Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 90

Meet Our Newest Writing Coaches!

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It’s hard to believe, but we’re about to kick start Year 4 of our popular Resident Writing Coach program! For those of you new to the blog, the RWC program is where we invite some of the best minds in our industry to share their knowledge of writing and publishing, bringing you a variety of voices and insight from all over the world.

This year we have a few new coaches joining us, but first let us say a giant thank you to Lisa Cron, Victoria Mixon, and Chris Winkle for all the wonderful posts this past year. We wish you well!

We are thrilled to welcome three new faces to the program:



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Lucy V. Hay aka Bang2write is
a script editor, author and blogger who helps writers. Lucy is the
script editor and advisor on numerous UK features and shorts. She has
also been a script reader for over 15 years, providing coverage for
indie prodcos, investors, screen agencies, producers, directors
and individual writers.

Publishing as LV Hay, Lucy���s debut crime novel, The Other Twin, is out now and is being adapted by Agatha Raisin producers Free@Last TV. Her second crime novel, Do No Harm, was a finalist in the 2019 Dead Good Book Readers��� Awards. Her next title is Never Have I Ever for Hodder Books. You can find out more about Lucy here.

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Lisa Hall-Wilson is a writing teacher and award-winning writer and author. She���s the author of Method Acting For Writers: Learn Deep Point Of View Using Emotional Layers. Her blog Beyond Basics For Writers
explores all facets of the popular writing style deep point of view and
offers practical tips for writers. She is also the founder of the Deep Dive Author Club
which offers a five-week online masterclass on writing in deep point of
view and an ongoing membership class with critiques and support.

Lisa writes adult noblebright fantasy and her award-winning debut novel The Last Seers is available. Find out more about Lisa here.

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Christina Delay is the hostess of Cruising Writers and an award-winning psychological suspense author. She also writes award-winning supernatural suspense for young adult and adult readers under the name Kris Faryn. Fun fact: Faryn means ���to wander or travel.��� Since that���s exactly what she loves to do, you���ll find juicy tidbits on exotic and interesting places in all her books!

Cruising Writers brings aspiring authors together with bestselling authors, an agent, an editor, and a world-renowned writing craft instructor together on writing retreats. Find out more about Christina here.

Are you excited? We’re excited! These three will fit right in with our returning masterminds:



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Meg LaTorre is a writer, AuthorTuber/BookTuber, developmental book editor, and former literary agent with a background in magazine publishing, medical/technical writing, and journalism. On Meg���s YouTube channel, iWriterly, she geeks out on all things books. Meg also launched Query Hack, a query critique platform where writers can submit their manuscript queries or Twitter pitches for free feedback.

She has written for Writer���s Digest and SavvyAuthors and can be found teaching online classes throughout the year. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running after her toddler, competitive sports, and sleeping. To learn more about Meg, go here.

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Sacha Black is the author of several bestselling books for writers including, 13 Steps To Evil – How To Craft A Superbad Villain, and 10 Steps to Hero: How to Craft a KickAss Protagonist. Her blog for writers, www.sachablack.co.uk, is home to regular writing, marketing and publishing advice sprinkled with dark humour and the occasional bad word. She’s also recently started a new podcast, The Rebel Author Podcast. In addition to craft books, she writes YA fantasy and you can find out more about Sacha here.

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Tamar Sloan really struggled writing this bio
because she hasn���t decided whether she���s primarily a psychologist who
loves writing, or a writer with a lifelong fascination of human
behaviour. Somehow she got lucky enough to do both.

Tamar is a freelance editor, consultant and the author of PsychWriter ��� a fun, informative hub of information on character development, the science of story and how to engage readers. She is also an award-winning author of young adult romance, creating stories about finding life and love beyond our comfort zones. Details about Tamar���s books are on her author website and your can find out more about her here.

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James Scott Bell is a winner of the International Thriller Writers Award and author of the #1 bestseller for writers, Plot & Structure. Among his numerous thrillers are Romeo���s Rules, Romeo’s Way, Romeo’s Hammer, Try Dying, and Don���t Leave Me. In addition to his traditional novels, Jim has self-published in a variety of genres. His popular books on fiction craft can be found here. His thrillers have been called ���heart-whamming��� (Publishers Weekly) and can be browsed here. Discover more about Jim here.

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Jami Gold, after muttering writing advice in tongues, decided to become a writer and put her talent for making up stuff to good use. Fueled by chocolate, she shares writing tools, presents workshops, and offers insights on her blog about the craft, business, and life of writing. Jami is the winner of the 2015 National Readers��� Choice Award in Paranormal Romance for the novel Ironclad Devotion in her Mythos Legacy series. Read more about Jami here.

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September C. Fawkes can scare people with her enthusiasm for writing and reading. She worked as an assistant to a New York Times bestselling author and writing instructor, and now does freelance editing at FawkesEditing.com.
She has edited manuscripts of bestselling and beginning writers. She
has published poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction articles, and her
award-winning writing tips have appeared in classrooms, conferences, and
on Grammar Girl.

