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18Jul, 2022

This is the Best Way to Conquer Your Fear of Outlining

When it comes to plotting, most writers will usually say they are predominantly either Outliners (Plotters) or Pantsers. Whichever camp you fall into, these 5 steps will help you create a roadmap for your story.

Outliners (Plotters) vs. Pantsers

The truth is, most writers fall somewhere in between outlining and pantsing. We may lean heavily one way or another, but outliners have some Aha! moments during the writing process, coming up with things they hadn’t planned; conversely, pantsers usually start with a roadmap of some sort. That equates to at least a bit of a plan. That plan might be sketchy and brief, but usually it includes some basic character and plot information.

When I think of outlining in the traditional sense, my brain freezes. Coming up with plot points before I’ve written is a sure way to send me to the pantry for some chocolate therapy. On the other hand, if I sit down to write and I know nothing about what I’m writing about, I’m equally stuck.

Hershey Kisses time!

Here’s the thing. Outlining can mean something different to different people. One person may view it as a complete summary of a story, scene by scene. Someone else may see it as an overview that hits only the main points.

What Outlining is NOT

Before we dig further into how to use “outlining” to plan your story, first let’s talk about what outlining is not.

It is not the traditional outline we all learned when we were in school:

II…

Using this format is perfect for planning an essay. You come up with your thesis, the main points, sub-topics, support and evidence of each point, and your conclusion.

The is what comes to mind for a lot of people when they hear the word ‘outline’. If that’s you, abolish that notion once and for all!

Outlining is Really Story Planning

In reality, I don’t teach outlining. I teach story PLANNING. The reason I call it planning instead of outlining is to help get past the mental block many of us have when we hear that word.

In the self-paced course, Ready, Set, WRITE!, one entire module is about story structure, which is another way to look at outlining. If you think about your story in terms of a three-act structure, and then identify the beginning, a few turning points, and the end, that is a form of outlining. You’re planning the three acts of your story.

If you use The Hero’s Journey, as I do, developing the hero’s steps is a form of outlining. You’re planning the hero’s journey from the ordinary world, into new world, and back to the ordinary world.

Mapping your novel in 20 steps (part of the course) or completing a skeleton outline (also part of the course) are two more ways to outline…or plan…your novel.

Maybe you like Blake Snyder’s (Save the Cat) 15 Beats.

Maybe you like the Snowflake method.

Every writer has their own planning process. Whatever that process is, it is a form of outlining, and it is yours. The bottom line is that you have to figure out what works for you.

Brainwriting

Another truth about outlining (or planning) is that you don’t have all the answers immediately and up front. Planning takes time. It takes thinking. It takes processing.

I like to call the process of discovery Brainwriting. Your hands and fingers don’t control what you write; your brain does. It is the machine that tells every other part of your body what to do and how to do it. But your brain and hand(s) work symbiotically. When you are brainwriting about you story ideas, you are actually discovering details. It is a discovery process.

As you actually write your story summary, an overview, or the story itself, new ideas inevitably emerge. These are my Aha! moments. They are story elements I didn’t plan ahead of time. They are the result of brainwriting.

Think About It

Rarely do writers write a detailed scene or a turning point or a reversal without first knowing the core parts of the story. How could Harry Potter have known how to put the three-headed dog, Fluffy, to sleep if he didn’t know it was there or what it was guarding or why he, Ron, and Hermione needed to get into the Underground Chamber? The odds are pretty good that JK Rowling knew that information and how it fit in the scope of the book before writing that scene.

A Roadmap

I (and Daryl Wood Gerber, as you will see when you watch my Craft Chat with her) use the metaphor of an outline being like a roadmap. Say you are going from California to New York. There are myriad ways to get there. Knowing where you are starting (Los Angeles) is akin to knowing the beginning of your story. Who is the hero? What are they after?

Knowing where you’re going (New York) is like knowing how your story ends. The murderer is caught and justice is served. Harry Potter must face Professor Quirrell and Voldemort in a fight for the Sorcerer’s Stone. Maverick joins the team and successfully completes the mission. The ring is thrown over Mount Doom (Lord of the Rings) during a fight between Gollum and Frodo.

I can guarantee that the stories The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and all the Harry Potter books did not spring whole from JK Rowling’s and JRR Tolkien’s heads, like Athena from Zeus. All the obstacles Maverick faces along the way in both of the Top Gun movies did not appear, complete, to the screenwriter.

Plotting…outlining…pantsing…whatever you call it, it takes time.

It takes brainwriting.

Writers who outline (plan) in detail take more time on the front end thinking and creating and plotting.

Pansters come up with those same story elements, but it happens as they write. Their brains kick into gear and fill in the blanks.

Whether You Consider Yourself an Outliner or a Pantser, a Roadmap Helps

Whatever type of story planner you are, there are a few things you can do to help you with the foundation of your story. This is the general roadmap—something you can begin, then fill in as you write (pansters), or develop, in detail, before you start writing (outliners).

Either way, you are brainwriting your way through your story.

5 Steps to Creating a Roadmap

#1: Think about your story. Identify its genre.

This is important because you have to know what kind of book you want to write. My advice is to write the type of book you like to read.

#2: Identify the universal theme(s) in your story.

This is important because it helps frame the type of story you ultimately write. It also helps readers connect to a story. A sci-fi book can have a dominant theme of survival. So can a romance. And a suspense. And a western. The plots and story elements may be different, but survival is survival; auniversal theme is a universal theme. It is something we can all relate to.

#3: Develop the main characters in your story.

This is important because these folks carry your story. They must be interesting. At least one should be relatable to readers. Having a basic understanding of who your characters are and what their goals are will impact how your plot will unfold. The more you know up front about them, the better.

