Tag: characters

Categories
Romancing Your Story

A Trope with a Twist

Readers, particularly romance readers, love stories that feel familiar—shorthand for they use tropes—but also seem new and bring a surprise. As writers, how do we craft novels that deliver on all counts?

There are several strategies to writing fresh stories that still feel as comfortable as a warm sweater on a cold day. Let’s look at just a few:

Twist a Common Trope

Enemies to Lovers is a popular trope that can have several variations. The hero and heroine can dislike each other for their personal points of view, such as in Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have different worldviews and values which lead them to disagree about virtually everything. Or the protagonists can actually be friendly personally, but enemies professionally, such as in Mr. and Mrs. Smith who are in “love” but also rival assassins. Or in Two Weeks Notice, Sandra Bullock’s and Hugh Grant’s characters were different both personally and professionally but finally realized their differences attracted them to each other and made them compatible.

Combine Tropes

Another Sandra Bullock movie, The Proposal, combined Enemies to Lovers and Fake Relationship, with a dash of Forced Proximity. Ryan Reynolds (along with all of Bullock’s other employees) hated her because she was rigid, mean, and cold. She needed a fiancé to avoid deportation. He agreed to her proposal to pretend to be in a relationship because of what she could do for him professionally. One element of that movie I appreciated was the change in Bullock’s appearance. As she grew to care for Reynolds and his family, she softened. She let her hair down (literally), and she dressed more casually.

Another great combination, Forbidden Love (Romeo and Juliet) plus Forced Proximity (Green Card) guarantees sparks on the page.

Unfamiliar Settings

Sticking with Sandra Bullock (and why not?), let’s talk about The Lost City. Set on a tropical island, both Bullock’s and Channing Tatum’s characters are out of their elements and forced to work together to escape the crazed billionaire who’s kidnapped Bullock’s romance novelist character. There’s also a Forced Proximity combination with Loretta (Bullock) and Alan (Tatum) on the run together.

No matter the tropes you choose to combine, there are some things to keep in mind:

  • Characters. They should always have great backstories and motivations that work with the trope. For a Second Chance story, both protagonists will have shared memories with emotional layers. Use those emotions to help your reader connect with the characters.
  • Conflict and Resolution. The conflict should be genuine, not something that could be resolved with a discussion. It needs to stem from who the characters are and what they believe. The resolution should be a result of growth and lessons learned.

With the many, many romance tropes available to writers, the combinations for something new and fun yet familiar are nearly endless. To paraphrase a current credit card commercial, “What’s in your Trope Wallet?”

Pull it out and put it to work.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever afters. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. She recently signed a contract with Sunrise Publishing to co-write a romance novel with New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck that will be published in 2022. Carrie and her husband live in the country with their high-maintenance cat and laid-back dog, within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

Categories
The Picky Pen

How to Edit Characters

As we continue this editing series how we can develop a great story, I hope you’re able to see that the elements of storytelling hinges on more than concept and characters. By having all the layers in place before actually writing, you can have a clearer idea of where your story is going. Or if you’ve already written your book, how to make sure all the layers are in place so that you give your readers a delightful reading experience.

The sixth layer in developing a great story is developing your character within your story, whether nonfiction or fiction.

Your character is your readers’ best friend. Your character makes or breaks the story. Your character helps readers grow. Your character has influence on all other characters in the story. Your character must create empathy in your readers.

How to Edit Your Characters

  • What does your character want most?
  • What are winsome/lose-some qualities about your character?
  • How is your character motivated?

What does your character want most?

As you know, in storytelling, it’s really what drives the main character. What do they want? And the best way to show that is to show the character interacting with themselves, other characters, and the events of the story.

As I’ve said before, the greater the need, the bigger the story. So if your character wants to fly around the world, not in eighty days, but in ten, how on earth is this possible, and why do they want to do something so impossible? If your character wants to fulfil a promise to a dying loved one, then what is the internal satisfaction they’ll gain from it? Don’t just have your character want to go out on a date for the first time in twenty years; give your character a reason for wanting to do so, and maybe the motivation for waiting so long.

We must ask ourselves the following potential questions (not exhaustive, by any means):

  • Does what your character wants stem from their past experiences, even before the book opens up?
  • Does what they want stem from something that just happened within the story itself? For example, they want changes. (For this to work, you’d have to have a really good reason, and you’d have to set up the story really well.)
  • Does what your character want leap off the first page, or within the first five pages?
  • Why does your character want what he/she wants?
  • Is your character’s desire from someone else’s expectation or from their own?
  • What would your character do if he/she didn’t get what they wanted?
  • What would he/she do if they got what they wanted?

What are winsome/lose-some qualities about your character?

I say winsome or lose some because if we had a character that was Goody Two-shoes all the time, I think we’d be throwing the book at the wall.

It’s better to have a character with a deep struggle that they grapple with throughout the book, and come to accept by the end. Maybe that deep struggle becomes their saving grace. If your character’s winsome qualities can somehow compliment their lose some qualities, that is even better, because it’s the constructive qualities that present the greatest challenges and victories.

These qualities can be internal, external, philosophical, esoteric, or however you choose them to be. And the more you mix them up or the quirkier they are, the stronger your character will be.

How is your character motivated?

Propelling the character forward through the plot is tough. Not gonna lie. It’s that delicate balance between stop, listen to the birdsong, and go, race through the sun-splashed woods.

In making the most of your character throughout the story, it’s important to understand why he/she is doing what they’re doing. It’s important to dive deep into the outer and inner motivations. If they want to make a trip cross country but are delayed by a snowstorm, do they drive forward anyway? What if your character doesn’t get what they want in the first place … do they flip the coin to see what their next option is, or do they sit and stew for days and days, until someone helps them snap out of it?