She holds an English degree, has served as the managing editor of The Southern Quill literary journal, and had the pleasure of writing her thesis on the worldwide appeal of Harry Potter. Read more about September here.

We are looking forward to another incredible year of Resident Writing Coach posts. Is there a topic you’d like to see covered? Just leave us a comment below!

Happy writing,

Angela & Becca

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

Conflict Thesaurus Entry: Being Sabotaged

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: Being Sabotaged

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

Examples:
Past secrets being made public by a competitor
A work or school project being destroyed or tampered with
A physical attack that sidelines the character
Theft of someone’s work or ideas
The destruction of a machine, facility, or system by an activist group
The public being influenced against the character through lies or manipulation
The character’s reputation being attacked
Deliberate underachieving and poor performance by co-workers or employees
Important supplies being purposely rerouted and lost
Official documents being destroyed
The media only reporting negative information (and ignoring anything positive) about a character, organization, or issue
The distribution of counterfeit correspondence (an email, transcript, affidavit, signed confession, press release, etc.) meant to discredit the sender
An ally being won over by the enemy or taken out of the game altogether

Minor Complications:
Having to start over
Lost revenue from having to pay for new supplies, repairs, labor, etc.
Expending energy and time on dispelling rumors instead of on important work that needs to be done
A decrease in responsibilities and opportunities, such as being demoted or removed from a project

Potentially Disastrous Results:
The character’s reputation being ruined
Family members being harassed or attacked
Losing an important ally, influencer, or business connection
The character being physically harmed by a saboteur
Loved ones turning against the character (because the believe the lies being told, because they’re tired of being dragged into the fray, etc.)
The enemy taking or destroying something that can be replaced (an original idea, a recipe or formula, someone’s life, etc.)
Getting fired
Being arrested for something the character didn’t do
Loss of influence; being unable to accomplish the good things that were the character’s original intention (bringing down a corrupt organization, righting a societal wrong, etc.)

Possible Internal Struggles (Inner Conflict):
Difficulty trusting others
Becoming cynical and jaded
Being so paralyzed by fear that the character is reluctant to try again
Always worrying that others have believed the rumors and think badly of the character (if a reputation assassination was a factor)
Becoming an underachiever to avoid being targeted again
Struggling with feelings of disempowerment

People Who Could Be Negatively Affected: Family members, co-workers, people benefitting from the character’s company or organization

Resulting Emotions: Anger, anxiety, apprehension, betrayed, bitterness, defeat, defensiveness, despair, desperation, determination, devastation, disbelief, discouraged, disillusionment, fear, humiliation, hurt, indignation, insecurity, intimidated, paranoia, powerlessness, resentment, self-pity, shock, vulnerability, wariness

Personality Flaws that May Make the Situation Worse: Cowardly, cynical, gullible, martyr, melodramatic, nervous, oversensitive, paranoid, reckless, resentful, sleazy, timid, vain, vindictive

Positive Outcomes: 
Increased resiliency
The character being able to identify the untrustworthy people in their life
The character seeing where they were too trusting or na��ve, and making changes for the future
Seeing the sabotage as confirmation that the character is on the right path
Renewed determination to accomplish what they originally intended
Out-of-the-box thinking forcing the character to come up with even better ideas or methods the second time around

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

The post Conflict Thesaurus Entry: Being Sabotaged appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

TWO Critique Opportunities 4 U!

Welp, the kids are back in school, I’m all moved into my new place, and no hurricanes are imminent, so I’m finally getting back into my groove. Which is good, considering I’ve got TWO amazing critique opportunities for you this month!

#1: Our Regularly Scheduled First-Page Critique Contest

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

Two caveats:

      Please be sure your first page 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).

Regardless of whether or not you’re entering our Critiques 4 U contest, we’ve got one more limited-time opportunity you may want to take advantage of: a chance for you to get feedback on one of your characters! First, a little bit of background info:

#2: One Stop for Writers and Author Accelerator would like to invite YOU to their Character Clinic on October 8th!



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This live webinar will show you how to take a character from good to GREAT. Plus it’s an opportunity to…

Get an intimate look into what happens between a writing coach and their client during the character development process



Gain insight into the details about a character that REALLY MATTER so you know exactly what to brainstorm



See how One Stop’s hyper-intelligent Character Builder will help you craft a fascinating and meaningful story cast



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This is going to be amazing, so I urge you to sign up! Becca and I will be there with Julie Artz, one of the expert coaches at Author Accelerator.

The webinar will be October 8th, 11 am PST. If you can’t make it live, no worries! Sign up and we’ll forward you the recording!

OPPORTUNITY ALERT: A Free Character Assessment

And here’s where the second critique option comes in. For us to run a Character Clinic, we need a character to work with, and that could be YOUR PROTAGONIST. How would you like to have your character assessed & strengthened LIVE by Julie during the webinar?

