othersMaking self-destructive choices as punishmentGiving up

Characters who break under an additional strain that on its own they could handle will have a hard time moving past it because they will be left feeling like they���ve let themselves and everyone else down. They will need to regain perspective and see the entire load they carried, not just the one thing that broke them.   

Compromised Values

When a character experiences a heightened state of emotion, they may do things they never thought they would do. Maybe others are pressuring them and they give in, or an emotion like frustration, desire, or anger has taken over. In any case, this might cause them to . . .

 Cross a moral line Break the law Act on their biases Give in to violence Do what���s easy, not what���s right

Of all the messes that can result from losing control, a character going against their morals or beliefs will be the most difficult thing for them to reconcile, especially if others are hurt by their actions. A person���s beliefs are tied to their identity, so crossing a line may lead to an identity crisis over who they truly are. Depending on what they���ve done, it may be very hard for the character to live with the consequences.

Reputational Damage

In many situations, when a character loses control of their emotions, they aren���t alone, so what they say and do is on display. This includes when they . . .

Spout flawed logicLose their temperForget their filterBreak under pressureMake mistakes

People tend to judge others for their loss of control, meaning many of the people around your character will think less of them, even if they say otherwise. To repair damage to their reputation the character will have to exhibit strong emotional control moving forward. If they do, others will be more likely to view the past lapse as a one-time thing, not a pattern.   

Making Things Worse

When emotions run high, the character acts without considering the consequences. They may . . .

Take risksAct rashlyForego logicFail to spot a danger or mistakeEndanger others

If a character is too blinded by their need to ���do something��� to care about anything else, people get hurt, mistakes are made, and complications arise. In the aftermath, the character realizes they only have themselves to blame, and now they need to fix whatever they broke. Mistakes are also lesson, however, and to avoid making this one again, the character will be motivated to manage their emotions better in the future.  

Characters are unique. Some will be more in control of their emotions than others.

But make no mistake, all characters have a tipping point where they lose control. One strategy to help this along is to deploy an emotion amplifier–a state or condition that will activate your character���s emotions and push them toward volatility. Pain, Confinement, Hunger, Competition, Attraction, Scrutiny���these and other amplifiers can weaken or strain a character���s ability to self-regulate their emotions.  

Try this list of emotion amplifiers to brainstorm ways to mess with your character���s control and bring their hidden emotion out into the open. For more on the benefits of emotion amplifiers, check out our companion to The Emotion Thesaurus: The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus: A Writer���s Guide to Character Stress and Volatility.  

The post How to Show Emotional Volatility appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

How to Choose the Perfect Talent for Your Character

I truly believe that excellent stories require excellent characters. And with so many books already out there, we���ve got to be able to deliver compelling and realistic characters to set our stories apart. How do we do it? By focusing on the details. And one of the markers that can really boost individuality and memorability for a character is their particular talents or skills.

Every person has something they���re good at. Sometimes it���s a gift they���re born with that comes naturally; for others, it���s a carefully nurtured and honed ability. Many times, a character���s talent says something about who they are: it may tie into their belief system, meet a missing need, honor an influential person in their life, or reveal associated personality traits.

But despite the many talents and skills out there, we tend to see the same ones in books all the time. Now, if your story requires your character have a certain ability, that���s fine; sometimes, we don���t get to choose their special abilities. But if you���ve got more latitude, consider one of the following techniques for coming up with a skill that���s a little more original.

Go for Something Unusual

Sometimes it���s as easy as thinking beyond the obvious options. Instead of being a strong runner or artist, maybe your character could have a talent that���s a little less mainstream, like sleight of hand, lip-reading, or a knack for languages. Do you need them to be an athlete? Consider a sport readers haven���t seen a million times, like cricket, curling, water polo, or parkour. Your skilled forager could be urban rather than rural, fishing goodies out storm drains or dumpsters. If you���re writing in a genre with fantastical elements, you can get really creative by giving your character an extrasensory ability or something that���s specific to your fantasy or paranormal world. Their skill will obviously have to work within the overall story and the world you���ve created, but you have more choices than you know, so don���t be afraid to branch out and try something new.

Encourage Your Character to Specialize

One way to come up with an unusual ability is to take a popular one and make it more specific. If your character is mechanically inclined, they may be particularly adept with machines from a certain region, time period, or industry. A marksman might specialize in one weapon, and maybe it���s not the typical rifle (Crossbow? Darts? Slingshot?). Your assassin may prefer to work with and have extensive knowledge of poisons. Breathe new life into a ho-hum strength by narrowing the focus.