Whatever your character’s motivation, readers should be on pins and needles on your character’s behalf—because you have created a winsome character that tends to lose some sometimes. It’s all part of the character journey.

Secret Sauce to the Best Character Development. Ever.

“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.”

Henry David Thoreau

“We become the books we read.”

Matthew Kelly

The books we read. The characters we create. Both of these speak to the integrity and endurance of the fictional characters we create, or the real-life characters we write about in our nonfiction.

Each writer and author benefits from exploring their characters inside and out, while asking “why?” at every turn when crafting their character’s reactions and responses throughout the story because it’s really the secret sauce to writing a great story that captivates agents, editors, readers, marketers, and the person who wouldn’t necessarily pick up a book and read it.

Questions? Comments? I’d love to engage in the conversation with you! Drop your question or comment in the chat below, and I’ll look forward to responding!

Your Turn!

What is the best quality or trait about your character, and why?

What is your favorite character in a book or movie, and what makes you like or dislike them?

Tisha Martin writes historical fiction and articles, and edits full time for beginning and best-selling writers and publishing houses. Since 2017 she has edited and evaluated 250 books, and written a plethora of back-cover and marketing book copy. She has a bachelor’s in Professional Writing, a master’s in English Education, and an editing certificate from the PEN Institute. Her nonfiction contribution “The Meaning of an Heirloom” for The Horse of My Dreams: True Stories of the Horses We Love is available from Revell. Learn more at www.tishamartin.com.

Categories
A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

Oh, Happy Day(s)

lighter look at a writer's life

Thank God for retro television channels.

I never pictured myself as a “golden oldie.” I used to cringe whenever my parents or other relatives would switch the radio to a “classics” channel. Now, I have found myself in a time of life where my favorites are now the oldies.

Come on over that hill with me!

I don’t know about you, but the news has been driving me a wee bit crazy lately. Correct that—it has been driving me ABSOLUTELY BONKERS. Mind you, I know I don’t need to stick my head in the sand and ignore everything; I need to be informed. But the bombardment of negativity can get to me.

Enter retro TV. One of these channels recently began airing one of my favorites at evening news time—Happy Days.

Thank you, Mr. or Ms. Program Director.

Instead of watching Norah, Lester, or David, I’ve been watching Richie, Potsie, and Ralph Malph . . . and, of course, the Fonz.

My relationship with these characters began when I was in middle school (Have I mentioned I’m an oldie?), when all of us guys wanted to be cool like the Fonz. I’m now watching the show with many miles and much writing experience behind me, and I have noticed some important changes.

Episodes in the first two years of Happy Days were like mini-coming-of-age movies, with Richie, Potsie, and Ralph at the center and Fonzie on the periphery, definitely an ancillary character. In the third season premiere and beyond, the show changed dramatically. Not only did producers change from film to tape—they changed the central character. Move over, Richie.

The savvy writers and producers realized Fonz, expertly played by Henry Winkler, was the breakout character, so, beginning in the third season, he appeared front and center in nearly every episode and storyline. He was soon doling advice to Richie and the gang, jumping his motorcycle over barrels, and smashing cars in a demolition derby, not to mention infamously jumping the shark.

As writers, we must be on the lookout for breakout characters, those creations who seem to jump off the page (not over the shark). By listening to our characters and responding to the ones who seem to be the most charismatic, we will grip our readers and keep them coming back for more. We have to be willing to change direction, if necessary, to liven up things. If it worked for the Fonz, it will work for us.

AAAAYYY! Don’t be a nerd—sit on it! Your writing chair, that is.

Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate–all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.

Categories
History in the Making

The History of Your Characters

History in the making

When we think of “historical”, we think the story is set in a historical time period, and many of us have a favorite time period – the Victorian Age, the Renaissance, the Old West, or any one of so many more. We imagine poring over history books, encyclopedias, or websites that provide information about the time period so that we can be sure the historical parts of our fiction stories are accurate.

What about the history of your characters? This is otherwise known as “backstory”. The history or backstory of our characters can be just as important, maybe even more important, than the history of our time period.

Just like people in real life, your characters need a history. You can’t write accurately portray a character without knowing their back story. Just like real people, the histories of your characters are important to who your character is. Their history has an effect on the character and personality of your character. It may even be important to their motivation and goals.

Therefore, whether you are a pantser, plantser, or plotter, you need to create a backstory for your characters before you write your story. The better you know and understand your characters’ histories, the more realistic and believable you can make them.

Do you have to create a backstory for every character? No, I wouldn’t say that. I would say it is most important to have well-developed backstories for your main characters, and at least a good idea of the backstories of the minor characters make regular appearances in your story.

Even though you need a thorough backstory for your characters, you won’t include all of their backstory in your novel. You will only include what you need for your readers to understand your characters.

For example, your twenty-eight year old female character is terrified of being outside in a thunderstorm. Why? Maybe in her backstory, when she was a little girl, she witnessed a tragedy that took place during a thunderstorm – maybe a tree struck by lightning fell on a relative and they were badly injured or killed, maybe she was raised by an abusive parent who locked her outside during a thunderstorm, or maybe lightning struck a tree stump near her and it burst into flames. I’m sure you can come up with more possibilities that would cause her to still be afraid of thunderstorms as an adult woman.

Why might this be important to the story? Well, maybe a thunderstorm begins quickly, with little to no warning, and her little boy is outside and she has to go out to bring him into the house or maybe she’s on her way home and there is no where to go to get out of the storm along the road she’s traveling and her only option is to get home.

I hope, by these examples, you can see how important your character’s backstory can be and how it can add tension to your story.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

Website: https://kellyfbarr.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyb_26

Facebook: Kelly F. Barr, Writer

Categories
Courting the Muse

Why Stealing Characters from History Isn’t Just for Historical Fiction

As writers, we’re generally in the business of creating our own inspiration. When it does strike us unbidden, we know it’s a rare gift that can’t be squandered.

