Archive of Writing Tips

Defy Expectations

To keep your writing interesting, don't always give the reader what they expect. For example: An apple a day keeps the lawyer away. - or - She was quiet as a chipmunk.

Defying the reader's expectations will keep them intrigued... as long as it's done in moderation.  The most adept author I can think of in this regard is Terry Pratchett.  He has a way of describing Discworld in general, and Ankh-Morpork in particular, that turns people's expectations of a world upside down and inside out.

At the same time, as bizarre as some of the descriptions of Discworld are, Pratchett conveys that - to the characters of his books - these are simply the normal state of things.  A world balanced on four elephants and a giant turtle?  Sure, why not?  In The Color of Magic, he even has a team of scientists examining the phenomenon, which lends it credibility.

Change the descriptions in the writing prompts below until you get something more interesting...

Writing Prompt:  Expectations Unwoven

Prompt 1:  He was hungry as a horse.  After the day he'd just had, he could eat a...

Prompt 2: 'Pretty as a picture' didn't even begin to describe it.  If she had to explain it, she would say...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Missing Character?  Write Around Them.

It's a NaNoWriMo time again (National Novel Writing Month - http://nanowrimo.org/), and I didn't do enough research on my secondary characters.

Since NaNo is time-sensitive (50,000 words in 30 days), I'm ignoring the fact that most of my supporting characters haven't been named, described, or received their back stories yet.

Instead, I'll write the scenes that don't include them, and come up with one or two of these missing characters every day.  Later - probably after November is over - I can go back in and add these secondary characters.

See the writing prompt below to practice writing around something you haven't researched.

Writing Prompt:  Write Around a Lack of Research

Your scene is set in a jet propulsion laboratory.  Unless you're a rocket scientist or engineer, chances are good that you have no idea what the technology in this lab would look like.  What tests are run?  What terminology should you use when referring to speeds and fuel mixes?  These are all good questions, but researching them right now will stop you from writing the conversations and conflicts between your characters. Breeze over the techno-babble for now, and add it back in after you've done the research.

Prompt:  I wasn't late getting into work.  I think our atomic clock was running fast at the jet propulsion lab.  That's my excuse, anyway, and I'm sticking with it...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Memorable Scenes:  Dialogue Optional

In my writing for the NaNo even this month, I've found that it's possible to write a suspenseful scene without much dialogue and no real action.

For example, in the project I'm working on now "Paradise Found", the main character is trying to solve a missing person case at a busy outdoor concert venue. Unfortunately, the audience is somewhat fanatical about respecting their favorite performers, and Detective Joe Carrigan's questions - no matter how quietly asked - are considered too much to be tolerated.

I was able to write several hundred words, just describing the crowd, the emotionally charged situation, and the impending riot that Detective Carrigan and his partner get trapped in.

Try weaving three types of description into your next scene:

1.     Visual,

2.     Emotional, and

3.     Physical.

See how well each ties into the next, and build the ambiance of the scene until it reaches a breaking point. From there, you can start a new chapter, or resolve the tension with a verbal argument, a strongly-worded chastisement, a physical fight, or some comedic relief. Try each, to see which one works best for your short story or novel project.

Here's a writing prompt. Remember to include all 3 types of description.

Writing Prompt: The entire kennel full of dogs went silent when the new canine resident arrived. From an excitable, yapping miniature Schnauzer to a gruff, loud wolfhound, every dog stared at the newest one with distrust. Maybe it was because the new dog had...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Using Research to Your Advantage

My apologies for not posting these past few days. The non-blogging part of my life (NaNo book writing) has taken up every waking moment this week.

Here's my writing advice for the day... research is boring, and takes away time from writing, but can be useful in the long run.

As an example, let's say you want to write about skipping a stone across water, but have not ever tried it. You can:

• read about the physics of why skipping stones works,
• read about the environmental impact (increased erosion due to lack of rocks on beaches), 
• practice skipping stones yourself

The added benefit of doing all this research is that you can use all of it in a scene. Try writing a different character to speak about each part of the research, or a single character who answers different questions about skipping stones.

In the writing prompt below, I've written the physics research of skipping stones. Expand the writing with the other research.

 Writing Prompt: He understood why the stone bounded and jumped over the water's surface. It was a direct effect of the flat expanse of the stone's lower side striking against the water without breaking the surface tension. Of course, not everyone appreciated him skipping stones. His neighbor from across the lake stumbled over the rocky shoreline, giving him the evil eye for pitching stones from the lake's shore into the deep, still waters. He just knew they were about to argue, and he didn't want to hear it...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Power Plays and Word Padding

It isn't cheating... I promise.

So, I'm writing for this Camp NaNoWriMo event, roughly 2700 words a day if I want to reach my goal of 80,000 words in April. If you're a regular reader of this blog, then you've already seen the excerpts from my novel-in-progress "Paradise Found".

Remember that scene where the police captain and the main character, Detective Carrigan, are arguing?

Well, I found a way to include it in the novel... twice.

The first time, I'll tell the start of the scene from the point of view of another character, Deputy Chief Lyle Oberweg. The deputy is in the station for a scheduled meeting with Captain Stillwell, but the captain is using the meeting to complain about Carrigan.

When Carrigan enters the police station, I have Oberweg measure the situation in a single glance. (A) Carrigan is well-liked by his fellow officers, (B) The captain is tolerated at best, so therefore (C) The captain despises the detective.

Then, I switch points of view, and write the scene from Carrigan's viewpoint. He's just survived an attempted assassination, dealt with some moderate teasing from the officers who picked up his two prisoners, and now he comes into the police station and immediately sees both his captain and some big-time supervisor whose desk probably shares office space with the city's mayor.

The point is, if you write the same scene from different viewpoints, you can

1.     Explore every angle of the scene, including misunderstandings between the characters

2.     Plant clues to the plot that one character sees, but another misses, and 

3.     Get more words out of the scene, but in a way that entertains the reader.

For today's writing prompt, I'll provide a scene and characters. Try writing it up from as many different viewpoints as you can. Use a different style of dialogue for each character, or have three characters describe the same object or event in differing ways.

Writing Prompt: They stood around the wrecked car, glancing at each other guiltily. A student, an electrician, a street sweeper, and a lawyer... each claimed to have a perfectly valid reason for being in the area, but none wanted to claim ownership of the vehicle that had just run over a sparking power line...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Conflict Builds Character

Sometimes the best way to explore your main character is to observe how they deal with conflict.

While fight scenes and arguments are interactive, and allow you to create dialogue for the main character, a scolding can be even more instructive about your main character's personality.

How does your main character react when they're supposed to stand quietly and accept correction, derision, or disappointment?

Writing up a good, long lecture serves two purposes:

1.     You get to explore your main character's reaction to the scolding, and

2.     The lecture helps you outline other choices the main character could have made, and examine why they chose the ill-fated one instead.

Try writing a scene for the prompt below, but don't write about physical or verbal conflict. Focus on the main character's inner turmoil. Is the main character torn up by the lecture, or bored? How does the main character plan to avoid hearing speeches like this in the future (ear plugs, a ready escape plan, or actually doing better next time?)

Writing Prompt: He stood up straight, staring directly ahead, and grunting or nodding whenever it seemed appropriate. It didn't matter that he'd been right, it didn't even matter that he'd done well... all she cared about was how it looked, and it looked bad for the company...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Chapter and Scene Transitions:  Variety or Reliability?

What is the best way to transition between chapters, or from one scene to the next? Is it good to use the same transition device throughout your novel, or to vary it from chapter to chapter?

I've seen the following transitions. Feel free to comment add any that I miss:

• Don't even try. Just end chapters on a cliff-hanger.
• If done well, and not done in every chapter
• End every chapter with a question.
• This keeps the reader engaged, but the question needs to be interesting, not too difficult, and answered quickly in the next chapter
• Copy a word or phrase from the end of one chapter, and use it in the set-up for the next
• This can either be clever or corny, depending on how carefully it is done

  Here's a writing prompt. Write out the scene or chapter, and then try transitioning to the next using each of the options above. Which works best? Would you always use that, or use a different type for each chapter, and why?

Writing Prompt: They always warned me that this job would kill me. I just never thought it would be so soon, or so embarrassing...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Deadlines:  The Blessing and the Curse

I have good news about one of my ongoing writing projects. There is a manuscript I've written about the Greek pantheon and the unfortunately-talented young school teacher who tries to keep the gods in line. It's complete, but for a few chapters that describe exactly how some of the gods reach the final scene. (I've implied how they arrive, but it's probably better to give a full description for the readers to enjoy.) Also, I've lined up an editor for this manuscript.

Where's the downside? Well... I need to add eight or nine scenes before April, when the NaNo event begins. As of April 1st, I'll be concentrating on the "Paradise Found" book idea.

Having deadlines is good, because it makes a writer take time out of his or her busy schedule, and put words to page via whatever medium you prefer. Unrealistic deadlines (like the one I've set for myself) can either add to the stress level, or produce some amazing results. I'm hoping for the latter.

Here's a bookend writing prompt. You can personalize it to your own experience with deadlines or use every detail as written in the prompt.

Bookend Prompt

Left Bookend: She paced back and forth in front of the board, aligning resources, personnel, and timelines with what she hoped were reasonable expectations. An event this big never happened without some mistakes, but she wanted it to be as perfect as possible...

Right Bookend: The moment the door shut behind the last of the crowd, she collapsed on the nearest settee, completely relieved.

Have fun, and keep writing!

Hello, My Name is Sidekick

In my post a few days ago "Coming in Second", I described the second chapter as a good place to introduce new characters and to show your main character's background through action and dialogue, rather than with a listing of their personal history.

When we left my main character from "Paradise Found", Joe Carrigan's boss had just given him an ultimatum... and was about to give him a partner too. The trouble is, I'm not sure which character to introduce as the partner. I need to show the reader another police officer (who is important later on for what happens to him), and the archangel Michael (who is important later on for what he accomplishes).

The way I see it, I have 2 (okay, maybe 3) ways of presenting this:

1.     Only introduce the police officer as Joe's new partner. Show how Joe and his new partner get along by having dialogue, body language, and perhaps a short listing of each man's major accomplishments on the police force.

o    The weakness in this is that it leaves the introduction of the archangel Michael until later.  While it's fine to introduce stock characters, minor characters, and/or villains later in a book, the sidekick/co-hero ought to receive more attention sooner in the novel.

2.     Leave the other police officer in the background for now, and instead introduce Michael as Joe's new partner.

o    This option has some weaknesses, though, because of the way I'm writing angels. As beings of pure spirit, even if Michael looked human to everyone, he wouldn't be able to physically interact with the world. It's difficult to explain how he manages to get into and out of the squad car without ever opening the door, not to mention the fact that he wouldn't be able to arrest anyone, kick in doors, or help Joe out in a fight. As an over-involved witness, Michael's lack of interaction with the world can be excused or rationalized. As a cop, it would be questioned by the reader too thoroughly and too soon.

3.     Introduce the police officer as Joe's new partner, and have them interview Michael in the same chapter.

o    This option seems to be the best, because it includes both of the new characters. The only danger in the third option is that the chapter could become too lengthy. Long chapters are okay, but only if the pacing is fast enough to keep the reader engaged, but gradual enough to help them catch the character identifiers and plot points.

If I'm going with the third option, I would introduce both new characters like this:

Joe kept his grumbling to a minimum, because the partner with whom the captain had saddled him was a good man, and reliable in his work, if a bit too preoccupied with it. In other words, Detective Aldo "Al" Starek was very similar to Joe, in bearing, experience, and - somewhat - even in appearance. Al's hair was curlier than Joe's, and slightly longer, but they each had the same large, brawler's hands, the same skeptical glare, and the same half-amused smirk. The last two were hazards of the job.

Detective Starek led the way to his desk, saying, "This guy shows up out of nowhere, saying he's got information on the seven murders that happened today."

Joe scoffed. "Only seven? Slow day in paradise, isn't it?"

"That's the thing," Starek claimed, "There have actually only been six, and he started giving his statement before we'd even heard about the fifth. Either he's involved, or--"

"Or he knows someone who is," Joe was able to finish Starek's thought easily. Joe looked at the man who sat on the far side of Starek's desk, trying to size him up before speaking to him.