Start by discovering the villain and the hero. Do some brainwriting to begin to flesh them out. They will continue to evolve as you write, becoming more and more real. Because of this continued development, I usually end up going back to the beginning to flesh out the characters and to embed more of their personality (goals, conflicts, traits, warts…) into them.

As you develop your main characters, think about your their goals. What do they want? Why do they want it? What happens if they succeed? What happens if they don’t?

The protagonist is the hero on a journey. They will have growth. Think about who they are at the beginning of the story and who they will be by the end (what changes they will undergo).

Next, do you know other characters in your story? Who are they? What is their relationship to the hero and/or the villain (protagonist and antagonist)? More will likely be added to your cast of characters as you write (brainwriting!). The goal right now is to identify what you currently know.

#4: What is your story’s main conflict.

What does your protagonist want? What does the antagonist want?

This is important because conflict propels a story forward. The protagonist’s and antagonist’s goals should be in direct opposition of one another.

This means you need to look deeply at your antagonist. They drive the conflict of the story. Everything your hero does is in response to the antagonist’s efforts. The conflict starts with the villain. Their presence/actions prevent the protagonist from getting what they want. The antagonist thwarts the hero by throwing (literal, metaphorical, implied…) obstacles in the protagonist’s way. So, just as you did for the hero, think about what the villain wants, and why.

#5: Think about your plot. What do you know at this point?

If it’s a mystery, do you know the crime?

If it’s women’s fiction, do you know where the story takes place and under what circumstances? What is the internal conflict the heroine faces?

If it’s a Sci-Fi, are their aliens, a new world, a space ship, or something else?

As you think of about the elements of your plot, write down anything you know at this point. Do you have any scenes in mind already? Additional conflicts or turning points the hero will face? Any other themes the story will touch on?

One thing to remember: Brainwriting/planning/outlining now does not mean your are married to it. Writing is a fluid process. The details of your story can, and most likely will evolve. Planning is the first step. It gives you the foundational elements you need to get started. It gives you a roadmap: a place to begin and a place to end.

Wrapping Up

All writers plan to varying degrees.

Outliners are front-loaders. They plot the details of their story before starting. If you are and outliner, these five steps will get you started; from there, it is easy to continue to create scenes and sequels, flesh out plot points, identify holes, then fill them in. Get as detailed as you want!

Pantsers rely more on brainwriting during the actual writing process. Having a solid foundation, or a roadmap is still incredibly important. If you are a pantser, these five steps will guide you through identifying the key elements of your story. From there, it is easy to start writing and let those Aha! moments happen. Brainwriting will work its magic, filling in your plot along the way.

Click here to read about 6 Tips for Writing Killer Scenes.

Want another Writing Tip? Learn more about Deep Point of View.

Follow the WriterSpark page on Facebook and the Memoir Challenge group!

Join the WriterSpark Academy newsletter! And share with your writing besties.

Know a writer, aspiring or other, who might like this content? Share this site with with them!

Are you ready for the next step in your writing process? Hire me as your developmental editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!

26Jun, 2022

How to Establish Deep Point of View with 4 Easy Steps

Listen to the Podcast or Watch the YouTube Episode on Deep Point of View.

Deep POV is a technique that moves the reader so far into a character’s head that they are completely engrossed. It is the surest means to grab your reader’s attention… and keep it.

It’s also sometimes called Limited 3rd, meaning you are in only one person’s head through an entire scene, and the reader sees everything through that lens. There are 4 steps needed when establishing Deep Point of View.

SHOWING vs. TELLING

First, let’s take a broad stroke look. When an author writes in Deep POV, they are showing, not telling.

The author uses all the sensory details (what the character is seeing, tasting, etc), but more than that, it goes into the POV character’s mind, showing how he/she FEELS and WHAT he/she THINKs.

It also helps develop voice because Deep POV avoids AUTHOR INTRUSION at all cost! This means there are no:

• He thought, she thought, I thought, I could see, he felt, etc. The narrative goes STRAIGHT TO THE thought or sight or feeling.

It’s the difference between saying:

What the devil is the guy doing, he thought to himself.

and

What the devil was the guy doing?

Which one has us right there in the character’s mind?

Hopefully you said the second example!

SCENE STRUCTURE

In order to really understand Deep POV we first need to take a look at Scene Structure.

Scene structure builds on a character’s GOAL, MOTIVATION, CONFLICT, and ends with DISASTER. This can be simplified by saying a scene is made up of STIMULUSES and RESPONSES. One thing happens which then facilitates a response or reaction:

If the phone rings, someone needs to answer it (or at least acknowledge it).

If the doorbell rings, someone needs to answer the door.

BUT, you can’t have a scene with just Stimulus and Response because it would fall flat. Without the action and character’s thoughts, we have no context for the scene. We don’t know what people are doing, feeling, thinking. This is when we start to go DEEP.

The 4 Steps to Establishing Deep POV are adding: EMOTION; THOUGHT; DECISION; ACTION.

Here is the progression of the same scene using the 4 Steps of Establishing Deep POV:

• Character grabs sword (DECISION)

• Thinks what am I going to do with this sword? (THOUGHT)

• Stomach clenches (EMOTION)

• Wields sword (ACTION)

It would work far better in this order:

• Stomach clenches (EMOTION)

• Sees sword and thinks what am I going to do with a sword? (THOUGHT)

• Grabs sword (DECISION)

• Wields sword (ACTION)

Put into narrative, it would read something like this:

He heard footsteps marching down the hall (STIMULUS). His stomach clenched (EMOTION). The sword lay on the table, the blade gleaming, beckoning to him. What was he supposed to do with that? (THOUGHT) He’d never had training. The footsteps stopped outside the door and he grabbed the damn weapon, (DECISION) readying himself for whatever he was about to face (ACTION).(RESPONSE)

Deep POV is Your Friend

It doesn’t always have to be in this order, and you don’t have to use all of them all the time. Also, keep in mind that there is always a time for tags and moments of telling.

