Janice Hardy's Blog, page 111
March 26, 2018
The Question You Need to Ask for Every Scene
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy There are a slew of questions writers ask when writing fiction. Questions about the story, the characters, the setting, as well as questions the characters themselves pose in the narrative. Then you have the story questions keeping readers hooked—the list goes on and on.
So many questions bounce around in our heads every book, yet we don’t always ask the most important one before we start a scene.
What’s the point of this scene?
This question isn’t about the story or the goals, the conflicts or the character arc—it’s about why we decided to put this scene into our story. What’s our reason for doing it?
If you can’t answer why a scene is there, it’s a huge red flag the scene might not be serving the story.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
March 25, 2018
Writing Prompt: The Photo Prompt: Wedding Bells?
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy
This week’s prompt is a photo prompt. Write whatever comes to mind, be it a description, a story, or even a poem.
Write something inspired by this photo.
Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
This week’s prompt is a photo prompt. Write whatever comes to mind, be it a description, a story, or even a poem.
Write something inspired by this photo.
Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
March 24, 2018
Real Life Diagnostics: Do You Feel Grounded in This YA Fantasy Opening?
Critique By Maria D'Marco Real Life Diagnostics is a weekly column that studies a snippet of a work in progress for specific issues. Readers are encouraged to send in work with questions, and we diagnose it on the site. It’s part critique, part example, and designed to help the submitter as well as anyone else having a similar problem.
If you're interested in submitting to Real Life Diagnostics, please check out these guidelines.
Submissions currently in the queue: Four
Please Note: As of today, RLD slots are booked through April 21.
This week’s questions:
1. Does this opening provide enough context for those who haven’t read the main story? Do you feel grounded?
2. How’s the pacing? Do I drag it too long?
3. What impression do you have of the MC? Does her voice come through? Do you feel connected to her?
4. Would you read on?
5. Since English is my third language, does anything strike you weird/funny?
Market/Genre: YA Fantasy
On to the diagnosis…
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
March 23, 2018
There is No Bad Guy: What to do When Your Antagonist Isn't a Villain
By Janice Hardy. @Janice_HardyThis week's Refresher Friday takes an updated look at writing person vs. society conflicts.
All stories need an antagonist, but not all stories have a villain. At least not in the literal sense of the word. We'll see an antagonist one from of the four basic conflict types, but that covers a variety of situations. We've discussed the person vs. self antagonists, and person vs. nature conflicts, so today, let's talk about the person vs. society conflicts.
A great example of a person vs. society conflict is the movie In Time . It's a world where people have been genetically altered to stop aging at 25, with a one year advance on their lives after that. To continue living, then need to get more time. They work and are paid in actual time (as in it gets added to their lives). The rich live for centuries, the poor struggle with just days (or less) left. The protagonist is a poor guy named Will who is living hour to hour so to speak.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
March 22, 2018
Analyzing Your Novel for Market Value
By Jaimie Engle, @theWRITEenglePart of the Indie Author Series
Since 2012, I’ve written 11 books and published 7 of them as an indie author and I’ve blown expectations for average book sale out of the water. The general expectation is 50-500 book sales over the lifetime of your book. In 2017 alone, I sold 987 books, mostly in face to face encounters. I’ve found two distinct ways to make an incredible living in addition to being a published author, through teaching and appearances.
But first, I had to learn the value of my book.
What does that even mean? Your books and my books provide value, but in order to know that, I had to learn how to translate that value to the right audience. And that was harder than writing or editing any novel.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
March 21, 2018
Why You Should Keep Track of Your Story Details
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy As a fantasy writer, I’ve long understood the importance of keeping a story bible. A created world has a lot of details to keep track of, from city names, to characters, to rules of magic. Even non-genre writers use story bibles to remember details and characters in a long-running series. But keeping track of details has another use, and one we might not always consider in a first draft.
We don’t always remember the little details that slip in while we’re drafting, and often, those details are pretty darn cool.
I’m not talking about the big details we plan for and write down, but the organic details that emerge as we write a scene. Even the most dedicated outliner is bound to have details spontaneously appear as they write (it is a creative process after all), and these details can be pure gold—as long as we remember to use them or do something with them.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
March 20, 2018
What The Well-Dressed Villain Is Wearing These Days
By Bonnie Randall Part of the How They Do It Series (Monthly Contributor)
I admit I am bad at this. I have a terrible tendency to craft stock, cardboard bad guys—one of the things I am most critical of in my own writing. So it is in the spirit of the old adage ‘those who can’t do, teach’ that I am sharing the following traits which, as an observer, I’ve found to be the most authentic ‘clothing’ a villain can wear:
1. A Flawless Face
At first blush this one will seem like a cliché—the gorgeous villain—but bear with me through a little psychology behind it. Many villains have narcissistic natures; self-absorbed, grandiose, prideful and propelled by an astonishing level of arrogance. So egocentric that they are devoid of the capacity for empathy and compassion that would otherwise make them fully human.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
March 19, 2018
How to Write When the Last Thing You Want to Do is Write
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Writing is an activity that requires of a lot of brainpower. We tap into our intellect, or emotions, or sense of empathy, and draw from within to create a story. When life throws us a curve and sends all our brainpower in one “this sucks” direction, writing screeches to a halt.
Last week was a bad week for me. It started out great with the last days of a fantastic conference in Alabama, seeing old friends and making some new ones, then a lot of bad news crashed down on me at once. Just trying to write a post for today was difficult, and I stared at my list of topic ideas knowing I wasn’t going to be able to write a single one.
Hence, this post.
Life gets hard for lots of folks every day, and there’s a good chance many of you are having a rough time right now, too. I’m on deadlines, I have things I need to do, so curling into a ball and ignoring the world for a week or two isn’t an option. It’s even less of an option for writers with kids and jobs and many more obligations than I have.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
March 18, 2018
Writing Prompt: The Story Starter: And a Snake!
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyThis week’s prompt is a story starter, so take the element provided and turn it into a story of any length you choose. If you’re stuck on size, I suggest aiming for 1000-2000 words.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day yesterday, write a story using this opening:
A snake. A giant, green legless thing that had no business being under the sink.
Write whatever inspires you and run with it. Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
March 17, 2018
Real Life Diagnostics: Does This Flash Fiction Tale Grab You?
Critique By Maria D'Marco Real Life Diagnostics is a weekly column that studies a snippet of a work in progress for specific issues. Readers are encouraged to send in work with questions, and we diagnose it on the site. It’s part critique, part example, and designed to help the submitter as well as anyone else having a similar problem.
If you're interested in submitting to Real Life Diagnostics, please check out these guidelines.
Submissions currently in the queue: Four
Please Note: As of today, RLD slots are booked through April 14.
This week’s questions:
Was the opening paragraph a good hook? Are there any show/tell issues in the first person POV? Is there really conflict here or is it an improved character study?
Market/Genre: Flash fiction, fantasy noir
On to the diagnosis…
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