Give a Common Talent a Twist

It���s not always necessary to reinvent the wheel; often, you can come up with something new by tweaking a popular talent. If musicality is your character���s thing, don���t make her a singer or piano player; maybe she really shines by writing music or crafting certain instruments. A character���s photographic memory may only be reliable for a few hours after events have happened. A person who blows off steam by knitting might use their talent to create blankets for preemies or hats for the homeless. In the latter case, the talent can also hint at personality traits (empathy, selflessness, generosity), hobbies, or other areas of passion. We get more bang for the buck when our characterization and description elements do double duty, so if a character���s skill can also say something about who they are, that���s a bonus for readers.

Pair It with an Unexpected Personality Trait

Many skills are associated with certain traits because they often go together. For instance, people who are good with numbers are usually pretty analytical. But that doesn���t mean the two have to go together. A character with this ability could be highly creative or emotional, instead, and you���d end up with someone unexpected. Likewise, you could have a gifted public speaker who is painfully shy, stumbling their way through one-on-one conversations. This trick can be especially helpful when your story requires a common talent; get creative with your character���s traits, instead, and you can come up with something new that will pique readers��� interests.

In conclusion, an area of skill is a great way to individualize a character���but remember that it can���t be random. There are reasons people embrace and nurture certain talents. They come from somewhere: a natural aptitude, a shared passion with a loved one, the desire for approval or acceptance, etc. So a special ability shouldn���t be chosen at random. Always know the why behind it. Once you���ve ensured it ties naturally into their overall character profile, use these suggestions to take a character���s talent or skill to the next level.   

Would you like help
finding the perfect
talents and skills
for your characters?

Check out the Talents & Skills Thesaurus
at One Stop for Writers!

The post How to Choose the Perfect Talent for Your Character appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Character Secret Thesaurus: Knowing Where a Body Is Buried

What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What���s at stake if it���s discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden?

This is some of the important information you need to know about your character���s secrets���and they will have secrets, because everyone does. They���re thorny little time bombs composed of fear, deceit, stress, and conflict that, when detonated, threaten to destroy everything the character holds dear.

So, of course, you should assemble them. And we can���t wait to help.

This thesaurus provides brainstorming fodder for a host of secrets that could plague your character. Use it to explore possible secrets, their underlying causes, how they might play into the overall story, and how to realistically write a character who is hiding them���all while establishing reader empathy and interest.

For instance, let���s see what it might look like if your character���

Knows Where a Body is Buried

ABOUT THIS SECRET: The stakes are high with this kind of secret whether the character discovered the site by accident, was directly involved in the burial, or was entrusted with the knowledge by someone else. Fear of legal consequences, retaliation from dangerous people, or trying to protect someone involved in the death can keep them silent.

SPECIFIC��FEARS��THAT MAY DRIVE THE NEED FOR SECRECY: Being Attacked, Being Unsafe, Being Watched, Betrayal, Conflict, Death, Letting Others Down, Losing One���s Social Standing, Losing the Respect of Others, Not Being Believed

HOW THIS SECRET COULD HOLD THE CHARACTER BACK
Having to engage in further crimes to protect the secret
Becoming overly cautious and withdrawn due to fear, anxiety, or paranoia
The character experiencing flashbacks or emotional distress from what they saw
Relationship friction with a friend or family member who shares the secret and is pressuring the character to stay quiet

BEHAVIORS OR HABITS THAT HELP HIDE THIS SECRET
Destroying evidence at the site (covering tracks, changing the landscape, etc.)
Cleaning or destroying any tools and clothing used in the burial
Encouraging others to investigate the wrong places or people

ACTIVITIES OR TENDENCIES THAT MAY RAISE SUSPICIONS
Having an unexplained emotional reaction to a specific location
Expressing excessive interest in (or avoiding) crime-related news about missing persons
Holding onto something related to the deceased out of guilt, sentimentality, or fear of discovery

SITUATIONS THAT MAKE KEEPING THIS SECRET A CHALLENGE��
Personally knowing the person who was buried and their family
New forensic technology���e.g. ground-penetrating radar���making discovery easier
Discovering that the buried person wasn���t dead and was able to escape

Other Secret Thesaurus entries can be found here. Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (18 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, then give our Free Trial a spin.

The post Character Secret Thesaurus: Knowing Where a Body Is Buried appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

How to Use Amplifiers to Motivate Emotionally Challenging Characters

Like many other kids, I got my first job as a babysitter. You���re probably picturing me as a competent, CPR-trained teenager armed with craft supplies and a boatload of determination. But this was 1981, which means I was a whopping nine years old when someone put me in charge of their kids.

Who does that? The mom who couldn���t get anyone else to watch her little hellions, that���s who. Those kids were everywhere, into everything. And they weren���t listening to me, because just the day before, I was making mud pies with them in my backyard.

It wasn���t pretty, but we survived the afternoon. They ate as much ice cream as they wanted, the mom got a few hours to herself, and I walked away (directly to the arcade) with 75 cents in my pocket. In ���81, we called that winning.