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Characters do not have to be perfect, or even complete! We’re looking for a writer who would like to brainstorm with us in a friendly webinar setting.

This is an incredible opportunity for expert advice on your character’s development (and right before NaNoWriMo, too!). So, if you’re interested…

Create a character (any age or genre) using One Stop for Writers’ Character Builder
Use the Character Builder’s SUMMARY function to create an interactive PDF
Send it as an attachment care of Becca or Angela at info@onestopforwriters.com for consideration. (Submit by September 23rd.)



Not a member at One Stop for Writers? No problem!



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Activate our free trial. No credit card is necessary. Not only will you have full access to the site, you’ll be able to create one Character Profile using the Character Builder!

Then if you decide you want to submit your character, upgrade to a subscription so you can send us the interactive Character Summary PDF (a subscription feature) we’ll need for the clinic. Don’t worry, our plans are amazingly affordable. To see an example of a Character Profile created using the Character Builder, go here.

Angela, Julie, and I can’t wait to see you at the Character Clinic!



SIGN ME UP!

October 8th, 11 am PST (Recording available)

Best of luck!

The post TWO Critique Opportunities 4 U! appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Goal-Oriented Storytelling: Satisfaction

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Welcome to the final post in this four-part series on ANTS. As I mentioned in my first post, ANTS is a goal-oriented framework for storytelling. It���s what you���re trying to achieve by making great characters, settings, and plots for your stories. In the previous posts in this series, I���ve covered attachment, novelty, and tension. Now it���s time for our final effect: satisfaction.

Satisfaction is
tension���s alter ego. Whereas tension is created when you introduce problems
that hold readers in suspense, satisfaction is derived from resolving those
problems. A well-structured novel will include smaller
doses of satisfaction throughout the book, as the protagonist tackles smaller
challenges before the climax. Because creating satisfaction often involves
reducing tension, the lion���s share of it is reserved for the story���s end.

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However, crafting
a satisfying conclusion isn���t as simple as giving your story a happy ending. In
fact, satisfaction does not require a happily ever after. We���ve all had the
experience of reading or watching an ending that brought tears to our eyes but
that was still undoubtedly good. Instead, satisfaction relies on following a
series of principles that are rarely spelled out to new writers.

An End That Matches the Beginning

The first thing
satisfaction requires is an understanding of the sources of tension in
the story. After all, satisfaction is created by dispelling that tension. But
sometimes writers don���t realize when they���ve introduced a problem or mystery
that���s created tension. Other times, they intended to create a problem but
weren���t clear enough. If the story���s ending doesn���t bring closure to the
specific problems that were introduced, it will be unsatisfying.

Character Agency

Next, the ending
of the story – good or bad – must result from the actions of the characters.
And generally, the main character must make the biggest difference to the end.
It���s deeply unsatisfying if the problem is resolved by pure chance. It���s
equally frustrating if a side character swoops in and saves the day instead of
the story���s hero. The central protagonist of the story must struggle against
problems and then overcome them – or succumb to them – through their own
choices.

Karmic Balance

Last, audiences
apply value judgments to character actions, and those actions must create an
ending that rewards or punishes characters appropriately.
A character can earn a positive outcome by showing clever thinking, by sticking
to their guns when it���s hard, or by being willing to sacrifice to achieve their
goal. Characters that give into temptation or make selfish choices show that
they deserve a bad ending. This is why the main characters in tragedies have a
tragic flaw. Ultimately, it is acting on that flaw that brings about their
downfall.

Generally, creating satisfaction comes down to one critical moment in the conflict: the turning point. You can think of a turning point as the climax of the climax. It���s the moment when the story���s outcome is determined by the protagonist. Let���s have a close look at the turning point in Star Wars: A New Hope.

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The big problem of A New Hope is the threat of the Death Star. Using this weaponized space station that can blow up entire planets, the Empire will soon crush the Rebel Alliance. The tension in the story escalates as the Empire locates the Rebel base and sends the Death Star to destroy it.

The movie���s
climax appears as the Rebel pilots fly their X-Wings to the Death Star in a
last, desperate attempt to destroy it. But to succeed, they have to fire at a
very precise weak point on the station, and they are being picked off by enemy
fighters. A senior pilot in the Alliance manages to fly down a trench in the
station’s hull to get to this weak point, but he fails to hit the target. To
give the Rebels one last chance, Luke decides to make his own attempt.

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As Luke
approaches the weak spot, the turning point comes. He hears the voice of his
mentor, Obi-Wan: Use the force! Luke
has to decide whether to rely on the targeting technology in his ship or risk
everything on a leap of faith. He chooses to trust in the force and in himself,
and because of that, he succeeds. The ending to A New Hope is satisfying
because the tension surrounding the Death Star was resolved, Luke is the one
who resolved it, and he earned his happy ending by making the right choice.