The uncannily-aware informant was difficult to describe. One moment, Joe looked at him and saw a twenty-something man, with powerful muscles and an alert, darting stare. The next moment, Joe would have sworn the man aged a couple of decades. The powerful muscles were still there, and the stare was just as mobile, but he seemed more confident, as though he'd seen countless military campaigns. Joe thought it was no wonder they released descriptions of suspects with age ranges of twenty years, rather than five.

"Are you seeing the same thing I am?" Joe asked, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him, or if the informant was wearing some kind of malfunctioning holographic disguise. He hadn't heard of those existing yet, but he figured he'd be the last to know. Unless it came up during a case, Joe wasn't likely to notice.

"He's a cool one, definitely," Detective Starek asserted, seeming to miss the age fluctuations that were so apparent to Joe. "When I told him that he'd jumped the gun on a few of the murders, he smiled, and said something about this place acting differently."

"Acting differently than what?" Joe wondered aloud. "And what did he mean by 'this place'? Our squad room or Chicago?"

Starek gave a hopeless shrug. "He wouldn't say. It seemed like he was waiting for someone, some detective other than me. Maybe you'll have better luck."

Carrigan and Starek came to a stop in front of the informant, and Joe crossed his arms, staring at the man with open disapproval. "I hear you're being evasive," he accused the informant. Joe had been to some training where they told him he was supposed to be more sensitive, to lead witnesses and informants carefully and politely through the interview process. The trouble was, Joe had found that more than a few witnesses and informants were the perpetrators. He still kept his temper in check, but he didn't feel the need to coddle a potential criminal.

"We've too many cases on our desks to waste time with you," Joe challenged the informant. "So, unless you have something solid for us to follow up on..." Joe's voice trailed off as the informant looked up.

The informant seemed to see Joe for the first time. Of course, he must have seen the two detectives heading in his direction, but maybe he'd just seen the uniforms, rather than Joe's face. While Joe couldn't say he knew the informant, it was pretty clear that the informant knew him. The look that the informant was giving Joe now was uncomfortably familiar.

The informant smiled. "Joseph Caleb Matthew Carrigan," he intoned in a calm voice, and then addressed Starek. "I need to apologize. Gratefully, my estimation of the number of murders was inaccurate. There have only been six."

Joe felt anger rising in his chest. How the heck did this stranger know his full name, including the one he'd chosen at Confirmation? "Look, mister, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but--"

"My name is Michael," the informant replied evenly.

"And that's all I can get from him," Starek told Carrigan, not bothering to whisper. "The story about seven murders, and a first name. He claims not to have a surname."

"Come on," Joe complained, "everyone has a last name, even if it's just what town they're from. Where's his ID chip?"

"That's the other weird thing..." Starek admitted abashedly, "he doesn't have one."

Conclusion:

You can introduce more than one character in a chapter, but make sure to differentiate them. In this chapter, Michael and Starek are different enough because Michael is being vague and infuriating, in addition to not being a cop. Detective Starek is described as being similar to Joe, but that's acceptable because there should be a certain rapport between them. Similarity helps toward that end.

Here is a writing prompt for expanding your first few chapters: Take a writing idea you have already been working on, and take a character you haven't introduced yet. Introduce the new character with dialogue and a progressing plot. If you can hide plot points inside characterization, such as my mention of Michael lacking an ID chip, then your audience will be more likely to read each paragraph carefully, looking for those hints.

Have fun, and keep writing!

Marathon Writing:  Introduction to Camp NaNoWriMo

I'm about to embark on yet another NaNoWriMo event. For those of you who know NaNo, I can already hear the exasperated sighs and see the hopeful but frantic looks. For anyone who hasn't heard of NaNo, here are the basics:

NaNoWriMo: A month-long writing marathon, where dedicated writers attempt to write at least 50,000 words of their next great novel, auto-biography, or other project.

• You verify your word count through the event's website, and there are numerous forums, both for support and for distraction.
• The website has a place for you to enter your daily word count, and track your progress.
• There are 3 NaNoWriMo events each year. The main one is in November, which is National Novel Writing Month. The other two months are called Camp NaNoWriMo events, and April is one of those this year.

If you want to participate, it's a great way to have some external accountability, to help you write every day. Where's the website? Here: http://campnanowrimo.org/sign_in

In case you want to follow my progress on the "Paradise Found" novel, my profile for that site is under the penname "Armaita".

I'll continue to post here throughout the marathon writing NaNo event... though it may just be some notes about writer's block, or excerpts from my writing.

In honor of the upcoming Camp NaNo event, her is a writing prompt. I'll give you a few words, and you need to write as much as you can, including those words. This gets interesting, especially when your story is about a spaceship, and you have to include dolphins, cheese, and ceremonies somehow.

Writing Prompt: Write as much as you can, on any subject and in any setting, but use the following words - shoelaces, driftwood, lamppost.

Have fun, and keep writing!

Coming In Second

Once you've perfected the first chapter, it's important to follow up with an equally compelling, entertaining, and/or suspenseful second chapter.

If the first chapter is your hook to draw in readers, then the second is your opportunity to introduce the characters in greater depth. You've already shocked or intrigued your readers with the first chapter; use the second to explain who the characters are.

The danger, of course, is to launch into the backstory (if you managed to avoid it in the first chapter). This runs the risk of boring your readers into dropping the book and trying a different one.

Instead of describing your character with overwrought and weighty backstory, illustrate your character's background by showing how he or she deals with a situation.

For example, my current project "Paradise Found" opens with a fight scene where the main character is nearly killed for the identity chip in his arm.

In the second chapter, it's tempting to have paragraph upon paragraph of explanation. I'll provide a few examples. First, is how not to do it. The second (I hope) is better.

Warning... don't write your second chapter like this: Joseph Carrigan was an eighteen year veteran of the Chicago police force. He'd gotten his start in the anti-militia unit, followed by a three-year tour in anti-drugs. A short stint in IA later, Joe decided he would never hold a desk job again, much less one that had him looking sideways at other cops. So, he'd returned to the streets, and had been there ever since.

Try writing your second chapter like this instead: Joseph Carrigan stepped through the doors of his precinct, relieved to have survived his recent encounter with two muggers. A few years ago, he would have taken both of them without trouble. This time, he'd been lucky to receive only a goose egg on his head as a stern reminder of his slower reactions. While Joe was still enjoying the visual orchestration of chaotic movement of officers, detectives, witnesses, and detained persons, he saw one man moving with unusual purpose.

Even without the perfectly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard and insistence on wearing dress blues at all times, Joe would have recognized the man who was cutting through the crowd in his direction. Officers hurried to get out of his way, detectives decided to ask him their questions later, witnesses ignored him, and detained persons tried to avoid eye contact.

Not that it mattered, of course. The well-dressed cop focused his hard, gray gaze only on Carrigan. Somehow, Joe managed not to flinch or look away. Joe had known men more intimidating than Captain Stillwell, but the names of those men escaped him as the captain came to a stop in front of Joe.

"I knew there was a reason we shouldn't let senior investigators patrol alone," Captain Stillwell said, loud enough that some of the officers stopped typing their reports on their handheld computers, and a few of the detained persons glanced toward Joe, wondering if he was in as much trouble as they were.

"Captain," Joe tried to explain, "I wasn't on patrol yet. It was a simple mugging, and I'm--"

"What you were doing patrolling before your shift, is beyond me," the captain continued, disregarding Joe's claims of being an innocent pre-shift crime victim.

"I'm fine," Joe groused, "not that you asked, sir."

"Well, why wouldn't you be?" Captain Stillwell demanded. "You're too stubborn to ride a desk like most cops with your experience, and--"

"The ID Theft Taskforce needs someone with my experience out on the streets, Captain," Joe argued impatiently. "Contrary to popular belief, you can't solve every case by staring at a computer screen!"

"And," Captain Stillwell overrode Joe's protest by speaking louder, "you're too proud to realize when you might need back-up. You're right about one thing, though. The task force does need you, so I'm assigning you a partner." The captain raised a hand, stopping Joe's exclamation before it found breath. "No argument, or I'll have you cataloging evidence until you retire."

Reluctantly, Joe shut his mouth, and his shoulders slumped. The captain didn't pull out the big threats like that unless he was serious. "Understood, sir. Who will I be patrolling with?"

Conclusion: The better option draws the reader into the conflict between the characters introduced in the second chapter. It also introduces the captain without going into backstory about where they met, whether they were partners, why they get on each others' last nerve, etc.

Here's a writing prompt. Try writing it in the second style. Include dialogue and just enough description to differentiate the characters. Remember, it doesn't have to be a fight scene to be exciting.

Writing Prompt: She just knew there was going to be trouble on the docks. If not today, then sometime this week. As she stepped past the pool of light provided by the guardhouse, she realized the trouble was about to start right here and now...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Variety of Word Choice

Have you ever read a book where the author only uses 3 words to explain how characters talk? For example, I've read several books that use only "he said", "she stated", and "they spoke" as prefaces to dialogue paragraphs. In fact, there are numerous other words (more interesting and precise) that convey the same basic meaning, but with better depth.

Here are a few examples. Instead of "He said", you could try: accused, advised, announced, asked, asserted, boasted, bragged, commented, complained, denounced, decried, explained, expounded, groused, grunted, heckled, inquired, insinuated, insisted, jeered, joked, lauded, murmured, muttered, nattered, ordered, persuaded, queried, reiterated, revealed, shouted, told, uttered, verbalized, whimpered, whined, whispered, or yelled.

I'm not saying you'll reach the end of your writing project without repeating a few labels for 'said', but at least your writing will be less boring and more descriptive. For example, there's a huge difference between 'whined' and 'ordered', or between 'joked' and 'accused'.

Using the right word will set the scene before you even begin describing the location or characters. The wrong word will make the reader confused about your characterization.

While I've provided synonyms for one specific word in this posting, you can apply the same principle to other areas of your writing.

Here are a few challenges, instead of our usual writing prompts:

1.     Write up an argument between 2 or more characters, without repeating a word that means 'said';

2.     Describe a sunset without using the words 'golden' or 'fiery';

3.     Craft a racing scene without using any version of the word 'speed'. (Avoid: sped, speed, speeding)

Have fun, and keep writing!

When Life Interrupts Your Writing

Have you ever had one of those weeks (or months, or years) where you can't find the time to write? The car needs repairs, you just found out that your kids need follow-up dental appointments, and work has insisted that you stay late for what seems like the last decade? When you're that busy, how can you set aside the time and concentration to write well?

My recommendation is... make parallels to your busy schedule in your writing.

This doesn't mean that you should copy your life verbatim. After all, if you write up your frustrations exactly, then the dry cleaner who messed up your shirt or the fast food worker who gave you the wrong order just might take offense.

Instead, think about your main character's busy life. Is she a workaholic, or on permanent vacation? Either way, there are bound to be numerous events in her daily schedule that conspire to make achieving her goals difficult.

If you can work these details into your story so that they hint at plot twists, all the better. Otherwise, it will only be word-padding. The moment readers notice that you're adding words just to pad a word count, you'll lose more than a few readers.

In my current writing project, 'Paradise Found', my main character is trying to work on solving a case. Unfortunately, life gets in the way. He has to deal with a nosy neighbor, while fending off a supernatural attack. Have I written this scene yet? Of course not, life got in the way. However, I've made notes on it, and I'll be able to come back to it when I do have the time.

Writing Prompt: He would work out, he promised himself, if he ever found the time. As a fitness instructor, it should have been second-nature to exercise, but lately...

Have fun, and keep writing!

 Include Annoyances

Here's another tip about doing quality word-padding: include the things that annoy your main character and his or her friends.

This doesn't mean that you should include a laundry list of irksome subjects. Readers probably won't enjoy pages full of a character's profile.

I've included a list of annoyances relating to the character, Shawn. The first example is the way to avoid writing about annoyances. The second is the beginning of your writing prompt.

Don't write: Shawn couldn't stand traffic, loiterers, pets who slipped their leashes, having a pebble in his shoe, or police officers who missed blatant traffic violations.

Do write: Shawn sat on his bike, silently thanking the manufacturer for using a comfortable seat in its assembly. The comfort of his backside was about the only thing that was going right this morning. Some careless pet owner had lost hold of a terrier a few blocks back, and Shawn reluctantly recalled his need to swerve to miss a few people loitering as they started through the crosswalk...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Hectic Plot:  The Suspense/Action Combination

How many books have been praised for being 'page-turners' or 'edge-of-my-seat' reads? There are two elements to capturing that sense of urgency: suspense and action.