But Deep POV is your friend. Basically, eliminate telling by using these elements in a scene. Using them all and eliminating internal tags (like he thought or she considered) will help you go deep.

Here is another example in various stages, leading up to Deep POV:

Margie heard the chiming of the door bell. (STIMULUS) Racing to the door, she unhooked the latch and pulled the door open. (RESPONSE) “Hi, Bob. What are you doing today?” she asked. (STIMULUS)

“Nothing special.” (RESPONSE) He motioned with his measuring cup. “I wondered if you had a cup of sugar I could borrow?” (STIMULUS)

“Oh, sure.” She turned back toward her kitchen. (RESPONSE)

This example uses quite a few TELLING words: heard, felt, saw, smelled, realized, thought…

They create distance between the narrative and the reader. They prevent DEEP POV.

Now let’s add THOUGHT and DECISION:

Margie heard the chiming of the door bell. (STIMULUS) Not two seconds before, she’d seen Bob leave his house with a small cup in his hands. (THOUGHT) It was probably her neighbor. (DECISION) Racing to the door, she unhooked the latch and pulled the door open. (RESPONSE)

“Hi, Bob. What are you doing today?” she asked. (STIMULUS)

“Nothing special.” (RESPONSE) He motioned with his measuring cup. “I wondered if you had a cup of sugar I could borrow?” (STIMULUS)

At least he wanted something sweet from her. (THOUGHT) “Oh, sure.” She turned back toward her kitchen. (RESPONSE)

This is a much better passage. It includes THOUGHTS and DECISIONS.

Now, let’s go deeper still by adding EMOTION:

Margie heard the chiming of the door bell. (STIMULUS) Not two seconds before, she’d seen Bob leave his house with a small cup in his hands. (THOUGHT) Her breath caught. (EMOTION) Could it be her hunky neighbor? (DECISION) Racing to the door, she unhooked the latch and pulled the door open. (RESPONSE) “Hi, Bob. What are you doing today?” she asked. (STIMULUS)

“Nothing special.” (RESPONSE) He motioned with his measuring cup. “I wondered if you had a cup of sugar I could borrow?” (STIMULUS)

Deflated, her shoulders sank. (EMOTION) At least he wanted something sweet from her. (THOUGHT)

“Oh, sure.” She turned back toward her kitchen. (RESPONSE)

This passage is much stronger. The key is SHOWING the emotion.

The Final Step

Finally, let’s move to the FINAL STEP TO DEEP POV where we REMOVE EVERYTHING TELLING.

The doorbell chimed and Margie spilled the coffee she was pouring. Not two seconds before, she’d seen Bob leave his house with a small cup in his hands. Her breath caught. Could it be her hunky neighbor?

She set the coffee pot back on the burner so fast the dark liquid sloshed over the side. Hell’s bells. She ran her hands over her rumpled pajamas, tightened her ponytail and raced to the door. Unhooking the latch, she prayed he thought the tousled look was sexy.

“Hi, Bob,” she rushed, her voice a little winded from the Olympian vault to the front door.

She really needed to say no to the Oreo gods more often. “What’s up?”

“Nothing special.” He flashed a sheepish grin, though her gaze didn’t linger on his face. No, as always, it traveled south. Jeans low on his hips, his signature black T-shirt, bare feet. Now that’s how you rock the tousled look. He really was too good-looking to be allowed to roam in the wild like this.

He motioned with his measuring cup, dipping his head a little to get her attention. “I wondered if you if you had a cup of sugar I could borrow?” His tone was warm but not flirty.

Deflated, her shoulders sank. He didn’t seem as enamored with her little Snoopy shorts and tee as she’d hoped. “Oh, sure, come on in.”

He followed her into the kitchen, and she couldn’t help adding a little extra swing with her hips.

By showing the THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, STIMULUS, and RESPONSE, the scene comes alive. You can also see how much longer it is. Building in these 4 elements expands the scene.

Here is another example, this one from one of my Magical Dressmaking mysteries:

Her pudgy cheeks had gone ruddy and her hair seemed a little more wild than it had the night before. She looked like a kid in a candy store. “Come on,” she said. “You can tell me.(STIMULUS) The flowers around the body. When I started taking pictures, they were small. But by the time I was done…” She clicked an arrow on the laptop and another picture popped up. (ACTION) “By the time I was done,” she continued, “they looked like this.”

The laptop sat between us. She ran her index finger over the touch pad and tapped it with her fingers a few times. (ACTION) She brought her gaze up and spun the computer around to face me. Was that a smile tickling her lips? (THOUGHT)

My breath caught in my throat for an instant (EMOTION) and I lost track of what Madeline was saying. (EMOTION) My mother’s green thumb had gotten the better of her, and Madeline Brighton had caught the evidence on film. I thought I’d stopped her from making the weeds and flowers sprout, but I must have missed one. (THOUGHT)

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said, tapping the screen with the pad of her finger. (ACTION) “The rumors are true, aren’t they?”

I sat a little straighter in my chair. (ACTION) Rumors were never good. Ever. (EMOTION) “I don’t know what you mean.” (DECISION)

Notice that Deep POV eliminates the need to italicize the internal dialogue. It is implied.

Here is one more example:

TELLING with NO Deep POV:

Lori walked though the fairgrounds. She thought she could hear footsteps coming up behind her. It occurred to her the midway was deserted. She didn’t know where the people had gone.

