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Emotion: It Don’t Come Easy

By on March 20, 2014 in How do I write Emotions?, Story Crafting

My decision to layer in stronger, deeper emotion into Somebody Like You cost me more than I ever anticipated. Why? Because if I wanted my imaginary characters to express emotions that my readers connected with, I had to tap into very real emotions inside me.

While the story is a contemporary romance, it also examines themes of twins and family, widowhood and grief, loss, estrangement, brokenness … all wrapped around the Story Question: Can a young widow fall in love with her husband’s reflection?

Another question I had to answer? How honest was I going to be as I wove stronger, deeper emotion into my novel?

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The What and Why of Writing: Essence

By on March 6, 2014 in Beth Vogt, Heroes, Heroines, Protagonists: The Basics, Story Crafting

At the beginning of a novel, a character starts out in his identity – who he thinks he is. By the end of the story, if you’ve developed the story correctly, he ends up in his essence – who he really is.

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Eavesdropping At A Writers Conference

By on February 26, 2014 in 4. Writer’s Life, Inspiration and Life Coaching, Encourage Me!, Story Crafting, Writing Life

I’m at the Deep Thinkers Retreat in Destin, Florida and it’s beautiful. We come to the beach every year in February and I help facilitate the conference for the week. My main job during the conference is the care and feeding of the attendees. But I’m also watching, listening … and yes, sometimes I hear things.

Today I wanted to share some of my observations:

Eat Well, Write Well. Sorry, a steady of diet of chocolate chip cookies and malted milk balls are not conducive to clear thinking and well developed plot lines. Although they do help stabilize emotions, at least at the moment. When all else fails, have a malted milk ball instead of a melt down. For the record, I resisted the temptation this year and only succumbed to two. (Although we have two more days to go!)
Battle Uncertainty. I’ve heard, “I thought I had my story down, but now I’m not so sure.” It’s so easy to doubt yourself and question the validity of your writing.

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Story World, Setting, Time and Space

By on November 21, 2013 in Book Therapist, Rachel Hauck, Story Crafting

We talk a lot about story world here at My Book Therapy.

And many of you have mastered the craft “tool” creating a story world.

We define story world as the “place and space” where your characters live.

You have to set their world so the reader can picture the scenes and setting, get a feel for the protagonist’s environment.

But story world is so much more.

Story world must permeate your novel.

Story world is the time of day when a new chapter starts.

It’s the place, the sights, the sounds, the fragrances of where your protagonist was when he launched his story journey.

I’m not talking about over describing a living room or the walls of a town hall meeting — unless it’s significant to the story — but creating a world is which your characters live.

Old school writing doesn’t give a lot of time and place.

The protagonists simple go to “the next day.”

Or, “Gina met Tom at the diner for lunch.”

When? The next day? A week later?

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