“How is your writing going? Do you feel ready to dive into crafting the Black Moment and Epiphany?” I asked Sally as she came to the table with a chai latte. “Not yet. I want to write a suspense into my romance.” Sally sat down and pulled out her notebook. Outside, the sun shrank the snow banks, spring in the air. “I watched Eagle Eye on FX over the weekend, and I realized how much I love suspense.” “I love suspense too,” I said. “A romantic suspense combines the fun of falling in love with that edge-of-your-seat-fear that the people we care about could get killed. “Let’s take a look at what that would mean for your story. Writing a romantic suspense means adding another story structure/plot to your novel. […]
Read the RestTag Archives | heroes journey
Conversations: In defense of Genre
Ice crusted the parking lot as I slipped my way to the coffee shop. The warm spell we’d experienced over the weekend had turned frosty with the blizzard sweeping across middle America, turning the pavement to a black skating rink. I should have expected the cold, but the sudden spell of warmth caught me off guard and ignited my hope of spring. Worse, I now nursed a cold because winter hadn’t followed the rules. Which was exactly what I was going to talk to Sally about today – following genre rules as she writes her first novel. She waited at our table, beside a crackling fire, reading her Nook. “Hey,” she said as I slid into the seat. Blessed Kathy walked over with my mug of vanilla latte. “What are […]
Read the RestFirst Day of School…what have I missed?
Hey — my kids went back to school today! I feel…sane. Which means the fog has cleared and I’m left wondering, where are we in the Heroes Journey! I went through all the past blog posts since January and recategorized them according to subject…so, for example, if you’re looking for information on creating heroes — yes! you just click “archives” and find the “heroes” category! or, writing tension — again, click on “archives” and you’ll find….TENSION! Hope that helps. But, let’s press on! Over the past eight months, we’ve covered: Act 1: Departure: The protagonist is separated from the known Hero’s Home World Call to Adventure (inciting incident) Weighing the Options (Refusing the Call) Starting the Journey (Crossing the Threshold) Act 2: Initiation: The protagonist is tested, and grows […]
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