The problem is, even when our muses turn suddenly, spontaneously generous, they rarely shower us with all the inspiration we need to produce a complete work. Some fragment of a story might flare lightning across our minds — a striking premise or a single, unforgettable scene. But in that same Eureka moment, we don’t always get the setting, the conflict, or the characters we need to turn that inner prompt into a rich and powerful story.

If you’re in need of characters to anchor a compelling concept and give it a human touch, you can always opt for the stereotypical solution — writing what you know and transforming all your friends and loved ones into thinly veiled fiction. But if you want a wider, wilder range of characters to play with, why not turn to historical figures?

As a PhD student in history, I got into the discipline for the characters I encountered in textbooks. There was the mystic who wept her way through the Holy Land, disturbing her fellow pilgrims. The historian who chose castration over death, so he could finish the work his father started. The emperor who turned rulership into theater, demanding his subjects applaud him when he sang.

Any of these real-life figures would add depth and color to a novel or short story — whether or not it’s set in their native time and place. In my opinion, writers who don’t specialize in historical fiction can steal characters from history to tremendous effect. They’re not beholden to the strictures of fact, and they can even mix and match — welding, for instance, a famous painter’s precocious childhood to a rakish scientist’s turbulent marriage. Think of this as an act of narrative collage: piecing together, from a rich store of existing materials, the perfect character for your narrative needs.

Some of my favorite, non-historical novels have leaned on characters inspired by history — plucked from our past and transported to new worlds of the author’s creation. Ken Liu’s Nebula-nominated fantasy novel The Grace of Kings, for instance, rewrites material I studied extensively in grad school: an early Chinese historical account of the turbulent transition between the Qin and Han dynasties. (The author of the source text? The castrato-historian I mentioned earlier!)

In Liu’s vivid, imaginative retelling, Liu Bang — the brash and charismatic man who would become the first Han emperor — becomes Kuni Garu. He’s a hard-drinking, fast-talking charmer who shares the historical Liu’s contradictions: beneath each man’s loutish, workaday exterior lurks the potential for majesty.

As my example suggests, historically inspired character development works especially well for speculative fiction — we’ve seen plenty of sci-fi novels in recent years with settings modeled on, say, imperial Rome or the Byzantine Empire. Still, this technique should work just as well for other genres. Can you imagine a contemporary novel that transposes Virginia Woolf onto the world of digital media? Or a mystery series where the sleuth is based on Tanaquil LeClercq, the ballerina whose stage career was cut short by polio — and who reinvented herself as a dance teacher, demonstrating combinations with her arms and hands?

In the end, the figures you’ll encounter in history are more than lists of dates. They were human beings, with formative influences and inner conflicts, immortal longings and deferred dreams. Let them into the world of your story, and they just might surprise you with what they do.

Lucia Tang is a writer for Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the book industry’s best editors, designers, and marketers. To work on the site’s free historical character name generators, she draws on her knowledge of Chinese, Latin, and Old Irish —  learned as a PhD candidate in history at UC Berkeley. You can read more of her work on the Reedsy Discovery blog, or follow her on Twitter at @lqtang.

Categories
Romancing Your Story

Writing a Strong Heroine

Editors often say they’re looking for stories with “strong female characters.” Many writers take that to mean the heroine should be bold and brave or demanding and difficult. But I think what it really means is that the character should be memorable, someone you’d want to know and someone you’d respect. Someone who stays with you, even after the story ends.

This month we’re talking about your heroine, the female lead. It’s easy to write a character who is a stereotype. The career gal in stilettos. The mousy librarian. The harried housewife. Then we think we’re being creative by making the character the opposite of the stereotype. Or putting her into a situation that will create conflict with the stereotype. The career gal falls for a rugged outdoors guy. The librarian moonlights as a stripper. The housewife is a spy. All of those have been done and done well. But as my writing mentor used to say, let’s “go deeper.”

Some of the most best romance heroines I’ve read were memorable because they were so well crafted that when I finished each book I could say I knew those women.

The widowed and grieving mom in Rachel Higginson’s The Five Stages of Falling in Love, Liz Carlson, was overwhelmed, falling apart yet strong enough to risk loving again.

The first Kristan Higgins book I read, Catch of the Day, turned me into a lifelong Higgins fan, because of the heroine, Maggie. She opens the book confessing to being in love with a priest.

In Susan May Warren’s, My Foolish Heart, Isadora Presley is an agoraphobic heroine who gives advice to the lovelorn in her small town.

Each of these characters stayed with me because I traveled their journeys with them. I walked with Liz as she dared to fall in love again, even if it meant risking losing someone else she loved. Isadora and I took baby steps outside to the front porch, then to the sidewalk, and eventually to the coffee shop and then into the world.

So, how do we create a strong heroine that stays with the reader after they close the book?

Their strength has to come from who they are, not what they do.

This doesn’t mean every strong heroine has to have grown up in the foster care system, or be from an abusive background. It doesn’t mean she had to have overcome something horrible or difficult in the past. But it does mean she has to have had experiences that have affected her, that have molded her into who she is when we meet her.

An agoraphobic character sounds like the opposite of a strong lead, but Isadora Presley turned out to have plenty of steel in her. Her strength came from inside. Not from her job. Not from power suits and stilettos. She survived an accident that killed her mother. That gave her the power to overcome her agoraphobia and rejoin the world.

