Author: Lisa E. Betz

Lisa Betz is a writer, blogger, and occasional director who lives in an empty nest perched on a wooded Pennsylvania hillside. She loves to bring characters to life, both on stage and on the page.

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Writing for Magazines Provides Variety

Does your writing have a lot of variety? Or do you feel like you are writing the same type of article over and over with little variance? Writing for magazines provides many different possibilities, topics and types of articles. When I wrote for a church publication years ago, I wrote an article about baptisteries and steeples giving resources where churches could purchase these items. I knew nothing about steeples or baptisteries but I learned a great deal as I wrote that article and gathered the contents.

For any magazine article, there are at least two ways to approach the article. You can either write the entire article, then shop it to various magazines (normally on speculation since you wrote it without an assignment) or you can write a one-page query letter and shop your idea to publications and get a specific assignment.

Common types of magazine articles

Let’s explore some of the various types of magazine articles. I’m not covering all of the possibilities since it will vary for each magazine but these are some of the basic types of articles:

Round-up Article. I’ve written round-up articles on the latest marriage books or Bibles for children. As the writer, you can reach out to various publishers and have them send sample review copies for possible inclusion in your article. These books become the foundation of your round-up article.

Personality profile. These articles are focused on a single personality like a bestselling author. Your article reveals something different and unusual about this person’s life. I’ve interviewed over 150 bestselling authors and written personality profile articles.

Interview article. This type of article is also often focused on a well-known author or personality. The style of the writing is different and more of a Q & A format where you use the actual words of the subject inside the article. Many magazines use this type of article.

How-to article. When you write this type of article, you show the reader step by step how to do some skill or some craft.

Issue article. These articles are focused on a particular issue such as gun control or bullying or prevention of abortion or ???, Some magazines regularly feature this type of article in their publications,

Op-Ed article. An op-ed is an opinion article where you give your view on a topic and showcase your expertise and background. Magazines and newspapers use op-ed articles.

Devotional article. Numerous publications print devotional articles. Often each publication will have a particular format for you to follow with your devotional. They often include a verse or two of Scripture, a brief prayer and a short devotional insight. I’ve written devotionals for the Upper Room which has a circulation of over six million.

Book reviews. Most magazines only want to publish positive reviews unless it is a trade magazine which also publishes critical or negative reviews. If a publisher sends you an Advance Reading Copy of a book before the publication date, you can read these books and often publish reviews in magazines.

Personal experience.  I’ve written a full article about the importance of personal experience articles. Everyone has “different” experiences and almost every magazine uses these types of articles.

Take a few minutes and look over the variety of articles you can write for publication. Then take a few minutes and write some ideas and types of articles that you are attracted to publishing. I encourage you to write the article or query and get published in different types of magazines. There is a world of opportunity available to you if you take action.

Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. Terry is the author of How to Succeed As An Article Writer which you can get at: Write a magazine article.com. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: Billy Graham Bio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham.

His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: @terrywhalin

Categories
Publishing Pulse

Publishing as a Business

Today’s book publishing market can be a dangerous place, with a lot of scam artists spouting confusing terminology. I applaud the efforts of legitimate author groups who try to dispel the confusion, especially about different types of publishing business models. And yet, in an effort to simplify, it’s easy to become simplistic. Some of the explanations I’ve seen about traditional (commercial) publishing versus so-called self-publishing (subsidized publishing), even from industry leaders, are sometimes inaccurate and do not seem to take into account some basic business principles.

Like any business, book publishing involves a capital investment (the purchase of raw materials, labor, tools and/or equipment) to produce a product or service that is marketable (able to be sold for a profit). But unlike most businesses, the “raw material” of book publishing is content—an author’s words. And this is where the disconnect between author and publisher usually begins.

Most authors are uncomfortable with viewing their creative work as “raw material” — they prefer to think of their work as a finished product. Rather than being paid a standard industry rate for their raw material, they believe they have a marketable, finished product, and so they should receive the profits.

It’s an attitude that seems to make perfect sense—until you remember what profit really is. Profit is the revenue over and above the capital investment. In writing a book, has an author made a capital investment? Not at all! As an author, you may feel you have invested your heart and soul into your book, but if you haven’t invested any cash, it’s not a capital investment that will generate profits. Certainly you should be paid an appropriate amount (in royalties) for the value of your “raw material” — or, if you prefer, for your hours of labor in writing the book. But if you haven’t paid out the money needed to publish the book, you are not entitled to the profit on that investment, no more than you would be entitled to the interest income on someone else’s bank account!

And like it or not, it costs money to publish a book. The word publish has the same root as the word public, because when you publish a book it means taking those words sitting in your computer and putting them into a form that can be distributed to a waiting public—and it costs money to do that.

Rather than limiting themselves to the role of content provider (or “raw material” supplier, if you prefer), some authors choose to wear the hat of capital investor (supplier of the cash) and publisher (doing the work involved in preparing and distributing their words to the public). The common term for this is self-publishing. Next month, I will discuss the pros and cons of this process, and why there really is no such thing as self-publishing.

 

David E. Fessenden

Literary Agent, WordWise Media Services
Publisher and Proprietor, Honeycomb House Publishing LLC

Dave has degrees in journalism and theology, and over 30 years of experience in writing and editing. He has served in editorial management positions for Christian book publishers and was regional editor for the largest Protestant weekly newspaper in the country.

Dave has published seven books, written hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, and edited numerous books. He is a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences. Two of his books, Writing the Christian Nonfiction Book: Concept to Contract and  A Christian Writer’s Guide to the Book Proposal, are based on his experience in Christian publishing. The Case of the Exploding Speakeasy, Dave’s first novel, reflects his love for history and for the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan-Doyle.

Dave and his wife, Jacque, live in south-central Pennsylvania and have two adult sons.

Websites/Blogs:
www.fromconcepttocontract.com
www.davefessenden.com
www.thebookstore.info

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Realistic World-Building

The trend within the fantasy and sci-fi genres is to push for more detailed world-building within our stories. While this might work for some novels, it isn’t always necessary. When writing a sci-fi story set on earth in the not too distant future, less is actually more. A story can be just as effective—if not more so—when the writer keeps the setting simple. Keep in mind that in reality, the next generation or two probably won’t be living too much differently from the way we do now.

Names.

I personally know teenagers named William, Julia, Benjamin, Robert and Elizabeth. I also knew teenagers with these names when I was a young girl in the eighties. Today, we’ve also got names like Truxton and Abcde, but every generation will have new and different names. Overall, they haven’t changed that much. I would expect there will still be boys named James and girls named Grace in the year 2118. When creating your cast of characters, throw in an unusual name or two, but don’t bog the story down with odd names that are too difficult to pronounce. It’s perfectly futuristic to give your characters normal names.

Technology.

Computers have changed our way of life forever. Technology is moving at a faster pace each and every year. But that doesn’t mean earth will be unrecognizable in another century. With each new technology, it takes years of testing and then more years of production, before a company or government can implement it into society. Pharmaceuticals take decades to pass through the FDA. We may have the first self-driving cars on the road, but will that really mean all vehicles in our country will be self-driving in just a few decades? Most likely, not. Remember to incorporate some of these changes as occurring slowly over time within your story. However, no one will expect our skies to be filled with flying cars by the year 2068.

Geology.

What’s happening on our planet? It’s no secret that polar ice caps are melting and changes in our atmosphere are causing scientists to scratch their heads. But how will this affect our world in the future? Many futuristic stories include the same countries and landmarks that exist today, but use different names or have new alliances, causing the reader the need to learn about our planet as if it were not our own. But how will our world be different geologically? Including small changes in the natural world around us may be the key to your world-building without having to “reinvent the wheel” by creating all new nations just to make our world seem different.

The differences needed for world-building within a sci-fi story on earth don’t need to be complicated. Remember to keep things simple, pull from what is familiar to you, and think about the next logical step for the future of our world. This just might be the key to keep your reader reading, without getting hung up on complex details.

Laura L. Zimmerman is a homeschooling mama to three daughters and a doting wife to one husband. Besides writing, she is passionate about loving Jesus, singing, drinking coffee and anything Star Wars. You can connect with her through Facebook and Twitter @lauralzimm and at her website Caffeinated Fiction.

Categories
Screenwriting

Moving On

We’ve all seen bad movies before. Films we couldn’t wait to see after watching a brief two or three minutes trailer on TV only to be disappointed and fooled by the hodgepodge, jumbled collections of vaguely related scenes that look like they were put together by an editor with a severe case of ADD or hiccups.

Action-adventure movies are notorious for this poor visual seizure. Like what was meant to be an epic battle scene in Zach Ryder’s Wonder Woman, the Amazonians are defending the island and Ares, the attacker rambles on about the past while the battle rages from one action beat to another.

These stories that have no sense of direction or purpose and just move from one scene to the next; we often find ourselves leaving the theater feeling ripped-off, like victims of some get rich quick Ponzi scheme that promises big payoffs, but never delivers.