Suspense: This can take the form of anything from Hitchcockian levels of anxiety to a simple description of your main character's environment. The important thing to remember is the stakes for your character. The captain of a nuclear submarine can have the same sense of urgency as a student who hopes the class ends before he's called to answer any questions. For each of those characters, the suspense comes from their relationship to the stakes of the scene.

Action: This can be external or internal. In recent books and movies, external appears more popular. It's easier to see a conflict when fists, knives, or bullets are flying. However, an internal conflict can be even more rewarding to write and to read because the outcome is less predictable and the battleground is more concentrated. Use your writing to convey the action, whether it's external or internal, in a way that emphasizes the stakes for your main character.

In the writing prompt below, write a scene with the character I describe. What are the stakes? Who is she fighting? What is the outcome? Is there a cost to her (for winning, or for losing)?

Writing Prompt: With papers clutched tightly in her arms, she started around the corner, only to see the person she was trying to avoid. She ducked back behind the corner and took a few deep breaths. Maybe she could wait here until he'd passed, or she could try to escape into the ladies' room across the way. If he saw her, though...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Supporting Cast:  Partner or Sidekick?

In some novels, the main character can stand alone. This works in stories where the conflict is internal to the main character, or novels where it's the main character against everyone else.

However, for most story lines, you might want to consider adding a partner or sidekick to support the main character. What's the difference between a partner and a sidekick?

Some of the difference is in how seriously you take the secondary character. Does the secondary character have a detailed backstory and take up almost as many pages as your main character? If you answered 'yes', then your main character has a partner for his/her adventures.

If your secondary character receives far less time on the page than the main character, and only show up to crack jokes or drive the getaway car, then he or she is probably a sidekick. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's important to know the difference.

In my current novel project "Paradise Found", the main character (Shane Carrigan) has an unwelcome and uninvited partner, none other than the Archangel Michael. There's no way I could write Michael the Archangel as a humorous or forgettable sidekick, so he's definitely Carrigan's partner. (That's a lucky turn of events, since the case Carrigan is working involves trying to avert the Apocalypse...)

In the writing prompt below, take the secondary character I've described, and write about him two different ways. Is he the main character's sidekick, or equal partner?

Writing Prompt: As I surveyed what was left of my racing car, I couldn't help but feel lucky to have a grease monkey like Lou on my pit team. He had a way of taking what looked like scrap metal and somehow transforming it back into a car that not only ran... it would help me leave my competitors far behind. Lou was...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Something from Nothing

You don't need a plot in order to write a novel, or even a setting. No, this isn't a joke at the expense of some of the currently published 'literary' works.

You can write an entire novel by asking two simple questions:

1.     Who is my main character?

2.     What character arc should I use?

By answering the first question, you will be able to fill in a lot of details about the setting. Is your character likeable? What is your main character's job? Does the character go out with friends frequently, or stay home and do arts and crafts? The more you establish who your character is, the easier it will be to figure out a plot line.

If you've written up a character profile with every detail from the character's cradle to her or her grave, and you still don't have an idea for the plot, there are a few possibilities. Either:

• The character you discovered is a secondary one, and not the main character you originally thought, or
• You're being too nice to the character, and don't want to thrown any problems at him or her.

If the former is true in your case, look to the other characters around your first one. Maybe one of those was your main character all along, hiding in the woodwork.

If the latter is true, you need to get inventive...and you can start by picking a character arc.

Do you want this story to have a happy ending or a sad one? Do you want your character to:

• have a hard-won triumph,
• experience a bitter-sweet loss, or
• lose him/herself completely?

Pick one of the three, and then start lobbing obstacles and problems at your main character.

If you want to write a happy ending, make the obstacles challenging, but not hopeless. Think of almost any epic adventure story. The characters start out inexperienced, gain training as they travel, and then are able to overcome the villain, save the princess, win the kingdom, and/or get back home safely.

If you want a bitter-sweet loss, let the character have some wins and some losses along the way, and the lose at the end, but in some poignant, meaningful fashion. Think of action films and novels where the accomplished martial artist wins by saving someone, but sacrifices his or her life in the process. This is a mixed ending, leaving the reader feeling proud of the character's choice, but sad that the character didn't live to see the better world he or she helped to win.

If you want to set your main character on a downward spiral, get ready to write tragedy, and lots of it. The obstacles and problems in this kind of story are so severe that no one could handle them, not even your main character. The character's failure (either death or some compromise of morality) is inevitable... but you can stave it off and off glimpses of possible, happier conclusions... right up until the bottom falls out and the character loses. There are fewer examples of this kind of story, but when paired with satire or a bitter commentary on a societal norm, this character arc can be powerful, whereas the first two are just fun and fulfilling.

Try writing each of the three character arcs for the character in the writing prompt below. You can write a summary (a few paragraphs), or turn it into a longer project.

Writing Prompt: He directed one of his coworkers, motioning and pointing to show where the concrete had to be poured. As he baked under the hot sun, he wondered if there was anything more to life than this. It certainly wasn't what he'd expected, growing up like he had...

Have fun, and keep writing!

Make it Real

Word-padding is only a bad thing for a writer if done poorly. If a description can draw the reader deeper into your novel's universe, then using ten words where two would have worked is a fine idea.

Case in point, I've got a finished (but still too short) novel called "Olympian Outcast". (Think Rick Riordon's Olympians series with a dash of "My Teacher is an Alien".) At roughly 84,000 words, it's still too short to be taken seriously by any of the traditional publishing houses.

I've added words every way I could think of. I described the settings until you could navigate them with your eyes closed - and that includes Hera's floating cottage, currently anchored in the sky above Australia. I added debates between the secondary characters (*ducks lightning bolt as Zeus realizes she just called him 'secondary'*), debates that only tangentially touched on the main plot. I added dream sequences, flashbacks, pointless flirtation, and petty jealousies...and all of that only got me to 83,000 words.

Then, I thought back to what defined my main character, Celesta. She senses lies and draws power from those deceits. The power is even more intoxicating when a god or goddess tries to lie through his or her teeth to Celesta.

What I haven't done yet is describe how the transferrence of those lies feels to Celesta.

• If it's the same every time, then I would effectively have a character tag. You've seen this in books before, when every mention of a character's name seems to be followed by a consistent epitaph or some description of a physical trait
• Celesta felt the familiar surge of power enter her, and stumbled slightly at the impact.

Unfortunately, if I use the same sentence every time some deity so much as mutters a white lie, the reader will get bored, not to mention begin questioning Celesta's sense of balance.

• If it's different every time, I can use more words, personalize each scene and each lie, and show variety.
• Celesta wondered if Zeus realized how painful his lies were. She should have just been grateful that he wasn't hurling lightning bolts, but the lies he was telling about the disappearances felt jagged and unwelcome. His lies were powerful, but that power rushed into her, with little regard for whether she could handle it. Celesta clenched her jaw, closed her eyes for a moment, and regained composure before Zeus noticed anything was amiss.
• Celesta felt the conflict in Ares' lie distinctly, as though witnessing in a single instant all of the battles Ares had ever instigated. His deceit was blunt and sharp at the same time, the lie crashed into her like a line of charging warhorses and pinned her down as though a cannonball had just knocked her into a tree. Celesta remained standing and shook her head, disoriented.

The benefit to describing each lie differently is that it reveals two things:

1. The characterization of the god or goddess who just lied, and

2. The differing effects their lies have on Celesta.

Not every story will have a supernatural element like that, but you can apply description to your main character's interactions regardless of the setting or character's identity.

For today's writing prompt, I'll give you a few characters and a trait for each one. Try to write a lengthy description relating the trait to the character. Is the description just good filler material, or does it give you plot ideas?

Writing Prompt 1:

Character - a carpenter, working on a chair

Trait - the carpenter is sneezing from the wood dust

Writing Prompt 2:

Character - a physicist, about to solve the 'three bodies' problem

Trait - a classic rock song is stuck in his head, interfering with his calculations

Have fun, and keep writing!

 Mary Sue in Moderation

Is a Mary Sue a bad thing? For anyone who hasn't heard this term before, a 'Mary Sue' is a character that's simply too good to be believable. Here are a few examples:

• An investigator who is equal parts Hercules and Sherlock Holmes. Nothing phases him. He's at ease whether solving a riddle or taking on an entire bar's patrons in a fight... single-handed. No, literally. He had one hand tied behind his back during the fight, and won without anyone else landing a blow.
• A school teacher with the patience of a saint and a night life the celebrities are in awe of. Whether it's teaching basic reading skills or tossing back shots, this teacher is miles out of anyone's league.

There's nothing wrong with having a character who is over the top. Readers want an adventure, after all. If readers wanted normal, they wouldn't need books, right?

Still, it's good to have some balance to your characters. Make the investigator have a brilliant mind, but be terrified of confrontation. He never solves his mysteries in person because he's too afraid of getting hurt. Or, the investigator could be strong, but he's always a few steps behind the villains. His sarcastic sense of humor gets him into trouble, his fists get him out of it, and his contact in the local police force shows up in time to save the day and clean up.

The book I'm working on writing now "Paradise Found" has a Mary Sue, but I'm tempted to keep him around. The secondary main character is Michael the Archangel. The more famous stories about him are all about physical prowess. This is the being who defeated the devil once, and is ready to do it again. Less well-known stories claim that Michael is a level-headed healer, more intent on helping people overcome their internal battles with evil than with bringing his often-depicted sword to bear on a problem.

The only thing that makes it okay to have such a competent Mary Sue as a character is that my main character is an equal counterbalance to Michael's accomplishments. The main character, Joe Carrigan, is past his prime, doubtful about the afterlife, and mostly just going through the motions. Carrigan is a good cop, and a good man, but only out of sheer habit. Michael can serve as a driving force in comparison to Joe's tired indifference.

For today's writing prompt, try creating your own Mary Sue character. Then, play with the traits to make that character more believable to your readers.

Have fun, and keep writing!

The Peril of Backstory

It's tempting to know everything about your characters (especially the main ones). How else, can you write them convincingly?

Some details are definitely more important than others, though. For instance, you should know:

1. What your character looks like,

2. What his/her/its personality is,

3. What your character likes or can't stand,

4. How you character speaks (this will help with dialogue).

Beyond that, anecdotes from your character's backstory are icing on the cake. They might answer how your character's personality formed, or explain a certain dislike, but it's important not to get bogged down in the character's backstory.

Which would you rather read? The first is an example of my main character from "Paradise Found", with tons of backstory. The second is the same character, but with the bare bones information included:

"Paradise Found" Backstory Example A:

 Shane Carrigan just knew he was going to regret this. He'd been on the force for a couple of decades now, and should have known better than to let some civilian - especially a smart-aleck like this Michael guy - tag along.

Hadn't Shane learned anything from that ill-fated arrest five years ago? When a bust went awry in a densely-populated area, Shane had gotten the criminal, but not before three people died.

Ever since then, Shane had promised himself to work strictly within the rules. This Michael, with his uncanny knowledge of the murder investigation, was jeopardizing Shane's resolve.

Shane sighed and started toward the precinct's door. Michael stood there in the bull-pen flat-footed and uncertain until Shane called back, "If you're coming, keep up."

"Paradise Found" Backstory Example B:

Shane Carrigan just knew he was going to regret this. With all his experience, all of it instructive, some of it painful, he knew better than to let civilians play detective.

It didn't help that this Michael guy had a smart mouth and an arrogance that didn't match his age or apparent inexperience. But, the man had an unusually intimate knowledge of the murder investigation, and threats of prison hadn't shaken any of it loose.

Shane sighed and started to leave the precinct. Standing still as a statue, like a well-trained soldier awaiting orders, Michael didn't move until Carrigan called over his shoulder, "If you're coming, keep up."

Conclusion:

Option B conveys the same plot information, but doesn't distract the reader with a piece of backstory that I don't plan to reference later in the novel. It's fine for the writer to know every detail of a character's life, but the audience is looking for an entertaining and rewarding read, which means skipping the less pertinent minutiae.

Take the following writing prompt and try writing it two different ways.