Strength isn’t something we’re born with. It’s something we exercise and use and grow. It’s the same for our characters. The stronger they are, the more problems we can throw at them. And the more threats they overcome, the more your reader roots for them. And the more your reader loves them, the longer your reader will remember them. But not as a fictional character in a book. As a friend.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever after. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. Carrie and her Stud Muffin live in Central California with their cat and dog and within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

Twitter: CarriePadgett

Instagram: carpadwriter

Facebook: WriterCarriePadgett

Amazon Author Page: Carrie Padgett

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

The Beginner’s Guide to Props – Using Them to Show Character

You know the phrase, all an actor needs is an empty room and a script? I’ve heard that idea dispelled by an acting coach. Why? Because actors need something to react to, something to work with. A good actor uses the space around him to define his character, personality, and intentions.

In the same way, a good writer puts characters in environments that show their personality, without telling their intentions.

When it comes to fantasy and science fiction, this is especially important. In past centuries writers could get away with long pages of exposition, but in today’s Netflix era, where the next episode is just seconds away, we need readers to want to turn pages faster than Netflix changes episodes.

How to do so? Easter eggs. Easter eggs are a simple way to reference – or show – something deeper within a scene, without ever mentioning it.

Let’s say your character is sitting in the woods. They’re not just any woods, but woods you’ve taken hours to create and build into your fantasy. Your character sits down on a clean, expensive blanket. He or she opens a leather bag and takes a glass bottle full of your world’s equivalent to a specialty drink. They open a fiction novel with a title correlating to something they’d be interested in. In your select sentences of narrative, you mention that it’s morning and there’s a warm breeze.

Based on the above, what do you we know about your character?

  • He’s rich, or at least has high quality taste (expensive blanket, specialty drink in a glass bottle).
  • He’s interested in _____ type of pleasure reading (based on the title you choose for the book).
  • He’s an early riser and appreciates the small pleasures of a morning sunrise on a warm day.

What if we changed the props? How could something as simple as props show the depth of your character? Let’s give it a try.

Your character sits on the ground, ignoring the muddy leaves. He pulls a tattered blanket around his shoulders and a plastic, battered water bottle from a used backpack. Finally, he grabs a book with the title of a difficult school subject, and opens to the first, underlined page.

This time we could deduce:

  • He’s not bothered by dirt, or is too concerned with other things to focus on where he sits.
  • He doesn’t have much money.
  • He’s willing to spend what he does have to further his own study, and either doesn’t worry about the book being new, has used it extensively, or simply can’t afford something nice.

Depending on your specific fantasy setup, you can further play around with these props. Make the drink relate to some aspect of your world, show the bag was made from nearly extinct dragon skin, etc. A few, purposeful props can give countless insights into your character.

What types of props show your character’s motives? Let me know in the comments!

Sarah Rexford is a Marketing Content Writer, working with brands to grow their audience reach. She studied Strategic Communications at Cornerstone University and focused on writing during her time there, completing two full-length manuscripts while a full-time student. Currently she trains under best-selling author Jerry Jenkins in his Your Novel Blueprint course and is actively seeking publication for two books.

Instagram: @sarahjrexford
Twitter: @sarahjrexford
Web: itssarahrexford.com

Categories
Romancing Your Story

Should Your Christian Novel’s Hero be Perfect?

When writing a Christian romance novel, should your hero be perfect?

I entered a writing contest a few years ago that required me to submit part of my WIP. My entry didn’t make it past the first round judges because one of the judges scored low due to being highly offended that my hero told a lie. The notes from this judge stated that I would never find a Christian publisher willing to publish my book if my hero wasn’t perfect.

As a writer who studies the writing craft, is very involved in the writing world, and reads a lot of Christian romance and Christian historical romance novels, I believe this judge was sadly mistaken. In the novels I read, the heroes are not perfect, and neither are any of us in real life. That’s why we need a Savior. The fact that a story’s hero is not perfect allows the reader to identify and sympathize with the hero. It makes the hero believable and realistic to the reader. If a reader cannot connect with our hero, they may put the book down, never to pick it up again. We certainly don’t want that!

Our hero’s imperfections also serve another purpose—the purpose of creating conflict in the story, a necessary ingredient in our writing recipe. The hero may struggle with his or her imperfections, creating internal conflict. The imperfections could also create tension and conflict between the hero and his or her love interest or with his or her environment, creating external conflict. If you like, you can use the imperfections to create both internal conflict within the hero and external conflict with a love interest or the environment. Of course, your hero’s imperfections shouldn’t be the only source of conflict.

You also need to choose your hero’s imperfections carefully. For instance, you wouldn’t want your hero to struggle with cussing in a Christian novel. However, remember that as you write, your hero should change from the beginning of the story to the end, and every story needs to have conflict that will be resolved by the end of the book. If your hero is perfect from the very beginning of the story, how will he or she grow and change? Remember, you want your readers to like your hero, to find your hero believable, and to journey with your hero as he or she grows and changes throughout the story. Readers want to be able to root for your hero.

My name is Kelly F. Barr and I am a new columnist here at Almost an Author. I am so excited to be part of this team. I am a historical romance writer, and I will be writing four posts a year here on the romance page and four posts a year on the historical page.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

Website: kellyfbarr.com

Twitter: kellyb_26

Facebook: Kelly F. Barr, Writer

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Why Disabled Characters Should Be Included in Your Spec Fic Novel

What does “disabled” mean? Generally, it covers everything from physical limitations, such as blindness or deafness or not possessing specific body parts; to mental illnesses that impact a person’s opportunity to live without ongoing treatment and care; to conditions such as Down’s Syndrome and autism, which are classified as intellectual disabilities.

In many sci-fi and fantasy tales, characters like this can be hard to come by. Heck, sometimes they’re difficult to find in contemporary or even historical fiction (and historically, we know that it was quite common for people to become disabled through disease, war, or accident). So why are they somewhat of a mythical creature in spec fic genres?

