L.G. Estrella's Blog, page 27

Developing Complex Plots Through Proximal And Distal Causes

Developing a complex plot can be challenging. However, understanding proximal and distal causes can make that daunting task more approachable.

To understand what proximal and distal causes are, we must acknowledge the fundamental question that drives any plot:

Why?

Why do people do what they do? Why do certain events occur? Why does the plot proceed in the direction it does?

A proximal cause can be thought of as a trigger. It is an event that serves as the closest and most immediate cause of a p...

Special Delivery (Flash Fiction Fridays #15)

Simon stepped through the portal and immediately braced himself for trouble. Instead, he found himself standing next to a well-kept field. A broad-shouldered man caught sight of him and walked over.

“Hello there.” The man tilted his head to one side and gestured vaguely at where the portal had been. “Magic?”

“Uh… sort of, yeah.” Simon looked around. He was supposed to be delivering something to a dragon, and from his admittedly limited experience, dragons were typically surrounded by fire, ash, ...

Relatable Heroes

What makes a character a relatable hero?

The answer to that can vary greatly from person to person, but I like to think about it this way:

Relatable heroes are the ones we see ourselves in, rather than the ones we wish we could be.

What makes relatable heroes so wonderful is how strongly people can connect with them. We’ve all dreamed of being Superman, but how many of us have ever punched someone hard enough to send them through a building? In contrast, almost all of us can understand how Samwi...

Progress Report 14-03-2022

The first draft of Attempted Rescuing (Book 3 of the Attempted Vampirism Series) is now complete. It stands at 57,000 words long.

Based on the way the story shaped up, I decided to alter the usual structure by going with:

ProloguePart OneInterlude OnePart TwoInterlude TwoPart ThreeInterlude ThreePart FourEpilogue

As you can see, I’ve added a third interlude and a fourth part. A three part and three interlude structure just didn’t fit what was going on as well as a four part and four in...

Company (Flash Fiction Fridays #14)

Katie glanced up from her book when she heard a knock on the door to her chambers. Rembrandt nodded crisply, and one of the other ninja rats vanished in a blur of motion. Moments later, Spot trotted in with the ninja rat perched on his head. The rodent in question was one of the demolition rats, so it was little wonder that Spot didn’t mind him hitching a ride.

“Hello, Spot.” Katie put her book down. “What’s going on?” At this time of night, Spot was usually either asleep or having a quick meal ...

Progress Report 04-03-2022

Just letting you all know how Attempted Rescuing is going. At the moment, I’m 38,000 words into the first draft. If you’re familiar with the Attempted Vampirism Series, you’ll have noticed that it typically takes the following structure:

ProloguePart OneInterlude OnePart TwoInterlude TwoPart ThreeEpilogue

I’ve completed from the prologue through to the end of interlude two. Depending on how the story ends up going, I might alter the structure if I think it would better suit the story (fu...

An Uninvited Guest (Flash Fiction Fridays #13)

Old Man continued to stir the pot of stew despite the sword his uninvited guest had pointed at him.

“I challenge you to a duel! Only one of us will leave here alive!”

He took a moment to add a pinch more salt and a smidge of pepper before he turned his attention to the new arrival. “Why don’t you sit down. You look cold and hungry, and I doubt you’ve been sleeping much.”

The teenage girl glared and brandished her sword at him again. “Sit down? Do you have any idea how long I’ve been searching fo...

The Road Untravelled

I have been asked, on more than one occasion, if I have always wanted to be a writer.

That’s an interesting question, and the answer, I suppose, is both yes and no.

Yes, I have always enjoyed writing, and I have always thought it would be wonderful to make a living as a writer.

No, I haven’t always pursued writing as a profession.

When I was younger, there were many professions I considered pursuing. I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted to a scientist. I wanted to be an eco...

Expanding Your Vocabulary Using Different Genres

Although having a gigantic vocabulary is not a prerequisite for success as a writer, it certainly doesn’t hurt. It’s like having more tools. For most of the odd jobs you might have to do around the house, you won’t need a lot of tools. However, every now and then, you’ll come up against something that requires a more specific tool. Having a big vocabulary is like that. Sure, you’re not going to need a lot of the words you know most of the time, but when you do need one of those rarer words, you’...

The Promise (Flash Fiction Fridays #12)

The Promise

Bright-Eyes-With-Steel-Fur studied the monument intently.

“On the day you can sail amidst the stars, we will meet again.”

Such simple words… and yet they had come to mean so much to the Clans. They were inscribed on an obelisk of strange, metallic material that seemed impervious to the ravages of time and to any form of physical or chemical attack that the Clans could devise. The obelisk itself had stood unchanged in the same spot for more than five thousand years, a monument ...