• The first way, include as much as you can about the character's history. Try answering all of these questions, and you'll see what I mean about providing too much backstory.
• Why is Jake working as a guard?
• Where did he work before?
• Was he fired, and if so, why?
• Do the other guards know his work history?
• The second way, focus more on the current plot, including just what you need to inform the reader about the character's motivations. Try answering these questions, and see if it helps you with furthering the plot.
• Why are the other guards mad at Jake?
• Does Jake have any experience that will help him overcome the situation?

Writing Prompt: Jake pulled on his uniform, checked that the locker had closed properly, and then turned to head for his post. Before he got three steps, he was blocked by the locker room's other guests. They didn't look happy to see him. "Guys," Jake said, holding his hands out to keep some distance between the other guards and himself, "I'm just trying to do my job, okay?"

 Good luck, and keep writing!

The Big Bang:  Writing Memorable Novel Beginnings

One of the most intimidating aspects of writing a novel-length project is getting the first scene exactly right. Potential readers will likely judge your novel (quite literally) by its cover, or maybe skim the inside flap.

Supposing that the cover art and teaser material have sufficiently intrigued your prospective audience, the reader might then open the book to read a page or two. Personally, I've spotted an attractive book cover, read the inside flap, and then not purchased a book because I couldn't stand the overall writing style of the first few chapters.

How can you avoid losing readers? The short answer is: you can't. Not all of them, anyway. Some readers won't even peruse the aisle where your book is shelved. If you've written sci-fi, there are bound to be dedicated historical romance readers who wouldn't even consider checking the back cover of a sci-fi novel.

However, for that niche market to whom your novel could appeal, it's important to get the first sentence, paragraph, and page just right.

There are a few ways to do this. You can:

1. Entice a reader with action,

2. Entertain with humor,

3. Stun with suspense,

4. Haunt a reader with horror, or

5. Dazzle with description.

No matter what you choose, it all boils down to the same premise: be original. Have a compelling hook, a reason for your reader to keep turning the pages until they decide they just have to buy it.

I'll use my current novel project "Paradise Found" to provide examples, and then give a writing prompt that you can use:

"Paradise Found" Beginning Option 1 = Action

Detective Carrigan failed to duck quickly enough, and the thug's anvil-sized hand careened, unforgiving, into the back of the Chicago cop's skull. Motes of black jolted across his vision, and Carrigan knew that if he didn't start winning this fight, it could be his last.

"Paradise Found" Beginning Option 2 = Humor

He wasn't even on the clock yet, Detective Carrigan complained silently, and some joker was trying to mug him. Seriously, who picked a uniformed cop as his target? Everyone knew cops didn't have any money, and they were more likely than the average citizen to have a weapon. Well, cops were more likely to know how to use one properly, at any rate. Detective Carrigan went to draw his, but the mugger had other ideas.

"Paradise Found" Beginning Option 3 = Suspense

Carrigan could practically count the steps left between him and the police station, separating him from the back-up and safety of his fellow officers. Of course, he wasn't in shouting distance yet... something that the well-muscled would-be mugger was probably counting on. Carrigan kept walking, the rapid swish and snap of his dark blue uniform's pant legs betraying just how nervous he was. That, and the bead of sweat starting to gather on his brow. Carrigan tried to tell himself it was the Chicago summer, rather than nerves, but his thoughts were interrupted as the mugger leaped forward.

"Paradise Found" Beginning Option 4 = Horror

Detective Carrigan recognized the criminal at a single glance, and did his best not to panic. That was something civilians were allowed, even though it wasn't helpful. Cops, on the other hand, weren't supposed to show fear... not even when he was too far from the station to expect back-up and had a known criminal with the build of Frankenstein's monster closing in.

"Paradise Found" Beginning Option 5 = Description

Detective Carrigan loved Chicago. Even now, in the mid-2050's, it maintained some of its original architecture. Wide streets had narrowed over time, as bigger buildings supplanted and replaced older ones, but there were still some alleys where the original brickwork was visible. Unfortunately, Detective Carrigan was currently witnessing some of that brickwork firsthand, as a mugger pinned his neck to the bricks and demanded money.

Your Writing Prompt:

Here's the premise. Your main character is trying to purchase something. (Use your imagination... is it hand sanitizer, or a whole country?) What goes wrong with the purchase?

Try writing the premise using each of the 5 options: Action, Humor, Suspense, Horror, and Description.

 Wild Ride of Unpredictable Plotwork

I tried to plot this next book out... but it had other ideas. What was supposed to be a clear-cut modernization of the Book of Revelation has morphed into a film noir, dystopian near-future story. Feel free to vote via the comments. If you could change anything about this writing project, what would it be?

In keeping with my other posts, there's a writing prompt below. It has nothing to do with the writing pitch for my upcoming novel project "Paradise Found".

Pitch for (working title) "Paradise Found":

My main character, Shane Carrigan, was supposed to be the hero. The only problem is that Shane doesn't care enough. He's a worn-out, used-up, pessimistic cop, so when the case he's working threatens to end the world, Shane either wants to sigh in relief or give the bad guys a standing ovation for their originality. Fortunately for the world, decades of duty and a lifetime of contrariness set him solidly against the villains instead. Unfortunately for Shane, he's outclassed and out-maneuvered. With help from his coworkers on the police force, an angel who doubts Shane's good intentions, and a devil who can't decide if Shane is worth damning, this Chicago cop must solve the case... and hope he's good enough to stop the Apocalypse.

Writing Prompt:

The door beckoned, and - like the naive fool I am - I opened it. Of course, trouble was waiting on the other side. What had I really expected? Biting back a sigh, I grabbed my coat from beside the door, shoved my keys in one pocket, and strode out to meet it...

The Joys and Tedium of Subplots

Have you ever started writing a story only to find your characters side-tracked by a morning traffic jam or sudden flood in the basement? Maybe these incidents develop into subplots that take on lives of their own, such as whether the traffic cop is actually worsening the snarl of cars or whether the plumbers secretly installed devices to ensure their services will be required later.

Admittedly, the subplots mentioned above are thin, but the point stands... subplots are a great way to increase your word count. Beyond that, subplots can help to expand the scope of your novel's world, and might tie back in to the main plot with a vital clue, uncommonly good timing, or serve as comedic relief.

For example, writing about the morning traffic jam allows you to explore the kind of car the main character drives, and how he or she drives it. Is she nervous about scratching it? Is he upset that the horsepower is being wasted in bumper-to-bumper traffic? The time the main character wastes on the road could be important later on in the story, as it could cause them to miss a meeting, lose their job, or avoid being at the office when that 7.4 earthquake hits.

The plumbers' subplot gives plenty of opportunity for description and emotions. What did the house or apartment look like before the flood of seemingly Biblical proportions happened? What does it look like now? Is the plumber sympathetic, businesslike, or annoyed at having to slosh through six inches of water and the main character's now-soggy collection of home decorating magazines?

The plumber subplot could tie back into the main story, because now the main character is familiar enough with the basement - courtesy of the hours spent down there, distrustful of the plumber - that she's able to outsmart the serial killer who invades her home in a later chapter.

Consider adding a subplot to your writing project, but try to make them ones that fit with the setting and characters. Cutting to chapters about King Arthur's court might not make sense in a modern-day urban fantasy, but you could try doing a subplot on Renaissance fairs or a comic book convention instead.

Let's try something a little different with the prompt today. I'll give a writing prompt and a subplot. Have fun, and keep writing!

Prompt: The sun was starting to dip below the horizon, and the guy at the stall sighed at me in annoyance as I worked to get the ring off my finger. I'd just wanted to try it on, but now the craft fair was closing up shop for the night. If I didn't make progress - and soon - I'd have to buy the ugly thing and drive to the nearest hospital or hardware store before I lost my finger...

Subplot: Jewelry thieves are plotting to steal from the craft fair, and nabbing this troublesome ring is one of their main goals.

Story Ideas

I don't know how this works for other writers, but I get the best story ideas at one of two times.

1. When I'm taking a long walk, and there's no paper or writing instruments for me to take notes, or

2. When I'm too busy with life, work, and other stuff to write the idea down.

Feel free to comment below about when you get your best story ideas. (Out jogging? During a boring date?)

Here are a few prompts to help with those ideas:

Prompt 1: Sunlight poured down relentlessly, and heat made the simple act of breathing painful. If only he hadn't agreed to run a marathon in Death Valley...

Prompt 2: The plane jolted under her, and she grabbed nervously at the armrests of her seat. She accidentally clamped her hand over the arm of the man sitting next to her, and...

Failure is the Best Incentive

I just received my first literary agent rejection on "An Amazon Scorned". Unfortunately, it was the customary form letter 'this project isn't right for us... best of luck'. Fortunately, the turn-around was less than a day, rather than the weeks or months that I've come to expect.

So, if anyone wants to hear back quickly on their manuscripts, I have to suggest Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency. Maybe one of this blog's readers will have a manuscript that fits their market better. TriadaUS says they're looking for varying types of commercial fiction, so if that sounds like your project, try querying TriadaUS.

Some of the best lessons come from disappointing experiences. Although I wish I'd already found an agent to represent "An Amazon Scorned", this gives me more opportunities to perfect my querying technique and revise the manuscript, not to mention providing material for tonight's post!

Here's a prompt about turning disappointment into opportunity for a character. Have fun, and keep writing!

Prompt: She walked dispiritedly out of the storefront, frustrated that yet another minimum-wage, part-time, no-benefits job prospect had turned her down. She'd heard the economy was bad, but how much did the discount shop have to be hurting to only give her a two-minute interview? She decided to walk home, rather than taking the bus. It wasn't like she could afford the fare anyway. That was when she saw it... the thing that would turn her life around. If she'd been riding the bus, she would've gone by too fast, and completely missed it...

Outlining Techniques… and a Bookend Prompt

I'm beginning work on the sequel to "An Amazon Scorned". (The working title for this sequel is "Amazons' Most Wanted".)

It takes some time, but outlining the chapters is well worth the effort. It doesn't have to be detailed; just a sentence or two about what's going to happen in each chapter.

I prefer to do an outline one of two ways. Either:

1. Use a Word document, or

2. Use index cards.

These two methods work well, because if you realize you've forgotten a chapter, you can just add it as an index card or another line in the Word document. If you write it out on a page, you'll either have to use pencil and be prepared to erase a lot, or to use pen and a fair number of arrows to show added chapters.

If you're able to write out the chapter list from beginning to end without any hesitation or mistakes, more power to you... this is just what works best for me.

Since this post is about planning, here's a bookend prompt on the wisdom of planning ahead. I've given you the beginning and the end... the middle is up to you. Have fun, and keep writing!

Left Bookend: He double-checked the building plans. The last thing he needed was to get caught in a corridor when the alarms inevitably sounded...

Right Bookend: He finally stopped running a few blocks away. Doubled over and panting, he started laughing uncontrollably, relieved and grateful that he'd managed to get away.

To Rewrite or Not to Rewrite?

As you probably read, I finished the first draft of my fantasy novel "An Amazon Scorned" on January 31st. Unfortunately, I now have to deal with the weak spots in it, such as:

1. There's a partially written scene that was supposed to be character development, but I skipped the rest because it was a foil to the main character.

2. I forgot to write a scene that will set up a Wall Street angle in this series' future books.

3. I need to do more research on the mythological entity that one of the villains is based on... and the entity in question has just a few passages, most of which give the same tidbit of character analysis. (It's Angra Mainyu, if anyone was wondering.)

4. (I may have forgotten to develop and conclude a subplot.)

I'm torn about whether I should query literary agents with the book as is, or if I should take another month to reinforce the weak parts.

In support of querying immediately, is the argument that by the time I hear back from any agent, I probably will have fixed the spots anyway.

An argument against querying immediately, is that if an agent wants to see the whole manuscript, I'll have to either fix the weak spot quickly or send it with its imperfections.

Any advice?

         

While I'm waiting for feedback, here's a writing prompt about dilemmas.

Prompt: He'd heard about being between a rock and a hard place, but this was ridiculous. If he appeased the disgruntled customer, his boss would take the reimbursement out of his earnings. (The boss was just that kind of lady.) If he tried to send the customer away, his boss would demote him for being insensitive. Faced with this, there was only one thing to do...