We wonder if somehow we missed something, perhaps during a quick bathroom or snack run. Just maybe the problem wasn’t a weak storyline, but poor transitions or lack of them all together—just a smorgasbord of powerful scenes thrown together in an effort to sell a story (1 Cor. 14:33.)

The real problem is poor transitions or lack of them altogether.

Transitions are important tools to help weave scenes and storylines together in a film.

Effective transitions help your writing (story) flow. They help give your audience a sense of direction and purpose. First the writer (creator) must determine the direction their story is going and then they can plant cues or catalysts to guide the audience along.

We can take notes from King Solomon on how God does this (Proverbs 16:9, 19:21). Once we establish the path of our story, then we need to pick what kind of transitions we are going to use to get from point A to point B.  Film uses different types of transitions.

  • Action, movement of one person or object mirrored to movement of another person or object.
  • Specific views or shots which are similar.
  •  Dialogue.

Dialogue is my favorite form of transition. It allows me to mention something in one scene and have it come to pass later in my story. Foreshadowing saves time, whitespace and allows me to build momentum as my story progresses.

Think of it like a mountain stream that flows from a lake or pond at a higher elevation. Throughout the flow of water, the stream picks up sediments and carries it from one place to another, often unseen by the naked eye. But the end result is obvious where the water’s path ends. It’s where the current stops moving.

Moving on?

In the late 1800s the French Lumière brothers became filmmaking pioneers and patented the cinematograph, a motion picture camera. They used it to make their first film, Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory.

It was basically just a series of pictures of workers leaving a factory, no words, just the common action of workers flowing out of a factory at the end of the day.

It wasn’t until the 1920s that audiences were able to hear sound in movies and that took storytelling in film to a whole other level. It gave filmmakers more dimension to their storytelling (Genesis 1:3.) The whole purpose was always to move an audience from one place to another.

Transitions aren’t limited to just film.  Dialogue transition can also be used in fictional books. Christian YA author Tessa Emily Hall uses this technique in her book Unwritten Melody at the end of chapter 4 when Cassie is talking to herself about sharing her lyrics with a guy she is crushing on when she meets with him again, and then Tessa begins the next chapter with Cassie sharing her lyrics with James.

Transitional writing is key in nonfiction writing as well, even in blogging. If you have ever read a post of mine, you’ve noticed there is a hint or preview of my next blog post hidden in the final subtopic of each post. This way I can keep my train of thought smoothly moving on.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Truamatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Blogging Basics

Content Creation Ideas For Your Blog

Ideas on How to Blog

How Often You Post

Blogging takes consistent commitment. Whether you decide to blog once a month, once a week or more; a consistent posting of your content sets an expectation with your audience. If you post every Wednesday, your audience will come to look forward to reading your content mid-week. Consistent posting will also help search engines find your blog.

Blogging once a week or more can help you gain an audience. I post once a month, but when I started my blog, I posted once a week. If you want to gain an audience more rapidly, post twice a week to boost your exposure. Look at your schedule and decide which posting schedule works best for you.

If you have not started a blog, create between 8 – 10 blogs in a Word document. This will give you 4 – 5 weeks of blog content to post. Having content ready to go can relieve the stress of creating quality content and help you get started with being consistent.

Write Ideas Down Write (Right) Away

My ideas for blogging come from everyday life. When a thought comes to mind, I write it down quickly to remember the details. I use iPhone notes to keep track of ideas. I also use an old-fashioned pen and paper; however, it is too easy to lose a piece of paper. Using the recorder on my iPhone is another way to help corral blog ideas.

Free Write

What content to create is a conundrum we all face as authors. Pick a day and a time to write free from distractions.  Many times, you will face a blank page as crickets twerp in the background. Just start typing. Free write whatever comes to mind. Often times, I will end up writing 2 – 3 topics in one sitting. I flush out the most developed topic and save the other topics for another blog.

Ideas on How to Find Topics

Use a calendar of Events and Holidays as great idea starters for your blog.

Apples4theteacher.com/holidays has a list of events and holidays to choose from.  January 8th is National Clean Off Your Desk Day. Write a blog about how you keep organized as an author. Post a picture of your organized desk.  You could also engage your readers by asking them to share their tips.

April 10th is National Library Day. Blog about your local library. Contact them and offer to do a book signing to promote National Library Day.

April 12th is D.E.A.R – Drop Everything And Read Day. Share an excerpt of your book in a blog post.

April 14th is International Day of Laughter Day. Share humorous excerpts from your book.

April 28 is Sense of Smell Day. Share excerpts from your book which describe a sense of smell. Offer tips on how to write a scene using the five senses. Engage your readers to submit a short story highlighting a sense of smell and award the winner a copy of your book.

Buddy Up

Find another blogger in your same genre and buddy up to brainstorm content ideas. Once written, you can promote each other’s blog on your social media platforms. This is a great way to build a friendship and also share each other’s audience.

Ask Your Audience

Asking your audience is a great way to not only engage with your readers but allows them into your process.  What content would they want to read?

Jessica Osborn-Houser of JJburry.com offered her readers an opportunity to chose which blog they wanted to read. The choices offered were:

  1.       Using Sentence Variation
  2.       Adding details with phrases
  3.       How to write book reviews

Her readers voted to learn how to write books reviews by 63%. She posted her poll on Twitter, but you can use Facebook to post a poll as well. Once the voted blog is posted, you have an instant audience interested in reading it.

How do you decide what to write about on your blog? What topic received the most engagement on your blog? What content tips do you use to create content?

Evelyn Mann is a mother of a miracle and her story has been featured on WFLA Channel 8, Fox35 Orlando, Inspirational Radio and the Catholic News Agency. A special interview with her son on the Facebook Page, Special Books by Special Kids, has received 1.4M views. Along with giving Samuel lots of hugs and kisses, Evelyn enjoys hot tea, sushi and writing. Visit her at miraclemann.com.

Categories
Copywrite/Advertising

What It’s Like to Write for a Digital Marketing Agency

Since I became a copywriter, I have written for my own clients and for digital marketing agencies. Each arrangement has its pros and cons, but my preference at this point in my life is to write for digital marketing agencies.

What is a digital marketing agency?

A digital marketing agency takes care of a company’s online presence. They come up with a plan to create effective internet ads, website content that turns leads into customers, and engaging social media profiles. A digital marketer knows SEO and keeps up with the latest online trends. A digital marketing agency could be just one person, a team of people, or a large organization.

What does a copywriter write for a digital marketing agency?

A big part of writing for a digital marketing agency is writing blog posts for business websites. Blog posts are a type of content marketing. Content marketing is any writing that sets up the business as an expert in their space and allows them to give free information to build a trust relationship with potential customers. Blogs are the perfect place for a business to do this online, but this could also include newsletters or even social media posts. Email marketing can be content marketing as well.

What it is like to write for a digital marketing agency?

Each digital marketing company works a little differently, but for the most part, I am given a blog topic to write for a particular business website. Then I research the business and get to know their voice and how they are trying to help the reader. Are they formal and informative? Or friendly and fun? What life problem for the reader is the company trying to solve?

Then I research the assigned blog topic on reputable websites and write the blog post according to the instructions given to me. Some companies want 300-500 words. Others want 1,200 words or more. Some digital marketing agencies supply me with a complete outline of the blog post including keywords and how many times each should be included. Some provide reliable resources for information on the topic which means all I need to do is write. Other agencies simply tell me to write a blog post for a particular website and I have the freedom to choose the topic and the keywords. Depending on the business, this could be fun or frustrating.

By far, blog posts are the most popular type of content marketing writing assignments, but I have also written emails and social media posts as well. If you are going to write for a digital marketing agency, it’s a good idea to have multiple skills or at least be willing to learn new skills. A good place to start learning the basics is Digital Marketing for Dummies by Ryan Deiss and Russ Henneberry.

Pros and Cons of Writing for a Digital Marketing Agency

You don’t have to talk directly to the client. Talking to the client and figuring out what they want and need takes time. Some clients are hard to get a hold of. Others communicate through massive brain dumps that you have to sift through and organize. Being the writer means the digital marketer has the responsibility of organizing the assignment before you begin your work.

The downside of not talking directly with the client is when you have a question or need a clarification. Then you are forced to play whisper down the lane to get answers. That also takes time and information could get lost along the way.

The client doesn’t know who is doing the writing. From the client’s perspective you are an anonymous writer on a digital marketing team. Even if your blog post is well-written and has a great response, you will not be revealed as the author. You will not build publishing credits under your own name. When you write for a digital marketing agency, there is no quest for personal glory. Any win for the client is a win for the whole team and you have to be okay with that.

Your writing can have maximize impact for the client. Unless you understand SEO, keywords, and the whole digital marketing picture, you will not have the knowledge necessary to make your writing the most effective it can be for the client. If you write with a digital marketing agency, trust and follow the instructions of the digital marketer so your writing can have maximum impact. If you ever want to have your own clients or if you simply want to grow as a copywriter, you will have to know more than just effective writing. Watch with curiosity how a digital marketer structures your writing assignments. If you are writing for your own clients, you won’t have this insightful input.

