It’s there right in front of you. Staring at you. Driving you nuts! It’s the door. Your heart leaps at the excitement of what might be on the other side. But fear grips you. That’s the life of a writer. But I have some news for you. Contrary to what you’ve seen in the movies, there is NO monster on the other side of the door. Walking through the door—even if it is the wrong door—is not fatal. As a writer, there will always be uncertainty. You can’t see what’s on the other side. Here’s why you should walk through that door: 1) Good things come to those who wait, but the best things come to those who pursue it. 2) If you never do, you’ll never know. 3) The […]
Read the RestArchive | July, 2013
Featured Fiction Friday Presents: Beth Goddard
This year’s Frasier Contest has come to a close. The finalists and semi-finalists have been announced, and we are all eagerly awaiting the Pizza Party to find out who the winner is. In the mean time, lets meet one of the Judges that made it all possible: Beth Goddard, with her new book Riptide. Q: Beth, give us a tag line and a little blurb about your story. A: Two surprises await high-stakes repo man Jake Jacobson on his latest job. First, old flame Kelsey Chambers. Second, gunfire! Seizing the luxury yacht should have been easy, but he hadn’t planned on Kelsey’s appearance. Or that smugglers would hijack the vessel to find an antique map hidden on board. The map is Jake and Kelsey’s only leverage…but it carries a price. […]
Read the RestThe Importance of A Scene
Lately I’ve been reading various pieces from new and up-n-coming authors and I’ve noticed something with scenes. They tend to “wander.” Scenes should have a focus. A point and a purpose. Here at My Book Therapy we talk about SHARP and FOCUS when writing a scene but today I’m going to talk about the POINT of a scene. I don’t have an acronym for POINT but you don’t need one. The word itself is makes my… well… point. As you write your scene, consider “what is the point of my scene?” The purpose? Why are you writing this scene. You have to deliver some emotional and physical element of the point-of-view character using SHARP and FOCUS techniques. But you also have to stay within the point and purpose of the […]
Read the RestThe What and Why of Writing: Layer or Subplot
We often focus on plotting our stories – you know, everything that happens between our hero and heroine. The Inciting Incident. The Ds (Disappointments) or obstacles, that force them to face Ys in the Road and ask the question, “Which way do I go now?” over and over again. The Black Moment. And the long-awaited Happily-Ever-After, where our hero and heroine ride off into the sunset . . . Sorry. I lapsed into a cliché there, didn’t I? It’s vital to plot a strong main story, but while you’re doing that, remember to deepen your story too. How? Weave in an intriguing Layer or Subplot What: A story Layer and a Subplot are two different elements: A Layer adds depth to the plot and enhances the character’s struggle – and […]
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