Some days, being an author feels like the same gig. I think I know the characters. I���m sure of their roles and where they need to go in the story. But they just look at me and laugh. No one does what I tell them to do, and I spend most of my time trying to keep them from burning the place down.

Any babysitter worth their salt has a bag of tricks to help them manage the difficult kids, and the same should be true for authors.

Some of the most challenging characters are those that are emotionally stunted in some way; they���re unable to experience a full range of emotions, or past trauma has forced them into a guarded position that shields them from uncomfortable feelings. The tricks we���d use to motivate a run-of-the-mill character just don���t work.

And this is a problem, because our job is to guide every character through a journey of self-discovery and revelation that will enable them to achieve their goals. But if they���re unwilling or unable to be emotionally vulnerable, they���ll never face their past, work through their issues, and reach that place of healing and fulfillment. So we���ve got to use methods that will provide the necessary learning opportunities and reflective moments. A tool that works really well for this is a strategically employed emotion amplifier.

An emotion amplifier is a specific state or condition that influences what the character feels by disrupting their equilibrium and reducing their ability to think critically. Addiction, confinement, boredom, hunger, and exhaustion are all examples. These states heighten the character���s emotions and make them more volatile, pushing them to act or respond in ways that often create more difficulty. Employ enough amplifiers, and the character���s situation will worse until they eventually hit rock bottom and will be forced to evaluate their situation and themselves.

In short, amplifiers serve as catalysts to push characters into action and propel them along their arc. Because of their universal nature, they���ll work on most characters, but they���re especially helpful with those who fall outside of the emotional norm.

Sociopaths and Psychopaths

Like their well-adjusted counterparts, these characters have goals they���re struggling to achieve. Where they differ is that they lack empathy and are less likely to lose emotional control. But at some point, that���s what we need them to do: lose their cool, act rashly, and see the need for change so they can get whatever it is they want. It takes a bit more work to trigger a blowup for a psychopath or sociopath, but a potent amplifier like pain, arousal, or danger can strong-arm them into an unfiltered or explosive reaction that will start them on the journey to self-awareness.

Emotionally Numb Characters

Characters who are disconnected from their emotions may appear to readers as if they don���t feel anything. Forging connections between readers and these characters is especially challenging; using an amplifier can nudge them toward volatility, producing feelings readers can recognize and relate to.

Another reason amplifiers work well for an emotionally numb character is because of their commonality. The character may be unable to express what they feel in the wake of an amplifier, but if the writer can make the cause and effect clear, readers will be able to fill in the emotional blanks. This works even for amplifiers the reader hasn���t experienced but has heard or read about, such as psychosis or possession.

Highly Traumatized Characters

Past trauma is another universal element of the human experience. It can upend a character���s life, sowing dysfunction in key ways.

Painful experiences force characters to emotionally protect themselves, and not always in a good way. They become skilled at keeping people and hurtful situations at a distance, but their methods often cause isolation and difficulty connecting with others. When negative feelings do break through, unhealthy coping mechanisms like detachment, disassociation, or avoidance keep the character from experiencing them. If this repeated buffering prevents them from working through the past and moving forward in a healthier way, the damage from trauma remains ongoing.

Unresolved trauma can also lead characters to believe they���ll be hurt again if they let their guard down. This outlook erodes one or more of their basic human needs, and the emotional shielding they���ve adopted to protect themselves keeps them from achieving the goals that would bring their needs back into alignment.

A highly traumatized character who isn���t open to healing won���t be able to tackle their past head on, all at once. Instead, their confidence and self-worth must be built up a bit at a time. This can be done by introducing amplifiers the character can successfully navigate. Here’s an example:

Mikhail paces a path in his living room carpet, sweating and aching while substance withdrawal sinks its claws into him. As his anguish increases, his determination to get clean weakens. He scrolls through his mental list of places to get what he needs to take away the pain. Those names, those faces, those places . . . all are waiting beyond his apartment door.

He takes a step toward it.

���Daddy?��� A sleep-heavy voice cuts through his thoughts. Abel, in his duck-print onesie, stands in the bedroom doorway. ���Can I have a drink?���

���Of course.��� Mikhail���s voice cracks and he hurries to the kitchen faucet before Abel sees his tears. Remember why you���re doing this.

While putting the three-year-old back to bed, he notices one of Abel���s stuffed animals on the floor. He carries it to the living room, wedges a chair against the front door, and places the bedraggled giraffe on it. All night, through shakes and fever, he stares at the stuffed toy, an unlikely guardian against the darkness on the other side, until the sun rises and the shadows disperse.

The trauma that created Mikhail���s addiction is still there, and he may not be ready to work through it yet. But introducing an amplifier in the form of substance withdrawal provides a stepping-stone opportunity for him to successfully navigate just one night of his recovery journey. This gives him strength and purpose, both of which set him up for more growth in the future.

