“I hope you brought your calculator,” I said to Sally as I slid into the chair at the coffee shop. Presidents Day meant no school, and I noticed her two children playing in the reading nook in the corner. “I didn’t realize I needed to know math to write a novel,” she said, but pulled out a notebook. “That may be a deal killer.” I laughed. “I know I said we’d talk about heroes and heroines this week, but I thought it might help to fill in the gaps of Act 2. See, last week we talked about storyflow, and I taught you how to put together what I call the bookends – Act 1 and Act 3. But these two acts comprise only 30-40% of your story. For example, for […]
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Quick skills: Character and Plotting
I’ve heard it said that the harder a book is to write, the easier it is to read. I’m not sure I agree. Yes, a book should cost the author pieces of their heart, but I’ve found that the more tangled my plot, the more complicated my character, the less popular my stories. As I’ve grown as an author and learned how to create simple yet powerful storylines and characters, the popularity of my books has also grown. As I’ve streamlined the process of plotting and characterization, the writing process has become easier, also. Sure, it’s still hard work, and still costs me pieces of my heart as I write emotion onto the page, but I know where I’m going and the plot is less tangled as I get there. The […]
Read the RestConversations: Dark Moment Plotting and how to build a story outline
“My hero lost his best friend in the war, in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He also lost part of his leg.” My aspiring writer, Sally, slapped down the open page of a spiral notebook onto the table at the coffee shop, and slid into her chair, unwinding her scarf. Outside, the sun shone bright in a cloudless sky, adding heat to an otherwise arctic day. I picked up her notebook. “I see you’ve done your homework and discovered a dark moment in your character’s past, and then journalled about it.” “I did that. It was fun – I did the research and saw Pearl Harbor through his eyes. In his own words, he told me everything about the attack, and how his buddy died protecting him, and how he […]
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Quick Skills: Genre makes you a better writer
I’ve written 35 books. Many of them have been on the best-seller list. A number have won awards. And at least half are….romance. When I get to that last sentence, whatever literary cred I’ve earned with the first three statements seems to vanish. “You write Romance?” someone will ask, (as if they haven’t heard me) and sometimes add an accompanying look of…disdain? Disappointment? As if writing romance is somehow less highbrow than general fiction. I hate the assumption that general fiction is better written. Hogwash. Words are words, and the truth is, writing fabulous genre fiction is harder than general fiction. You have to stand out in a category with your words while delivering a plot that follows the genre constructs. General fiction can be wonderful…or it can be a […]
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