Yes, I’m on deadline — several deadlines as a matter of fact.
I have two blog posts due tomorrow and I’m slogging away at a novella rewrite that’s due March 1.
Even so, here I sit with my TV tuned to the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Am I wasting my time? No, not at all.
I have no Olympian aspirations, but watching these athletes have taught me a few things that are transferable to the writing life.
Collectively speaking, I’ve seen a lot of improvement in how authors interact online. That said, there are still some common mistakes. These things are affecting your blog, making readers click away before they finish a post and even unsubscribe altogether. The funny thing is that most of them are minor and easily correctable. So take a look at the list, and see if you can improve your interactions with just a small change!
Make your reader care with the Story Question!
Why should someone pick up your story and read it – all the way to the end? We talked the last two weeks about having Story Stakes – or a reason your character should care about your story by giving your character something to lose. Last week we dissected the difference between High Concept and Low Concept stories (and how tell the difference), noting that High Concept stories are driven by high public & personal stakes, whereas Low Concept stories are fueled by the characters’ inner journeys, or the private stakes.
This week, we’re going to add another potent ingredient to the mix…the fuel for the inner journey of your character, the Story Question.
The Story Question is that question your character is asking as the book opens, ignited by the inciting incident and lingering in their mind throughout the second Act of the story. All the tidbits of truth your character discovers along the way contribute to the answer they discover at the Aha! Moment of the story, or the epiphany.
I read something this week that gave me pause:
Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else while you are going through your own storm.
I pondered that for quite some time. It permeated my heart because life has wonderful moments of peace, joy and rapture sandwiched between the storms of life. It’s easy to get caught up in the trial of the moment and miss out on the blessing of reaching out to help another human being in need.
Or even worse, instead of reaching out, you could lash out at others when they share their teenie tiny little challenge with you. Doesn’t it always seem that right at the second you get the fortieth rejection letter, your crit partner calls and fusses because they only got a four book deal when they just knew they’d get six?!