Amplifiers are super useful for getting a character where you need them to go���especially if they���re resistant to change or have some emotional challenges. To get them there, we need to stop babysitting and start life coaching. Use amplifiers to provide opportunities that will help them grow personally, generate tension and conflict in the story, and keep readers glued to the pages.

The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus will help you:Showcase a Character’s Hidden EmotionsWrite Realistic ResponsesAdd Tension and ConflictShow Character Arc GrowthBrainstorm High-Stakes Moments

Check out the emotion amplifiers covered in this book!

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Best Ways to Pace Your Story’s Key Moments

Great novels don���t hook readers by accident. They strategically build up tension and feelings, then release them at just the right moment. This perfect timing isn���t about fancy writing tricks; it���s baked into how the story itself is built.

When a story pulls readers through the pages so smoothly they forget all about the clock, it’s not just clever words doing the work���it’s smart structure doing its job. That irresistible “just one more chapter” feeling happens when the story’s building blocks create a natural flow that keeps readers turning pages without even thinking about it.

Stories built on four-act structure (three-act structure minus the oversized, saggy middle) hit those sweet spots consistently. These natural turning points occur at the quarter mark, halfway point, and three-quarter mark, never allowing any section of the story to drag on too long.

Missing these points by a substantial margin results in a misshapen book with sagging or surging momentum. A lumbering, oversized Act 1 bores readers by taking too long to get moving. A missing midpoint creates that notorious bane of three-act story structure, the ���mushy middle.��� And a mistimed dark moment, one that hits too soon or straggles in too late, can make even a potentially explosive climax fall flat.

Applying story structure to your novel doesn���t imply blind adherence to some lockstep formula. What it suggests is the wisdom of tapping into a storytelling form readers already get���the same ups and downs that have made stories work since people first shared them around the fire.

That pattern shows up everywhere, from novels to movies to symphonies. ���It is interesting to note that within the structure of classical music for several centuries known as sonata form, the first act of three was called Exposition, followed by Development and Recapitulation,��� notes screenwriter Scott Myers. It���s no accident these sound familiar���they���re the same building blocks of the four-act structure we recognize in novels.

Act 1: Exposition As the story opens, readers discover the character���s situation and witness their internal disunity.

Act 2: Development The character reacts to the story challenge, which puts pressure on their internal issues, beginning the process of deconstruction.

Act 3: Development When their initial efforts don���t pay off, the character pushes for more proactive progress. They may already be reconstructing their internal balance.

Act 4: Recapitulation External forces (plot) and internal forces (character arc) come together to achieve synthesis, unity, and resolution.

The mix of plot and character through these four phases gives your story its momentum. Early on, readers feel they���re on a journey headed somewhere specific. Each act pulls them closer to what they think is the story���s destination. And those turning points between acts? They���re the rocket fuel that launches readers from one part to the next.

Turning Point 1

Between Act 1 and Act 2, about 25% into the story

Turning Point 1 inextricably tangles the protagonist in the story���s web. It���s that big moment when they have to deal with the main story conflict head on, whether they want to or not, as the story ship irrevocably leaves the dock for a specific destination or goal.

How does Turning Point 1 serve readers?�� By now, readers have plowed through a good chunk of your book, about 20 to 25 percent. That���s a real investment of time. If your main character is still just poking around the story���s starting situation at this point, readers might decide there���s no real point to your story���and they���ll bail.

Books that suck readers in often hit that first big turning point earlier than the textbook quarter mark, often around 20% in. This gives readers that crucial ���I need to know how this turns out��� feeling before they have a chance to get bored.

Turning Point 2

Between Act 2 and Act 3, about 50% into the story

Turning Point 2, the midpoint complication, injects a fundamental plot twist that flips your protagonist���s strategy on its head. Whatever they tried in the first half of the book just isn���t cutting it, or something big has changed or come to light���and now they need a new approach. The early plan (the easy way) isn���t working anymore; now your character has to push beyond what they thought would be necessary or what they believe they can handle (the hard way).

How does Turning Point 2 serve readers? Stories can���t feel like a laundry list of ���All the Stuff I Gotta Take Care of Before the Inevitable Climax.��� The midpoint keeps your story from bogging down in a monotonous slog toward the same old goal.

Turning Point 3

Between Act 3 and Act 4, about 75% into the story

Turning Point 3 pulls all the conflicts together, creating your protagonist���s absolute low point, their ���dark night of the soul.��� With hope seemingly extinguished and success looking impossible, this moment sets up everything that follows, making the final resolution meaningful instead of simply predictable.