Well, it seems to be a combination of lots of science fiction including the possibility that all sickness and impairments can be wiped out; and the notion in epic fantasy that magic could serve as a healing source. Not that I’m bashing any of this. Would our present lives be better without cancer? Yes, of course.

But what about the value of portraying characters who don’t see their disability as a problem? (Just like so many patients, veterans, and folks managing genetic conditions every day in the real world.)

Personally, I’m all for a blind wizard who’s still the best mentor to the boy who would be king; a deaf space shuttle engineer who saves the day; a former warrior with a replacement something who trains the next generation to kick some serious evil rear.

And intellectual disabilities are even more overlooked – not on purpose, just simply due to awareness of what these conditions entail purely not existing on a grand scale in our society. As an adult on the autistic spectrum, the parent of a son with high-functioning autism, and of a little one receiving physical, speech, and occupational therapy nearly since his birth – and as an avid SFF reader – I can concur, there aren’t a lot of fictional people like us out there.

Right there is another, very good reason to expand what sorts of characters you write: Some of your readers will be thrilled to see themselves represented in a medium where they typically aren’t.

So how do you create realistic disabled characters for fantastical or invented settings?

Do your research. It’s one of the most common phrases writers hear, but for infinitely good reason. It’s crucial to the authenticity of a story to find out as many details as you can about the topic at hand, whether it’s deep sea diving, quilting, alternative fuel sources, or disabilities.

Don’t rely solely on medical journals or textbook explanations of conditions. Find real life individuals to interview. Even if you don’t know someone personally, maybe relatives or friends have family members or acquaintances who would be willing to share their life experiences. (And a lot of folks are willing.)

Keep an open mind. Some conditions or illnesses that are legally and medically classified as “disabilities” are in fact not seen that way by the people who have them. And let’s face it, it can be really hard and even frustrating to feel that writing a “disabled” character must mean writing a downtrodden and pessimistic personality. Many abled people do assume that the non-able approach life like this. The truth is, so many of us do not – and wouldn’t it be refreshing to read about a character with MS or one hand or chronic depression who saw the best and brightest things in life?

What’s your ultimate goal? Are you portraying a disabled character to help others gain insight? Are you writing someone of a victim mentality, or an optimist? Or maybe you’re starting out with the former, and showing their journey to the latter. There are already a lot of stereotypes in art and literature surrounding this topic, so let’s do our best to break the mold!

Self-published author and blogger Daley Downing is also a stay at home parent, autistic adult, ballet teacher, and cat lover. She spends her days writing the YA fantasy series “The Order of the Twelve Tribes,” and wrangling special needs children.

Categories
The Picky Pen

How to Edit Your Character

We’re heading into a New Year. Perhaps you’ve finished a novel during Nanowrimo. Maybe you’re plotting a new story to begin writing in January. New Year, new goals, new story, right? I’d like to touch a little on how to edit your character. This might be something you tuck away and pull out after you’ve finished your discovery draft, or something you’re ready to use if you’ve completed your draft during the November writing frenzy.

I’d like to share a blurb from a well-loved classic to delve into the art of editing your character so that their inner/outer journey, actions, and dialogue is specific to the special person you’ve created. These elements will apply to both fiction and non-fiction.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a leading example of the depth of story through the power of its characters and how each character is important to the plot. We see all of the main elements in Jane’s character that really endear her to us: background, personality, appearance, and journey.

Background

Jane in Jane Eyre came from a horrible background. She thinks she will be nothing more than a servant because that’s what she’s been told as a young girl. However, she desires to be more, and applies at Thornfield Hall as the new governess. And throughout this new experience, we see Jane struggle with feelings of being good enough for her new position, but how she chooses to react to those past situations in light of her interactions with Mr. Rochester eventually allows her to influence Mr. Rochester’s life.

What about your characters? Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, you have many different characters who all play a part in your story. Your main character drives the story, and the other characters enhance what your main character does. What brought your characters to the beginning of your story?

Personality

When Jane first meets Mr. Rochester, she thinks he’s an angry person, but he does not scare her. What does that tell you of her personality? Her background of being treated unkindly and unfairly is characterized in her personality. She is not afraid of Mr. Rochester because she has learned how to respond to less-than-desirable actions from others. Jane’s gentle, firm, and idealistic personality is consistent throughout the novel, which creates a compelling character in Jane, and one that readers admire and love.

What about your story? What motivates your character to do the things they do, say what they say, or react and respond to different events within the story? In a non-fiction manuscript, your character’s personality will enhance the illustrations for each point you’re trying to

make and the content will really come alive for your readers. Developing these elements will ensure your character has a depth of personality that will affect your readers.

Appearance

Jane thinks she is plain, but in the end Mr. Rochester thinks she is the most beautiful person he’s ever seen, even though he has lost his sight due to the fire. Why is this? Jane’s inner character shines through to her outward appearance in her tone, mannerisms, and attitude.

What about your characters? Your readers will gauge your characters’ general appearance (hair color, eye color, skin tone, height), but it’s the inner appearance we create that will give readers a deeper understanding and appreciation for your characters. For example, a reader may find a character’s smile to be endearing, while the character themselves may think that their smile makes them look awkward because they have a crooked smile. When we describe the characters in our manuscript, we may be compelled to give a list of all of our character’s features. However, this type of character description bogs down the story. The trick is to describe characters in a way that is natural, and that is through your character’s actions in each scene.

Character’s journey

There are two kinds of journeys for your character. The inner journey and the outer journey. Each journey motivates the character throughout the story and engages the reader in your character’s life. What is the inner journey and the outer journey supposed to look like? The outer journey is what the character wants, and the inner journey is the inner struggle of that desire.