Now here is the same passage expanded into Deep POV by SHOWING the scene:

Lori hurried through the fairgrounds. The tap-tap-tap of footsteps rung in her ears. Her imagination? She tripped over her high heels. Stupid to wear pumps to a fair. What had she been thinking? Panic pricked her skin. She should have listened to Ryan. He’d said it was a ruse. A scam. Who in their right mind would demand a meeting at a fairground? And where the hell had all the people gone? She picked up her pace. Turning around wasn’t an option. She looked this way. That way. Dodged behind the ringtoss game booth.

The first doesn’t go into Deep POV; the second one does, and it is so much more engaging.

Wrapping Up

Interweaving the different elements into a scene & eliminating thought tags helps you get deeper into the character, as if the reader in the character’s mind. The reader feels what the character feels. The reader sees, hears, tastes, and smells everything the character sees, hears, tastes, and smells. The reader isn’t pulled away by tags. No distance is created. We’re right there with your character, which is exactly what you, the author, want.

Happy Writing!

Click here to read about 6 Tips for Writing Killer Scenes.

And check out this mini course on writing dialogue!

Follow the WriterSpark page on Facebook and the Memoir Challenge group!

Join the WriterSpark Academy newsletter! And share with your writing besties.

Know a writer, aspiring or other, who might like this content? Share this site with with them!

Are you ready for the next step in your writing process? Hire me as your developmental editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!

19Jun, 2022

What are 6 Tips for Writing a Killer Scene?

What makes a book a page-turner? It’s easy to say it is the plot and the characters that keep readers turning the pages. That is definitely part of it, but when you really think about it, it’s the killer scenes, one after another after another that make a story compelling. The end of one scene draws the reader into the next scene. That doesn’t happen by accident. A good writer knows the elements of a scene and how to construct it to keep the reader engaged and turning the page. Here I have 6 Tips for Writing a Killer Scene.

First, what is a SCENE? You have to understand what something is before you can really get better at it. So let’s take a look at the definition:

SCENE (n)

A story unit containing a single and continuous dramatic action.

Okay. Easy enough. Or is it? It is when you really dig and analyze the parts of a scene that it becomes clear what that definition means. That’s what we’re doing here. Below are 6 Tips for Writing Killer Scenes.

6 Tips for Writing Killer Scenes

1. UNDERSTAND THE ELEMENTS OF A SCENE

Scenes are grounded with specific elements. These combine to make a scene that really engages the reader.

❖ Time: the scene is firmly grounded in time. Switching time means you should probably create a new scene.

❖ Content/specific event: One event leads to another, which leads to another… Each deserves its own scene.

❖ A main concept/idea/action: In a mystery, the process of discovering a clue takes place in a single scene. The discovery of another clue deserves its own scene.

❖ character(s): Each scene should have limited characters (static and/or dynamic). Too many can overwhelm the reader. Introduce a new character in a new scene.

❖ Theme (a unifying subject or idea of a story): A story can have multiple themes. Usually one rises to the top. As you build themes, focus on an individual one in a single scene. Let your reader process.

❖ Motif (a recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story): Bring motifs in sparingly. A motif should generally appear only once in a single scene, and then brought in again in a different scene. You don’t want to be heavy-handed with this. Work with the reader’s subconscious.

2. UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF A SCENE

But…a scene must also have a purpose. It needs to do one of the following (either for the internal or external conflict of the POV character):

❖ Advance the story

❖ Introduce a (new) problem

❖ Resolve a problem

❖ Introduce a complication to an existing problem

3. LEARN HOW TO CREATE PURPOSE IN A SCENE

Now that you know your scene’s purpose, think about the different ways your scene can live up to that purpose. It can do any of these things, singly or in combination:

❖ Introduce characters

❖ Explore character development

❖ Establish setting

❖ Create a mood

❖ Reveal character relationships

❖ Reveal theme

❖ Impart essential information (backstory, character development, etc) through exposition

❖ Deliver relevant or essential information needed by the protagonist

❖ Provide comic relief after a scene with lots of tension

❖ Provide a short transition to the sequel

4. PICK THE RIGHT SCENE POV

The next thing to think about is the Scene POV. If you are telling a story with multiple points of view, think about the scene you are planning. Decide who has the most to lose or the most at stake.

This is who the scene belongs to!

❖ This person’s presence will dominate the scene

❖ Their attitude and point of view will lead the scene

❖ This person reacts to the conflicts presented, which pushes the story forward

If you are writing from a single point of view (1^st or 3^rd person), then the answer is obvious. Make sure the single POV character in your story has the most at stake (there are notable exceptions to this. Nick is the narrator of The Great Gatsby. In this way, he is almost omniscient or removed).

5. BUILD SCENE TENSION, SUSPENSE, AND SURPRISE

Writing a book your readers don’t want to put down means you need to create scenes that build tension, suspense and/or surprise. You build your scene to keep the reader fully engaged and up far too late into the night. They can blame their tiredness the next day on you.

❖ Use anticipation

Suspense comes from anticipation (good or bad). We anticipate something horrible is going to happen to our main character when they enter a dark, eerie house alone.

We anticipate the kiss between the hero and heroine.

We anticipate the event or action the characters have been working toward.

You, the author, are promising an exciting development or payoff if the reader sticks around. Leave the scene on the hook, the suspense or tension built, but unfulfilled. This keeps the reader turning the page.

How do you build that anticipation?

Use a cue-delay-fulfillment (payoff) pattern (Think Indiana Jones. We know he fears snakes. That’s our Cue. It has been foreshadowed. Deep down we know he’s going to end up facing some snakes. This is the Delay. It’s coming. Then the snakes do appear. What is Indy going to do? He has to either give into his fear or face it.

Fulfillment: Finally, he escapes, conquering this fear (at least in the moment). (This is also a scene/sequel, which we will cover in a different article.)

What does this anticipation do for the reader?

❖ The audience is cued to some impending action that is then delayed (this is part of a sequence).

❖ The reader is kept hanging and our tension builds.