How does Turning Point 3 serve readers? This rock-bottom moment gives your character somewhere to push off from as they rally for the climax. For readers, it cranks up the suspense. Can your protagonist really pull this off? How? This turning point hits readers with that emotional gut-punch showing exactly what will be lost if your character gives up now. It turns readers from spectators into allies, cheering your protagonist on: Get back in there. Find your guts. Stand up and fight for what matters.

Irresistible Momentum

These turning points aren’t random checkboxes in some rigid formula���they’re powerful currents that pull stories forward. Each one catapults your story into its next phase with fresh energy and urgency. This natural momentum keeps reading turning pages late into the night, whispering “just one more chapter” despite their 6 a.m. alarm.

That���s the power of turning points: They transform your story from words on a page into a voyage readers can’t help but follow all the way to the end.

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6 First Page Inclusions for Drawing Readers In

There are a lot of Dos and Don���ts for a story���s first pages. Do introduce the protagonist(s). Do start in medias res. Don���t start with a dream sequence. Don���t info dump.

These techniques are important because they accomplish one of the main purposes of your opening: they encourage reader connection. And that���s key because if the reader doesn���t make that connection in the first few pages, they likely won���t read on to chapter two or ten or The End.

Because of the first page critique contests I do, I have a lot to say about story openings���what works and what doesn���t. And today I���d like to share some story elements you can include in your first pages that will pull readers in, along with some opening-page examples from fiction that show this in action. You don���t want to include them all, but if you can add even one, you���ll increase your chances of hooking readers right away so they become invested in your story.

1. Characterization

We know readers connect primarily with characters. When you can start characterizing right away���showing readers how the protagonist is likable or relatable, their defining traits, where they���re vulnerable���the connection is forged.

In the following example from a classic, we learn quite a lot about one of the main characters in the very first paragraph. This is an older book, published before show-don���t-tell became a cornerstone writing technique. Even so, we begin to form a picture of this character���her personality traits and a few physical features���that starts the process of us getting to know them.

In Fort Repose, a river town in Central Florida, it was said that sending a message by Western Union was the same as broadcasting it over the combined networks. This was not entirely true. It was true that Florence Wechek, the manager, gossiped, yet she judiciously classified the personal intelligence that flowed under her plump fingers and maintained a prudent censorship over her tongue. The scandalous and the embarrassing she excised from her conversation. Sprightly, trivial, and harmless items, she passed onto friends, thus enhancing her status and relieving the tedium of spinsterhood. If your sister was in trouble and wired for money, the secret was safe with Florence Wechek. But if your sister bore a legitimate baby, it���s sex and weight would soon be known all over town.

~Alas Babylon

Tools to help you build relatable, vulnerable, and well-rounded characters: The Positive Trait Thesaurus, The Negative Trait Thesaurus, and One Stop for Writer���s Character Builder.

2. What���s Missing?

If your character���s navigating a change arc, there will be something wrong or missing in their life from the get-go. This is important for readers to see early on, because it plays into those vulnerability and relatability pieces. We���ve all been there. We all have things in life we wish were different, or we feel stuck in some way. If you can hint early on at something missing for the character (their inner motivation), readers will empathize with them and immediately want that void to be filled.

It is my first morning of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomachache.

The school bus wheezes to my corner. The door opens and I step up. I am the first pickup of the day. The driver pulls away from the curb while I stand in the aisle. Where to sit? I���ve never been a backseat wastecase. If I sit in the middle, a stranger, could sit next to me. If I sit in the front, it will make me look like a little kid, but I figure it���s the best chance I have to make eye contact with one of my friends, if any of them have decided to talk to me yet.

The bus picks up students in groups of four or five. As they walk the aisle, people who were my middle-school lab partners or gym buddies glare at me. I close my eyes. This is what I���ve been dreading. As we leave the last stop, I am the only person sitting alone.

~Speak

Most of us could empathize with this character simply because it���s the first day of school, and we recognize the associated nerves and angst. But in these opening paragraphs, we learn that this character has lost all her friends. She is utterly alone. There���s a lot we don���t know about her situation, but at the very least, we know that for her to find fulfillment, she���ll somehow have to reconnect with others.

3. The Story Goal

In a story with a change arc, the character���s overall goal (their outer motivation) is often (subconsciously) chosen because it���s going to meet their internal lack. Getting into Harvard Law and becoming a lawyer will help her get the boy (Legally Blonde). Catching the serial killer will help the quadriplegic ex-detective once again fine purpose in his life (The Bone Collector).

It���s not always possible to include the goal on the very first page, but if you can pull it off, do it. Then, readers will know straight away what has to happen for the character to succeed, and they���ll know what to root for.

Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she���d been told that she would kill her true love.

~The Raven Boys

Here, we see in just one sentence what Blue���s story goal will be: she���ll have to somehow subvert the curse to find true love. There���s so much more to her situation, but this is all that���s needed to create a killer opening line that pulls readers in.