 Finishing Your First Draft… and Other Horror Stories

I just finished the first draft of my fantasy novel "An Amazon Scorned"! Unfortunately, I can see a rewrite in my future, if only to smooth over the 3 scene I wrote in about four hours today. The good news is, now I can start sending this one off to agents. The horror story aspect will introduce itself when I start getting negative responses back -- or worse, no responses at all.

Still, I'll try to stay positive about the novel's prospects. After all, it's over 131,000 words long, and has a complicated plot, likeable heroine, action, intrigue, and tragedy. Sounds like a best-seller waiting to happen, though I could be slightly biased about that.

Here's everybody's prompt for the day. Since I promised horror stories in the title of this posting, we'll have a bookend prompt for you to write a horror story.

Left Bookend: It was an idyllic town, where no one expected that the worst could happen...

Right Bookend: Knowing it was probably useless, he started running toward the neighboring town.

Camouflaging Exposition

Some very talented writers can make exposition intriguing for their audience. Tolkien and Hemingway are prime examples. Those authors make the explanations of setting into more than just description. They mentally transport the audience into the world in their novels.

For the rest of us mere mortals, the safest thing to do with exposition is to minimize it. I include myself in this second group.

In the first chapter of my novel-in-progress "An Amazon Scorned", I want to describe the Amazon city. I want to tell the audience about the thousands of people who live there, about their lives and livelihoods, about the culture and architecture... because it's such a complex environment, and well worth sharing.

However, explaining the finer points of Amazon architecture would likely bore the audience enough that they'd drop my novel back on the shelf after skimming the first few pages.

So, instead I open with a chase scene. The main character is running for her life. I still get to mention Amazon architecture, the number of people in the city, and their sacred traditions, but the architecture is only mentioned as it helps or impedes the main character's attempt at escape. The people in the city are snapshots rather than in-depth character analyses. One is a witness, others are pursuers, and so on. Traditions are shown in the course of the chase scene itself, in which weapons people use and how doggedly they pursue the main character.

Exposition has it's place, but I've found that it's best buried farther along into the novel. The first few chapters are about introducing your main character and making him or her likeable to the audience, not about boring them with every inane detail of the main character's life.

As practice, take the prompt I've provided below. I know this lends itself to a flowery description, but try to avoid writing a purely descriptive or expository scene. You might want to add some hungry wildlife, or grumpy locals. Have fun, and keep writing!

Prompt: The mountains were beautiful this time of day. The way the sunlight played over their slopes and sudden drops was breathtaking. The only thing that blocked his view of the mountains was a...

An Amazon Scorned Update

Remember the modern-day Amazon story I started talking about 2 days ago? The working title is "An Amazon Scorned", and now I'm at more than 126,000 (aka 277 pages).

I'm trying to get to the end of this project, but it's tricky. I need to wrap up most of the loose ends, set up for the sequel, and do it all without slipping into the fatal trap of exposition.

As a result, what should have been a day's work of writing a few scenes has turned into a few weeks of agonizing over the nuances of those few scenes.

On the positive side, my writing style has remained relatively constant throughout this project, and the quality isn't suffering... the only casualty is my self-imposed deadline of finishing by tomorrow.

There's still hope that I can finish tomorrow, as I've set aside a few hours solely for writing. Either way, I'll post tomorrow night about my progress.

The Delicate Art of Raising the Stakes

When writing a conflict for your main character, there's a fine line between giving them a problem that's too easy to solve and giving them a plot that even Sherlock Holmes would find impossible to unravel.

Make a problem too easy, and your audience will lose interest. Make a problem too difficult, and they'll lose patience.

How do you find that happy medium? I try to look at the conflict on a scale, from 1 to 10. A "1" problem would be something that your main character could solve on three hours of sleep. A "10" problem would be something so confounding and difficult that your character's best hope is that some other, more talented character shows up and saves the day.

The second of those possibilities has potential, but only if you're writing a main character whose primary role is that of an observer. If your main character is the sort of person who shouts tips from the sidelines as other characters fight, or who steps nimbly out of the way as danger passes, then having a "10" problem can serve well for comedic relief. (I.e. - isn't your main character glad he's not involved in that mess!)

On the other hand, if you want your character to do more than point and laugh at the main conflict, you may have to bring the conflict down to a level that they can handle.

For example, in my current writing project (the modern-day Amazons story I mentioned yesterday), the main character eventually faces several dozen opponents, all at once, with very few weapons or allies. However, she starts out the story just facing one opponent. He's kind of worn out and down on his luck. Even so, my main character wouldn't have survived without some unexpected help.

Starting your main character out with an easy problem and then ramping up to a 10 (or 11) at the end shows character growth, and has the side benefit of keeping the audience intrigued with your story.

In today's writing prompt, play with the problem I present. Make it the most boring version you can think of, and then write several more versions, working your way up to a 10! Have fun, and keep writing!

Prompt: He studied the terrain carefully, pondering his next step. Stretching, he reached and touched his toes, then bounced back up to limber up his arms. He knew he had to cross the _____. If he failed, the consequences would be...

What Exactly Are You Writing?

Have you ever had a story that seemed to have so much potential, but it just wasn't long enough to make a novella or novel-length book?

If so, you've probably read every possible blog post, writer's help book, and watched every author interview on how to make your writing longer. (Add subplots, add extraneous characters, explain everything twice, give details about the most mundane aspects...not!)

If you've done all of that and the story is still too short, there are a few options.

Option A: Roll up the manuscript and use it as a fly swatter.

Option B: Reinvent the story completely. (Try a different time or place, or explore parts of the story that you didn't think were important. Maybe they're hiding plot points in the details!)

Option C: Write other stories of the same type. When you have enough, put them together as a collection. (That should make one substantial fly swatter!)

In all seriousness though, this is exactly the problem I'm encountering with my own writing. I've got a story that's as finished, expanded, expounded, plotted, and detailed as it can possibly be... and it's only 84,000 words long. As a random number that sounds like a lot, but in book terms, it's barely scraping by as a novella.

How have I fixed this? Long story short (excuse me while I recover from tripping over that pun), I haven't fixed it. I started writing another story, which is currently at 124,000 words.

The upside to this is that once I finish, I can start sending the longer story off to agents. The downside is that, if I get turned down for this one too, then I'll have confirmation: it's quality that was lacking, not just quantity.

Don't worry; this isn't a pity party. Maybe someday I'll take my own advice about the shorter story, but for now I'm having too much fun writing 124,000 words about modern-day Amazons!

Okay, now that everyone has sat patiently through my rant - or scanned until you saw 'prompt' in a paragraph, here's a prompt to help you get started on your next writing project. Remember, the length isn't as important as writing well and frequently. If you write on a consistent schedule, your story will end up being the right length for the characters and plot lines.

Without further ado, here's a bookend prompt. It's by, for, and about writers. What will you make of it? Let me know whether this prompt (or any of them, really) get to short story, novella, or novel length!

Left Bookend: She glared at the blank page and seriously considered banging her head against the desk in frustration. This had seemed so much easier when...

Right Bookend: With a sense of relief, she typed out those two scariest of words "the" and "end". Exhaustion set in as she realized that this story needed a sequel.

Talking About the Weather

Besides being safe elevator conversation, describing the weather in your novel can serve as simultaneous word-padding and plot details. Why is that character in your international thriller novel wearing a heavy coat in July, or why would one of your secondary characters risk a trip through a hurricane?

Describing weather just for the sake of padding your word count can cost your readers. The audience realizes quickly (usually in a few sentences) that they're reading fluff, even if that fluff is disguised as the ice storm of the century or a description of a hot, dry, day with cracked asphalt on Main Street.

If you use descriptions of weather as plot points, it will have the advantage of drawing your audience deeper into the setting and dropping hints about upcoming plot turns in a seemingly innocuous explanation of the different accumulations of snow in various parts of the city.

Here's a book-end writing prompt. I'll give the beginning and the end... you write the middle. Include as much weather description as possible, but only if you can make a connection to the plot.

Bookend Prompt Beginning: He'd always known that snow shoes were clumsy, but he'd never considered them dangerous before...

Bookend Prompt End: He put his feet up, glad to be rid of the cumbersome snow shoes, even if they'd just saved his life.

Have fun, and keep writing!

 Two Prompts for the Price of One

I've finally made the leap into Twitter. It looks like a phenomenal time-waster, but might also be great for finding fellow writers and getting advice from literary agents. There is a writing prompt posted there right now, under my name (Bettina Huntenburg ‏@PartTimeAuthor).

Don't worry; I'll still post prompts here... and they'll be different from the ones on Twitter. That means you'll get 2 prompts whenever I post, rather than just seeing the same material recycled on each site.

My Twitter Prompt was about the weather, so this one should be about something less mundane. Let's try... sea monsters!

One good thing that came from posting on Twitter was my new idea that people could request a personalized writing prompt. Want to get started on that steamy romance novel, but don't know what your character should look like? Need a hint about how to begin a fantasy story? Email me at assumeavirtue@sbcglobal.net, or find me on Twitter, and I'll respond ASAP.

Okay, enough stalling... on to the prompt!

Salty Depths Prompt: The ship swayed gently underfoot, and the half-full form of the moon lit up the surrounding waters like a searchlight across a rolling prairie. He strolled easily across the deck to the port side rail, his feet finding the wooden boards without difficulty despite their ever-changing positions. Across the moonlight-speckled waters, he saw something break the surface, something unlike any marine life that should be in this region. The only way to describe it was...

Have fun, and keep writing!

How to Write a Book in a Month

Unfortunately, I can't accomplish the title of this posting. I've tried twice now, and failed both times. At least I'm consistent, right? At least for the second failure I reached the wordcount goal.

Part of the reason I haven't updated this blog in a while is that I was preparing for (and then participating in) National Novel Writing Month's two summer events.

In June and August, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) host Camp Nano. The goal is the same as in November. You're supposed to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days or less. In August you get 31 days... but that felt like cheating, so I finished up on August 30th.

In June, I failed to reach 50,000 words. I got to about 8,000, and then life happened, the way it sometimes does. You realize you need to do certain things (such as work, sleep, exercise, and eat), that interfere with attaining a productive wordcount, and before you know it, you're so far behind that there is no way to catch up by the end of the month.

That novel was about telepaths, and at least June's Camp Nano gave me a good start on it. When I return to that project, I will have a solid platform from which to continue.

In August, I reached 50,000 words. (Actually, it was 50,023, but who's counting?) This novel is nowhere near complete... and it's just the first in what I'm picturing as a trilogy. Think Supernatural meets Van Helsing, with a dash of the Kitty the Werewolf series. Add Amazons, the pressures of court intrigue, and a coming-of-age story, and maybe you'll begin to appreciate why 50,000 words isn't long enough. The book's working title is "Hell Hath no Fury Like an Amazon Scorned".

The main difference between my June Camp Nano experience and August's success was that I wrote with a higher level of consistency. I tried to write every day, but when that failed, I consistently made myself write more the next day. One day, I even wrote 4,000 words, which is a personal best for me in these writing events. I've heard about people who had 6,000-word days. That's an accomplishment I applaud, but hope never to duplicate.

The posting below this one is all about the trait that helped me reach my wordcount goal this past month... consistency. Have fun with it, and keep writing!

Prompt:  Consistency is Everything

As promised in the post above, here is a writing prompt!

Prompt:

He could forgive anything except inconsistency. In the course of his long career, he had seen people who were phenomenal at their complex tasks and others who struggled to accomplish even the most basic of assignments.

However he didn't begrudge the less talented workers nearly as much as he despised the ones who were inconsistent. At least he knew what to expect from the consistent ones, whether their standards leaned toward accomplishment or toward failure.

"Sir," one of his more menial employees rapped lightly on the doorjamb and then spoke. "Sir, they're ready for launch..."

Spell it Out for Me:  How to Outline Your Stories

Does anyone here hate to outline their stories? *looks to audience, counts dozens of hands, sighs, and then launches into lecture* Okay, yes, outlines are boring, tedious, time-consuming, and it feels like they kill the creative spark, dousing that fire of literary aspiration before it even has a chance.

Considering all of that, why would you ever want to use an outline? I have given several good reasons in the post below this one, but I'll give one great reason right here: an outline assures that your story has a goal.