❖ Then comes the payoff, and the reader can breathe again.

This cue-delay-fulfillment is the bread and butter of suspense, thriller, and horror books and movies. The anticipation of whatever bad thing might happen to the protagonist is continually dangled.

When the reader (or viewer) gets to the payoff, it should be satisfying. You, the author, have fulfilled your promise.

You an also play around with what the audience knows versus what your characters know (in 3^rd person).

Stranger Things does this well. (Season 4 Spoiler Alert!)

Vecna, the creepy 4^th season monster, is going to kill because we have seen character after character meet their demise at his hands (tentacles?) .

Cue: The gang figures out the location of the house where Victor Creel’s family died.

Delay: They go into this dark, eerie house expecting (hoping) to find Vecna. There is a build-up of tension as creepy things happen. They get closer to their goal.

Fulfillment: The kids don’t quite find him, but they do survive. Phew! A shot of Vecna is revealed to be in the Upside Down.

End scene.

We want to find out what happens so we keep watching. This is the entire premise behind binge TV.

Build Suspense and Anticipation by Manipulating Knowledge:

Let the reader know something the character doesn’t (in a 3^rd person narrative; in 1^st person, the reader knows only what the POV character knows).

❖ The reader will then wait for the character to find out or face the consequences

❖ Much of the reader’s pleasure is derived from anticipation of what a character’s reaction to finding out what we already know.

Try including a surprise- something we don’t expect. Think The Sixth Sense. No one saw that coming. But going back through the scenes, we can identify the clues we missed. They were all there, we just didn’t see them.

Manipulating knowledge is what mystery writers do. They present clues in plain sight, but in such a way that they aren’t obviously clues.

6. FACTOR IN PACING

Next, with your scene, think about Pacing:

❖ How quickly should your scene move?

❖ How much dialogue compared to narrative?

❖ Think about the tone and mood and how it impacts the pace of the narrative

❖ The beginning, middle, end structure applies to scene:

Every scene must start somewhere, build to a climax, and have a sense of completion, even if it ends on a hook.

Even when there is fulfillment, end with a Scene Question (disaster). This can be a surprise twist, a reversal of fortune, a subtle question posed, an unexpected visitor, an unresolved element, etc.

❖ Enter the scene late. Don’t show all the monotonous details of real life.

Fiction is real life, made interesting! For example, skip the bathroom, shower, brushing teeth part of your characters morning. Jump into the day already begun.

There is more to tackle with understanding scene. We’ll be looking at Scene & Sequel next!

And there you have it. 6 Tips for Writing Killer Scenes. Much of this is intuitive (or will become so with practice).

Get deeper with scene in Ready, Set, WRITE!

Happy Writing!

*These are my guidelines to writing a scene. There are exceptions to everything, including these elements. Follow your instinct!

Are you ready for the next step in your writing process? Hire me as your developmental editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!

14Jun, 2022

This is Why I Teach Fiction Writing

I’ve been reflecting lately on why I teach writing.

It started as a calling. Truly. I feel…I believe…I know…that I am a good teacher. My approach in the classroom was certainly teaching the curriculum, but also teaching students how to learn…why to learn..the process of learning. I was teaching metacognition before metacognition was a “thing”.

Later, after having left public education for a career in writing, I found I hadn’t actually left my love of teaching behind. Not long after my first few books were published, I began teaching at Southern Methodist University in Dallas with their continuing education program. I found I loved teaching creative writing. I started blogging about the Hero’s Journey (a passion from the beginning). I shared what I had learned and what I was currently learning in a variety of ways. I wrote articles for several industry magazines, including RWA.

I felt a need to continue teaching.

In On Writing, Stephen King says he doesn’t believe writers can be made, but rather they are formed. He says he believes “large numbers of people have at least some talent as writers and storytellers, and that these talents can be strengthened and sharpened.”

I believe this, as well. I can’t beat the craft and art of writing into an aspirating writer anymore than I could into a twelve or thirteen year old during my middle school teaching days; but I can teach the craft and art of writing. I can guide. I can be a mentor and a coach. I can help mold one’s writing and storytelling abilities into something stronger and more salient.

That is my teaching gene roaring loud and strong. People sometimes ask me why I bother teaching, presenting workshops, why I spend time developing WriterSpark Academy when I have a successful writing career.

Roarrrrrr! My teaching gene is never fully tame or quiet. I am the type of person who won’t ever rest on her laurels. A moment after I typed this idiom, I looked it up:

rest on (one’s) laurels

To stop putting in effort, trying to innovate, or working to advance one’s career or status

and instead rely on one’s past achievements or accolades to remain relevant or successful.

The example given resonated to a degree:

I know your first novel was a smash success, but if you just rest on your laurels,

you’re going to fade into obscurity.

It’s not that I want fame (although the fortune would be lovely), so I sought another example. Further down in the idiom entry I found this:

I know you got a very good degree from Oxford but what are you going to do with your life now?

You can’t rest on your laurels for ever, you know.

I connect to this example more than the first (minus the fortune that comes with fame 😂). By anyone’s measure, I do have a successful fiction-writing career (mid-list, but still…). To date, I have had 26 novels published. Many have been national bestsellers. Several of my books have risen to #1 Amazon bestseller status (and not because they were free!).

Discounting the fact that I still need to earn a living, I can’t stop writing. The need runs deep in my veins. I can go days without writing, but eventually, a story idea, a character, or simply the need to place my fingertips on the keyboard and let them move rises to the top again like cream. I couldn’t rest on my laurels in terms of writing, even if I wanted to.

But why isn’t that enough? Why take time away from my writing career to teach? To be an entrepreneur and develop WriterSpark Academy? Why teach?