Tools for understanding character arc, inner motivation, and outer motivation: The Emotional Wound Thesaurus and One Stop���s Story Maps.

4. Foreshadowing and Conflict

When we see a character in conflict, we feel for them. We know how it feels to be in conflict, whether the conflict creates awkwardness and discomfort or impending pain and death. Including conflict in the opening pages is a good way to tweak the readers emotions and get them firmly on the character���s side.

When possible, we want it to tie directly to the main conflict or storyline. In other words, it���s not random. Let readers see a small piece of the character���s overall struggle that will plague them throughout the story.

Foreshadowing is a great way of enticing readers with future conflict, or the promise of it.

���We should start back,��� Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them. ���The wildlings are dead.���

���Do the dead frighten you?��� Ser Waymar Royce asked with just a hint of a smile.

���We have a long ride before us,��� Gared pointed out. ���Eight days, maybe nine. And night is falling.���

Will could see the tightness around Gared���s mouth, the barely suppressed anger in his eyes under the thick black hood of his cloak. Gared had spent forty years in the watch, man and boy, and he was not accustomed to being made light of. Yet it was more than that. Under the wounded pride, Will can sense something else in the older man. You could taste it; a nervous tension that came perilous close to fear.

Will shared his unease. He was a veteran of a hundred rangings by now, and the endless dark wilderness that the southron called the haunted forest had no more terrors for him.

Until tonight. Something was different tonight.

~A Game of Thrones

Tools for writing conflict: The Conflict Thesaurus, Volumes One and Two

5. Questions

One of the best ways to keep readers reading is to create intrigue. Raise questions that will only be answered if they keep going. In the first pages I critique, I look for at least one question���something that isn���t fully explained that whets my whistle and makes me want to know more.

Pip knew where they lived.

Everyone in Fairview knew where they lived.

Their home was like the town���s haunted house; people���s footsteps quickened as they walked by, and their words strangled and died in their throats. Shrinking children would gather on their walk home from school, daring one another to run up and touch the front gate.

But it wasn���t haunted by ghosts, just three sad people trying to live their lives as before. A house not haunted by flickering lights or spectral falling chairs, but by dark spray-painted letters of ���Scum Family��� and stone-shattered windows.

~The Good Girl���s Guide to Murder

What happened to this family?
Why do their lives look so different than before? Before what?
Why are the people in town so afraid of them?

Full disclosure: I haven���t read this book. I found it in a stack of library books in my kid���s room when I was paging through first pages, looking for examples. But I’m adding it to my list simply from reading the first four paragraphs and wanting answers to the questions the author raised.

6. An Unusual Character or Authorial Voice

This one is impossible for every story because not every narrator has a stand-out voice. And that���s perfectly fine. But if yours does, get it out there right from the start. This gives readers an immediate feel for the character, and they���ll know they���re in for a treat.

Look, I didn���t want to be a half-blood.

If you���re reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.

Being a half-blood is dangerous. It���s scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.

If you���re a normal kid, reading this because you think it���s fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.

But if you recognize yourself in these pages�����if you feel something stirring inside���stop reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it���s only a matter of time before they sense it too, and they���ll come for you.

Don���t say I didn���t warn you.

~Percy Jackson and the Olympians

I���ll close with this example because it hits a lot of the points: strong voice, some some characterization, foreshadowing, and questions. It���s a great example of how multiple techniques can be included on the very first page to pique the reader���s interest.

So next time you���re revising your opening, see if your first few pages tick any of these boxes. If not, revise to include one or two of them, and you���ve got a better chance of pulling readers in right from page one.

The post 6 First Page Inclusions for Drawing Readers In appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

How to Avoid Flat Characters in Your Story

Has an editor or critique partner said, ���Your character feels flat��� when offering feedback on your story? Or perhaps they worded it another way: ���Your protagonist didn���t grab me,��� or ���This character needs more depth.���

However it���s phrased, being told we���ve missed the mark on a character is a bit of a gut punch. But it���s okay. Flat characters, like anything else, can be fixed.  

A flat character is one-dimensional, lacking the depth and human complexity required to feel true to life. Not only do they seem unrealistic, they also fail to capture a reader���s curiosity or interest.

Flat characters can be written as such on purpose: a surly shopkeeper unwilling to bargain on price or the nosy neighbor trying to unearth your protagonist���s secrets. These types of characters have a small role or specific function (comic relief, mentorship, etc.) and don���t need a lot of depth.

But if an important character is seen as
shallow or boring���we have a big problem.

Characters are the heart of a story. For readers to care about them, they must feel like real people. Distinct personalities, belief systems, emotions, and histories shape them and their behavior. Personal needs, desires, struggles, and worldviews give them depth. All this, and a capacity for growth, is the magic recipe that will draw a reader in. 

What Causes a Character to Seem Flat?