While that might not seem all that important when you're furiously scribbling down a brilliant first chapter, eventually inspiration will slow down (due to the need to eat, sleep, or go to one's day job), and when you come back to the story, it could be difficult to recapture that creative spirit. (For those of you who have no problem with this, please share your secret.) For the rest of us, here are a few prompts that will need the next 4 to 5 scenes outlined before you start writing them. I'll provide the pitch of the story, and you write a few sentences for the first 4 or 5 scenes.

Pitch 1: Sara was having a tea party with her favorite dolls when she abruptly finds herself transported to the place she had just imagined. Her dolls are real people, and she is welcomed warmly into the family. Since she pretended that her dolls were princesses, the family in question is royal. The opportunities for fun are nearly infinite, but so are the intrigues and plots against the royal family. Will Sara be stuck in the middle?

Pitch 2: As a member of EarthForce's forward brigade, Jackson knew he would see battles and enemies that most humans couldn't imagine...but he never expected to face other humans in battle. When Jackson's expeditionary brigade lands on a newly discovered hospitable planet, they try to lay claim to it for Earth's burgeoning population, only to find that humans already live there - and they refuse to relocate. Torn between duty to his unit and his duty to humanity, Jackson struggles with whether he should follow the customary order (cleanse future colonies for the human population's arrival) or side with the humans who were there first, and know the danger of the planet well.

A Word About Outlines

Unless you're an absolute genius, chances are you'll need an outline to tackle a writing project of greater length. Note: Even if you are an absolute genius, it's still a good idea to organize those superior thoughts using an outline.

I'm currently gearing up for JuNo (National Novel Writing Month's June event), so I am rediscovering the value of a detailed outline. The book I will be writing for JuNo is called "Mindbreakers' Rebellion". It's about what would happen if telepaths started cropping up in distressingly large numbers. We're not talking Professor Xavier and Jean Grey... more like the gradual creation of a new species (tentatively called homo sapien telepathus, though my Latin is rudimentary at best. If anyone knows better, I'm open to suggestions on the genus and species naming conventions.)

Since I'll need to write at least 50,000 words for this story in the next month, I began writing an outline of the scenes. How to the two main characters meet? Which secondary characters are more important than they seem, and how can I drop hints? Is the villain hiding in plain sight, or hiding 'off-screen'?

By creating an outline, I can answer all of these questions before I ever put pen to paper. An outline also helps me determine what ending will be most enjoyable for the reader, most believable, and work out the challenges in writing whichever ending I decide on.

See the post above this one for prompts that need outlines. Have fun, and keep writing!

Make Your Story the Life of the Party

Complete the prompts below, each of which depicts a different type of party. Try to answer these questions, and see the post below for other ideas about how to use a party setting to explore your characters' reactions to each other. Who attended the party? Does your main character want to be there? If not, how does he or she cope? Is there food? (Is it any good?) Who is hosting the party, and why have they chosen to do so?

Party Sequence One:

As she looked out from the balcony and saw the cascade of period costumes, swirling on the hardwood dance floor, she wondered why she wasn't enjoying the party more. All of her friends had been invited, and they were here. Everyone else seemed to be happy, so at least she wasn't a complete failure as a hostess.

Then, she saw the reason for her irritation. Across the room, in a ridiculous outfit that didn't match the period theme (as clearly stated in the invitations), stood her oldest enemy...

Party Sequence Two:

He snagged a snack off a passing tray, plopping it in his mouth, chewing, and swallowing without admitting to himself that he didn't even know what kind of cheese he had just eaten. His dress shirt scratched uncomfortably in his waistband, his polished shoes felt too small, and the marble floor caught every inane laugh and loud brag, amplifying the noise until his head ached.

Why was he here again? Oh, right... he was being supportive. He sighed, grimaced, and then waded back into the chattering crowd with a forced smile plastered on his face...

Expanding Characterization:  Party On!

A great way to introduce the hero, villain(s), secondary characters, and stock characters is to invite them all to a party as part of your book. While not every story is well-suited to throwing a party, I think you'll find that only the most strait-laced, strict, or unusual of settings would absolutely forbid any prospect of a party.

Whether your characters are attending a dance, having drinks at the governor's mansion, or playing video games during a sleepover, there are many possibilities for exploring your characters' reactions in this less serious environment.

Finish the party sequence prompts above, adding in things like:

A) Whether the hero and villain would fight each other even though everyone else just wants to enjoy the party,

B) Whether the hero enjoys the party or spends the night avoiding an angry ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend, or

C) If the party comes to an abrupt halt, what caused it? Earthquake? Magical portal opening? Someone called the cops to complain about the noise?

Use your imagination, and have fun writing!

 Stating the Obvious Subtly

There is a fine line between hiding hints in your story (so that they aren't too blatant) and hiding them so well that the reader is confused when the big reveal (villain's identity, plot twist, love interest, etc.) happens. Take a look at the example below, and then practice writing the scenes described in the prompts in a subtle way, rather than an obvious one.

Obvious: As he walked down a dark alley, his skin prickled, overly alert for any sign of an attack. He rounded the corner of a dumpster quickly, wishing he had a weapon of some sort. When he saw the frail, broken person lying on the cracked asphalt beside the dumpster, he realized he had no need of one. He recognized the man from the bar two nights ago.

"The man you asked me to look for?" the broken man said in a raspy, fading voice, "His name is Summers."

Subtle: As he walked down a dark alley, his skin prickled, overly alert for any sign of an attack. He rounded the corner of a dumpster quickly, wishing he had a weapon of some sort. When he saw the frail, broken person lying on the cracked asphalt beside the dumpster, he realized he had no need of one. He recognized the man from the bar two nights ago.

"What happened to you?" he asked the frail, broken man, kneeling to check for wounds.

The broken man laughed, but stopped when cracked ribs made their presence felt. "I couldn't get his name. This..." he gestured at his crushed chest, "happened first. But he mentioned a warehouse on the south side of town...something about plastics."

Prompts: Now, try writing the following scenarios subtly. Don't give away the answer in the first page, or even the first chapter.

Scenario A: Your character is running late for a class at college, and someone has stolen his/her homework. Was the homework stolen, or just misplaced? If misplaced, then what clues about the dorm room will help him/her find it? If stolen, will a roommate or security guard help him/her find it?

Scenario B: Your character is working at a lemonade stand, and he/she witnesses something that hints at a larger crime being committed. What is this 'something', and what does your character do about it?

Have fun with it, and keep writing!

Dropping Hints for Your Characters

I recently read a book - the author of which I will not embarrass by naming here. It was a good book, with a likeable anti-hero, plenty of suspense, intense action, and a well-designed plot. The one weakness to the book was how the author introduced a dead, mostly useless character.

Rather than simply asking a motel manager if they had any messages, the two main characters are arrested by the police. While under arrest, one of the main characters is questioned about the death of a man who was staying in their motel. This gives the secondary main character an opportunity to tell the main character about the dead man - who he was, why he was in town, and how that helps them in their current mystery.

Unfortunately, the whole chapter felt contrived and overblown. From the police kicking down a door to the easy brutality inflicted against the main character, the main point of the chapter seemed to be making the town's police force unpopular with the reader. I already knew from previous chapters that we weren't supposed to like that town's law enforcement, so I didn't need this chapter to remind me so blatantly.

That being said, I have purchased the other two books in this series. However, that was in spite of the chapter I just mentioned. The anti-hero is sufficiently likeable, and the plots are intriguing enough for me to ignore that one chapter as an unfortunate anomaly in the writing.

How would I have handled it differently? See the post above for an example and some practice prompts.

In Dire Literary Straits

This bookend prompt presents a scene where your main character faces the unforeseen problem of an overdue library book. The problem is surprising to your main character, because she never received a library card! Fill in the details between the Left and Right bookend prompt, helping the character with this problem. See the post below this one for strategies on how to solve, avoid, or surrender to the problem of overdue book fines.

Left Bookend: I opened the mail that had my local library's name on it, wondering why they were writing to me. I think I went there once on a school field trip or something, but I've never been back since. The paper I pulled out of the envelope looked official, like a bill.

Right Bookend: The one thing I could be sure of by the time I'd finished was that they would never send me any mail ever again.

A Good Way to Make Your Story Longer… Surprise Your Characters

A good way to add words to your story is to surprise your characters. It can be a pleasant surprise (i.e. the super actually fixed the plumbing in your main character's apartment), or an unpleasant surprise (i.e. despite sending payment for a bill on time, it arrived late... and now your main character owes a late fee, as well as the original bill).

In my opinion, unpleasant surprises are better. Not only are they more realistic and relatable, but they also take up more space on the page.

If you can link the unpleasant surprise to your main plot, that's great. If you can't, it will probably reveal a side of your main character that the reader hasn't witnessed yet.

The unpleasant surprise can be anything from a wrongfully-sent foreclosure notice to a change in a plan to attend a play/movie/event that the main character somehow misses. Either way, presenting this challenge will show your main character's:

A. creativity in succeeding despite the unpleasant surprise,

B. stubbornness as he or she refuses to change his or her plans, or

C. resignation as he or she decides to avoid the problem entirely.

See the writing prompt above for an example, and have fun writing!

Take Novel Ideas from Common Idioms

Try writing a page about each idiom. Do you take the idiom literally, or does it apply in some obscure way to a character, setting, or plot line that you already constructed? See the post directly below this one for an example of how to take an idiom literally or how to expand on the implied meaning of an idiom.

Idiom 1: Beating around the bush.

Idiom 2: Elvis has left the building.

Idiom 3: Water under the bridge

The Most Annoying Question Authors Receive

‘Where do you get your ideas?’

What makes this question annoying for me is that half the time even I don’t know where the idea for my next novel will come from. For example, the other day I was having lunch with a friend, and she had a turn of phrase that I’d never heard before. I won’t share it here (that’s my idea, after all!), but I will give a few other examples.

I like to use idioms as a way to build characters, settings, or plot lines. This is more useful in the formative stages of writing, rather than when I’m trying to write myself out of a literary corner.

Example 1: “Those two get on like a house on fire.”

Maybe it’s just that I’m not British, but comparing the quick spread of friendship to the rapid destruction of a structure seems counterintuitive. I might take this idiom and make a story out of it by understanding it literally. A house on fire is a bad thing, so the two people must be enemies… and go from there.

Alternatively, I could write a story about the rapid spread of friendship, with characters going from complete strangers to lifelong friends in a single glance. (Actually, the second one sounds more interesting.)

See the prompt above to create your own story from common idioms in the English language.

Prompt:  The Morning Traffic Jam

Start with the prompt below, and write for as long as you can. Then, review what you have written, and make it as interesting as possible. Look to the post below "Quality Word-Padding" for how to make your writing longer without making it boring or pointless.

"I thought driving in the carpool lane was supposed to be faster," one of my passengers complained. "What's taking so long?"

I didn't reply, because the answer was obvious. Someone had swerved in front of a truck, forcing it to turn abruptly and spill its load of timber all across the road. It didn't bother me that we were delayed, or that at least one of my passengers had more hot air than common sense... What bothered me was that I had seen the car that swerved in front of the truck. After causing this traffic jam, that car's driver sped away, avoiding the consequences of the overpopulation of automobiles idling behind the spilled timber.

Quality Word-Padding

If you need to make your short story or novel longer, every writer faces the challenge of writing quality along with all of that quantity.

The writers who fail in this task are accused of 'word-padding', which is also known as the meritless use of extraneous and lengthy words with the stated goal of increasing one's page count and giving the impression of competence as a provider of serious-- which is to say long --literary works.

See what I did there? Please don't do that with your stories. Your writing should either:

1. Advance the plot,

2. Endear a character,

3. Make a villain infamous, or

4. Establish an ambiance.

A way to accomplish all four of these goals at once is to incorporate a backstory into a conversation between or among characters. Ideally, you could introduce your protagonist and his or her sidekicks, friends, coworkers, or family members by having the villain's backstory come up in conversation. This has a few benefits.

First, it introduces your main characters, gives the reader a sense of what upsets the characters, and tells the readers why they should support the main characters against the villain(s).

