Digging Deep to Find Your Character's Emotional Journey by Natascha Biebow

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Palatino; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611969 2013274202 341835776 0 403 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-fareast-language:JA;} @page WordSection1 {size:595.0pt 842.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} -- </style> <br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7dyTRzX5CU..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7dyTRzX5C..." width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Writing is hard. Not only because you have to put your bum on seat and dedicate the hours, not only because you have to dream up super-original ideas with a new take on what’s already been published in a very crowded marketplace, not only because you invest in a story and then someone may not share your vision, but because you have to dig deep inside yourself to be able to seamlessly convey how it really feels to be your character.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So how do you do this? I’ve previously blogged on the importance of asking your characters difficult questions to discover their true <a href="http://picturebookden.blogspot.co.uk/..." target="_blank">motivation</a>, so you can <span style="background-color: yellow;">write from a place of knowing. </span>This is an important first step. But, now how can you use this to take readers on a <b>compelling and satisfying emotional journey?</b></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The trick is to BE the character. If you ARE the character, you don’t need to tell the reader all the external stuff that is going on, because they will be in the character’s shoes as well. So you can <a href="http://picturebookden.blogspot.co.uk/..." target="_blank">show</a> not tell.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x5_IFiYaak..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="261" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x5_IFiYaak..." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get into your character's Olympic running shoes! (From S<i>ky Private Eye and <br />the Case of the Runaway Biscuit </i>by Jane Clarke & Loretta Schauer)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">Stories are about change.</span> So, if there is no conflict, there is no gripping story. In picture books, authors have to set up the problem and resolve it quickly within just 32 pages. There isn’t time or space to ‘tell’ . . . The relatively easy bit is often figuring out <span style="background-color: cyan;">the plot arc, the <b>external</b> journey of change</span>. For example, the story is about a runaway gingerbread biscuit, the farmer who has some cows that type, the time Arthur met The Truth, or what happened at Lily and Blue Kangaroo’s birthday party. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The action in these plots could be interesting . . . but so what?</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SzZJQJNS21..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="142" data-original-width="148" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SzZJQJNS21..." /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">IF the author writes from a place of knowing and adds a<span style="background-color: cyan;"><span style="background-color: white;">n </span><b>internal</b> emotional journey of change,</span>the story will be one that has heart. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Readers will experience the character’s <span style="background-color: yellow;">thoughts, beliefs and behaviours in the face of adversity.</span> They will become so engulfed by being in the main character’s shoes that they <u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">become</i> the character.</u> So, when the character is sad or uncertain, the reader cries and worries for them. When the character laughs, the reader laughs, too.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It can be helpful to break these two story arcs down in two strands, using the three-act structure. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">For example, in HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, BLUE KANGAROO!</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> by Emma Chichester Clark:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jLus1cADBc..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="274" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jLus1cADBc..." width="256" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ACT ONE</span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CONFLICT</span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ACT TWO</span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BLACK MOMENT</span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ACT THREE</span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Plot arc</span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Best buddies, Lily and Blue Kangaroo are having a birthday party. The theme is pink. Lily dresses top to toe in pink.</span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Everything is pink themed! Lily is so caught up in her party, she forgets Blue Kangaroo. </span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lily’s friends arrive in pink party clothes, give her pink presents, and a magician even conjures up a pink rabbit. Lily loves it!</span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mum brings in the birthday cake. It is a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">pink kangaroo!</b></span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blue Kangaroo tries to make himself pink. When he can’t, he hides in the bedroom. Lily finally misses her special friend. When she finds him, alone wrapped in a blue sock she understands immediately. </span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Emotional arc</span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blue Kangaroo shares everything with Lily – even birthdays.</span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blue Kangaroo isn’t sure he likes the pink ribbon Lily ties round his neck. </span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blue Kangaroo is the only one who is blue. He bets Lily wishes the magician could make him pink, too.</span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blue Kangaroo is NOT pink . . . Lily’s forgotten about him – he falls off the chair in the excitement of the birthday cake moment.</span></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 128.0pt;" valign="top" width="128"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lily changes into a blue outfit and declares, “I love blue and I love you!” She recognizes that she needs to include Blue Kangaroo. Her friends all admire him, but there is only one Blue Kangaroo – and he is Lily’s.</span></span></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When you write from the heart, you are right there in the moment with your main character. You don’t have to tell the reader what the character is doing or feeling. The narrative <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shows</i> it. Like this: </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCIOrQIzYb..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="698" height="470" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCIOrQIzYb..." width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jmk8zEFwyY..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="700" height="430" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jmk8zEFwyY..." width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aXhiy1t-Ba..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="707" height="446" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aXhiy1t-Ba..." width="640" /></a></div><br />When you successfully tell a story that has <span style="background-color: cyan;">a compelling emotional journey</span>, everyone – agents, editors, librarians, booksellers, parents, grandparents and children – will say 'aw' and want to READ IT AGAIN AND AGAIN!<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PEg3srFepU..." style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="379" height="248" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PEg3srFepU..." width="320" /></a></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Palatino;"> </span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">________________________</span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino";">Natascha Biebow</span></b> </span></span> </span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino";">Author, Editor and Mentor</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JUjF0_ceKFA..." style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JUjF0_ceKF..." width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.blueelephantstoryshaping.c... Elephant Storyshaping</a> is an editing, coaching and mentoring service aimed at empowering writers and illustrators to fine-tune their work pre-submission.  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Check out my <a href="http://www.blueelephantstoryshaping.c... coaching Cook Up a Picture Book courses</a>! <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span>Natascha is also <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the</span> author of <i>The Crayon Man </i>(coming in 2019!), <i>Elephants Never Forget</i> and <i>Is This My Nose?,</i> editor of numerous award-winning children’s books, and Co-Regional Advisor (Co-Chair) of SCBWI British Isles.  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>