I see the concept of resting on my laurels in two phases:

1- I could let my success as a writer be enough. I could stop learning and growing in my own craft, stop trying to make my books better, whatever that means. I know the formula for writing a cozy mystery, but that isn’t enough for me anymore. I want to push myself. I want to get better, to write better, to tell a better, bigger, more meaningful story. I can’t rest on my writing laurels.

Also…

2- I could let my writing life be enough. Except I actually can’t. I have more to give.

It’s like my husband and the life he has spent as an educator. He’s been in all areas of education, from teacher to a “turn-around” principal, to a central office administrator, to deputy and even superintendent. All of those positions are so difficult and challenging in their own ways. Teachers are overworked and underpaid. I know, I’ve been there.

The job of a principal is massive, and that of a principal of a large comprehensive high school is almost unmanageable. They are, in essence, running a little city.

My husband has had success after success after success. Of the positions he’s held, I’m not sure what the easiest was, but he is not willing (or even able) to choose that easy (ish) job, sit back, and coast into retirement.

He can’t rest on his laurels.

He is driven by the need to make a greater difference…a bigger impact. He impacted the lives of so many students as a teacher and principal. As a central office administrator, all the way up to superintendent—especially as superintendent—he found he was hog-tied by the politics. The job became less about helping students succeed and more about pleasing the higher ups or the school board to keep his job.

He’s at the point now where he could settle into the easiest of the jobs he’s held. Instead, he has recently taken a position as an Executive Leadership Coach, helping other principals navigate through the many obstacles and problems they face in their day to day lives. He’s walked the walk, and now he’s helping others by walking it alongside them. He’s chosen the job that allows him to have a bigger impact on more students by helping to reshape part of the system itself.

No resting on laurels there.

When I started writing, the Internet wasn’t the behemoth of information that it is now. YouTube didn’t exist, and when I first published, it was in its infancy. Access to resources was limited to who you knew or where you lived.

This fact meant I had to learn a ton along the way, and it was a long road wrought with mistakes and ignorance and a simple lack of information. I had to teach myself, find obscure resources, and depend on luck and the generosity of others to grow as a writer and as a businessperson in the publishing industry. Allison Brennan. Brenda Novak. Kathia. Virna DePaul. Wendy Watson. Tonya Kappes.

I grew up as a writer with these amazingly talented women. Some of us were in critique groups together–Hey, Allison! Hey Kathia! Hey Virna and Wendy!

Some of us blogged together,–Hey Tonya!

And some of us collaborated on things outside the writing world (Juvenile Diabetes research) –Hey Brenda!

Most of us were all at the beginning of our writing careers.

I knew them before…and they knew me before…

We learned together before we had other resources.

We’ve all figured it out.

But, like my husband, I want to give back. I want to have an impact—for readers, yes, of course—but also with writers. It’s the idea of paying it forward. If I can help other writers jump the line, so to speak, then I’ll do it. If I can condense 15 years of learning into courses, I’ll do it.

I feel compelled to do it.

Not sharing what I’ve learned isn’t really an option for me. That’s not how I operate. I’m always thinking, what next? What more can I do? What else can I create, and how else can I help?

King says right off the bat that for him, becoming a writer and storyteller was a “disjointed growth process in which ambition, desire , luck, and a little talent all played a part.”

I, too, had that ambition, desire, luck, and some talent.

I also sought information. I sought to learn.

I go back to King’s belief that “large numbers of people have at least some talent as writers and storytellers, and that these talents can be strengthened and sharpened.” I can’t rest on my laurels. I need to push forward. To teach. I help people harness their innate talent as writers and storytellers, strengthening and sharpening through the process.

That’s why I teach. No resting on my laurels.

Tell me Wordsters, have you read Stephen King’s On Writing? Thoughts?

By the way: Follow the WriterSpark page on Facebook and the Memoir Challenge group!

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Are you ready for the next step in your writing process? Hire me as your developmental editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!

10Jun, 2022

Tips for How to Write the Fictional Villain

How do you Write a Convincing Villain?

The villain is just as important as the hero. In fact, in the WriterSpark Ready, Set, WRITE! course, I recommend starting with the villain to ensure complexity.

In This Episode

In this episode, Melissa chats with author Annette Dashofy about her tips to writing a compelling villain. Annette gives several tips on writing villains. Definitely keep them in mind as you write yours.

Listen Now!

Please LIKE this episode, follow the podcast, and leave a review! I appreciate you!

Share this episode with a writing buddy! https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-f7bma-12cc4c2

Resources

WriterSpark Website: https://writersparkacademy.com

Learn more about the host, Melissa Bourbon: http://melissabourbon.com

Subscribe to WriterSpark on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnKN2ZVZwjoAOeHlBO-cRIw/videos

Follow WriterSpark on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWriterSpark

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Take a listen to some of our other podcasts: https://writersparkacademy.com/tips-tricks-and-the-craft-of-writing-podcast/

Thank you for listening!

Plus, you can also watch on Youtube!

Are you ready for the next step in your writing process? Hire me as your developmental editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!

8Jun, 2022

Do You Know Our 5 Guidelines for Writing a Memoir?

Do you know 5 Guidelines for Writing a Memoir? This free webinar shares my five tips.

But let’s back up. The mere idea of writing a memoir can be wrought with emotion. Do you really want to revisit–or dig in–to the past? The answer to that lies with in you. But I promise you, unlocking your memories and delving into your history will be life-changing.

There are so many reasons to write a memoir:

to share your story with friends and family
to heal
for catharsis
to connect with people
to share history you’ve been part of
to reveal a truth

I fall into the camp that EVERYONE has a story to tell. That means you! Even if you never write a memoir, take a look at this webinar. Thinking about your history and unlocking memories is a wonderful experience in and of itself.

CLICK HERE to jump straight to the webinar, or below to watch a quick intro.

