So often when we think of a novel’s main characters, we zero in on the hero and heroine. That is all well and good, after all, what is a romance without a hero and heroine? And every story, no matter what genre, needs a protagonist – a good guy or gal, someone the reader is rooting for. But in your zeal to craft a compelling hero and/or heroine, don’t forget to ask yourself: Who is the villain of this story? What: A villain is the antagonist of your story. When you think villain, don’t just think danger, think threat. Or opposition. A villain can be a person. Hans Gruber, the lead terrorist in Die Hard, goes down in my book as the archetype villain. A twist on the […]
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The What and Why of Writing: Values
“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” ~Roy Disney (1930-2009), longtime senior executive for The Walt Disney Company Every day we make decisions. And if we stopped and really thought about it, we’d realize we made those choices based on our values – the things that are important to us. Or as Proverbs so aptly puts it: Everyone does what is right in his (or her) own eyes. (Proverbs 21:2) Guess what? The imaginary characters in our books? They have to do the very same thing: make choices based on their values. What: Values Things we desire, whether we have them or not, such as forgiveness, honesty, money, compassion, power and trust Why: We don’t like it when we wander around aimlessly, not sure […]
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From the Inside…Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you! By Susan May Warren
Have you always wanted to write a novel, but didn’t know where to start? This book is for you. With proven techniques, easy to understand explanations and practical steps, From The Inside…Out will teach you how a story is structured then take you through the process of creating and marketing your novel. Topics include: Character-driven plotting, How to HOOK your reader, The elements and flow of SCENES, How to build STORYWORLD, Secrets to Sizzling Dialogue, Proven Self-Editing techniques, Synopsis and Query letter writing, How to manage your writing career …and everything in between! BUY Now: From the Inside-Out: Discover, Create and Publish the Novel in You
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Today we’re looking at part two of writing a scary, believable villain. For a villain to be great, his or her threats must be believable and truly scary. The threat has to hit home. In the Wizard of Oz, we’re afraid for Dorothy and her friends, but when the witch threatens Toto, we’re drawn all the way into the danger. “She’s going to hurt an innocent dog?” We see Dorothy’s response too. Not Toto! As you develop your villain or antagonist, create a scenario that’s real and hits home. Could it happen? And what if it did? Work on thinking outside the norm, too. Terrorist blowing up a city while Bruce Willis tries to save mankind is exciting and perhaps interesting, but I’m not really drawn in because the threat […]
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