By Patti Shene They say you should write what you know. These past few months, my life has been draped in sadness and loss. (Please don’t stop reading! I’m not going to take you into a world of gloom and grief!). My mom passed away in February of this year and my husband in June. I was blessed to speak …
Tell Me Lies: A Character Building Tip
By Hannah Conway When it comes to writing, making characters isn’t my strong suit. Sigh. The plot comes natural to me. My mind wields a storyline that I can only hope to portray with words. Yet, in order to become a better writer, to deepen and sharpen my craft, I need developed characters. Not any characters, but characters that reach …
Authors as Midwives
by Linda Brooks Davis Ever labor over a character and wonder if you’ve birthed a hero, a monster, or a puppet? As a grandmother in her 70th year of life, memories of the birthing process are vague to say the least. But even after 45 years, I recall snippets: the discomfort of a growing belly and the physical changes that …
Relatable Characters
By Ane Mulligan Is your character one you either like or at least relate to? Nobody truly likes Scarlet O’Hara, but nearly everyone relates to her on some level. The protagonist needs to have relatable or endearing flaws and quirks. Does the characterization remain constant? After the peak of the character arc, the character may become sensitive to their main …
Mirror, Mirror: Using A Character’s Surroundings to Show & Not Tell
By Hannah Conway Show, don’t tell. I’m sure we’ve all heard that before. Some of us may have even rolled our eyes a time or two upon hearing those words from a critique partner, or editor. I may, or may not, have rolled my eyes…no judging. Show. Don’t tell. Um, hello, it’s a novel. We HAVE to tell some things. …
Why Did I Kill a Certain Character?
By Henry McLaughlin The writer’s life does not take place in a vacuum. Especially if your work is published. Suddenly, there is a community of readers who have questions about the story and why did certain things happen. A frequent question I’ve received is why, in Journey to Riverbend, did I kill Old Thomas. Old Thomas is the Native American …
Be Stunning
By Lauren H. Brandenburg As writers we work hard to create stunning characters. Our protagonists feel more, say more, and often express more than the writers who create them. Our characters have a mission and are not only driven by the plot line we set them upon, but rather an inner desire, conviction, or conflict that we have placed inside …
Sometimes Real Life Can Become a Novel
By Ane Mulligan The second book in my Chapel Lake series, Chapel Springs Survival,came from a real life event-and became a mother’s retribution. Insert creepy music and evil laughter. The day started out normal, boring even. Then I got a phone call from our eldest son. “Hey, Mom. I emailed you some pictures. Take a look and call me back.” …
Where Would My Characters Be?
Loretta Eidson “I’m off to play golf with the guys.” My husband yelled from the front door. I ran to the top of the stairs so he’d know I heard him. With the golf bag hung on his shoulder, he waited for my response. “Okay, have a good time. I’ll be hanging out with my friends.” “Your friends? Who?” His …
Character Serendipity
By Henry McLaughlin I find myself in a bit of a transition in my writing right now. A while back, my weekly writing group challenged me to write a fantasy novel. (I love you, Solitary Scribes.) My agent at the time said I’d have to come up with a pen name because it’s such a genre switch. I’m thinking CS …