Characters can feel underdeveloped for many reasons, but it often comes down to one thing: something essential about them has been overlooked. Some common offenders:

Shallow Backstory

A character���s past influences who they become, how they behave, and how they view the world around them. If a character���s backstory is missing, weak, or generic, their behavior may lack credibility or be inconsistent.

The Cure: Go deeper. Explore their past, including their emotional wounds, experiences, life lessons, fears, and insecurities.

Tools to Fix Backstory Issues: The Emotional Wound Thesaurus and One Stop for Writers��� Character Builder Tool.

A ���Basic��� Personality

A character���s personality should contain specific traits that emerge because of their history/upbringing, the people who influenced them, and formative their life experiences, both good and bad. When writers gloss over the building out of a unique personality, they tend to give character ���typical��� traits and so they come across as generic and unrealistic.

The Cure: People are complex, and characters will be, too. Spend time thinking about who your character is and why, and the traits most likely to appear in their personality. Be sure to also understand how negative experiences lead to personality flaws (and the behaviors and tendencies that go with them). Each character should have a mix of traits as no one is ever all good or bad.  

Tools to Fix Personality Issues: The Positive Trait Thesaurus, The Negative Trait Thesaurus, and One Stop for Writers��� Character Builder Tool.

Over-Reliance on Character Tropes or Stereotypes

Due to their familiarity, using character tropes (e.g., the villain, the reluctant hero, the absent-minded friend) can fast-track the reader���s understanding of a character���s role. But leaning on one too hard turns them into a stereotype or clich��, which is a huge turnoff.

The Cure: Use any trope generalizations as a starting point only. Do the work and make each character someone fresh. Readers loved to be surprised by interesting and meaningful qualities that elevate the character in ways they didn���t expect.

Tools to Help Fix Overused Character Types: The Character Trope and Type Thesaurus or One Stop for Writers��� Character Builder Tool.

Tunnel Vision

Characters who are only about one thing���the mission or goal, proving loyalty, success, etc.���come across as one-dimensional and unrealistic. For readers to connect with characters, they need to have relatable life layers. Relationships and social interactions. Dreams and desires. Responsibilities. Quirks, interests, problems.

The Cure: Real people can get obsessive about certain things, but they have other things going on. To give your character a better balance, imagine their entire life, not just the plot of your story. Explore how your character���s professional life or obsessions may collide with their personal life.

Tools to Help You Create Dynamic Characters: One Stop for Writers��� Character Builder Tool and The Occupation Thesaurus.

A Lack of Drive

In the real world, it can take time for us to know what we want, but in fiction, characters must be motivated and act. If your protagonist is wishy-washy about what they want or can’t settle on a goal, they’ll come off as weak.

The Cure: Characters who lack urgency when it comes to choosing or achieving a goal need to be put in the hot seat. Raise the stakes. Add conflict and tension. Make it clear that doing nothing leads only to pain and consequences. Additionally, know your character inside and out (#1) because past trauma, fears, and negative interactions will point you to their soft spots and unmet needs.

Tools to Fix Unmotivated Characters: The Emotional Wound Thesaurus, The Conflict Thesaurus Volume 1, Volume 2, and The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus.

Distanced Emotions

Showing a character���s emotion, even when they���re trying to hide what they feel, is one of the most important tasks a writer has. Emotions are central to the human experience, and readers expect a front-row seat to whatever the character is feeling. When someone is closed off or seems imperviable to vulnerability, readers find it unrealistic.

The Cure: Become an expert at showing your character���s emotions, even when they try to hide what they feel from others. Readers must always be in the loop to empathize and feel invested. Understand how each individual will express emotion in their own way based on their personality, comfort zone, and backstory.

Tools to Help You Show Authentic Character Emotion: The Emotion Thesaurus, The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus, and The Emotional Wound Thesaurus.

Inadequate Internal Conflict

A well-developed character should have inner struggles, doubts, conflicting needs, fears, and insecurities, all of which make certain actions and decisions agonizing for them. If a writer doesn���t know a character well enough, their struggles will seem generic and readers will feel disconnected from their struggles.

The Cure: Understand your character inside and out, especially backstory and unresolved wounds that haunt them (#1). Know their life, their stresses, their pain, and how loyalty, expectations, or beliefs may tear at them so you can show powerful, meaningful inner conflict. Use psychology in fiction to show inner turmoil in ways readers recognize as they���ve experienced the same tendencies themselves. ��

Tools to Help You Show Internal Conflict and Psychological Processes: The Emotional Wound Thesaurus, The Conflict Thesaurus, Volume 1, and The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus.

Little to No Growth or Change  

In any story, characters will face challenges���often life-changing ones. Even in a flat arc, where the protagonist remains steadfast in their beliefs, they should still learn, adapt, and navigate obstacles in a way that feels authentic. Primary characters who respond to every problem the same way, repeat mistakes without growth, or remain rigid in their viewpoints can feel unrealistic and unconvincing to readers.