You don’t get to pick what to write. This varies from digital marketer to digital marketer. With one digital marketer, I have regular clients for whom I write month after month. Since I know the clients and what has been written already, I have a lot of freedom in choosing blog topics. For other digital marketing agencies, I have no say at all and simply work on assignments as they are given.

Invoicing is simple. With your own clients, you need to invoice each one and keep track of who paid and chase down those who didn’t pay. If you write for a digital marketing agency, you can write out one invoice to the marketer with all of your writing and know you will be paid. All the digital marketers I have written for have been well-organized with payments and paid a fair rate, on time, without any problems.

If you are getting started as a copywriter or looking to expand your copywriting opportunities, seek out a digital marketing agency to partner with. You’ll gain guided experience that you can use for future clients whether you get clients on your own or through other digital marketers.

Are you a digital marketer? What advantages are there to having a copywriter on your team? Are you a copywriter who writes for a digital marketer? What pros and cons have you had in your copywriting experience?

Rachel Schmoyer is a pastor’s wife, mom of four, and a copywriter. She also helps Christians find the simple truths in the complex parts of the Bible at readthehardparts.com. Her other writings and publishing credits can be found on rachelschmoyerwrites.com.

Categories
Novelists Unwind

Novelists Unwind Interviews Hannah Conway

Join Johnnie Alexander as she chats with Hannah Conway and Jolina Petersheim on Novelists Unwind.

Introducing Hannah Conway

Hannah Conway is the author of The Wounded Warrior’s Wife and Up In Smoke.

When I asked Hannah to be my guest, she said, “We’re going to have so much fun.”

She wasn’t wrong!

Besides finding a lot to laugh about, we talked about crème brulee pineapple and hot & spicy cinnamon Oreos, embracing military themes and honest endings, glass bottles and shiny rocks, and how God doesn’t waste a hurt. Read more here, or watch the video below.

Introducing Jolina Petersheim

Jolina Petersheim is the bestselling author of The Divide, Alliance, The Midwife, and The Outcast, which Library Journal called “outstanding . . . fresh and inspirational” in a starred review and named one of the best books of 2013.

Learn more about the inspiration behind The Alliance and its sequel, The Divide, in our interview:

Your Novelists Unwind host:

Best-selling author Johnnie Alexander imagines heart-tugging stories in multiple genres. Her debut novel, Where Treasure Hides, has been translated into Dutch and Norwegian. She also wrote the Misty Willow Series: Where She Belongs, When Hope Arrives, and What Hope Remembers. Since Johnnie loves to talk about writing, she interviews inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind, co-hosts a weekly online show, Writers Chat, and teaches at writers conferences and on Serious Writer Academy. Johnnie recently moved to Oklahoma with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon. Connect with Johnnie on her website or her Facebook Author Page.

Categories
The Picky Pen

Editing the Plot

Okay. Most of you (myself included) admit it’s challenging and exciting to plan the next book. It must be simple, right? Think of an idea. Create characters and compelling scenes. Write a few hundred pages. And you’re done. Right?

Wrong. Not. That. Simple.

You’ve got to think of a plot that works. A plot that includes a beginning, middle, and end. You may not think plotting a book is part of editing, but it is, my friend. What I’m going to say next is vital to the life and breath of your story. If we don’t analyze how our story flows at the macro level we won’t have a solid story to edit at the micro level.

What? There’s a structure to tying it all together? I’m afraid so. A story isn’t Friday Mish Mash. (Although some writers have successfully pulled off a great mish mash story . . . that’s another conversation for another day.)

  • Beginning. Introduce your characters, bring in a conflict or desire between your main character and an antagonist (can be an animate or inanimate object), and set up how the main character is going to achieve their goal.
  • Middle. Continue story with riveting twists and turns for the character to achieve the solution to the problem or desire. You can even introduce subplot, which is often more exciting than the main plot.
  • End. Begin to wrap up the solution to the problem, but not before your character is forced to choose between good and evil in order to obtain their goal. This is the most exciting part in your story because you’ll hook your readers even more and keep them reading late into the night. (A very good thing!) Your conclusion should be satisfying and solve the problem your character faced in the beginning of the story.

Remember. Readers who have a reason to care about the characters you’ve created will be hooked from beginning to end.

Here’s an example of my own WWII story:

Beginning
Clara must babysit her little sister while their mother goes shopping. In addition to babysitting, Clara has to put up the tomatoes (goal). Little sister Bevy proceeds to wreck Clara’s work (problem). Clara tries to work with Bevy to no avail (aggravated problem.)

Middle
Clara is frustrated that Bevy is squashing all of the tomatoes and reacts angrily toward Bevy. Bevy runs outside (climax).

End
While cleaning up the tomato mess, Clara sees Beverly running toward the tractor where their dad is harvesting crops (unexpected climax that causes reader to care). Clara realizes the importance of her attitude toward Bevy (resolution to the problem).

The instructions might sound simple. But it takes practice to grasp the concept of beginning, middle, and end structure and then to execute it. Grasping the concepts are also determined by editing the plot to make sure it sings like a canary rather than a crow. Then. It. Will. Be. Simple.

Join in the discussion!

What part of the novel do you struggle with and what resources help you conquer the struggle part(s)?

Tisha Martin writes historical fiction and nonfiction but also edits and proofreads for beginning and best-selling writers, professional editing agencies, and publishing houses. She has a BA in Professional Writing, an MS in English Education, and an editing certificate from the PEN Institute, affordable continuing education for editors. Active in American Christian Fiction Writers and The PEN, she appreciates the writing and editing communities. As Assistant Director of PENCON, a conference for editors, she enjoys travel marketing and updating PENCON’s Facebook Page. Connect with Tisha on her website www.tishamartin.com and engage in the conversation.

 

Categories
Child's Craft

Revealing Your Character’s Character

In her book The Art of Characterization Fay Lamb proposes that writers “use the other elements of storytelling to cast your novel with unforgettable characters.” (page 5) She includes the following in her list of elements: deep point of view, actions, thoughts, experiences and dialogue.

How can I use these elements of storytelling to create complex characters as Lamb suggests?

I’ve been chewing on her suggestions and have customized them a bit for myself.

Lamb tells us to develop or reveal characters first of all by using what she calls Deep Point of View. I must admit I’m always intimidated by the many explanations of point of view. It’s like trying to remember the 50 states and their capital cities 50 years after high school!

Lamb says that Deep Point of View “immerses the reader into the head of the lead character through that character’s actions, reaction, thoughts, experiences and dialogue.” Okay.

Let’s take those elements one at a time.

I can reveal the body and mind, the heart and soul of a character through their ACTIONS. Makes sense. I must SHOW the reader what the character does, and how they do it sometimes, as a means of revealing a bit about that character with each scene.

This is especially true about their reactions, I think. How a character relates to other characters in the story can definitely reveal secrets or truths about them.

Revealing a character through THOUGHTS can be trickier. The most difficult thing for beginners is to resist the urge to have too much introspection or thought life. That slows the pace down and makes readers misinterpret that character’s psyche, I think. For the same reasons I also avoid characters talking aloud to themselves very much.

EXPERIENCES, on the other hand, are the stuff plots are made of. Action, reaction, escapades, accidents. The character going places, doing things, meeting people, learning, loving, hating, fearing and their reactions to these experiences show me bit-by-bit who my character really is, or who they are becoming.

Last on Lamb’s list is dialogue.

DIALOGUE is a fun puzzle to me as a writer. I’m still learning, but I love the game of creating realistic, effective dialogue. Accurate, effective dialogue reveals a character’s culture, era, education, place of origin or residence, profession, personality, age and more. Peppering dialogue with a few clues helps the reader figure out who this character is.

Lastly, in my opinion dialogue must always do double duty. It must move the plot along getting me from one scene to another, AND, it must reveal something about the people who are talking—something about them personally, or about their plans or problems or hopes.

Each conversation may show only tiny specks of these things, but, for me, if a piece of dialogue can’t do both of those things to some degree I eliminate that conversation from my manuscript.

I believe that character drives story. So, it’s only natural that I, as a writer, would follow Lamb’s method of using the elements of storytelling as a vehicle to parade my characters before the readers.

To me one of the clearest books about writing dialogue is Renni Browne’s and Dave King’s Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself into Print. They devote a chapter to writing convincing dialogue and another to writing natural beats. I’ve read the book three times and refer to it often.

“That book’ll help you, I bet,” I said.

“Think so?”

“Yep. Bet you this 1939 genuine copper penny it will!” I flipped it over in my palm to show off the shine.

“Thanks! I’ll just mosey on over to Amazon and order one of those books for myself.”

I gave you a thumbs-up.

And you were gone.

Jean Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary. Her premier picture book series Four Seasons was recently signed by Little Lamb Books. Jean is a member of the SCBWI, Word Weavers International, and the Kentucky Christian Writers. Visit Jean at www.jeanmatthewhall.com, on Facebook at Jean Matthew Hall, and on Twitter as @Jean_Hall.