7Jun, 2022

What is Maverick’s Hero’s Journey, from Top Gun?

What is Maverick’s Hero’s Journey, from Top Gun, you ask?

Let me tell you. It’s fun to revisit a hero in a sequel. This time around, our Hero’s Journey is about Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, the hero from Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick.

Maverick has a clear Hero’s Journey in both installments. It’s easy to think that the completion of the mission is the climax, or resurrection, in this film, but read the WriterSpark breakdown of The Hero’s Journey.

When you’re done here, check out the Hero’s Journey Database!

Hero–

Maverick (Top Gun: Maverick), Pete Mitchell

Ordinary World—

Maverick is part of a program that is going to be shut down because the plane they’re testing didn’t mock 10. Radm. Chester ‘Hammer’ Cain (Ed Harris) arrives to find Maverick in the sky pushing the plane to Mock 10… then Mock 10.1, then 10.2. 10.3. He ejects when the plane tears apart.

Maverick is a distinguished pilot, but has remained captain because he is where he belongs. The Navy sees him as a liability and dangerous. He lives up to his name of Maverick.

Call to Adventure–

Hammer tells Maverick his career is basically over and he’s being sent to Top Gun.

Refusal of Call–

This manifests in Maverick’s expression. He doesn’t want to go back to Top Gun. But he has no choice.

Meeting the Mentor–

Iceman (Adm. Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky). Maverick’s old nemesis is an admiral now and has intervened to protect Pete. He is the one that requested Maverick go to Top Gun. He has been behind the scenes in Maverick’s life, saving Pete from himself.

Crossing the Threshold–

Maverick rides his motorcycle into the Flighttown and Top Gun.

Tests and Allies–

Adm. Beau ‘Cyclone’ Simpson (John Hamm) doesn’t want Maverick at Top Gun. He relegates Maverick to teacher role, taking Maverick out of the sky.
Pete meets Penny again. He observes his soon to be students at the bar, including Rooster (Miles Teller), who is Goose’s son.
Some of these students heave Pete out of the bar because he can’t pay his tab. Rules must be followed.
The next day Maverick is revealed to be the Top Gun instructor.
Maverick’s goal is to push the pilots to realize what they don’t know.
Cyclone is a nemesis. He does not like Maverick and doesn’t want him at Top Gun.
Iceman is sick. He encourages Maverick to ‘let go’, referring to the past and his angst over Rooster and their relationship (based on Goose’s death in Top Gun 1). Maverick’s choices are both bad: Choose Rooster as wingman and risk his life; don’t choose him and risk their already tenuous relationship.
Maverick builds a team with the pilots through offensive/defensive football on the beach. They work together.
Iceman dies. Cyclone removes Maverick because he says the mission is impossible to do the way Maverick wants it done, which allows for the possibility of survivors. Cyclone is willing to sacrifice soldiers for the mission.
Maverick goes rogue (again, foreshadowed from the first scene with Hammer when Maverick goes rogue), steals a plane, and completes the mission (taking it past Mock 10), proving it can be done.
Hammer’s hands are tied. Maverick is appointed Team Leader. He chooses Rooster as wingman. They complete the mission.
Two Bandits—enemy planes—show up. It becomes a dogfight. Rooster gets in trouble. Maverick sacrifices himself to save Rooster. Everyone is ordered back to base. Rooster defies orders and goes after Maverick, shooting the helicopter just before it was going to kill Maverick. But then, enemy planes shoot down Rooster.

Central Ordeal–

Maverick finds Rooster. They sacrificed for each other. Their relationship is somewhat mended. Maverick says, “What were you thinking?!” and Rooster replies, “You told me not to think!”

Recurring Motif: Don’t think, just do.

They steal an enemy F15. This harkens back to Top Gun 1 and the planes Maverick and Goose flew. Rooster helps get everything ready to go, then they escape. The runways were destroyed by Tomahawks (US) to slow the enemy down.

Reward–

Maverick manages to get the plane in the air. They think they’re home free.

Road Back–

They start back toward base. Rooster gets the old equipment working. But then enemy planes appear.

Resurrection–

Another dogfight. They fight back with the few missiles and guns, which don’t compare to the weaponry of the new planes. They also can’t outrun them. But this is the plane Maverick learned in. He maneuvers and defeats all the planes. UNTIL one appears at their nose suddenly, coming straight at them.

They are doomed. Until Hangman, who was Rooster’s nemesis in the way Iceman was Maverick’s, appears. He shoots the enemy plane in the nick of time. They all survive.

Return w/ elixir–

Maverick and Rooster’s relationship is healed. As Iceman wanted, Maverick has let go of the past (as has Rooster).

Maverick and Penny ride off into the sunset on the motorcycle.

Comments:

This second installment does not disappoint. There are so many turning points and, once again, the story follows a solid Hero’s Journey.

24May, 2022

The Hero’s Journey for Mysteries

Have you heard of the hero’s journey? It’s at the core of the mythic structure. Here it is for mysteries!

The hero’s journey is an incredibly intuitive story structure. It is the Go To for Hollywood screenwriters.

I have adapted the Hero’s Journey for mysteries below.

Hero lives in the ORDINARY WORLD

CALL TO ADVENTURE
REFUSAL OF THE CALL
MEETING OF THE MENTOR
CROSSING THE THRESHOLD (to some magical or new world, which is entering the (6) ROAD of TRIALS). At this point, there is no return. The hero faces
TESTS, ALLIES, & ENEMIES
The APPROACH TO THE INMOST CAVE s a huge test for the hero. There are setbacks, but the hero grows stronger as a result.
The CENTRAL ORDEAL is the second major turning point. It is a win for the hero.
REWARD Whatever the hero has been after has been ostensibly won.
THE ROAD BACK The hero has succeeded in the journey (or so he/she thinks) and heads back toward the ordinary world.
RESURRECTION is the CLIMAX. The Central Ordeal was a false win. THIS is the true test of the hero’s mettle. This is the moment when the ordinary person is resurrected as a hero.
RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR The hero returns to the ordinary world a changed person.