Second, it allows you to tell the villain's backstory without resorting to the long-winded and arrogant tone, such as: In the dark land of *insert ominous name here* the dastardly and feared Lord/Ruler *ironic or fitting name here* perfected his wickedness against the innocent and helpless masses. *Insert long and dreadful list of atrocities.* Who would stop him?...*Proceed to first chapter, with idyllic hero figure*

An example of how to introduce your villain and hero without resorting to boring exposition is this. Consider a science fiction story, where all the characters must cooperate on a decades-long mission on a space ship. Your main character and his friends could be having lunch in the cafeteria, and discuss--over their bland rations--how pushy and irritating the ship's psychiatrist is. "He's supposed to help us acclimate," one crewmember might complain, "not make us consider using an airlock without a space suit to escape a session with him!"

Have the characters argue whether the psychiatrist is actually that bad, then discuss what--if anything--they can do about it, and decide whether to confront the psychiatrist directly, mention the problem to the ship's captain, or refuse to attend the mandatory sessions. No matter what the decision, it will convey where your characters stand, how bad the villain of your piece is, and give a sense of what limited options are available to them as the plot of your story progresses.

 Prompt:  Confusion at the Convention

Use the post below this one, "Making the Boring Bearable" to expand on this prompt about a person at a convention.

Prompt:

I ran from room to room, trying desperately to find the "Understanding Leadership" class before it started. Behind every wrong door, I found more people like me: frazzled, frustrated, and bored out of our minds. Finally, I found the right room, opened the door, and groaned. The lights were that faltering fluorescent kind that always gave me a headache...and this was scheduled to be a three-hour-long class!

Making the Boring Bearable

When you write about a boring event, the temptation is to skip that scene entirely, both as a writer an as a reader. Who cares about your character's commute to work, or the mind-numbing lecture on plate tectonics that they attended at the beginning of the novel? If these scenes don't link to the plot or establish your characters in some meaningful way, I recommend cutting the scene and starting somewhere more exciting.

However, if the vital clue to the entire mystery happens best in a boring setting, buried among jargon or gossip...do your best to express the boring scene in an intriguing way. Here are a few ways to accomplish that:

1. Give details about the setting -- Everyone has a friend who will complain at length about an experience. "The conference dragged on for forever! They had us crammed, twenty people in a nine foot by nine foot room, with no windows and no air conditioning. When I got up to use the ladies room, my skirt snagged on the chair. Now it's ruined, and I'm going to bill the conference for it!"

Note: If you don't have a friend like this, your writing may be limited somewhat, but your mental health is probably better.

2. Give details about the other people in the scene -- In the conference example, does the lecturer have a monotone voice, or call on the audience to frequently with trivial questions? Do other attendees feverishly take notes, or do they doze in the back row? Is the cafeteria staff friendly and generous, or mean-spirited and stingy with the portion sizes? This information, even more thean the setting details, will help your reader experience the boring scenes better, because the details about fellow attendees, teachers, waiters, and the occasional interloper will make the experience more relatable.

It will also leave your reader feeling relieved that none of their similar experience have ever been that bad.

3. Give emotional details about your main character -- So, your main character is stuck at this boring conference, with bad food and no AC in the middle of summer in Louisiana. How does your main character deal with that? Is she indifferent, simply putting in the effort because her boss expects her to? Or does she make the best of it, networking with fellow attendees to arrange a pool party after the lectures? Is she angry about being required to attend, or distracted because a family member is having elective but dangerous surgery while she's at the conference?

If it helps, think of the setting details as the bass beat, holding the whole scene together, the other people as harmonies that make the scene more interesting, and your main character's thoughts and emotions as the primary melody that sets the scene's pace and course.

Do all of this, and not only will the boring scene become more interesting, but you may also subconsciously write more hints about later plot points into the scene, like:

A.    a poster in the hotel lobby of an entertainer who turns out to be the bad guy,

B.     another attendee who comments about the suspicious behavior of the bellhop, or

C.     your main character’s emotional state making her choose a different option than she normally would.

Prompt:  Cursing the Grindstone

Have you ever had one of those days at work? Try writing about it, but change details so that no one gets offended or sues for libel. Pick up where this prompt leaves off. Should the character quit, pass projects off to coworkers, continue work, or pursue some other course of action?

Prompt:

He had a theory about work. It wasn't scientifically proven, the subject of an in depth study, or anything like that. As he stared at his desk, though, the anecdotal evidence in this theory's favor grew yet weightier.

His theory was that the work in his inbox multiplied geometrically in relation to how much work he discarded, tossed, or shoved into the outbox. Of course, with logic like that, there was only one rational thing to do...

Writing About Work

I do not recommend writing about your coworkers. For one thing, casting your boss as a villain won't earn you a promotion, and for another, revealing your coworkers' embarrassing secrets as character traits will lose you the annual popularity contest.

However, writing about work in general terms can be a very rewarding tool. Use unimportant details about your workplace as the characteristics of places that your characters visit. Does your main character's office have an ocean view, or a view of a brick wall six inches from the glass pane? Does your fictional office have a water cooler? If so, do people tell rumors around it, or do they pick the second floor bathroom, and why?

Also, use your working experiences to address the universal truths about employment. For example: Is overtime worth the effort? How can your main character get credit for a project without ostracizing others, or avoid catching blame for something someone else did?

See the prompt above for an idea on how to get started.

Bookend Prompt:  Characters in Transition

Whether it's moving to a new house or simply to the next class, characters usually need to move in order to keep a reader's interest. In the bookend prompt below, fill in what it takes for the character to get from Point A to Point B. See the post below on transitions if you want more ideas!

Left Bookend: I was perfectly comfortable where I was. No, seriously...and I would have stayed that way, I'm sure, if she hadn't come along.

Right Bookend: Some people say that the journey is the point, not the destination. We'll just have to agree to disagree on that one.

How to Write Transitions

Transitions are delicate to write because you need to help the reader move from one scene or chapter to another (or within a scene, but to a new location). The easiest approach is to forego transitions altogether. However, I do not suggest that approach, because if you do that, all of your scenes will be static and stagnant, and each scene and chapter beginning will feel disjointed from the rest of the story.

Other approaches include:

1. Using a theme, or

2. Connecting dialogue to the next setting or action

1. Use a theme -- In this approach, all of your chapters might end similarly. For example, my complete novel (The Promethean Remnant), the main character changes locations with every chapter. For the first few chapters, I describe in detail exactly how she travels from one place to another. After the third chapter, though, I understand that the read knows what is happening, so I am able to make less detailed references to the type of travel, usually just mentioning the beginning of it and then cutting to the next chapter.

2. Connect dialogue to the next setting or action -- This approach can be corny if done poorly, or brilliant if done well. In the novel that I mentioned above, at the end of one chapter a supporting character explains to the main character where they are going next. However, he describes the place in very general, evasive terms. By the end of his speech, (hopefully) the reader shares the main character's annoyance, and their curiosity propels them into the next chapter.

You can also do this more subtly, such as ending a scene with two people in an office talking about their annual hunting trips, and then having the next scene or chapter take place at a hunting lodge, or out in the wilderness. Transitions like that help connect the entire story, making it a more cohesive experience for the reader.

Prompt:  How to Write Quandries

Read the following prompt, and write what comes next. Is the problem a literal ship or something else? See the post below this one for hints on how to write about dilemmas.

Prompt: "I'm telling you; that ship has sailed. Look, you can be on deck, below deck, or keelhauled underneath it, but I assure you that this is happening."

Presenting Dilemmas Convincingly

When presenting your characters with dilemmas, it is important to remember 3 things about dialogue: 1. Stay in the time in which your story is set.

2. Stay in character.

3. Show the dilemma vividly.

Rule 1: Stay in the right time -- The same dilemma can be stated countless diferent ways, depending on your setting. Take a look at the following example...

Modern Day:

"I have a bad feeling about this. We've got no idea what's down there!"

Shakespearean:

"Tis a dank and murk-filled depth to explore,

what dangers lurk there can scarcely be ignor'd"

(Note - Well, I never claimed to be a playwright, did I?)

The exception to this rule is if your story has time travel. It is likely that a World War II fighter pilot would speak differently than the modern-day Nebraskans he meets when his plane slips from being over Germany in 1944 to over the Great Plains today. In fact, having the pilot speak of music from the 80s would be anachronistic and distracting to the readers.

Rule 2: Stay in character -- No two people would state a dilemma in exactly the same way, despite what you may have seen in bad horror movies. Even if they are from the same time, people with different cultures will speak of situations differently.

For example, when someone is talking and then suddenly goes off topic, you might ask what happened, or comment that they sounded confused. My brother would say, "You jumped several tracks," in a reference to the idiom 'train of thought', whereas my father would tease the speaker about going on a "Hartonian Tangent". (He had a friend in high school, last name of Hart, who spoke randomly more often than not.)

If even a father and son don't necessarily use the same speech patterns, then you should definitely consider how differently people from varying countries, social classes, or cultures would phrase dilemmas.

Rule 3: Show the dilemma vividly -- Describe the unfortunate choices before your characters in detail, so that the reader knows why they make the decision on which they eventually settle.

For example, if your characters are exploring a haunted house, and someone gets trapped, some people can stay with the trapped person, bring them food and water, and other people can go for help. Presenting this as one character saying, "So, who's coming with me?" doesn't do this choice justice. Try having one of the characters start to hyperventilate and shout about how this is the point in the movie where the split up and people start dying.

That way, when the characters do make a decision, the reader will have a sense of dread regardless of which option is chosen. This will add depth, conviction, and characterization to your story, not to mention a healthier word count!

Bookend Prompt:  Heist on the London Underground

See the post below this one for some hints on how to fill in the gaps between the bookends of today's prompt.

Left Bookend: The owner wasn't supposed to chase her into the station, the thief thought frantically as she dodged and weaved to put more of the lunch-hour crowd between her pursuer and herself. She knew that he had insurance on this thing.

Right Bookend: The thief grimaced as she heard the automated reminder to 'mind the gap'. Disappointed, the thief slipped up the escalator and thought that at least she had gotten away.

Writing the Treacherous Middle Story

I have admitted on this blog that writing the beginning of a story is difficult. You need to catch the reader's attention in a way that has not been tried before, which becomes more impossible each year and with every newly-published book.

Writing the middle of the story is even worse, in a way. By this point, the reader has committed to finishing your book, but a truly boring, bad, or unconvincing middle can still make them regret buying your book...and lose you their future purchases of your second, third, and umpteenth novel.

Recently, when talking with some of my friends who also write, I complained that every decent story follows similar guidelines. Something happens to the main character (who we're supposed to admire), the main character reacts, and then plot ensues. That is what you need to accomplish convincingly in the middle of your story - go makes some plot points happen!

However, as simplistic and general as that sounds, it is not helpful to a writer in the midst of a story. You have a main character, a foil or villain, friends and henchmen, a breathtaking setting, and enough secondary characters to make casting directors cringe at the prospect of your book one day becoming a film...but now you need the plot, encounters, adventures, setbacks, and other events that build tension and camaraderie for your audience. They should be cheering for your main character to win, and throwing taunts and tomatoes at the villain of your story. There are 3 ways to garner such involvement from your readers:

1. The world-changing approach -- Make every way station, pit stop, or bus depot vitally dangerous and important to your main character. For example, if your story takes place on the London underground, then every time the train doors open, your readers ought to wonder - and maybe fear - what will enter next. Say that your main character is a thief. Maybe she boarded the train to make her escape, but at each station, different people board and accost her. One newcomer could be a rival thief; the next would be her ill-gotten property's actual owner, and the third a police officer, called to quiet the incessant fights occurring in the thief's car.

The downside to this style is that it could exhaust your reader. The style of writing is evident in those novels that you finish in one sitting, despite their length.

2. The comedy of errors approach -- Keep all events light, humorous if possible. In keeping with the London underground example, your heroine would still be accosted, but not at every turn. Maybe in trying to avoid her thieving rival, she stumbles across an unrelated problem that only she can solve. (I.e. A man has just dropped an engagement ring down a grate. The thief/hero retrieves it for him.) The other encounters could be minimized also, in that the stolen property's original owner might not know that your main character is the thief, and the police officer could be interrupted by a more serious crime, and leave without arresting her.

The problem with this approach is that, though it is less intense and easier for the reader to handle, your audience may wonder why they're reading it at all.