Jane wants to be treated not as a servant but as an equal. She wants independence, but she also wants someone to love her. The story shows how she displays that independence by standing up to Mr. Rochester’s indifferent attitude toward her. But with her inner journey, her struggle, she fears that she is not his equal because of their class differences, and she also fears that she might lose her independence, even though she desires to marry Mr. Rochester.

What about your characters? What does your character want? What is your character struggling with? What are they afraid of? What do they have to lose? Your characters will go through a series of emotional arcs. Michael Hague describes a character arc as a journey from living in fear to living courageously. Whether fiction or nonfiction, you decide what your character or reader wants. Then you structure the different events that your character goes through with the inner journey of how they are internalizing the events around them based on their outer journey, what they want.

Wrap-Up

The key here is to create a trail of breadcrumbs that leads your readers from Point A to Point B, keeps them guessing at how the character is going to get what they want, and what might get in their way and prevent them from getting what they want. And these four elements of your character’s background, personality, appearance, and journey set the stage for an engaging reading experience that whisks your readers away to a world of characters—and story—your readers will never forget.

Please take a minute and join in the discussion! I’d love to hear from you!

What’s your favorite character from a novel you’ve read, and what makes that character special to you? How can you enhance your own characters by the characters you read about in other books?

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
Talking Character

Building Characters: Start with What You Know

If you’ve ever been involved in building a house or a major remodeling project, you understand how overwhelming it can be to make all the decisions the builder demands. Creating a character from scratch can feel just as daunting. Temperament, hair color, weaknesses, fears, favorite ice cream, childhood pets, past relationships, education…

How do you know which answers are right? Where do you start?

Start with what you know.

However formed or fuzzy the character is, you know something about her. So begin by writing down everything you know.

What do you know about…

  1. The part she plays in the story? Is she the heroine? The sidekick? The bratty kid who always gets to be first? Define the part she will play as much as you can.
  2. The attributes she will need to be good at the part? A sleuth needs to be inquisitive, clever, and willing to risk danger in order to track down clues. A military officer needs courage, stamina, and a sense of duty. What are the key attributes your character needs to be believable in the role?
  3. The skills, knowledge, hobbies or experiences she will need to draw on? Does the plot involve swordplay? Ballet? Horseback riding? A narrow escape through storm drains? Pretending to be a professional chef? List all the bits and pieces of story ideas and consider what the character will need to get through the challenges.
  4. The backstory facts you already know she’ll need? Jot them down and then do some free writing to see what other gems you may uncover as you build a life story around those facts.
  5. What physical attributes and demographic info make sense? Based on what you’ve written down so far, and what your gut tells you, list the details that seem obvious or fit your mental image of the character. If you have no idea what color her eyes are, skip that detail for now and focus on whichever details you do know.
  6. Random trivia. Sometimes a character inspiration comes out of some quirky combination of colorful tidbits. The girl at the coffee shop who always wears purple and owns a pet boa constrictor, for example. Jot down any miscellaneous information you have about the character. Who knows where it might lead.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly—don’t be afraid to change things.

Writing down what you know is only the beginning of the process. As you become better acquainted with your characters you will reevaluate and refine the details. Give yourself permission to make intentional changes.

Consider this the foundation from which the real character will grow and mature.

Happy character-building.

[bctt tweet=”When building a character, start with what you know. #writer #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 mysteries, and her blog about intentional living. You can find her on Facebook  LisaEBetzWriter and Twitter @LisaEBetz

Categories
Screenwriting

Keep It Real

My number one pet peeve with Christian films is their unrealistic characters. Christian protagonists seem to be too good to be true, almost inhuman. Even the flawed characters tend to transform into a super Christians with ease.

What little struggles they encounter are quickly remedied by a traditional Bible verse or principal. It’s like they have the entire Bible memorized and are able to tackle any surprise life throws their way, rarely showing any sign of frustration or anger, as if they’ve clicked their heels together and aren’t in Kansas anymore!

I haven’t met another Christian yet who doesn’t have struggles in life. In fact the Bible is clear that mankind is broken. I see more realistic characters in regular films.

Most superhero films have harnessed the strength of showing their heroes’ weaknesses. There protagonist’s struggles are part of character development.

Character?

 A lot of writers don’t realize where the term “character” comes from. In writing, character is used to identify a specific personality. It is made up of unique characteristics: they can be physical, psychological or emotional, they are unique to an individual.

The dictionary defines character as a trait, quality or distinct feature that makes them different from other people. In the recovery movement, scars, mistakes and flaws make you who you are—good or bad. Imperfections are part of a person’s character as well.

When my parents died, I inherited a lot of the family heirlooms. We’ve had some most of my life and over the years some have been dented or scratched after moving around. Each imperfection has a unique story or memory attached to them.

My favorite family heirloom is an old grandfather clock my parents bought when we lived in Italy. It has a few scratches along the base, but they don’t take away from the beauty of the clock’s persona.

Unless you took time to look it over you’d probably never notice its minor shortcomings. I can guarantee there isn’t another clock in the world just like it–it is uniquely flawed.

To me that is the essence of character, not perfection. Some of Hollywood’s most memorable characters aren’t exactly the picture-perfect ones. Who can forget Jack Nicholson in The shining?

Face it, none of us are perfect and we can all relate to characters that aren’t picture-perfect manifestations of someone’s imagination.

When we see realistic characters that overcome their issues and sometimes even save the day, it gives us hope. Maybe, even with our seemingly broken lives, things can turn around too.

One benefit of realistic characters is there is an endless source of material in our lives. You don’t have to look too far to find someone who isn’t perfect.

I got the idea for the Muse in my screenplay from a lunch I had with my best friend in college. While we were eating, he crammed his mouth with ketchup covered French fries.