The principles
behind ANTS are like any other principle in storytelling: they can be broken in
the right circumstances. However, because each ANTS effect is fundamental to
reader engagement and enjoyment, storytellers need a very compelling reason to
abandon them. So unless the entire purpose of your story is to comment on
humanity���s helplessness in the face of cosmic forces, you���re better off
sticking with a climax that makes the hero matter.

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Chris Winkle is the editor-in-chief of Mythcreants, an online magazine dedicated to fantasy and science fiction storytelling. You can read more of her articles on writing or listen to her talk about stories on The Mythcreant Podcast.
Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Tumblr

The post Goal-Oriented Storytelling: Satisfaction appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Conflict Thesaurus Entry: Being Given Bad News

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: Being Given Bad News

Category: Power Struggles, Increased Pressure and Ticking Clocks, Failures and Mistakes, Relationship Friction, Duty and Responsibilities, Moral Dilemmas and Temptation, Losing an Advantage, Loss of Control, Ego, No-Win Situations, Miscellaneous Challenges

Examples:
Being told a loved one was in an accident
That one has cancer or another disease
A promotion went to someone else
One’s bid on a contract was too high
An anticipated trip has been cancelled
That important paperwork was submitted too late
The sale of one’s home has fallen through
Funding could not be secured
One’s company is laying everyone off
That a pitch (for a new design, project, book, etc.) was rejected
A medicine or treatment isn’t working
A child wasn’t accepted into a university

Minor Complications: rearranging one’s schedule, dropping what one’s doing and re-prioritizing, cancelling plans, losing time to sadness, regret, disappointment or worry, losing out on an opportunity, poor decision-making due to stress and anxiety

Potentially Disastrous Results: a money shortage that causes one to default on a mortgage or loan, being unable to cope without the thing that is now missing ( a loved one, steady employment, a place to live), giving up on a direction in life because this news was such a setback or disappointment, jumping into the wrong opportunity out of fear or a need for security without considering possible repercussions and fallout of that choice

Possible Internal Struggles (Inner Conflict): Internal struggles with guilt, regret, and feelings of failure, bouts of depression or anxiety, worrying about protecting others (dependents, a spouse, the people one leads, etc.), trying to decide if keeping the truth quiet is better than sharing the news and causing others pain, fear of the future and what it may bring, becoming obsessed with regaining control through any means necessary after this upset

People Who Could Be Negatively Affected: family members, one’s spouse, extended family, co-workers, neighbors (this will depend on the type of bad news).

Resulting Emotions: agitation, anguish, anxiety, appalled, betrayed, bitterness, confusion, denial, depressed, despair, desperation, determination, devastation, disappointment, disbelief, discouraged, disillusionment, dread, empathy, fear, grief, guilt, humiliation, hurt, inadequate, overwhelmed, regret, remorse, resentment, resignation, sadness, self-pity, shame, shock, skepticism, unappreciated, uncertainty, unease, worry, worthlessness

Personality Flaws that May Make the Situation Worse: abrasive, addictive, antisocial, controlling, cowardly, defensive, disloyal, disrespectful, fussy, greedy, haughty, hostile, impulsive, insecure, irrational, judgmental, macho, melodramatic, morbid, needy, nervous, obsessive, oversensitive, paranoid, pessimistic, possessive, reckless, resentful, self-destructive, self-indulgent, selfish, spoiled, tactless, ungrateful, vain, vindictive, violent, withdrawn

Positive Outcomes: Gaining perspective about what’s really important in life, feeling heartened than the outcome wasn’t worse, realizing one needs an emergency plan and then creating one, gaining insight into how one is exposed and making changes to be less vulnerable (setting money aside in an emergency account, buying stronger health insurance, making a move into a field of work that is more secure, etc.)

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

The post Conflict Thesaurus Entry: Being Given Bad News appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Taking a Character from Good to GREAT

FACT: Characters are the heart of a story. The stronger one is, the more powerful your novel will be.

In today’s competitive fiction market, there’s no room for okay-ish characters. This is why most writing courses, books, workshops, retreats, etc. often focus on character development. Mastering the art of building a character is something we strive for so they will be compelling enough to capture the hearts and minds of our readers.

Those of you following the thesaurus work Becca and I do know we take character-building pretty seriously. Each of our books, regardless of the topic, help with characters. All of the thesauruses we’ve created (16 now!) are either directly on character development or tied to story elements that create a spotlight on the character and their journey.

A few short months ago we launched the Character Builder, a super-tool that turns any writer into a character-building expert.



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Because this tool draws from our thesauruses, it has a massive database of character information to help writers create fully-developed characters with rich backstories and motivations.

The Character Builder will also map out a custom Character Arc Blueprint for each character based on the exact information the writer selects. This tool is a game-changer, there’s no two ways about it.

