Tag: motivate

Categories
Mastering Middle Grade

Motivation

What motivates the main character in your middle grade manuscript? If you struggle to pinpoint what drives them, you reader will too. I found this out the hard way. After sharing a chapter from my WIP, one critique partner asked, “Why do I care if your protagonist reaches her goal? And why is she so determined to win anyway? What’s her motivation?”

What indeed.A character’s motivation matters. It drives the plot, explains why a character behaves a certain way, and gives the reader a reason to root for a favorable resolution.

Without it, the story falls flat.

Lack of motivation is not an uncommon issue. Many writers plop a character into an adventure without considering why must their story be told by this person.

Take another look your work in progress. Starting with the first chapter, analyze your character—how she responds to her environment and other people. Can you identify what’s motivating her in one or two sentences?

If not, ask why questions to keep digging deeper. Do external forces (like survival or competition) or internal desires (like power or revenge) drive the character? What backstory might you need to develop in order to reveal and explain these actions and aspirations?  As you hone in on what drives your character, put obstacles, challenges, and limitations in their path. Make her respond in a manner consistent with this motivation.

You can also practice identifying motivation by reading a few well-written middle grade novels. Identify words, phrases, and actions the author uses to communicate what’s driving the main character. You can even borrow the character (for practice purposes only, of course!) and put them into the first chapter of your book. How does a difference character change your story? Put your story into their story. What happens?

Returning to my experience, when I addressed the deep motivations of my main character in my book Inside the Ten-Foot Line, she came alive. She morphed into someone more likable, relatable, and compelling. Because of that, the story broadened in depth, complexity, and impact. And when she finally met her goal, the reader was left with a sense of satisfaction.

So, get motivated! Unlock your character’s full potential and reveal what drives them.

Categories
Write for His Glory

The Journey From “I Can’t” to “I Will”

The journey from “I can’t” to “I will” starts with brutal honesty.

“I can’t give up my coffee.”

“I can’t give up my bedtime snack.”

“I can’t ______________.”

These responses are often heard when someone is instructed to give up certain things so they can become more healthy. Sometimes it’s a doctor, sometimes a friend who has achieved success. Either way, the person starts out defeated by a belief that they are a victim to some unseen force that is stopping them from making the right choices.

I’ve often been like that toward God with my writing.

“I can’t write every day, I don’t have time.”

“I can’t follow a schedule, I’m too unstructured.”

“I can’t do this, I don’t know how and it’s too hard.”

It’s easy to say “I can’t” and take on that victim mindset. But what I’ve really said is…

“I won’t take something else out of my day to make time to write.”

“I won’t discipline myself.”

“I won’t pray, trust God, and step out in faith.”

Saying “I won’t” is rebellion, pure and simple. I am not a victim, I have the power to choose. Unless I see that, take ownership of my choices, and repent, I will remain a helpless victim and see little or no change in my writing life. God wants to give me His best, and by digging my heels in and refusing to obey I’m saying, “Not interested, don’t trust you, I want my way.”

Hmmmm, isn’t that where everything started back in the garden?

To move forward, we need to be brutally honest with ourselves and admit that whether we say “I won’t” or “I can’t”, the result – and the rebellion – is the same. [bctt tweet=”When we say “I can” and “I will”, we demonstrate our faith and trust in God. The doors He can then open for us are truly amazing!” username=”@marygscro”]

Is anything we can do on our own worth the cost of missing His will for our writing?

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able for this, because He considered me faithful and trustworthy, putting me into service [for this ministry],    (1 Timothy 1:12, AMP)

Can we all make the journey from “I can’t” to “I will”?

Yes we can…if only we WILL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Graziano Scro, a graduate of Christian Communicators Conference, is an inspirational author, speaker, and blogger who intuitively weaves analogies and personal testimony with practical biblical teaching. Whether “live” or at the keyboard, Mary loves sharing what God has done in her life to encourage others about the awesome life God has planned for us, IF we are willing to choose wisely in our everyday lives (John 8:31-32). And it’s not only about us – the more we invest in our own unique relationship with Jesus, the more visible He is to a world that desperately needs Him. You can reach Mary on:

Facebook: Mary Graziano Scro https://www.facebook.com/don.mary.scro

Twitter: @marygscro

LinkedIn: Mary Graziano Scro  https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mary-scro/11/600/a4b

Blogs: Life Is Not A Formula at www.marygscro.com

 

Categories
Create. Motivate. Inspire.

The Wonder of it All

The Light of the World. The Chronicles of Narnia.

The Chick-Fil-A Cow.

Believe it or not, the aforementioned have a common thread that should fill us with the wonder of it all. They are examples of great works of—wait for it—creativity.

The Light of the World (1851-1853) is a painting by William Holman Hunt depicting Jesus preparing to knock on a long-neglected door. The door with no outside handle was painted to illustrate the scripture of Revelation 3:20. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me”

C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia have thrilled children and adults for decades with magical descriptions of strange animals and beasts that talk. Children from the real world enter an enchanted land called Narnia, meet and pledge loyalty to a lion named Aslan, and together work to fight evil to restore the rightful heirs to the throne.

Then there’s the Chick-Fil-A Cow. In 1995, The Richards Group, an advertising agency based out of Dallas, Texas, put their heads together to come up with a slogan to help S. Truett Cathy sell a few chicken sandwiches. I don’t know exactly how it went down, but at some point, a mastermind said, “I know…let’s use a cow to sell chicken. And the cow can tell everyone to Eat Mor Chikin’.”

Brilliant.

I am fascinated by the creativity of others as they showcase the broad spectrum of vision and imagination in mankind. What makes someone look at a glob of paint and see Jesus raising a hand to knock on a door? Who gazes at a wardrobe and imagines children climbing in and discovering another world? And who, pray tell, ponders how to sell chicken and thinks of a cow?

It all comes down to the Person whose image we bear.

We have the desire to create because we are made in the image of the ultimate Creator—Jesus—the One who was with God in the beginning. The One who spoke all things into existence. The One who moves in us to act according to His will and gives us the desire to reflect His glory.

As writers, when we are driven to shape thoughts and ideas on paper, our hearts should thrill with what is happening. The Creator of all things is moving in us to accomplish His purposes. How affirming!

Over the next months, I pray that CREATE. MOTIVATE. INSPIRE. will be nourishment to your writer’s soul and that it will be a reminder of the Reason behind it all.

We are image-bearers.

May we bear it well.

[bctt tweet=”We are image-bearers. #inspiration #write” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”It all comes down to the Person whose image we bear. #write #writer” via=”no”]