Tag: physical
-
Of Life, Physicality and Stories…
Much of the ability to write compelling fiction comes from the willingness to sink one’s teeth into the substance of life, or that, which flows out of life. Conversations, kind smiles, tilts of the head can reveal joy, simmering sadness, or the ache of a heart playing upon a crafted smile. These are the human…
-
Of Idiosyncracies, Formidable Personalities and Specifics
Describing an experience or person as bad or terrible will not suffice in fiction writing. Writing that the foster parents in a novel are mean or horrible does not flesh out the unique idiosyncrasies of their formidable personalities. Let us turn to the context of the orphan in a less than ideal foster home.
-
Showing Up…
Should the protagonist not appear, in court when summoned, the judge renders a default in favor of the opposing character, whether they be defendant or plaintiff. The character has failed to present and/or make her or his case for a story. And so has the author. All forward motion of plot ceases. No story exists,…
-
Archetypes and Human Needs
Characters viewed as archetypes can be seen as facets of the protagonist’s personality come to greet her or him in the journey towards achieving a goal.
-
Conflict and Desire
Conflict arises from a character seeking to achieve a goal and encountering an obstacle along the way. Another way of looking at this is CHARACTER + GOAL = CONFLICT. It is most helpful, when writing a story, if you can define the character’s goal in physical terms. But what if your protagonist desires love?
-
War, and Standing “In the Shadow of Suribachi”
Ever wondered what war is like for those who survive the physical batter and yet lay shattered beneath the psychological impairments of their battle? And what about the family members unable to fit the pieces together and create a lifeline of continuity for their loved ones who returned confused, bereaved and mournful at the loss…