R.W. Richard's Blog, page 13

Bachelor in Paradise vs. Love Island

Once in a while I share some other blogger's efforts. For those interested in comparing Bachelor in Paradise to Love Island follow the link below.


https://www.hercampus.com/culture/entertainment

The morality play

Aren’t we all writing morality plays? Unless you’re writing a Mein Kampf feel like, in which case get off my blog. Aristotle would have been ashamed of you.

The detective, soldier, cop, FBI, boy, girl, man, woman solve the story problem showing not telling that good wins out. In some literary novels, beauty is celebrated. Beauty is the batter with which we cook up a story of victory for love. There is the exception; it would seem, of writers who lament things not turning out right. Often, they show us by contrasting love and hate and what hate can do. On the Titanic, a ship sails without sufficient lifeboats. Moral: greed, ego, and an iceberg ruins a perfectly fine passage. Romeo and Juliet should have lived but had to suffer the hate of their families. Etc.

It saddens me that there is a big increase in hate crimes. Let’s do our part to counter that by writing good stories, i.e. those where good wins out over evil.

A most interesting take on life is Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The award winning author doesn't tell us what to think. He allows us to want to do better. He said, "My weapon is literature."

Kick it up.

Hannah Brown

Hannah Brown



Everybody thought ABC screwed up this time when they selected Hannah Brown as their next Bachelorette.

On the Tell All show they announced her. Likely, she suffered from stage fright, a complete loss of the ability to communicate. She resorted to repeating herself, sticking to just a couple sentences. Many wrote that this beauty queen, who won Miss Alabama in the Miss USA contest lacked substance. The trolls oozed their vitriol in alarming numbers. People suggested ABC script their contestants, which was also an unfounded complaint from viewers in the past. “Oh, the show is scripted or rigged.” It is not. Write me if you don’t believe this and I will share with you the proof.

Hannah’s approval rating slowly went through the roof.

1.       She demonstrated more than once that she was a strong woman by immediately kicking off the show anybody who was there for the wrong reasons.
2.       She showed compassion, looking for the good in a person, who had shown disrespect to his fellow contestants.
3.       She stuck up for her life decisions and ethics allowing no one to denigrate her. A fundamentalist man on the show, who thought of women as subservient, said that he would be there to guide and protect her. He said her sex life was inappropriate. She gave him the boot while arguing her case for equality, quite to the liking of women everywhere, along with most men.
Tomorrow night is the finale. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hannah chose no one, and I wouldn’t dare to second-guess her. I will say that her big heart gave too much time in her effort to redeem the fundamentalist, which gave her less time to find her mate. I wish her the best.



For me, she started out (pre-show) as the worst Bachelorette in the history to the show and ended up the best. Any writer could appreciate this enviable story arc.

Writing tip for the day: consider taking your main character arc from evil to good, or from incompetent to brilliant, or from zero to sixty, instead of serving us a warm bowl of porridge.

Marginalized Characters

Marginalized characters.

At the gym one of my female friends told me about a lesbian who is also a teacher who’s a pain in the ass because she makes waves and wants change. “She’s hard to stomach.” My gym mate is also a school counselor! I found a way to present to her a new way of looking at the problem as she saw it and also serve this blog with a method to put into the writers’ tool box, especially for developed characters like heroes and heroines.

I said, “when a person is traumatized by a group or individual who does not accept them, they often become defensive, especially if this happens over a lifetime. Some act out. They feel unloved and therefore have difficulty opening their heart. They might feel a need to justify themselves by rocking the boat. They may be perceived as having a chip on their shoulder. They scream instead of engage in dialogue. These people are deeply hurt. Knowing this, is the first step to becoming a friend and/or helping them.” My gym mate paused worried that I thought she had a prejudice. I told her that she obviously wanted the best for her lesbian co-worker, right? She looked to me as if she’d take a new approach to her co-worker. I dodged a bullet, because as a general rule one should not lecture another adult, however subtle it is delivered. A friend is a friend and perhaps she grew, if there was any growing to do!

What about the writers’ toolbox. Every one of us have been the other at one time or another in our lives. This is a critical tool in writing what motivates your character as the story arc takes them on a journey of change. I don’t mean to say that this is just another form of relativism. There is evil and good. There are not good people on both sides, as Donald would have us believe (does he think he’s educating us?). Good people can turn bad and bad people can turn good but they cannot be good and bad regarding something as fundamental as “all men are created equal.”