The Cure: All roads lead back to characterization. Go deeper. Get to know your character, and why they think, act, and behave as they do. Choose specific conflict scenarios that force them to confront misconceptions and fears that lead to change and growth.

Tools to Help You Write About Change and Growth: For growth journeys and the path of change, try The Emotional Wound Thesaurus. The Conflict Thesaurus Volumes 1 and Volume 2 are packed with help to craft powerful conflict that will strengthen and support character arc. The Character Builder Tool will take all your character-building information and create a character arc blueprint for you.

Flat characters can always be fixed. It���s worth the effort because once readers bind themselves emotionally to a character, they���re hooked. If you���re lucky, they���ll seek out more books by you, too.

READ NEXT: How to Write a Protagonist with True Depth

The post How to Avoid Flat Characters in Your Story appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Character Secret Thesaurus: Helping Someone Die with Dignity

What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What���s at stake if it���s discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden?

This is some of the important information you need to know about your character���s secrets���and they will have secrets, because everyone does. They���re thorny little time bombs composed of fear, deceit, stress, and conflict that, when detonated, threaten to destroy everything the character holds dear.

So, of course, you should assemble them. And we can���t wait to help.

This thesaurus provides brainstorming fodder for a host of secrets that could plague your character. Use it to explore possible secrets, their underlying causes, how they might play into the overall story, and how to realistically write a character who is hiding them���all while establishing reader empathy and interest.

For instance, let���s see what it might look like if your character���

Helped Someone Die with Dignity

ABOUT THIS SECRET: This act of compassion, while well-intentioned, can place a heavy burden on the person carrying it out. They may struggle with the moral implications of their actions, be overwhelmed with guilt, and fear legal and social repercussions should others find out. The act can complicate relationships with loved ones, triggering questions about loyalty, ethics, and the sanctity of life itself.

SPECIFIC��FEARS��THAT MAY DRIVE THE NEED FOR SECRECY: Abandonment, Becoming What One Hates, Being Attacked, Being Capable of Harm, Being Judged, Being Labeled, Being Responsible for Others, Conditional Love, Conflict, Criticism, Isolation, Letting Others Down, Losing One���s Social Standing, Losing the Respect of Others, Not Being Believed, Rejection

HOW THIS SECRET COULD HOLD THE CHARACTER BACK
Unresolved guilt or shame causing greater mental health difficulties or relationship issues with others
Fearing for their soul (even if they stand by their actions) because they helped take a life
Pulling away from or abandoning other loved ones facing terminal or chronic illnesses because their situations are triggering for the character

BEHAVIORS OR HABITS THAT HELP HIDE THIS SECRET
Lying, deflecting questions, or withholding details about the events surrounding their friend���s death
Creating alibis about where they were at the time of death to remove suspicion of their involvement
Avoiding people who might know or suspect the truth

ACTIVITIES OR TENDENCIES THAT MAY RAISE SUSPICIONS
Appearing too calm or detached about the loss
Being overly attentive to the departed���s family, as if the character is seeking absolution
Having more than one close friend who was assisted by someone in ending their life prematurely

SITUATIONS THAT MAKE KEEPING THIS SECRET A CHALLENGE��
Being exposed by an unexpected witness who knows what the character did
Witnessing a public debate or news story about assisted suicide or euthanasia, prompting feelings of guilt or outrage about opposing viewpoints
Being caught in a lie about the circumstances surrounding their friend���s death

Other Secret Thesaurus entries can be found here. Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (18 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, then give our Free Trial a spin.

The post Character Secret Thesaurus: Helping Someone Die with Dignity appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Phenomenal First Pages Contest

Hey, wonderful
writerly people!

It���s time for Phenomenal First Pages, our monthly critique contest. So, if you need a bit of help with your first page, today’s the day to enter for a chance to win professional feedback! (We’ve had past winners tell us they’ve found their dream editors through this contest, and even ended up with offers of representation!)

Entering is easy. All you need to do is leave your contact information on this entry form (or click the graphic below). If you are a winner, we’ll notify you and explain how to send us your first page.

Contest DetailsThis is a 24-hour contest, so enter ASAP.Make sure your contact information on the entry form is correct. Three winners will be drawn. We will email you if you win and let you know how to submit your first page. Please have your first page ready in case your name is selected. Format it with 1-inch margins, double-spaced, and 12pt Times New Roman font. All genres are welcome except erotica.Sign Up for Notifications!

If you���d like to be notified about our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest, subscribe to blog notifications in this sidebar. 

Good luck, everyone. We can’t wait to see who wins!

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

The post Phenomenal First Pages Contest appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.