Categories
Talking Character

Use Setting to Define Character

You can learn a lot about a person by visiting their house or office. A writer can use that to her advantage.

Let’s assume your POV character is visiting the office of Mr. Smith, who they are meeting for the first time. You could simply describe the office as tidy or messy and give a hint of Mr. Smith’s character, or you could create a setting that painted a vivid picture of the occupant.

Four office setting examples that paint a picture of their occupants:

Office # 1

Mr. Smith’s office was extremely tidy. Two walls were taken up by bookcases, organized by subject. A third wall was filled by a row of identical filing cabinets, each drawer marked with a color-coded label. The stack of in-boxes was labeled with similar color-coded cards, and the squares on the desk-sized calendar were divided into numbered slices using colored ink. Next to the calendar lay a blank legal pad and a row of colored pens, each aligned perfectly with the edge of the desk.

Office # 2

Mr. Smith’s office was extremely tidy. Two walls were taken up by bookcases, filled with row after row of old books in matching bindings. A white mini blind covered the window, which was flanked by identical gray filing cabinets. A gray desk filled the center of the room, bare except for a pad of white paper, a single black pen and an empty in-box. Behind the desk, in place of the typical swivel desk chair stood a metal folding chair. The unpadded kind.

Two tidy offices. Two very different occupants. The same goes for these two messy offices…

Office # 3

Mr. Smith’s office was a chaotic wreck. Two walls were taken up by bookcases crammed with books, many of which had bits of paper marking various pages. More books were lying open on the desk amidst a jumble of papers. Behind the desk was a white board covered in rectangles filled with compact writing. The blocks of text were connected by arrows and peppered with sticky notes and occasional doodles. A stack of papers at least a foot high filled the in-box, occasional colored sticky notes jutting from the stack.

Office # 4

Mr. Smith’s office was a chaotic wreck. Two walls were taken up by bookcases filled with books, lumps of rock, lab equipment, and a variety of hats. Larger pieces of lab equipment sat on the floor behind the desk, under a pile of lab aprons. A flashlight and a single work boot balanced atop the pile. The desk was covered in a jumble of dented three-ring binders, crumpled napkins, empty coffee mugs, a handful of mechanical pencils, and a large box of jumbo-sized paperclips that had tipped over and spilled its contents across the mess and onto the floor.

As these examples show, before Mr. Smith enters the scene, we have a pretty good idea of his personality based solely on the description of his office.

One descriptive paragraph performing double duty—setting the scene and introducing a character at the same time.

Four suggestions for using setting to enhance your characters:

  • Create a personal space. Does your character have a space he has some control over, such as an office or bedroom. As in the examples above, those spaces can be filled with possessions and decor that communicate his personality.
  • Introduce a passion. What kinds of setting best define your character’s passions? A sewing room? The garage? An empty-lot-turned-garden? The local fitness club? A mountain path? Can you find a way to introduce the character in that space?
  • Define a sanctuary. What kinds of setting does your character go to when they desire peace and quiet, or when they need comfort or safety? A tree house in the backyard? A friend’s apartment? The local library? The attic? Show the details that make the space a sanctuary for your character.
  • Use character to fine-tune the setting. List words that describe your character. Does the list bring a specific setting to mind? Use it. Does the list include words like messy, colorful, or stylish that could be applied to a multitude of settings? Let those words inform the setting details.

Make your setting do double duty by painting a vivid picture of the characters who belong there.

[bctt tweet=”How can you tweak your settings to bring your characters to life? #writetips #amwriting” username=””]

Lisa E. Betz believes that everyone has a story to tell the world. She loves to encourage fellow writers to be intentional about their craft and courageous in sharing their words with others. Lisa shares her words through dramas, Bible studies, historical mysteries, and her blog about intentional living. You can find her on Facebook  LisaEBetzWriter and Twitter @LisaEBetz

Categories
Mastering Middle Grade

Preachy or Peachy

My critique group says my MG fiction is preachy. Now what?

First let me say that I love my critique group. I’m not writing about y’all. We’re solid.

Getting productive feedback on your work is a lifeline. It’s critical to have fresh eyes to review your words and point out where things are working, where they can be improved, and what should be thrown out.

Now, unless you’re a pastor, you probably don’t want people to react with “that chapter/section/story is a bit preachy.”

If your first response to this kind of criticism is like mine (i.e., hackles raised and shields up), may I share with you something I’ve learned that might ease the sting?

Many people feel a calling to write for kids because they want to share their love of Christ. As one of my sisters would say, “ain’t no shame in that.” It’s only natural for that love and enthusiasm with sharing the message seep into our writing (okay, maybe for some of us it’s less of a seep and more of a flood).

At the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference Children’s workshop, one of the faculty reminded us that our primary target audience is between eight and twelve years old. Our audience is soaked in a learning environment six to eight hours a day, five days a week.

This means they can smell a lesson from 500 yards away. If you come at them with teaching wrapped in a cute main character, they will put your book down.

Like us, kids read fiction to be entertained, escape their troubles, and explore the world. Who can blame them?

Do you have a lesson or a story?

Ask yourself – and honestly answer – if you are trying to impart a lesson or tell a story. Knowing your objective is half the battle. If your heart is telling you to teach children about Christ’s love, as important as that is – it’s not a story.  If your heart has named a character who has a unique adventure, you have a story.

If you have a story, go back through your manuscript and find ways to let the story shine. Bring it to life with realistic characters, imperfect allies, obstacles to overcome and plenty of excitement.  Doubt that it will be “Christian” enough? Don’t. Because you’re you and you love Christ, your world view will show up in the telling of it, I promise. And you never know how God is going to use your words.

Maybe you feel like you have less of a story and more of a lesson.  That’s a great thing to know. If this is the case, writing a nonfiction book may bring you more success. In nonfiction, you still have freedom to use more direct language, cite more Scripture, conduct interviews and collect data that will bring your lesson home in a very real and accessible way for kids. Instead of trying to force a tale around a message, just bring the message.

Most importantly, when you receive feedback that shakes your gut a little bit, know that you’re not alone. We’ve all been there (multiple times, probably) and lived to tell the tale. Use it for good and know your Father sees you and is working for your benefit.

Oh- and if this post comes off a little preachy, know that I hear you and I’m working on it.

Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Start Your Article With A Bang

Imagine yourself in a race and the gun is ready to begin the race. The Starter Gun goes, BANG!

This bang is how your magazine article needs to begin to pull readers into your article.

We live in this busy, hurry up, and get it done world. As an editor, I have authors who email me again after several days if they don’t get a response (just to make sure I got the first email—which I did). I’ve learned the hard way just to send a little email “got it” which reassures them. This same experience that I get in the world of book publishing is also true with magazines.

The attention of readers is pulled in many different directions. As an editor receives your magazine submission or after it gets in print, it is the writer’s obligation to draw the reader into your piece.

How do you begin?

Many writers are stuck with this question. They stare at their blank screen and are unsure how to get started. In this article I give four different methods to begin your article.

  1. Ask an interesting question. Can you summarize the theme of your article in a question? Or can you ask some intriguing question which begins your article? Asking a question can pull the reader into your article and answering the question can take the bulk of your article.
  2. Use a fascinating statistic or fact. A little research related to your topic can give you a statistic or fact to begin your article. Go to “google” or use a reference book on your shelf or any number of ways to get this statistic or fact as a means to begin your article. You can also go to your local library and ask the reference librarian for help with the statistic or fact. These professionals in the library are skilled answering these types of needs.
  3. Tell a short anecdote. We love and remember stories. A “different” story can be a terrific beginning for your magazine article and draw the reader into your story.
  4. Use a provocative quotation. Famous quotations can be another way to begin your magazine article. Pull the quotation from a book but this quotation can lead the reader through your magazine article.

If you are stuck starting your piece, select one of these methods and start typing. When your story is written, you can revise it later. The worst thing action and time waster for any writer is to stare into empty space and not begin writing. When this happens, you will not meet your editor’s expectations and deadline.  As a writer, you can meet the editor’s expectations delivering an excellent article on their deadline. When you meet these expectations, you will become someone the editor will want to work with over and over.

Every writer needs to learn how to begin their article with a bang.

Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. Terry is the author of How to Succeed As An Article Writer which you can get at: Write a magazine article.com. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: Billy Graham Bio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham.

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Breaking Down the Worlds of Science Fiction

Which world, or sub-genre, does your novel belong to?

Bookstores have general genre sections in which to categorize their books making it easier for consumers to locate a specific subject. However, within each genre there are always dozens of sub-genres to help narrow down a reader’s search.

Science fiction is no different, encompassing a large number of categories. Novels in this genre often deal either with a natural science or technological science, but the variances can go even deeper.

Here is a brief breakdown of some of the most popular sub-genres within sci-fi.

