Kate Walker's Blog, page 94

Iris Gower

Iris Gower

So I'm here in Caerleon for the fabulous Writers' Holidays. It took a while to get an internet connection to my room, but I finally have that sorted out.

I'll continue with posts for the Conflict Q&A soon, but first I have to write about some sad news that I -and everyone at Caerleon - has had this week. When I wrote about Caerleon in the past I have mentioned the much published Swansea novelist, Iris Gower who has been so much a part of Writers' Holidays right from their start 26 ...

Mills & Boon New Voices

I'm interupting this discussion on Conflict (I'm glad so many of you are finsing it helpful) to tell you all about a brand new and exciting writing contest that is being organised by Mills & Boon, starting now and going on into the autumn, with the winner announced on November 1st


Mills & Boon New Voices
A global search for fresh writing talent to join
the Mills & Boon galaxy of romantic fiction stars

How the competition will work…
The competition will have its very own website - www...

Conflict Q&A 4 - Internal Conflict

The second - and much the most important form of conflict is INTERNAL CONFLICT


INTERNAL CONFLICT

INTERNAL CONFLICT is the characters' own problems, their personality traits, fears, doubts, beliefs, which they have to change or overcome to get their happy-ever-after.

Internal conflict is also called CHARACTER ARC.

INTERNAL conflict is a person's INTERNAL struggle over opposing goals. It is inside, hidden from witnesses

INTERNAL CONFLICT comes from the characters themselves; it's whatever they...

Conflict Q&A 3 - EXTERNAL

One of the questions that I was asked over and over again when I said I was going to do a workshop on conflict was:

How do you define the difference between Internal and External conflict ?

As Susan said: I would love an idiot's guide to external and internal conflict
So today I'm going to define the first of those types of conflict:


EXTERNAL CONFLICT


EXTERNAL CONFLICT is what happens to your characters, the obstacles outside themselves which they have to overcome to get their happy-ever-after.

Conflict Q&A 2 - Why Conflict?

So why have conflict at all?


You are writing a romance. Surely it's more romantic when a couple take one look at each other, fall head over heels in love . . . and live happily ever after?



While a lack of conflict might be a nice goal in life, unfortunately it's very bad for a story.

Without sufficient conflict there is no story at all, simply a long drawn-out visit with some nice people


It's all about the EMOTIONAL JOURNEY

Your characters begin with flaws or wounds or beliefs that prevent them f...

CONFLICT Q&A1 Definition

Things aren't getting any less busy - and the computer is dying on its feet - or whatever computers stand on. So I'm going to get into the Conflict Q&A in the hope it will give you something interesting to read while I'm preparing for Caerleon and travelling there.


So let's start with a dictionary definition:
CONFLICT


· A state of open, often prolonged fighting; a battle or war.

· A state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests; a clash.

· Psychology. A...

I might be back . . .

. . . I don't know. Not sure

I have a new computer coming next week. And I grabbed the netbook back from the person who had borrowed it so that I can at least communicate just a little with the outside world. If you've emailed me in the past week, then I apologise if I haven't answered yet. It's become an endurance test to send emails so I've rather given up on that.

Add in the fact that I am so so busy that everything is piling on top of me.

So belated waves to everyone I saw at RNA. But th...

Talk amongst yourselves . . .

I'm sorry but I'll not be posting any reports on the RNA - or blogging much at all for a little while.

The computer that ate my workshop is terminally in decline and if I try and send anything much - blog or email - or use the internet, it dies on me. And I have a deadline!

So I'm not sure how much I'll be able to be in communiation until it is fiexed or a new one arrives.

Kate Hardy, The Romantic Novelists' Association Blog, Julie Cohen, The Pink Heart Society and others have detailed reports...

I love it when this happens . . .

If you're reading this blog then that means I got too busy/had too much fun to post one from the RNA - which, seeing as Saturday is the day that I give my workshop on Conflict, and meet my editor is very likely indeed. Plus, I don't know what the internet connection is going to be like.

So I thought I'd tell you about Rachael because she's the perfect example of the way that an open mind can mean that you discover something you really enjoy. Plus it's a real success in my campaign to get...

While I'm away . . .

I doubt very much that I'll find a moment to post while I'm at the RNA Conference - it's always pretty hectic - and fun! So here's one I prepared earlier to keep you occupied while I'm away.

In all the chaos of sick computers and workshop worries, I haven't mentioned the good news I had at the begining of the week. The latest book, with the Sicilian hero (remember him? Yes, I know, it was a l-o-ng time ago that I tweaked him and sent him off. ) - anyway - Pietro D'Inzeo (or rather his story) h...