Make sure to give your hero or heroine some background/opinion/conceit or even prejudice that is at odds with the antagonist and make it dramatic. Yep, he’s the killer and the hero is the cop who’s going to catch him. Extra credit goes to the writer who applies maximum drama through the differences between the hero and heroine in a HEA. Or, the hero is black, and he resents the white female lifeguard who saves him from drowning. Given, the slings and arrows one gets while growing up and thereafter, the hero can be seen in a different light, if skillfully written.

Writing any genre or non-genre has the same feel when you ramp up the emotional, spiritual, and/or physical stakes.

The hero as a good Samaritan.

The hero as a good Samaritan.

Two thousand years ago, many groups were suspicious of or held each other in contempt. They would not associate with the other group. There were always people who ignored the norms. Today, I’d like to think we’re different.

Are there good people on both sides? It depends on the groups. If it is white power types (Nazis for short) versus the rest of the world the answer is no. Why is that? Nazis are evil, not good. Unless you agree with gassing Jews or hanging black people, In which case, get off my blog.

I’m not saying that people can’t change. During anybody’s life there are chances for redemption. They need be seized.

In writing, the hero or heroine as a good Samaritan, is an excellent and dramatic trope. Why? Because it’s always good versus evil that drives every plot. People make choices. We cheer for them to make the right choice, and worry if they don’t, if in the hands of a skilled writer. The more you up the stakes, the more dramatic your writing. What could be more dramatic than the loss of one’s soul? To put it in non-religious terms: What could be more dramatic than discovering one’s purpose for living. Realizing, that is, that we are all human beings is a good start. Doing something about it is a noble purpose.

Be prepared for your query

Be prepared for your query

Of course, we all visit the agency’s and the agent’s web sites. Study the books they agented and research the agent’s background. Right? We also find out the way the agent wants the query to be constructed.

I was asked by an agent to list similar stories to mine and to draw comparisons. I believe the real question is will your book resonate in today’s culture and are you going to make a good case for it.

I’m sending it to him this week, so if any of you see something, say something.

[This is for an interracial new adult romance I recently shepherded through a third draft.]

In order to appreciate why a book does well, study the culture of the times and what came before. You wouldn’t want to be old hat unless you’re writing historical, in which case try the fedora or pillbox.

[to the agent] Harmonious interracial themes in civil discourse have been steadily increasing in America, except for the last two or so years. Since the moral arch of the universe bends toward justice, I write to a frustrated majority with pent up needs for fairness and love.

Let’s look back at our culture as a whole. Earlier films such as The World of Susie Wong, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and A Patch of Blue trail blazed the subject by finding something fundamental about our society to portray. Over time, the efforts became more frequent. Movies, such as Jungle Fever, Save the Last Dance, Monster’s Ball and Disney’s latest Cinderella wowed us with their brilliance.

On TV, it is everywhere these days. Hollywood is at war. From ABC’s The Bachelor franchise, even Hallmark to Scandal (can you imagine that about the idea behind Scandal?).

In books, from Clotelto The Sheikh’s Auctioned Nanny. From Forbidden Fruit to Finding Faith, the reading public can’t get enough.

I find the story more compelling when you pick a subject that has already proven news worthy and had become the topic of conversations around the table and in coffee shops. On August 12th, 2018, a small group of white power types demonstrated at the White House in Lafayette Park. They were met by approx. 4000 counter-demonstrators who drown them out. This gave me hope and the idea for my story.

Some of the references above are about full adult romances. New adult is more complex and a joy to write. The “kids’ have much on their minds. School or a job. Who are they? What will they do with their lives? How can they give back? Who will be their new friends (leaving high school)? Will they get married and if so is now the time for true romance?

The American Revolution never stops

A note from the blogger.The United States of America is growing up. Sometimes, like now, we take a step backwards, or two, or three. Out of the rubble of hatred will come a better day, due to the spirit of the vast majority of people living in this country.
I'm encouraging all writers to consider multi-racial or multi-cultural themes or sub-themes is their stories. Not only to create compelling story but help fight the cancer in our society.I was encouraged to write Cinnamon & Sugar by the event described by the Washington Post below. 

