Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 2 One goal as a writer is to create characters that become like full-fledged humans living and moving inside your story world or setting. They possess the traits and beliefs expressed by people in everyday life. You don’t want them to appear like cardboard dolls you move around in the story. […]
Archives for 2009
Writing Lesson 7 – Your Hero’s Outer and Inner Journey
October 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The Hero’s Outer Journey A compelling hero takes two journeys in a story. The outer journey follows the plot line. It includes the goal, motivation and conflict we’ve already discussed. It begins with his goal and the steps he takes to reach that goal. Make sure you make the goal a seemingly impossible objective. A […]
Writing Lesson 6 – A Change of Perspective
October 2, 2009 By 2 Comments
Choose POV Characters to Make the Most of Conflict in a Story “It was a sunny day. Nothing happened.” Boring, right? Stories are about conflict. Unless your characters have obstacles to face, there’s just not much to tell. It stands to reason, then, that for maximum interest you’ll want to tell your story from the […]
Writing Lesson 5 – What a Difference a Word Makes
September 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Choose Writing Words Wisely Your parents or grandparents might have learned to read using primers featuring characters named Dick, Jane, Sally, Puff and Spot. (Puff and Spot were the cat and dog.) These stories used very basic vocabulary, lots of repetition and some colorful pastel pictures to teach young children how to read. The Dick […]
Writing Lesson 4 – Building Beginnings
September 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Start Your Story with a Writing Hook “Where do I begin…?” That’s the opening line of a famous song. It’s also a big question we face every time we sit down to write. It doesn’t matter if it’s a story, play, poem, essay, or a letter to a friend. Whatever the case, beginnings matter, and […]
