What’s the most important part of a story? Many people will say plot, but that’s only part of the magic. You can’t have a fantastic story without characters to live it. Welcome to Day four of the 12 Days of Christmas. The deal of the day is my Write Characters workshop. Here’s the link with…
Tag: characters
Writing Challenge-Day 20-A Chat with Your Character
Some people struggle with plotting while others find creating characters to be their Achilles’ heel. Many times it’s because we don’t know our characters well enough before we start writing their story. Today, imagine you’re going to a coffee shop to meet with your character. What are you going to ask them? What sort of…
Worried Your Plot Isn’t Unique Enough?
Editors and agents see lots of manuscript each week. Readers see lots of newly self published books each week. So, how do you make yours stand out? How do you take a plot that everyone’s seen hundreds of times before and put a new spin on it? One easy way to give your readers something…
Another Tuesday Story Sparkler
No Tuesday guest blogger today so it’s time for another Story Sparkler. This week it’s a scenario for your character- They get locked in a store overnight. What sort of store is it and how do they pass the time?
How to Give Your Readers An Emotional Read
In the summer retreat I’m teaching, this week, we’ve been focusing on conflict and emotion. I told everyone that while we think we read books for entertainment, that’s only half the reason. The other being emotion. A great story makes you feel an emotion, whether it be joy, anger, fear etc. One easy way to…
Self-Publishing is a Gift To Writers (and let’s not forget it)
I’ve been talking about my summer reading list and how I didn’t finish three of the books. I chose another three and today, gave up reading the first one on this new list. Please excuse me if I now climb onto my soapbox. I can’t say for sure if all the books on my didn’t read…
What’s On My Bookshelf?
If you’ve ever had a hobby or a pursuit that’s become your passion, you might relate to this story. When I knew I wanted to be a writer, I bought just about every writing how to book written. I even joined the Writer’s Digest Book Club and couldn’t wait for the booklet they used to…
Wednesday Writing Prompts-Final Character
Here is the final character(s) for your story. How do these two people fit into your story and how do they interact with the other three characters? I hope you’ve enjoyed the month long writing prompt. Would you like to see more four week writing prompts? Have fun and happy writing.
Wednesday Writing Prompts-Characters Part Two
Here we are at the second part of the month long character writing prompt. This character now joins the story that you started writing last week. Who are they and what’s their connection to last week’s female character? Are they related? Even about to meet for the very first time? Have fun and…
Creating a Character Profile with Bonnie Phelps
If you’re struggling with a character, author Bonnie Phelps shares her techniques with us… Writers all have their own process for getting from the blank page to “The End.” For me the page stays blank until I figure out who my main characters are and what motivates them to do what they do. Over…