The sub-genre of Alternate History asks the question, “How would our world be changed if a specific historical event had ended differently?” These books use actual historical settings to explore a fantasy world that does not exist but could have existed. A similar sub-genre is the Parallel Universe. These works consist of one or more worlds that coexist with our own, often reflecting an almost identical reality but with only minor differences that may or may not affect a major change.

Artificial Intelligence and Robot sub-genres are closely related in that they are both computer science based. These sub-genres reflect the idea of intelligent and self-sustaining machines. On the flip side, Virtual Reality stories dive into a world where computer-simulated environments play a role within which the characters are able to interact.

In recent years the idea of an Apocalyptic, Post-apocalyptic or Dystopian society have become quite popular among audiences. These novels deal with end of the world events and how mankind is able to survive in the aftermath of an almost global extinction. They are often a man vs. nature conflict and sometimes include a corrupt government that challenges human survival.

The Steampunk sub-genre of science fiction is by far one of the most popular. This sub-genre is set in the 19th century when steam powered engines were still in use and it often crosses over with the Alternate History category. Mixed with the traditional lifestyle of this era are more modern technologies such as computers, robots and futuristic machinery or weaponry.

Alien Invasion of earth or First Contact between humans and another unknown life form are other popular sci-fi sub-genres. In recent decades the subject of Mutants—humans that change or develop in some way to produce superpowers or defy nature—is another well-liked category. With the rise in popularity of superheroes both in books and on the screen, this sub-genre continues to grow.

Closely related to the previous categories are Space Exploration and Space Opera. The idea of Space Exploration usually stems from modern day reality answering the “What if?” question of a major space discovery and the effects on our planet or the near future. These books usually attempt to stay within the confines of our current knowledge of science and space travel. The category of Space Opera is often set on a distant planet in a universe unlike our own, with a mixture of human and alien characters, and various unknown languages and cultures. This sub-genre allows the story to go against the laws of physics and often makes the impossible, possible, through a source of magic or power.

The Time Travel sub-genre includes stories where one or more of the characters travel to any point within history or into the future. This subject remains a popular category within scifi.

Your work may cross over into multiple sub-genres within the world of science fiction. Make an effort to choose just one or two categories to narrow down your theme so it will be easier to market when the time comes. It’s important to know your book’s sub-genre so you can discover your target audience and in turn, your readers will be able to find your book!

Laura L. Zimmerman is a homeschooling mama to three daughters and a doting wife to one husband. Besides writing, she is passionate about loving Jesus, singing, drinking coffee and anything Star Wars. You can connect with her through Facebook, Twitter @lauralzimm, Instagram @lauralzimmauthor and at her website, Caffeinated Fiction, www.lauralzimmerman.com.

Categories
Talking Character

How Characters Evolve in a Series by Lisa E. Betz

Why do we love a good series? Because we love the characters and the kinds of situations they get into book after book.

Once upon a time the characters in a series often remained static from book to book, but most series published today feature characters that evolve gradually over time. Think over your favorite TV shows or book series. Are the main characters unchanged or do they evolve along with their relationships, career, or life goals?

Readers like characters that are three-dimensional enough to grow. However, readers don’t want your characters to change too much. They want each book in the series to feature the same characters they loved in the first book, and they won’t be happy if those characters transform into someone that is drastically different. Therefore, you must plan the character’s arc for a series, just like you plan a character’s arc for a single book.

You main character’s series journey

A series arc deals with incremental steps in a longer journey toward the character’s ultimate goal. What kind of goal? In a single story, the heroine’s goal is connected to the plot, but in a series the goal must rise above the plots of the individual books.

In the case of a female private investigator, for example, the series goal might be finally winning the respect of her male peers—and each successful case takes her a little closer to realizing that goal. Alternately, the series arc might be more concerned with the heroine’s domestic issues as she matures in her relationships, with an ultimate goal of a finding the balance between work and motherhood.

How to define a series arc

Think about your primary characters. What larger goal might drive them from book to book? Is it related to their career? Their relationships? Is there a stubborn character flaw they can slowly work to overcome? A particular person they will eventually impress or conquer? Will their goal change over time, as they achieve one milestone and look onward to another?

Perhaps most importantly, will your readers like the ultimate version of your hero better than the original version? Your series arc should take your main characters on a journey that has your readers cheering them on the whole way.

Evolving secondary characters

What about secondary characters? Do they need a series arc as well? Not necessarily. Some secondary characters need to remain the same to enhance the consistency of your story world. Consider some of your favorite series. Can you name a minor character  you looked forward to meeting in book after book, even though they never changed? Those characters are reliable pieces of each story, part of the fabric that makes the series enjoyable. They don’t need to change much, although a few tweaks now and then will keep them interesting.

However, some secondary characters refuse to remain in the background. They might start out with a brief cameo then slowly gain importance in subsequent books. Those characters need to evolve as their role grows.

Try This: Choose a favorite book or TV series and track how the characters (both primary and secondary) evolve as the series progresses. What do you learn? What techniques can you adapt to your own work?

[bctt tweet=”How will your characters evolve across an entire series? #writetips #writer” username=””]

Lisa E. Betz believes that everyone has a story to tell the world. She loves to encourage fellow writers to be intentional about their craft and courageous in sharing their words with others. Lisa shares her words through dramas, Bible studies, historical fiction and her blog about intentional living.

Connect with her:

Website: www.lisaebetz.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LisaEBetzWriter/
Twitter: @LisaEBetz

Categories
Talking Character

Writing Historical Characters

Sometimes fiction authors write about real people. Especially those who write historical fiction.

Real historical characters can add a sense of credibility or realism to a story. But they must be handled carefully, because your readers will know when you stray from the truth.

Well-known figures

If you are writing about a well-known figure, such as George Washington or Thomas Edison, you will need to do extensive research to ensure you have your facts straight. The good news is that someone so well known already has a lot written about them, so the facts are readily available. The bad news is that someone so well known already has a lot written about them, so your readers already know the facts and will notice your mistakes.

On the positive side, you already know their family history, their physical description, how they talked, what their voice sounded like, the name of their favorite pet, and a myriad of other details. Your job is to choose the details that are important for your story, without ignoring or twisting the facts you don’t mention.

On the negative side, you are stuck with whatever details are known about a person, even if those facts are inconvenient. Also, you must take care, because without doing sufficient research you can easily misrepresent the truth by making false assumptions, adding details carelessly, or promulgating the commonly-held-but-incorrect legends of the person’s history (such as George Washington and the cherry tree). Also, you risk annoying readers if you choose to invoke artistic license for the sake of your plot.

Other things to consider

The larger the role a well-known figure has in a story, the more research and care the writer must take in presenting them. Bringing George Washington into a scene or two is much easier to pull off than making him one of the main characters.

However you use well-known figures, don’t cheat your readers by making historical characters two-dimensional. Don’t be tempted to fall into lazy writing, assuming the reader already knows about the character so you don’t have to bother describing them. Historical characters deserve as much attention to description and characterization as fictional characters. Use the known details to your advantage. Which details would your POV character notice, and how would she feel about them?

Little-known historical people

Lesser-known historical figures can add the same note of credibility to your writing without the problems that come with using more well-known persons. There are plenty of real historical people who lived interesting lives, but for whom we now have only a handful of facts. That lack of information might frustrate a biographer, but it creates a prime opportunity for a fiction writer. The door is wide open to fill in all those blanks in whatever way suits your story.

Just take care that you stay within the boundaries of the facts that are known. You must honor the few details that are all that is left of the person’s legacy. When there are only a handful of details to keep track of, you have no excuse for getting them wrong.

Fictional characters based on real people

Sometimes a writer uncovers a fascinating historical person that would make a great story—except for a few bothersome details. If you cannot reconcile the facts with the story you want to write, or if the person’s story includes aspects you don’t want to face for one reason or another, there is another option: Create a completely fictional character based on the real one.

This technique allows you to start with the inspiration that a real person gives but then to develop a character that has the flaws, goals, attitudes and beliefs that suits your story, your themes, and your worldview.

Just be sure to play fair. If your fictional character bears more than a passing resemblance to a real person, don’t skew the character so far from the true story that it feels slanderous. Also, if a character is based significantly on a real person, give that person credit in an author’s note.

Bottom line: Don’t be afraid of including real historical characters in your story, but do your homework and don’t forget that real people need to be developed as much as fictional ones.

[bctt tweet=”Can a real historical character add punch to your story? #writing #writetips” username=””]

Lisa E. Betz believes that everyone has a story to tell the world. She loves to encourage fellow writers to be intentional about their craft and courageous in sharing their words with others. Lisa shares her words through dramas, Bible studies, historical fiction and her blog about intentional living.

Connect with her:

Website: www.lisaebetz.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LisaEBetzWriter/
Twitter: @LisaEBetz

Categories
Talking Character

Which Comes First, Plot Or Character?

Plot and character. Two halves of any great story. Both are critical, whether you are telling a character-driven literary story or a plot-driven spy thriller.