But being able to build a well-layered character is only half the battle. We also need to understand why those layers are important.

The gateway to powerful writing happens when we marry expert knowledge with great tools. So, we’ve reached out to some of the best writing coaches in our industry: the team at Author Accelerator.

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Author Accelerator is an incredibly talented group of one-on-one writing coaches that make it their mission to guide, mentor, and support a writer’s journey through a book.

Each coach is hand-picked, and provides on-the-ground advice and feedback as a novel is written. (Sounds like a dream come true, right? No wonder they’ve had so many successful clients pass through their doors.)

One Stop for Writers and Author Accelerator would like to invite YOU to their Character Clinic on October 8th!



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This live webinar will show you how to take a character from good to GREAT. Plus it’s an opportunity to…

Get an intimate look into what happens between a writing coach and their client during the character development process



Gain insight into the details about a character that REALLY MATTER so you know exactly what to brainstorm



See how One Stop’s hyper-intelligent Character Builder will help you craft a fascinating and meaningful story cast



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This is going to be amazing, so I urge you to sign up! Becca and I will be there with Julie Artz, one of the expert coaches at Author Accelerator.

The webinar will be August 8th, 11 am PST. If you can’t make it live, no worries! Sign up and we’ll forward you the recording!

OPPORTUNITY ALERT: A Free Character Assessment

For us to run a Character Clinic, we need a character to work with, and that could be YOUR PROTAGONIST. How would you like to have your character assessed & strengthened LIVE by Julie during the webinar?

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Characters do not have to be perfect, or even complete! We’re looking for a writer who would like to brainstorm with us in a friendly webinar setting.

This is an incredible opportunity for expert advice on your character’s development (and right before NaNoWriMo, too!). So, if you’re interested…

Create a character (any age or genre) using One Stop for Writers’ Character Builder
Use the Character Builder’s SUMMARY function to create an interactive PDF
Send it as an attachment care of Becca or Angela at info@onestopforwriters.com for consideration. (Submit by September 23rd.)



Not a member at One Stop for Writers? No problem!



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Activate our free trial. No credit card is necessary. Not only will you have full access to the site, you’ll be able to create one Character Profile using the Character Builder!

Then if you decide you want to submit your character, upgrade to a subscription so you can send us the interactive Character Summary PDF (a subscription feature) we’ll need for the clinic. Don’t worry, our plans are amazingly affordable. To see an example of a Character Profile created using the Character Builder, go here.

Becca, Julie, and I can’t wait to see you at the Character Clinic!



SIGN ME UP!

October 8th, 11 am PST (Recording available)

The post Taking a Character from Good to GREAT appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Avoiding Change: What���s Stopping Our Characters?

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Stories are about change. Our
characters��� world is changing around them, or they���re changing internally���or both.

Yet at the same time, we know change is hard.
In our own lives, we struggle to change our habits or take steps to be
successful and reach our goals, whether that���s switching jobs, getting into
shape, or whatever. In fact, we often resist more the closer we get to the
possibility. Just because we know what we need to do doesn���t mean we follow
through.

Real-Life vs.
Fiction: What���s Realistic Change?

Despite the reality we all know about life,
when it comes to storytelling, there���s usually a limit to how patient our
readers will be with our characters not taking steps toward changing
their situation, beliefs, or behaviors. That reader impatience is especially a
risk if our characters suspect (or maybe even know) what ���should��� be changed
before they���re ready or willing to act. Worse, if readers get too frustrated,
they can stop rooting for our characters, thinking them too stupid or pathetic
to do what needs to be done.

On the other hand, if that change were
easy, why wouldn���t our characters have already reached their goals? Stories
without resistance either need to be super-short or risk seeming
unrealistic���and quite frankly, boring. Ask any romance novelist skilled
with sexual tension about the value of anticipation for reader enjoyment.
*grin*

In other words, we need to make change realistically
difficult while avoiding the problem of wishy-washy characters. And that���s
often easier said than done, especially when considering readers��� reactions.

Keeping Readers in
Our Characters��� Corner

One key to keep readers cheering for our characters, even when they���re not taking steps toward change, is ensuring the obstacles in our story���internal and/or external���are as strong as possible. If readers believe our characters have ���good��� reasons for delaying, resisting, or only taking baby steps, they���ll stay on our characters��� side.

Of course, virtually any reason could be convincing
with strong writing. However, we first need to be consciously aware
of what���s stopping our character to ensure we���re fully developing those reasons
on the page.

Using Plot
Obstacles



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Plot obstacles are typically easier to use
for convincing readers, as the evidence that our characters��� have ���good���
reasons is right in front of readers��� eyes. For example:

Plot Obstacles Interfere: Our character might be on the path toward change, but plot obstacles���such
as needing to complete a different quest first���slow their progress.