As he talked, ketchup caked the corners of his mouth like lipstick; I couldn’t help but laugh every time I looked at him. To make matters worse we were discussing women we were each interested in going out with, they had personalities we both wanted to forget.

Even if you live the life of a reclusive writer, there are plenty of resources to help you develop memorable characters. I’ve listed a few resources below.

  • Screenwriting websites like Screencraft, Script Magazine
  • books like Dave Trotter’s The Screenwriters Bible
  • The Art of Creating Character for fiction film and TV by David Corbett
  • Jerry Jenkins’ Writers Guild
  • Aaron Sorkin’s Master Class on screenwriting.
  • Writers conferences like the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian writers conference
  • The Atlanta Pitch Summit
  • Write to Ignite conference

Often established writers want to help aspiring authors and screenwriters to learn the craft and share their technique for creating characters people won’t forget. Seven years ago I had the opportunity to learn from a smorgasbord of Christian writers through a professional writing program. Author DiAnn Mills is still my biggest supporter today.

Support?

Speaking of support, we can’t forget the pivotal role that supporting characters play in film. Supporting characters need to be just as interesting as your leads, but not too overpowering.

Recently, while watching the World Cup, the Brazilian coach stated he didn’t want to pull his best player out, but also knew he needed to respect the unique characteristics of each player.

A good supporting cast can enhance a main character’s personality or interact with them to give them another level of humanity. Everyone works together like a team to bring the whole story you’re trying to present out.

One of my favorite films comes to mind, who can forget Danny Zuko’s friends in the movie Grease or Sandy’s new friends? Each personality interacted together to help keep it real.

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
Talking Character

Your Character’s Backstory—Use It Wisely

Every fictional character has an entire life’s worth of backstory that happened prior to the opening of your novel. A writer’s job is to discover which pieces of the story are important.

Why is backstory important?

Backstory is what brings a character to life. Exploring the events in a character’s past yields nuggets of insight that makes them unique and explains why they act the way they do. The deeper a writer delves into the backstory of her characters, the better she can understand makes them tick.

Backstory also provides information on past events and relationships that are critical to understanding the current plot.

The dangers of backstory

Not every detail of a character’s history is relevant to your novel.

It’s tempting to believe our readers are every bit as fascinated with our characters’ backstories as we are. But don’t be fooled. Readers are only interested in what’s gonna happen next. K. M. Weiland in Outlining Your Novel

Backstories can take on a life of their own and lead unwary writers off-track. The goal of inventing a character’s life history is to discover the key events that influence who they have become. Details that have no bearing on the events of the plot should not be allowed to creep in and divert the story in an unhelpful direction.

How to use backstory effectively

There’s a time and place where backstory belongs—and a time and place where is doesn’t. K. M. Weiland

Like other kinds of research, most of the information about character’s past life will not make it into the finished novel. The trick is in knowing how much information to share with the reader and when it will be most effective to share it.

It’s tempting to explain all the important backstory at the beginning of the novel. Resist the urge. Instead, work the important details into the story on an as-needed basis. In other words, don’t explain backstory details until the moment the reader needs to know them to understand what is happening.

That doesn’t mean playing unfair with readers. By providing hints that a character has certain past events that affect how they act, the writer can withhold the details until the moment of greatest impact.

For example, in Kristen Heitzmann’s novel Secrets, she hints early on that protagonist Rese Barret was traumatized by her father’s death, but only gradually reveals the whole story. If Heitzmann had explained the entire backstory at the start readers might feel sympathy toward Rese for a page or two. In contrast, doling out the father’s story in snippets keeps the reader riveted chapter after chapter.

To summarize, backstory is what turns a cardboard character into a vivid and complex person. A wise writer selects only those details that enhance the plot and explain character’s motives and attitudes.  Or, to quote from Outlining Your Novel one last time:

[bctt tweet=”The best backstories are those that influence a story without obstructing it. K. M. Weiland #writers #writetips” username=””]

Categories
A3 Contributor Book Release Bestsellers

Story Foundations for the Serious Writer by Best-Selling Author DiAnn Mills

Story ideas can be like fireworks. They soar and explode in beautiful colors…then their dance fizzles to the ground and we turn our attention to the next one. But story ideas don’t have to fade away. A writer can take those wild moments of inspiration and build a credible, colorful, creative, and compelling story.

Where do story ideas come from when we’ve spent hours brainstorming and feel like giving up? Buster Moon from Sing says: “When you’ve reached rock bottom, there’s only one way to go, and that’s up!”

Here are suggestions to give your story idea bestseller (up) status.

  • Pieces of a conversation…juicy tidbits that move us to explore story and character
  • An article in the news that grasps our attention
  • Books we’ve read—fiction or non-fiction
  • Music—including lyrics
  • Poetry
  • Nature—with all its beauty and danger
  • A movie you’d have written differently
  • The behavior of family or friends
  • Historic events about people and places
  • Genealogy
  • Personal experiences
  • Dreams

          Deep within our subconscious activity lies this realm where plot problems find answers, character situations resolve, and new characters are born.

I know you have a story idea. It’s banging against your head and heart, keeping you awake at night. You’re not sure what to do with all the information, and you fear you may lose it. So, let’s turn your burning thoughts into a book project.

Ready? Are your fingers poised on your keyboard? The exercises below will take a little time but so worth the effort.

Step One

Write your story idea in one sentence. Don’t concern yourself with character names, setting, and genre.