Disagree? Consider this quote:

Plot and character are integral to one another. Remove either one from the equation (or even just try to approach them as if they were independent of one another), and you risk creating a story that may have awesome parts, but which will not be an awesome whole. K. M. Weiland in Creating Character Arcs.

Or, to put it differently, consider this statement from Lisa Cron in Wired for Story:

Myth: The plot is what the story is about.
Reality: A story is about how the plot affects the protagonist.

So then, a good story is one where the plot affects the main character. Does that mean plot comes first?

Not necessarily.

I don’t think it matters where a writer begins, so long as you remember that the two are intertwined.  The character must have goals and issues that are challenged by the plot. The plot is nothing but a series of unconnected events unless there is a character whose struggles give them meaning. A writer cannot get too far along in one before he needs to consider the other.

The big mistake is to forget they are two sides of the same whole. The great discovery is when you allow your developing character to spark plot ideas, or vice versa.

Where do you start?

 

Character first

If you are a character-first writer, you begin by crafting an intriguing character. But at some point the character will need a goal, and obstacles that stand in his way. Remember, it is a reader’s anticipation of what the character will do next that sucks them into the story. A protagonist without a clear goal gives a reader no reason to care—and thus no reason to keep reading.

Therefore a character-first writer will need to consider the complex, flawed character you have created and ask what climax moment will force the hero to face the strongest of his inner demons. Come up with a climax that forces the character to dig deep, to strive against the enemy with every fiber of his moral and physical being, and then work the plot backwards from that moment.

Plot first

If you are a plot-first writer, you start with an intriguing what-if or an awesome idea for an amazing climax scene. But at some point you will need to create a character worthy of your plot. One whose inner demons threaten to keep her from defeating the opposition.

The most powerful stories are built on a character whose exterior plot goal is in direct conflict with her inner story goal. This is true whether the story has a classic character arc or not. Even in stories where the character does not change (a flat arc) she still needs to overcome something beyond the antagonist’s evil plans. That something might be as simple as convincing everyone around her that the evil villain is truly an evil villain, but the plot must force her to dig deep inside herself to find the strength to keep fighting when no one else believes.

Therefore, plot-first writers need to stop and consider what conflict of inner need and outer goal will might work with the plot. Create a believable character that embodies those two things, (giving the character enough backstory to explain the why of it) and you are well on your way to a great story.

[bctt tweet=”The character drives the plot, and the plot molds the character’s arc. They cannot work independently. K. M. Weiland #quote #writer” username=””]

Lisa E. Betz is a Bible study leader, drama director, and aspiring novelist. She lives with her husband and a neurotic cat in a scenic corner of Pennsylvania. When not teaching or sorting books at the library, Lisa blogs about intentional living at www.lisaebetz.com.

Connect with her:

Website: www.lisaebetz.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LisaEBetzWriter/
Twitter: @LisaEBetz

Categories
Talking Character

How to Create Great Character Bios by Lisa Betz

A character bio is a collection of information that delineates and describes a fictional character. It is a tool that helps a writer:

  • Create well-rounded, interesting, unique, characters
  • Understand who the character really is and what makes them tick
  • Ensure consistency in the character as the story progresses

Like any writing tool, character bios should be approached properly in order to achieve best results.

What is critical in a character bio?

  • Physical description. You don’t need to define every freckle, but you do need enough to satisfy readers and differentiate this character from others in the story. Don’t forget to consider how their size and features will affect the plot.
  • What temperament and attitude qualities make the character the perfect choice for the role she plays in the story? Start from her essence and then layer on traits that enhance her character, making her more believable and nuanced.
  • Pertinent backstory. Not a full life history, but the pieces of that history that are pivotal in making the character who he is at the start of the story. This includes the past event that knocked his world out of alignment and created the inner issue he struggles with in the story. It also includes whatever has inspired his motivation to achieve his story goal. In addition to those key elements, backstory may also include information on other significant issues, such as family dynamics or how he acquired the various skills he needs to make it through the plot.
  • Plumbing the depths. A character bio is where a writer should go deep into the character’s psyche. The more you explore her inner fears, secrets, shames, hopes and dreams, the better. Start from her inner issue and story goal, and push deeper, trying to understand all there is about those aspects of her character and how they affect the rest of who she is.
  • Other details, such as education, skills, mannerisms, family background, and preferences should be considered, when they are pertinent. For example, the character’s level of education will affect his speech patterns and vocabulary. His preference in music may be critical or completely irrelevant, depending on the plot.

Pitfalls to avoid when creating character bios

  • Coming up with random answers to random questions that have no bearing on the plot. Does it really matter what kind of ice cream your hero likes best or whether your heroine likes her middle name? It may be fun to think up answers to such questions, but it’s all too easy to pull the answers out of the air without considering how they suit your character or advance your plot. Worse yet, if you throw in a fascinating but irrelevant factoid, you will confuse your readers. For example, if you mention the hero is into falconry, readers will spend the rest of the story wondering how his falconry talents will be useful to the plot.
  • If you’ve spent hours considering your character’s every fear, triumph, and preference, you will naturally want to share those details with your readers. Use caution! If you flood readers with too many details they will quickly lose interest. Most of what you learn in a well-crafted character bio will never show up on the page, but it will inform every decision and action the character makes. Trust the process and use details sparingly.
  • Getting so involved in writing character bios that you never get around to writing the actual story. Enough said.

[bctt tweet=”Spend your time concentrating on the right information, and you will be well on your way to crating vibrant, memorable characters. Happy writing. #writer #writetip” username=””]

Lisa E. Betz is a Bible study leader, drama director, and aspiring novelist. She lives with her husband and a neurotic cat in a scenic corner of Pennsylvania. When not teaching or sorting books at the library, Lisa blogs about intentional living at www.lisaebetz.com.

Connect with her:

Website: www.lisaebetz.com

Facebook: Lisa E Betz Writer

Twitter: @LisaEBetz

Categories
Talking Character

Five Questions for Portraying Anger

Anger comes in many shades, from miffed to murderous. Each shade looks and feels different. When a person is miffed, he might roll his eyes or make a snarky comment. When a person is enraged to the point of being murderous, adrenaline is pumping through his body, making him tense, flushed, and ready to punch someone.

Anger expresses itself differently in different people. No two people respond to anger the same way. Some tend towards melodrama while others keep a tight rein on their emotions. For example: Some teachers constantly yell at their students in order control the classroom. Others rarely raise their voice. I remember being more terrified the one day my normally serene homeroom teacher raised his voice than I ever was at the threats of the constant shouters.

[bctt tweet=”With all this variability, writers must take care to describe anger in convincing and imaginative ways.” username=””]

Here are five questions to ask when a scene calls for anger.

  1. Where am I in the story? A story builds tension as it moves towards the climax. You want to slowly increase emotional intensity, and peak during the climax. That doesn’t mean your characters can’t be angry in earlier scenes, but do keep the overall arc in mind. You should allow your characters room to let their emotions grow and deepen, especially those that will be significant in the climax.
  2. What nuance am I looking for? Look up anger in a thesaurus and scan the synonyms. Select one that best captures the nuance of the emotion your character is feeling. Next, determine what sorts of physical and mental responses suit that specific emotion. A good resource for this is The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi.
  3. How does my character’s personality affect how she responds? Some temperaments are naturally more expressive than others. Some characters have volatile tempers while others have learned to stuff their emotions (until the clever writer forces them into a corner and suddenly they can’t hold them in any longer). Like in the school example above, one character’s shout may indicate frustration while another character would only shout when furious. Try to keep your characters’ responses consistent and appropriate for their personalities. And always keep in mind that your characters’ responses to anger are probably different from your own.
  4. Is the response appropriate for the situation? I remember a girl in high school who acted by using stock emotions that she put on and off like a mask. All angry scenes had the same intensity, regardless of the situation. If I had the emotional sophistication to detect this two-dimensional acting in high school, your readers can detect similar lack of authenticity in your characters. A character should not become irate when someone cuts in front of them in line—unless you have built the story to explain why the character reacts so out of proportion to the offense.
  5. What emotion(s) underlie the anger? Sometimes anger is just anger, but often the root of anger is some other emotion, such as fear, guilt, or shame. Humans often use anger to conceal other emotions, intentionally or unintentionally. Consider a character’s backstory and their inner issues. When is their anger response actually hiding something deeper? Do they realize it or not? How can you bring that deeper emotion to play on the page?

Anger. It’s a powerful emotion. Use it wisely.

[bctt tweet=”What other emotions does anger hide in your characters? #writer #amwriting” username=””]

Categories
Talking Character

Confused Characters Who Don’t Confuse Readers

The trickiest part about conveying confusion is to convey it clearly, without confusing the reader.  Ann Hood in Creating Character Emotions

From time to time our characters will be confused about something. Perhaps they’ve made assumptions that suddenly turn out to be incorrect. Perhaps someone says or does something that doesn’t make sense. Perhaps another character is intentionally trying to confuse them.

Whatever the situation, the writer must take pains to make sure the reader know what’s going on, even when the character doesn’t.