Our character desperately needs to pursue a promotion, but their father���s
heart attack means they���re distracted by having to take on caretaking duty.
(i.e., It���s not our character���s fault their progress is slow.)Plot Events Change
Priorities: Despite what our character thought,
recent plot events have triggered realizations or exposed the need for
different priorities.

Our character wanted a promotion, but their father���s heart attack makes them
realize a focus on family is more important. (i.e., Our character���s goals
change during the story, so they take steps only after they embrace the new
goal).



Using Internal
Obstacles

Internal obstacles are often trickier to
use for convincing readers, as too much emphasis on their internal debate can
make the character seem obsessed, indecisive, weak, etc. While characters hem
and haw, readers are likely to want the characters to just get on with it, no
matter how realistic that behavior is in real life.

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To overcome that problem, we want to transform
their internal reasons for avoiding change into tangible, external
reasons as much as possible. For example:

Emotions Hold Them Back: Our character���s too afraid, too resentful, too doubtful, too
uncomfortable, etc. to change���which is expressed in words or behaviors with
external plot consequences.

Our character wants a promotion, but when they learn their competition is
their ���nemesis,��� they angrily insult their coworker in front of the boss.
(i.e., After the character self-sabotages, their goal is further out of reach.)Change Isn���t Needed: Our character believes they���re right or fine as they are and don���t
need to change, or they believe it���s not their responsibility to change���which
is expressed in words or behaviors that reject other options.

When told they���d be eligible for a promotion if only they learned to meet
deadlines, our character counters by stating their missed deadlines never
caused issues. (i.e., They
embrace the status quo and refuse other goals.)



Delay Makes the
Eventual Change Sweeter

No matter
what combination of reasons we use for our characters, the circumstances and rising
stakes will eventually force even the most resistant character to attempt
change. But before we get to that point, we first want to make change seem
impossible.

The more
we develop the obstacles preventing our character���s change, the more readers
will believe success is out of reach. When the delays, debates, or resistance
are finally overcome, the eventual change can be both emotionally satisfying and
surprising.
*smile*

Do you have any questions or insights about setting up obstacles to prevent our character���s change? And for more information on this topic, try this post.



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After muttering writing advice in tongues, Jami decided to put her talent for making up stuff to good use. Fueled by chocolate, she creates writing resources and writes award-winning paranormal romance stories where normal need not apply. Just ask her family���and zombie cat. Find out more about Jami here, hang out with her on social media, or visit her website and Goodreads profile.
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

The post Avoiding Change: What���s Stopping Our Characters? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Conflict Thesaurus Entry: Facing a Challenge Beyond One’s Skill or Knowledge

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: Facing a Challenge Beyond One’s Skill or Knowledge

Category: Increased Pressure and Ticking Clocks, Failures and Mistakes, Duty and Responsibilities, Loss of Control, No-Win Situations, Miscellaneous Challenges

Examples:
Lead people to safety
Deliver a baby in an emergency
Survive a natural disaster
Treat a wound or perform emergency surgery
Survive a home invasion
Navigate the wilderness when lost
Troubleshoot a vehicle breakdown
Provide aid as the first to arrive after a car accident
Escape one’s abductors
Intervene between individuals to stop a violent fight
Talk someone out of committing suicide
Steal a car or break into a building because one must
Save someone’s life
Evade dangerous pursuers (a car or foot chase)

Minor Complications: Having to put other plans or needs on hold, shakiness from an adrenaline rush, discomfort with the task at hand (possibly dealing with blood and exposed bone, having to break the law out of necessity, feeling vulnerable and exposed, etc.), suffering an injury while trying to navigate the situation, making a political misstep or otherwise “stepping on toes” while trying to help

Potentially Disastrous Results: Making a mistake that hurts or kills someone (causing spinal damage while pulling a person from a burning car in an accident, not taking enough care when delivering a baby, or dressing a wound incorrectly and an infection occurs, etc.), failing to see a risk until it’s too late, causing painful fallout to oneself or others

Possible Internal Struggles (Inner Conflict): A moral tug-of-war over right and wrong in this situation (putting one’s needs about others to survive, abandoning one person to save the group, having to break the law for the right reasons, etc.), combating instinctual fight vs. flight facing off as pressure mounts and one feels incapable in the situation, having a hard time reconciling with hindsight and what one could have done, said, or what one should have seen coming

People Who Could Be Negatively Affected: Family, friends, innocent bystanders, the group of people one is with, anyone whose fate is in one’s hands

Resulting Emotions: anguish, anxiety, apprehension, conflicted, confusion, defensiveness, despair, desperation, determination, devastation, disbelief, discouraged, disgust, disillusionment, doubt, dread, empathy, fear, flustered, frustration, guilt, humbled, inadequate, insecurity, nervousness, overwhelmed, panic, paranoia, powerlessness, regret, relief, reluctance, resignation, self-pity, shock, stunned, terror, uncertainty, vulnerability, worry, worthlessness