A few examples:

  1. A young mother confesses to her police officer husband she is not only addicted to drugs, but she also deals them.
  2. A businessman discovers the owner of his company is smuggling assault rifles into the country.
  3. A newly married couple is left behind on a wagon train when the husband is suspected of carrying a terrible disease.
  4. A young woman travels west to marry a man she’s never met—only to discover he doesn’t exist.
  5. A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s means a middle-aged woman must become the caretaker for her mother, with whom she already has a strained relationship.
  6. A couple is wakened by thieves in their home. While the husband attempts to overpower the intruders, the wife is killed.
  7. During wartime, a prince is forced to take the throne for his ailing father. Then the prince learns he’s not the real heir, but the son of the warring king.
  8. The inhabitants of a planet wracked by pollution face extinction. Their only solution is to exterminate half of the population.

Take a deep breath and congratulate yourself. You’ve given your story life.

Now perfect your one-sentence storyline. Tweak it until you’re satisfied. Do you envision your protagonist(s) and antagonist(s)?

 Step Two

Take your one-sentence idea and write at least one paragraph about your story. Extend the idea to include what you know about your characters and the storyline. (Close your eyes while you write this.) Don’t worry about grammar and punctuation. Simply envision the story. When you’re finished, save and edit your paragraph(s).

Step Three

What is your story’s genre? Consider the list below and find a home for your idea.

  1. Contemporary
  2. Historical
  3. Romance
  4. Suspense/Thriller
  5. Mystery
  6. Western
  7. Women’s Fiction
  8. Speculative (includes science fiction, fantasy, allegory, etc.)
  9. Young Adult

Story ideas often mix genres with romance, such as:

Contemporary Romance

Historical Romance

Romantic Suspense

By including a thread of romance, writers increase their readership. It’s been said that 80 percent of book buyers are women. Half of them buy romance. Do the math and consider adding a spark of love to your project.

Where do you find the foundation for your story ideas?

Her latest book, High Treason, will be released February 6th.

DiAnn Mills is an award-winning, bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. She is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Mountainside Marketing Conference with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Facebook: www.facebook.com/diannmills, Twitter: https://twitter.com/diannmills or any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

 

Categories
The Writer's PenCase

Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part V

The Writer's PenCase

In this series, we’re looking at personalities, how to develop them, and where to look for more information about personality types. As part of this, we’re looking at DISC, a tool used to help personnel in corporations work together better. [bctt tweet=”Are you an Influencer, like the “I” in DISC? #amwriting #characters” username=”@donnalhsmith @A3forme”] #amwriting #characters

Continue reading “Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part V”
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
Editing The Critical Reader

Why Did My Favorite Character Have to Die?

Death of a Favorite Character

by Alycia W. Morales

When I started reading the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, friends were conflicted over the ending of the final book in the series, Allegiant. Some said to read Divergent and Insurgent and stop there, as their disappointment with the third book was great.

How dare she kill that character?[bctt tweet=”Why would an author kill a reader’s favorite character? #amreading #amwriting”]

A character everyone – obviously – loved.

Here are three reasons I could see why Ms. Roth killed off her character:

1. Someone had to die an unselfish death in order to preserve the lives of those around them. To give those left behind a better future – a hopeful one.

2. The ending for the other main character would not have been the same had the other character lived.

3. There was no riding-off-into-the-sunset-happily-ever-after alternative ending for this series. At least not that I could see.

If you’ve been a writer for more than … oh … a few months, you’ve heard that every now and then someone must die. It’s what gets you out of a writing rut. It’s what moves the story forward. It’s what gets the action going again.[bctt tweet=”#Writers, sometimes you need to kill your favorite characters. “]

And if you’ve read enough books, you already know that not every story has a happy ending. Life doesn’t. Why should every book? Yes, happy endings are nice. Yes, we want to see the bad guy die and the good guy survive, but sometimes the good guy has to die in order for the bad guy to get the appropriate judgment.

At least in the case of Allegiant, the death leaves us with a satisfying ending. It would absolutely have driven me crazy if the ending had been stilted or left hanging. I applaud Ms. Roth for leaving me in tears but with the knowledge that it was worth every word.

So, Writer, is there a character in your novel that needs to die? Could you twist your ending in such a way that your readers mourn the loss of their favorite character yet recognize the deep need for someone so brave and selfless to die?

 

Categories
The Writer's PenCase

Storytelling – What Makes a Story Great?

ben-hurWhat is it about a story that makes it compelling? Is it the characters? Is it the plot? Is it the element of surprise? Is it the challenges? Is it danger? I submit, it’s all of them, skillfully put together, woven like a tapestry to make an impression on our minds and in our hearts.

Continue reading “Storytelling – What Makes a Story Great?”
Categories
Developing Your Writer's Voice

How Passion Influences Your Voice

“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”

– William Wordsworth

The breathings of our heart, our passion, dwell in the deep places of our soul. It is from this passion in which we write—in which we find our voice.

Passion is defined as, “the intense enthusiasm you feel for something.”

Do you feel intense enthusiasm when you write? If so, then your voice will eventually begin to emerge when your pen hits paper.

Delve deep and see what ignites a spark, what causes your heart to leap. Out of this soul-searching you will then write from your characters soul; feel the character’s hurt; rejoice in their happiness—sense their fears—then write from that place.

We can’t always write what we love, what we are passionate about, but we can love the art of writing. Even shaping words into a technical article can bring us a sense of satisfaction.

Use the exercise below to see if your passion is easily recognizable.

Pick a subject that is meaningful to you and write a short piece on this topic. Don’t hold back, dive into the soul’s well and then set the piece aside for several days. Ask these questions after reading:

  1. Would a reader find my passion evident? Was an emotional tug felt, a sense of indignation, did joy shine forth?
  1. Did I get caught up in the skill of writing? Did my concentration on writing skill suppress my words thus stifling my passion?
  1. Did I follow a story formula? Did the formula keep my words from flowing freely?

Did your passion resonate? If not, rewrite, keeping in mind the above questions.

Your writer’s voice will benefit from Terri Guillemets’s advice: Renew your passions daily.

What’s one way you renew your passion daily?