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.
Of Idiosyncracies, Formidable Personalities and Specifics Read More »
Symbols deepen what we, as readers, come to know and experience with a character. But what makes us feel with and for her, or him [the protagonist]–cry with them, scream for them, die with them? What ultimately moves and transforms us, the reader, along with the central character of a story, or novel? Certainly obstacles
Of Crevices, Cracks and Teflon… Read More »
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,
Each story or novel presents the main character with not only an upset in daily activities, but also a quest. That quest presents itself not unlike a summons to court. The protagonist, in arriving at court, must plead her or his case. And yet the judge, the bailiff, the jurors, even the attorneys for both
The Journey and Its Calling… Read More »
Large amounts of exposition leave readers weary and if not carefully positioned breaks the dream spell ideally evoked at the outset of a novel. Mining your fiction enriches your protagonist’s journey for the reader. They also serve as markers serving as point of identification that allow readers to touch upon the protagonist’s struggle.
Symbols: Talismans of Endeavors, Memory and Emotion Read More »
What is your protagonist doing, and or saying when the curtain lifts on the set of that first page of your story, or novel? Their actions and dialogue relay not only much about who they are while interacting in the world with others, but also their identity within the universe of their own personalities. They
“A hero ventures forth from the world of the common day into a region of supernatural wonder.” –Joseph Campbell, “The Hero With A Thousand Faces” Every story is about the extraordinary, the uncommon experience or event that occurs in the constancy of ordinary time. Nearly, if not always, this occurrence upsets the routine of the
Plot: Stages of Evolution and Revelation Read More »