Personality Flaws that May Make the Situation Worse: abrasive, apathetic, callous, disloyal, disorganized, flaky, foolish, forgetful, gullible, impatient, impulsive, inattentive, indecisive, insecure, irrational, irresponsible, nervous, oversensitive, paranoid, perfectionist, reckless, resentful, scatterbrained, selfish, tactless, temperamental, timid, uncommunicative, uncooperative, weak-willed, whiny, worrywart

Positive Outcomes: Learning one is more capable than previously believed, feeling good at stepping up or helping out when it was needed most, realizing one is capable of leading others, seeing mistakes as an opportunity to learn and as proof of a willingness to stick one’s neck out when required, having a bigger appreciation for one’s life and the advantages and people in it

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

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Using Backward Design to Plan Your Story

Weaving a powerful tale is not easy. Whether you pants or plot, ending up with a cohesive tale means understanding the key moments in a story. Today’s post by Angelica Hartgers offers up a great technique to use if plotting is something you struggle with, so read on!

���Begin with the end in mind.��� -Stephen Covey

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Whether it���s planning a goal, an entire curriculum unit, or a book, backward design is an effective concept that can be applied to any strategic planning process – storytelling included.

Think about it: As writers, we often start mapping out our stories by focusing on the beginning, then working our way through the murky middle, until we reach, with relief, the inevitable end.

But, what if you were to plan your story backward, and reverse engineer your entire plot?

If you���re struggling with writer’s block or discovering that your story���s events don���t seamlessly lead your reader to a resolution, try reverse engineering your story with backward design.

What is Backward Design?

Backward design, also known as backward planning or mapping, is a popular strategy used by educators to design learning experiences that lead students to end-of-year success. Teachers use this strategy to plan their curriculum unit or lesson plan with the end-goal in mind, rather than construct it around the everyday classroom process. 

How Can You Apply Backward Design to Storytelling?

By starting with your story���s end in mind, you can navigate your way through the major plot points that led up to that end. You can take your reader through a well-constructed, thoroughly mapped out experience.

You can apply the backward design strategy on a macro and micro level. On a macro level, you can use it to plan the main events in your plot. On a micro level, you can apply it to strengthen your characters��� development, so that they achieve the desired persona.

Let���s take a look at how we can apply this strategy to our storytelling! 

Step 1: Establish the End-Goal

Just as a teacher might begin with laying the foundation, you must begin with a setting and some basic characters for your piece.

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Once this is established, you can dive into the big question: How do you want your story to end?

The answer to this question can vary depending on your writing goals. Do you intend to write a series of books, a single novel, or a short story? Either way, thinking about how your story will end is the foundational question you must answer.

Identifying your end-goal first is a beautifully simplistic thing that opens up a plethora of opportunity for your characters and plot.

As an example, let���s examine J.R.R Tolkien���s The Lord of the Rings. The end goal of Tolkien���s series is that Frodo destroys the one ring, crumbling the dark forces of Sauron. Due to the establishment of this ending, Tolkien���s characters��� actions, and the course of his plot is dedicated to attaining this resolution. Without the inception of this ending, the beloved characters of The Lord of the Rings would find themselves wandering Middle Earth for three novels until their author deemed it a good time for the story to end.

To avoid disappointing your reader with plot holes, start by establishing your story���s end goal and guiding your entire plot and characters towards it.

Step 2: Determine Your Principle Plot Points & Create an Index

Once you���ve established your end-goal, you get to delve into the meat of your story, constructing the path your plot must take in order to reach the desired resolution.

With your ending scrawled out before you, you can now create an index of what titular events must take place in order for your ending to be achieved.

Using The Lord of the Rings as an example again, Frodo must have the ring in order to destroy it, he must find a way to get to the only place where the ring can be destroyed, his enemy must be distracted upon his final approach, etc.

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Creating an index of these important events allows you to space out your story, and precisely build an outline for your plot to follow.

Step 3: Construct the Filler

Your story now has a roadmap. You know where you are, where you���re going, and what your primary stops are along the way. All that���s left is to make the journey.

From this point you get to connect all of your principal events in whatever way best suits your characters. It is within this step that you can use backward design on the micro level to plan your characters.

Using Backward Design to Plan Character Dynamics



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A complex character development is just as beneficial as a good plot, and backward design provides an effective strategy to constructing this development throughout your piece.

To formulate your characters using backward design, simply follow the same format we used for mapping out the plot.

Establish where you want your character���s development to end, then plan out the events that will shape their personality to get them there. 

Step 4: Tie in Character Construction

At this point, you have planned out the arc of your plot, starting with its end, and have discovered who your characters will be upon reaching your tale���s resolution.

Now, you can simply tie the two together, recognizing what events in your plot line will cause for the necessary changes in character. By the time you are finished, you have a beginning-to-end story with no loose ends, formulated so that every event that unfolds supports the conclusion. 

Try Using Backward Design to Plan Your Story!