Two common pitfalls when portraying confusion:

  1. Sensory overload. Hit a character with enough simultaneous noises and actions and they’ll certainly become confused. However, the reader will be just as befuddled by the mass of details.

Example: Halfway to the mailbox, Sara heard her ringtone and rushed inside. Where had she left the phone this time? She almost tripped on a shoe her son had left by the front door, which woke the dog and started him barking. Gritting her teeth, Sara ran past the stupid dog to the kitchen in time to see her two-year-old dump an open box of cereal onto the floor and break into wails.

A vivid portrayal of confusion, but the reader doesn’t understand what it means unless the writer also shows what emotions the chaos creates for Sandy.

  1. Information that is meaningless to the reader. When you confuse a character with information he doesn’t understand, make sure the reader has an inkling of what it means.

Example: Jared unfolded the piece of notebook paper. Who was K. and why had she stuffed a note in his locker? What did she mean by ‘see you after school at the tree’? Which tree? There were like a million trees in this neighborhood alone.

Unless your readers know more than Jared, they will be just as confused as he is.

[bctt tweet=”Don’t make the reader befuddled just because your character is. #writers ” username=””]

Better strategies for portraying confusion:

  1. Let the reader in on the joke. Characters often mistakenly believe an action or comment means one thing, when in fact it means something else. Readers, however, don’t enjoy being purposely led astray, so make sure the reader is aware (or at least suspects) that the character is making a mistake. In example two above, imagine how much better it would work if the reader knows that K’s friend has the locker next to Jared’s. Now, instead of making the same mistake Jared makes, the reader will grin in anticipation for the awkward scenario to follow.
  2. Show the emotional source of the confusion. What readers really want to understand is why a character acts the way she does. I might improve example one by adding some of the emotions underlying the confusion, like this:

Example: Halfway to the mailbox, Sara heard her ringtone. Why did she always forget to put her phone back in her pocket? She hurried inside and almost tripped on a shoe her son had left by the front door. Uh oh. It wasn’t her turn to pick up the kids, was it? She couldn’t afford to forget again. She rushed into the kitchen. Thank the Lord, only one-fifteen. So who was calling at this hour? Had she forgotten an appointment?

  1. Show the character’s thought process as he tries to make sense of things. As the character works through a situation that doesn’t make sense, he naturally portrays confusion without the writer ever having to say as much.

Example: Jared unfolded the piece of notebook paper. Who was K. and why had she stuffed a note in his locker? Kayla was the only girl he knew whose name started with K, and she would never use sparkly pink ink. Maybe someone meant to put it in Tori’s locker instead? But how was he supposed find out? There was no way he was going to show the note to a girl as popular as Tori.

[bctt tweet=”Confused characters. We love them, just so long as they don’t confuse us, too. #amwriting” username=””]

[bctt tweet=”Pitfalls to avoid when writing portraying confused characters. #writetips #writer” username=””]

 

Categories
Talking Character

Are Your Characters Too Consistent?

Do you always tell the truth?

Do you use the same tone and vocabulary when speaking to your friends and your boss’s boss?

Do you behave consistently, even when you are stressed, tired, or suddenly facing a roomful of  screaming toddlers?

Probably not.

So your fictional characters shouldn’t either.

A fully developed character will act and speak differently based on the situation, the other people in the scene, his mood, or even his changing goals. A writer must be careful, however, to establish a character’s primary voice and modes of behavior before attempting to vary them. Otherwise a reader will likely assume a character who behaves inconsistently is due to author error rather than author intent.

When to allow your character to act inconsistently:

  • When the unexpected behavior or speech develops character. You’ve all seen the tough guy who turns into a marshmallow when interacting with small children—your characters can react in a similar (but less stereotypical) manner to show the reader a different side of their personalities.
  • When it enhances the plot in some way. Perhaps your normally calm character has an irrational fear of snakes. Mention the fact somewhere along the line, and then dump them into a critical situation that includes snakes. Now your runs away instead of confronting her nemesis (plot twist), or else conquers her fear of snakes and earns the reader’s respect.

Questions to ask when considering inconsistent behavior

  • What individuals or groups might cause a difference in behavior? For example, your hero is confident around friends and coworkers, but full of self-doubt when facing the boss. Or he’s generally friendly, except with the waitress at the local diner. (And why is that? You’d better tell us before the story is over.)
  • In what situations will the character tell the truth, try to evade the truth, or outright lie? Is he usually honest? Then it might be worthwhile putting him in a situation where he doesn’t want to tell the truth.
  • What groups or individuals bring out the softer side of a person? Alternately, who or what forces a naturally kind person to be insensitive or aggressive?
  • In what situations might my character feel safe enough to open up and risk being vulnerable? (And did they make the right choice, or do they lack judgment in this area?)
  • When will the heroine use formal speech, and when informal? What will cause her to swear if that is not her normal character?
  • What might cause a normally terse character to begin babbling? A chatty character to become non-communicative?
  • Don’t forget actions. In what situations might an energetic character grow lethargic, or a slow and methodical character become rash? Why might a character suddenly desist from an established habit? (Did he skip his third cup of coffee because his mother is visiting, or is there another reason?)

[bctt tweet=”Where and when might your characters act inconsistently? #amwriting #authenticity” username=””]

[bctt tweet=”How can you add depth to your characters through inconsistent behavior? #writing #writetip” username=””]

Categories
Talking Character

Give Your Character Attitude

Dig deep and you’ll find attitude, and when you find attitude, you find voice. ~ James Scott Bell in Voice: The Secret Power of Great Writing.

What kind of attitude does your main character display? Do her words drip with sarcasm? Is his inner monologue colored by his bleak outlook? If your character doesn’t ooze attitude, maybe you need to dig a little deeper.

These simple exercises will help you dig deep and explore your character’s attitude.

One-word lists

Make a list of ten or so words that your character would use to answer questions such as:

  • What are you most afraid of?
  • What keeps you up at night?
  • What are the dreams you are afraid to tell anyone about?
  • What makes your blood boil?
  • What turns you into a puddle of mush?

The more intrusive the questions, the better the results. You are trying to force your characters to reveal their deepest feelings, which will color their attitudes.

Connect the dots

Choose a random word from one of the above lists. Free-write about that word from your character’s POV. After a few minutes, randomly choose another word and connect it to what you’ve been writing. Write for a few minutes and then select another word and connect that to what has come before. Keep going as long as you like. Did you discover any interesting connections that surprised you? Did the combination of words take you down a path you would never have thought of? Did you unearth any gems of attitude that make your character more complex or in-your-face?

Do the unexpected

Imagine your character in a typical setting. Now, imagine they do something destructive, like smash an expensive vase, kick the dog, or set a building on fire. Brainstorm what might motivate the character to do such a thing. Keep digging until you discover something that resonates. How can you tap into this deep well of passion in the pages of your novel?

The autobiography

Imagine your character as an older person, twenty, or perhaps fifty years in the future. Put them in a situation where they are compelled to relate their past to someone. When the character remembers the incidents in your novel, how would he talk about them? What would he mention, and what would he rather not think about? What attitudes and revelations would hindsight have given him? How can this exercise inform his character arc?

Mood music

Choose a piece of music that has a distinct mood (romantic, suspenseful, victorious, jubilant). Instrumental music works best. I suggest pieces from sound tracks—especially from movies you haven’t seen recently. While listening to the music, free-write from the POV of your character. Try a journal entry, or plunk the character into a situation from the story and let them react however they like. The more they ramble about their feelings, the better. Now switch to a different piece of music and try again.

This exercise may be particularly useful if you are struggling to understand their reactions to a specific situation. Identify the emotion of the scene and listen to music that captures that mood. The emotions in the music might pull new emotion from the character.

In conclusion, the more attitude your characters exhibit, the more memorable they will be. A writer should not be a good parent, gently instructing our characters to be on their best behavior. Instead, we should prod our characters into letting their attitudes shine for all to see—rude comments and all.

[bctt tweet=”Does your character ooze attitude? #writer #attitude” username=””]

[bctt tweet=”Dig deep and you’ll find attitude, and when you find attitude, you find voice. James Scott Bell #quote” username=””]

[bctt tweet=”Five simple exercises to explore character attitude. #writetips #amwriting” username=””]

Categories
Talking Character

Developing Your Character’s Voice

I was once in a bus full of high school students when I heard a boy behind me read a single sentence. I immediately recognized the author.

That’s voice.

[bctt tweet=”A strong voice is distinct, memorable, and intriguing. #writetips ” username=””]

It can grab a reader like little else. A few examples:

One day soon they hang me for a rogue. Fair enough. I have earned it a hundred times over, I reckon, and that’s leaving out a lot of acreage. Stephen Lawhead in Scarlet

I am the most tolerant of women, but to join my husband, my son, and my butler in a discussion of our evening in an opium den … was really a bit too much. Elizabeth Peters in The Deeds of the Disturber

When it came to shopping for something that required as much hope and longing as a beautiful dress, I was like a child raised by wolves—or some other, more nervous animal. Rabbits, maybe.   Alyssa Harad in Coming to My Senses

So where does voice come from? The character? The writer?