Here’s the beginning of the Washington Post article describing the event:Written by Joe Heim, Peter Hermann, Perry Stein, and Marissa J. Lang
August 12, 2018

White supremacists held a rally in Washington on Sunday, and almost no one but their opponents and the police showed up.Jason Kessler, one of the organizers of last year’s violent and deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, wanted to hold an anniversary demonstration there, but the city wouldn’t let him. So he brought his show to Washington, where he hoped 400 supporters would join him for a rally at Lafayette Square, across from the White House. Fewer than 40 turned out.

The group was met by thousands of protesters who filled their half of the leafy, seven-acre park chanting “Go home, Nazis!” “No Trump! No KKK! No fascist USA!” and “Black lives matter!” They drowned out whatever message Kessler and his small band of followers had hoped to deliver — and that was their goal.For opponents, the day felt like a victory, albeit an often tense and angry one.

[Blogger] To me, the event meant hope for a future in which white hate groups would realize they are vastly outnumbered, wrongheaded, and living in a delusional fantasy world supported by their over-inflated egos and under-performing lives. They seem to ignore or not notice what advantages there are to loving other people.

In memoriam

My lovely daughter, Lani Nicole Schiller passed away on March 21, 2019 from the ravages of cancer. She left behind two sons and a husband. My heart is broken, and breaks everyday. She was a sweet caring woman of color with a vision of a better society. She marched, as her daddy did years ago, for equal rights, civil rights, and every cause that required compassion in our souls.

On the day she died, she, being a kindergarten teacher brought each one of the forty there in one by one to give an assignment. She told me I must find a traditional publisher for my current romance novel.

Okay, writers, can you think of a better motivation.

Tell over show?

Tell over show?

Writers are often vexed over show versus tell. The problem boils down to knowing when to tell.

First let’s look at the reasons for showing.

1.      To help the reader become emotionally invested in your character. Telling: Nell was tied to the tracks and saw the train coming. Showing: Nell struggled to free herself, biting at the ropes. The train blew its whistle as it came around the bent. Shit. [Stay tuned.]
2.      When chemistry is involved: Telling: The moment she first saw Snidely she knew he only wanted one thing. [The deed to her ranch.] Showing. He had the look of a cad. His mustache oozed of grease, his cold rat eyes said you’re mine.
3.      Transport your reader to your fictional world. Tell: Beside the train track was a lovely place to have a picnic. Perhaps Snidely would have a change of heart. Show: This stretch of worn wood train track, overgrown bushes brushing the rails, the smell of lilac, and scampering deer gave her ease. Surely no train would interrupt their picnic.
4.      Important pieces of the story. Tell: Snidely collected deeds as a means of insuring his financial wellbeing. Show: Snidely played the townsfolk as if they were part of a giant Monopoly game.


Pretty damning, right?


Here’s when you should tell:
1.      Transition. Also known as sequel and often involving the character’s internal arc during a scene, perhaps a summary in the mind of the protagonist. True, the character can show via description, but keep the description to a minimum and get on with the story.
2.      Redundant. If you must, be quick.
3.      Too melodramatic. A characteristic of melodrama, especially in being exaggerated, sensationalized, or overemotional. She melted before him. A slave to his whim. What was to become of her? This one is easy to screw up. My only advice is to be precise. Another example: He was stabbed. The blood squirted like ketchup. He was not going to relish this. Cut the details even if well written. There’s action and it moves. It’s the story.
4.      A bomb goes off. Much like 3. Let’s get carried away describing in slo-mo every color, every body part flying by. Stick to the human reactions mostly.
5.      Sometimes what you want to impart is not too important to the story. Go fast through this part.


Please add to this your ideas.

Unreliable narrators

The term unreliable narrator is a misnomer. Everybody is unreliable because they see the world through their own eyes. A writer thinks they must make the unreliability obvious, so that the reader will know the truth. Don’t go there. Trust your reader. Besides, the truth is what the character thinks it is. If they don’t get it, it’s because they’re unreliable, LOL. There’s a circular argument here, somewhere.

Readers want flawed characters and that includes how the character sees the world.
Here’s an example. Set up, a man is dying and on the ground:
...As his vision turned to hallucination. He heard a rifle shot echo through the park. An ambulance wailed. He was on his Harley, Alice holding him tight again. He smiled.
...As his vision turned to hallucination. He heard a rifle shot echo through the park. An ambulance wailed. He swore he was on his Harley, Alice holding him tight again. He smiled.
Which is better?