CLICK HERE to check out WriterSpark’s How to Write a Cozy Mystery course.

CLICK HERE to read more about The Hero’s Journey

The hero’s journey is a fairly typical story structure. With a mystery, however, the structure is slightly different.

The Victim’s ORDINARY WORLD is disrupted when he/she dies! Depending upon the POV and type of mystery you are writing, the sleuth’s ORDINARY WORLD is also disrupted. Using the amateur sleuth or detective as our hero, he / she lives in their ORDINARY WORLD before the murder happens.
CALL TO ADVENTURE occurs when the murder is discovered.
REFUSAL OF THE CALL occurs when the amateur sleuth feels pulled to investigate, but doesn’t feel qualified or want to dive into the investigation. If the hero is a detective, the REFUSAL OF THE CALL occurs when he/she doesn’t want the case, or, in the case of my first book, Living the Vida Lola, Lola fears she won’t be given the case. Often, the refusal of the call is not the decision of the hero.
MEETING THE MENTOR The mentor is whatever character (for good or for nefarious reasons) convinces the sleuth to get involved. This person can be the person the sleuth is determined to save or prove innocent.
CROSSING THE THRESHOLD in a mystery means the hero (sleuth) takes the case and/or becomes an active investigator. There’s no turning back because he/she (or loved ones) may well be in danger.
THE ROAD OF TRIALS and TESTS, ALLIES, and ENEMIES = LIES, DECEPTION, CLUES, RED HERRINGS, all laid out by the villain (the murderer) and the false leads the sleuth follows. This is the bulk of the Second Act in the Three-Act Structure.
APPROACH TO THE INMOST CAVE Something happens to threaten the sleuth’s forward progress. This could be a second murder, the sleuth in danger, or some other test/trial that threatens the sleuth’s ability to continue the investigation.
CENTRAL ORDEAL The hero (sleuth) think the whodunnit is solved.
REWARD Justice will be served.
THE ROAD BACK The sleuth is ready to return to his/her ordinary world having solved the case. The problem is, either a red herring has led the sleuth astray, or the sleuth/hero is in danger at this point so may not be able to return with the knowledge. The sleuth manages to get to the right answer (or defeat the killer) during the
RESURRECTION This is the CLIMAX, which is the confrontation with the killer. The sleuth ultimately discovers the truth.
RETURNING WITH THE ELIXIR, in a mystery, is justice. Finally, the sleuth can return to his/her Ordinary World, but now he/she is the MASTER OF TWO WORLDS. He/she has solved a murder and will never be quite the same.

Are you ready for the next step in your writing process? Hire me as your developmental editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!

22May, 2022

Character Development: How do your characters react?

Scroll down to watch on YouTube!

That Old Adage

Understanding how your fictional characters react is essential to making them three-dimensional. There is an old adage that says it’s not the situation you face but how you deal with it that defines character. The idea is that 10% of life is what happens and 90% is how we react to it. It’s about our response mechanisms. Are we fight or flight? What is our attitude when faced with adversity? Or how about when we’re faced with a surprise, success, or something else that warrants an emotional response?

Passing the Buck or Taking Control

A lot of people are quick to pass the buck when it comes to responsibility for their actions. The attitude of fatalism with these types of people—and with that comes acceptance of the inevitable. These people are at the mercy of their circumstances.

For others, the idea that they have control within the situations they face. They control their actions and emotions. They are not victims to the inevitable.

How Will Your Characters React?

This is true for your characters, too. Do you know how they will react in different situations? The next series of prompts are about discovering more about your characters based on how they deal with a variety of situations. For these folks, it’s not what happens to them that determines their path; it is how they choose to react that defines them. When we choose to shape our own feelings and act in ways we choose, we control the outcome.

So, when we face adversity—as we all do at one point or another—keep in mind that these adversities do not define us. We can let go and be defeated. Or we can act and navigate through the hardships. We can overcome obstacles.

Lessons Learned

The process of dealing with the adversities we face teaches us valuable lessons. We learn every step of the way. Our experiences broaden our perspective and shape us as we move forward.

Your Characters

It is the same for your characters. What do they do in the face of obstacles? Do you know? You can solidify who they are by putting them into situations for the sole purpose of seeing how they react. What they do. Are they proactive, or fatalistic?

The next set of prompts is geared toward helping you understand your characters on a deeper level.

#1: A woman exits the bathroom with the back of her skirt tucked in her underwear. What does your character do?

#2: Your character witnesses an accident. Does he or she pull over and help? Drive on by? Panic? Remain cool and collected?

#3: A dog is on the loose in a neighborhood where your character is driving by. He or she will be late for an appointment if they stop. But the dog could get hit by a car if they don’t. What does your character do?

Think of other situations you can put your characters into. As you write about these, you’ll get to know them better and better. You’ll figure out who they are and how they will respond.

Have fun!

Watch this writing tip on YouTube.

Write larger than life characters

Are you ready for the next step in your writing process? Hire me as your developmental editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!

22May, 2022

The Hero’s Journey: Charlie Gilbert (Marry Me)

Owen Wilson plays a great everyman, and in Marry Me, he has a clear Hero’s Journey.

Charlie, Marry Me (Owen Wilson, with Jennifer Lopez and Meluma)

Summary (from IMBD): Music superstars Kat Valdez and Bastian are getting married before a global audience of fans. But when Kat learns, seconds before her vows, that Bastian has been unfaithful, she instead decides to marry Charlie, a stranger in the crowd.