Some of both, actually.

Three layers of discovering character voice

Layer one—the basics

Consider all you know about your character. His physical description, temperament, background, and demographics can all affect how he speaks. A well-educated or socially elite character will use different vocabulary and grammar than someone from the servant class. A character may be terse or chatty. He may favor colorful metaphors or concrete descriptions. He may use specific words or phrases that provide a hint of dialect, ethnicity, or historical setting.

Layer two—the deeper stuff

Next consider the character’s inner self. Bring together her two-word thumbnail, backstory, wounds, inner issues, and story goals. From this information, identify five or six key emotions that drive the character toward her story goal. Is she determined, bitter, and desperate or melancholy, yearning, and in love?

Layer three—the writer’s connection

Now that you’ve identified the style of a character’s speech and bored down their emotional essence, you need to find a way to connect with this particular character. Her story may be worlds away from anything you have experienced, but that’s OK. In this case, “write what you know” isn’t about having the same experiences, it’s about experiencing the same emotions. Come up with specific incidents in your own past where you experienced each of the emotions you identified in layer two. If you tap into those memories, you will be able to relate deeply to your character as you write.

Putting it together

You might think of layer one as informing the structure of a character’s voice, while layers two and three inform the content and attitude. Experiment with the voice by free-writing in first person, keeping in mind the style attributes of layer one and your emotional memories from of layer three. Push the character to ramble on about his inner fears or his wild dreams until you begin to sense his distinct voice. Don’t be timid. The more passion, the more risk, the stronger the voice. And don’t forget to have fun.

Voice is born from a lot of words and a lot of work — but not just any words or any work will do. You have to bleed a little. You have to shiver a little. You have to love a lot… Holly Lisle

[bctt tweet=”Where does voice come from? The character? The writer? or some of both? #writer” username=””]

[bctt tweet=”You have to bleed a little. You have to shiver a little. You have to love a lot. Holly Lisle #quote #voice” username=””]

Categories
Talking Character

Dos and Don’ts for Describing Characters

A writer must find the perfect balance when describing characters, especially when introducing them to a reader for the first time. The reader needs enough information to grasp who the character is, but too much information and the reader will likely skip to the next paragraph.

Or worse.

We writers know a lot about our characters. We’ve spent days crafting their descriptions, personalities and back stories. But when it comes to the descriptions we include in our stories, we must remember that we know much more than the reader needs (or wants) to know.

Here are a few tips to help you create awesome character descriptions

DON’T simply give a detailed description of the character’s physical appearance. This police sketch approach lacks emotion and does little to explain who the character is.

DO paint a picture that evokes emotion. Show who the character is rather than tell what they look like. Use dialogue or action to give the reader insight into their personalities.

DON’T introduce the character for the first time in a bland, forgettable way.

DO introduce a character by mentioning the most significant traits, and do so in as memorable a manner as possible.

DON’T include a catalog of irrelevant details. The reader will assume every detail you supply is important. If you mention the character is left-handed, the reader is going to expect left-handedness to be significant somewhere down the road. If it’s not going to be mentioned again, skip that detail.

DO choose only the most telling details, the ones that give is important insight into the character’s personality and attitudes, or that will become significant to the plot. If

DON’T create several characters who are so similar the reader gets them confused. (Unless that is a key ploy for your particular story, in which case the POV character should probably have problems keeping them straight, too.)

DO give characters a unique, easily described characteristic that helps the reader keep track of who’s who.

DON’T tell the reader details about a person that the POV character doesn’t know. Such author intrusions may have been common once upon a time, but they now feel forced or preachy.

DO describe a person through the lens of the POV character. The main character may have a very biased and inaccurate view of other characters, but that is OK. By flavoring each description with the main character’s thoughts and attitudes, you not only introduce other characters but also show us something new about the POV character.

DON’T allow all characters to describe a person in exactly the same way. Each POV character is likely to notice—and ignore—different aspects of a person’s appearance, behavior and personality.

DO show different sides of a character’s personality by allowing each POV character to display a unique attitude. One student’s favorite teacher is another student’s least favorite. By showing the teacher from both sides, the reader gets a more complex and authentic picture.

Most of all, DO have fun creating and describing your characters!

And DON’T give up. The world needs to hear the story only you can tell.

Categories
Talking Character

The Power of a Two-Word Character Thumbnail

Can you describe you characters with only two words?

I ran across this simple question in James Scott Bell’s excellent book Voice: The Secret Power of Great Writing. He suggests identifying a character’s dominant impression in two words—a noun that describes the character’s main vocation or purpose, and an adjective that sums up the character’s unique personality and/or attitude. I see the two words as sort of a thumbnail description of the character.

An example:

I decided the main character in my work-in-progress is an unconventional sleuth, while her sidekick is a sassy maid. Those descriptions are oversimplifications, but they point to something essential in the nature of the characters.

It wasn’t easy to boil each character down to two words, but I found the exercise worth it. Here’s why:

  1. Identifying a character’s two-word thumbnail helps me to be consistent. When I come upon those inevitable moments when I’m trying to decide how a character will react in a specific scene, my two-word thumbnail is often useful in determining which option best suits their dominant characteristics. Roxana, my sassy maid, will normally err on the side of stating her mind and speaking when she shouldn’t. Since this is the opposite of my normal tendency, keeping her sassiness in mind helps me maintain her unique character and voice.
  2. Searching for a two-word thumbnail for each character pinpointed which characters I don’t yet know well enough. For some characters, such as my heroine and her sidekick, creating a thumbnail was a matter of jotting down possible descriptors and then narrowing them down to the most apt choice. When it came to other characters, however, my descriptors were all over the place. I wasn’t sure whether Curio was a frustrated victim or a reformed rogue. The thumbnail exercise showed me where I need to flesh out back stories more fully in order to determine the primary essence of each character.
  3. They are a handy way to differentiate between secondary characters. I am working on a mystery, and several of the suspects are landlords. Assigning them adjectives like domineering, kindly, and secretive gives me a simple way to make sure each landlord remains distinct from the others.
  4. It helps my critique partners keep track of who’s who. Since we meet once a month, and it may be months between scenes with a given character, the thumbnail list helps them remember which character is which. It will also help when I am working on character descriptions and synopses.

Are you ready to come up with two-word thumbnails for your characters?  Are they straight-laced lawyers? Bitter sisters? Overconfident suitors?

Give it a try, and you’ll gain a few useful insights about them along the way.

[bctt tweet=”Author tools: Two-word thumbnails help a writer identify their character’s essence. #writetip ” username=””]

Categories
Talking Character

Your Character’s Skewed Worldview

In any good story, the protagonist can only achieve her external story goal by first overcoming a deep inner issue. (Her character arc is her journey to discover, wrestle with, and overcome this issue.)

What is this inner issue?

A belief or fear that gives her a skewed view of the world. In other words, her inner issue is a big fat Lie she believes, a Lie that leads her to act in ways that are unwise—and will ultimately lead to her failure unless she confronts the Lie and discovers a better truth.

Where does this inner issue come from?

Somewhere in your character’s past he encountered a traumatic event, or Wound, which initiated his skewed thinking. This does not mean your character must have been abused or suffered severe trauma. The Wound might be a broken promise, or a word of condemnation, anything that incites the character to believe some lie about himself or how he must survive in his world.

You must know precisely when, and why, your protagonist’s worldview was knocked out of alignment. Lisa Cron in Wired for Story

If you know what initiated your character’s belief in the Lie, you’re halfway to helping him overcome it. K. M. Weiland in Creating Character Arcs.

An Example:

In my current manuscript, a Roman aristocrat named Avitus was badly burned as a youth, and as a result his face, chest and left arm are scarred. Because of this scarring, he was ridiculed and rejected by the peers who had once been his friends.

That rejection is his Wound. It caused him to believe that he was ugly and unlovable (the Lie). To protect himself from further rejection, he became a loner, only trusting others who, like him, have been rejected in some way.

However, a stipulation in his father’s will requires him to marry before he can inherit his share. So long as he remains in his skewed worldview—where he believes he is unlovable—he will remain safely behind his wall of dispassionate self-control.

In order to win the respect of his potential spouse, he must realize that it is the Lie that made him unlovable, not his scars. Only by dropping his mask of indifference and becoming vulnerable can he hope to convince her to marry him.

Further thoughts on your character’s Wound

  • Identifying a specific wounding event helps the writer create a more authentic character.
  • The Wound often lies in the past, long before the story starts, although in some cases the Wound occurs in the early scenes of your story.
  • The more skewed the character’s worldview (the bigger the Lie), the more serious the Wound must be.
  • In some cases, the character’s wound is revealed as the story progresses. In others the readers never learns about the Wound, but it still informs how the character behaves.

[bctt tweet=”What big fat Lie does your character believe, and what Wound initiated this belief? #amwriting” username=””]