While this strategy of plot-planning may not be for everyone, it is a surefire way to turn an idea into a viable story, and to avoid writing a plot that doesn���t support your ending.

While this article focuses on applying backward design to fiction writing, you can even apply this strategy if you���re writing a nonfiction book. Instead of outlining a plot, you���ll outline each topic that will guide your book���s main point.

What do you have to lose? Try it – it just might be the strategy you���ve been looking for. 

Angelica Hartgers is the Content Creation Specialist at SelfPublishing.com. With a background in writing and education, she is passionate about empowering other writers to improve their craft and promoting the power of the written word. When she���s not creating content that helps writers tell better stories and publish their books, she’s reading, writing, and traveling the world. Read more on our blog. 

Have you ever written a novel by starting at the end? Let us know in the comments how it worked out for you and if you’d try it again!

The post Using Backward Design to Plan Your Story appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

How Realistic Should Your Action Scenes Be?

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At a conference some time ago I was on a panel with some fellow thriller writers. During the Q & A we got this question from the floor: “How can I learn to write a good action scene?”

I answered first. I told the questioner that it’s what happens inside the character that’s the key, and you can make that implicit or explicit by using all the elements of fiction writing �������- dialogue, internal thoughts, description, and action.

I recommended he read how Dean Koontz does it, especially in what is considered his breakout bestseller, Whispers (1980). There Koontz has an action scene (an attempted rape) that lasts 17 pages (that’s right, 17 pages!) all taking place within the close confines of a house.

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Another panelist protested (in a good-natured and professional manner). He said action needs to be “realistic.” For instance, when a gunshot is fired nobody has time to think. It all happens too fast. If they’re shot, the pain comes, and they will not be reflecting on anything. They’ll just be in pain.

This was grist for a great debate. I licked my chops but, unfortunately, we ran out of time. I never got a chance to respond. 

Now I will.

I would have said, first, that a gunshot does not cover the wide spectrum of action. In the Koontz scene from Whispers we have someone stalking the Lead. No guns. So that example is of limited value.

But further, and even more important: fiction is not reality! Fiction is the stylized rendition of reality for emotional effect.

That’s so important I’ll say it again:

Fiction is the stylized rendition of reality for emotional effect.

Reality is boring. Reality is not drama. Reality is to be avoided at all costs (“We must stay drunk on writing,” Ray Bradbury once said, “so reality does not destroy us.”)

Hitchcock’s Axiom holds that a great story is life with the dull bits taken out. Reality has dull bits. Lots of them. Fiction, if it works, does not.

A thriller writer wants the reader to believe he or she is vicariously experiencing the story. We use techniques to engage the reader’s emotions all along the way. If there is no emotional hook, there is no thrill, no matter how “real” the writing seems.

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Let’s have a look at a couple of clips from Whispers. Hilary Thomas, a successful screenwriter, comes home to discover that Bruno Frye, someone she’d met one time, is waiting for her, and not for a game of cribbage.

She cleared her throat nervously. “What are you doing here?”

“Came to see you.”

“Why?”

“Just had to see you again.”

“About what?”

He was still grinning. He had a tense, predatory look. His was the smile of the wolf just before it closed its hungry jaws on the cornered rabbit.

Koontz breaks into the dialogue exchange for some description. The effect is like slow motion, which is another key to a good action scene. In essence, you slow down “real time” to create the feeling and tone you desire.

He took a step toward her.

She knew then, beyond doubt, what he wanted. But it was crazy, unthinkable. Why would a wealthy man of his high social position travel hundreds of miles to risk his fortune, reputation, and freedom for one brief violent moment of forced sex?

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Now Koontz inserts a thought. In real time, when a rapist takes a step toward a victim, there would probably be no reflection, no pondering. But fiction enhances moments like this. Koontz is stretching the tension. He wants the reader taut while furiously flipping pages.

But 17 of them? Is Koontz insane? Or is he one of the best selling writers in history for a reason?

In fact, Koontz is a consummate pro who knows exactly what he’s doing. He even names it a couple of pages in:

Abruptly, the world was a slow-motion movie. Each second seemed like a minute. She watched him approach as if he were a creature in a nightmare, as if the atmosphere had suddenly become thick as syrup.

That, my friends, is stylized action for emotional effect. If you’d like to grumble about that ������ complain that it isn’t “like reality” ������ you may send your objections directly to Dean Koontz, who gives his address in the back of his books.

Let me know what he says.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking to sell your fiction, learn to use the tools. Especially in actions scenes.

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Jim is the author of the #1 bestseller for writers, Plot & Structure, and numerous thrillers, including Romeo���s Rules, Try Dying and Don’t Leave Me. His popular books on fiction craft can be found here. His thrillers have been called “heart-whamming” (Publishers Weekly) and can be browsed here. Find out more about Jim on our Resident Writing Coach page, and connect with him on Twitter.

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