3. The balanced approach -- Mix the serious encounters with the lighter ones, alternating randomly. Have the rival thief steal the hapless man's engagement ring. Then, while the hero/thief is stealing it back, the owner shows up with a police officer. The hero/thief grabs the engagement ring from her rival before he runs away from the authorities. When the police officer searches the hero/thief, though, only the engagement ring turns up, because her rival lifted the object that she stole earlier!

This mixture of intense and funny moments will reveal more facets of your characters. (For example: How does the hero/thief react when facing her rival as opposed to when she is faced with a blunt accusation from her most recent victim?)

Mixing the content of your middle story also gives the reader a chance to properly enjoy the characters, without either feeling rushed from scene to scene by the urgent pace and intensity of the plot, or feeling bored at the consistently whimsical and inconsequential events. Pick the style that works best for your story.

Writing Prompt:  Seconds, Please?

Instead of focusing on the main character in this prompt, write what the secondary one says in reply. Why is the teenaged employee the only one at the registers? Is everyone else out sick? Was there an avalanche that prevented everyone but him from coming into work? Use your imagination!

She stood in line, glancing out the store's front window as she transferred the grocery basket back to her other arm. What was taking the cashier so long? It wasn't like this was rocket science! She had more important places to be, and she should have been there ten minutes ago. Sighing in exasperation as she finally reached the front of the line, she looked around at the other cash register stations while she unloaded her canned soups and yogurt.

In that one quick glance, she realized why the line had moved so ridiculously slowly. "So...you're the only one here, huh?" she asked the frazzled teenaged cashier.

How to Write Secondary Characters

If you know how to write a likeable (but not perfect) hero, a dastardly yet sympathetic villain, and a reasonably complex plot, you probably think you're set. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Unless your story involves only two characters (i.e. the hero and the villain) stranded somewhere desolate (such as a desert island, abandoned space station, or the Arctic Circle)...you are going to have secondary characters.

Secondary characters will share attributes with both your hero and your villain in varying degrees. For example, if your hero's attempts to arrive at work on time are thwarted constantly by the taxi driver who intentionally takes the route through heavy construction, then that secondary character has very few redeemable qualities.

However, on the scale of evil plans, postponing your hero's arrival at his job is far from earth-shattering. (After all, your hero could always hail a different cab further down the street, call the Better Business Bureau on the taxi driver, or take public transportation instead.) The villain, on the other hand, will be nearly impossible to avoid. Maybe the villain is your hero's boss, or a new client...someone that the hero needs to deal with.

When it comes to secondary characters, effort equals results. Sure, you can stop at describing the secondary characters by their job or their appearance, but then those characters will not have as meaningful an impact as possible. (I'm guilty of this in one of my novels - the main character's coworkers, friends, and neighbors are all practically non-existent. I mention that they do, in fact, exist...and then I get on with the plot that matters instead of ever meeting them.)

If, instead of glossing over your secondary characters, you let your hero have lengthy conversations with his waitress at the coffee shop, maybe she will warn him when she notices a car parked outside the shop, and thugs watching for when he arrives and departs. Knowing that information, your hero can dodge the thugs, fight them, or the waitress can show him a side exit. Then, the villain (boss or client) will not be able to use those thugs to track the hero's movements.

By simply giving your secondary characters the literary time of day, they can progress the plot and reveal your hero's personality at the same time. I've used a rather boring example here, but apply these principles to your own stories, and see if it helps!

Help Wanted!

Am I answering all of your most important and desperate fiction-writing questions? If not, email me at this address (assumeavirtue@sbcglobal.net) with the topics you feel I'm neglecting. I'll try to answer each question as quickly and fully as possible! =)

Bookend Prompt:  Sympathy for your Villain

In keeping with the post below about writing believable villains, use this bookend prompt to write a short story (or character analysis, or novel) to create a sympathetic villain or villainess. This is good practice for considering your villain as more than a moral opposite to your hero. A good villain does that too, but he or she has an entire existence outside what they do to your main character.

Use the two-part prompt in any order, as long as one of the bookends is at the beginning of your writing, and the other is at the end. Good luck, and have fun writing!

Left Bookend: I told them not to do that. They should have listened to me.

Right Bookend: Someone had to; can I help it if that 'someone' was me?

Writing Believable Villains

One of the most disappointing things about reading a book or watching a television show is when the villain has no depth to their character. The most apt examples I can think of are the westerns or police procedurals from the 1960s, where the bad guy does amoral and/or illegal acts simply because he/she is insane.

They never tried to explain how the villain was insane. Was it an anti-social personality disorder? Multiple personalities? A superiority complex with violent tendencies? Nope, the explanation always stopped short at one word: crazy.

While I will acknowledge that people read stories to get away from their normal lives, the plot still needs to make some sense. For those who appreciate a good mystery novel, 'crazy' is a good start on motive for the villain, but it needs to be explained with some debate about nature versus nurture, a macabre backstory, or a shared history with the main character/hero/heroine.

How can you avoid writing this overused stock character as the villain of your piece? Here's my advice:

1. Villains are people too - It sounds silly, but try to think of your bad guy(s) in more than one dimension.  Villains have good traits as well as faults, so while the story may require that you emphasis the faults, don't forget the puppy that your villain rescued from the pound, or that they give blood a few times a year. Just because they are the foil to your main character doesn't mean they need to be evil to everyone all of the time.

2. Villains commit villainy for a reason - Villains have a reason for their actions. We hear the reasons ad nauseum in various stories' monologues, but the reasons are there nonetheless. If your villain is a businessman, show the meeting where he/she is arguing for polluting the Everglades because it's kinder than dumping toxic waste into a hospital's water supply. Or, have the scene where the villain snaps at an aide because they just finished a stressful business call. Without reason, your villain cannot justify (or rationalize) their actions.

3. Villains aren't perfect - This is an important fact to keep in mind, especially if you want the villain to lose. In keeping with the 'villains are people' point, villains have fears and insecurities just like the heroes in your writing. However, the villains probably do a better job of hiding those fears and insecurities, which means that the heroes have some investigation to do before they can achieve their victory.

Who knows, maybe in the process of all that investigating, the hero will discover that he and the villain have more in common than they first thought. That could lead your story down one of two paths: A. If they aren't so different, maybe they can be allies instead of enemies. Or (more likely), B. The hero will simply feel really bad about having to stop the villain in the end.

Writing Prompt:  A Conversation Overheard

After reading the italicized lines below, write what this character overheard. Where were they when the heard the conversation? What was the content of it? What is this character like? Is he or she a gossip, a spy, or simply curious? And for the sci-fi fans out there, is the use of the word 'invisible' a literal condition, or a reference to being unobtrusive? Good luck and have fun!

"I didn't intend to eavesdrop. No, really. People always doubt me when I say that. Can I help it if I'm practically invisible?

At any rate, I didn't mean to overhear their conversation...but I'm glad that I did."

Description Writing:  The Devil is in the Details

Some writers struggle to fill the page and reach that 75,000 to 85,000-word mark. Others must cut words from draft after draft for fear of the presses quitting in protest before their books are produced. However, the amount of detail is not nearly as important as the quality of detail you put into your writing. As an example, I've included an excerpt from my unpublished novel "The Promethean Remnant" below:

Excerpt from "The Promethean Remnant" -

The palace's grandiose appearance, like a castle hidden away in a dark, remote ravine, convinced Celesta that she had at least one viable suspect in whatever crime, insult, or indiscretion she had been called in to investigate.

Grinning, Celesta confided in the nymph as they walked toward the palace, "Trust me on this...the butler did it."

The nymph, who was walking beside Celesta as they approached the sea-goddess's palace, looked at Celesta with something like confusion - or maybe it was boredom. The nymph's soft features could either be extremely expressive (as they had been back in the apartment, when the nymph was considering Henry) or her expression could be as still and blank as water on a windless day, making her nearly impossible to read.

"Butler?" the nymph inquired in a voice that sounded like a summer brook. "What is that?"

Did I need to include that much detail about both the palace and the nymph's expression? Probably not. Those details have nothing to do with the larger plot arc of this novel. However, by explaining that the palace looked like a castle, it allows Celesta to jump to the corny conclusion that 'the butler did it'.

Explaining how fluid and un-human the nymph's feature are reinforces the fact that, while the nymph knows the Greek pantheon well, she probably has never read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. That simultaneously gives the reader something familiar (of course the butler did it!) and shows the reader and the main character that pop culture references will likely be useless for most of the pantheon and their courtiers.

In conclusion, there's nothing wrong with adding details to your writing, as long as they are the right details. Do your descriptions pull the reader into the world you are creating? Or do the details have your reader using your story as the best-known cure for insomnia?

Details and descriptions should deepen the experience of your story without lengthening to the point of boredom. It is a fine line, and one that you might not even notice until you allow someone else to read your writing. My recommendation is to write in as many details as you want...but be prepared to remove the excess to improve the overall quality of your writing.

 Bookend Prompt:  Write Dramatically

Consider the bookend writing prompt below. For those of you just tuning in, a bookend prompt gives the first and last lines, and leaves the rest up to you. You must use both lines, but they can be used in whatever order works best for your writing. The challenge for today is this: write dramatically.

What is the problem for the characters involved in this writing prompt? Are they arguing over where to go to dinner, or mounting an interplanetary expedition? You decide, and have fun with it!

Left Bookend: I never thought it would come to this.

Right Bookend: What am I supposed to do now?

A Word About Sequels

I'll try to avoid ranting on this subject, but I don't know how successful I'll be.

I just saw a sequel to a movie. The first movie was good--it had (1) quick, vicious action, (2) an uncertain but likeable demigod hero, (3) an obligatory love interest that managed to avoid most of the 'damsel-in-distress' cliches, and (4) a subtle but inarguably present pantheon of characters who ranged from good but self-centered to innately evil.

The sequel, on the other hand, had (1) quick, vicious action, (2) a demigod hero who hadn't grown as a character (no offense to the actor, as he carried the part strongly, but making someone a parent does not automatically imbue them with character growth), (3) the same love interest as before, but zero tension between them, and (4) a blatant pantheon of characters who were either good or evil...the only question was, which of these characters were redeemable.

My point is this: whether you're making a book, a movie, a graphic novel, or any other medium of story, please make sure that a sequel deserves to be written before you commit to it.

What makes a sequel good? Here are a few elements that matter to me:

A. Character growth: Unless your story works well because a character never changes, you need to have some evidence of a character growing and changing somehow.

In my completed story about the Greek pantheon, the mostly-human heroine changes even within the first novel. She starts out as exasperated but timid. She would chastize a nymph for coming to her apartment uninvited, but never dream of denying any of the gods or goddesses. By the end of the first novel, she is arguing heatedly with the entire pantheon. In the sequel that I'm working on, the heroine is established as a strong character, but now the gods and goddesses have more respect and less patience with her, due to what happened in the climax of the first novel. That impacts their interactions with her, creating a different ambiance for the second novel.

B. New plot: I know that some authors make a very good living at writing essentially the same story in each of their books.

However, even the most formulaic of authors has to change basic things about their plot, or risk boring their audience. For example, my story about the Greek pantheon will be a mystery series. While the premise of each book will remain the same (i.e. the heroine must search for answers on behalf of the pantheon), the goal of each book changes (i.e. the type of problem to be solved by her alters).

C. Comfortable constants: This may sound counterintuitive, given the ranting (sorry, I know I said I'd try not to) that has gone in under points A and B, but each sequel needs constants.

Having constants is important because, while the characters grow and the plots change, you need something for the readers to hold on to as 'normal' in your story. For my Greek pantheon story, those constants are that the heroine always lives in the same, small apartment over a bar, and her job as a teacher. Constants help your reader get their bearings quickly, so that they can proceed to enjoy the rest of the story. If you change absolutely everything at the beginning of your sequel, it will take the reader some time to adjust, and they may not like or enjoy the changes.

A final note: I love reading a good sequel. The previous three points are merely meant to illustrate some of the elements needed in order for your sequels to be worthy of the readers' attentions.

Writing Prompt:  Victim or Villain?

In the tradition of the first few prompts, this is another that allows you to pick a direction. However, as the title implies, the directions are a bit more divergent than my usual prompts. Read the next few sentences, and the write either as though the character is a victim or is the villain of the entire piece.

She ducked behind a few sturdy crates, cringing as wood splintered off them from the forceful impact of a passing metal projectile. If she had known that her actions over the past few days would spark this sort of reaction, she might have approached this whole thing differently.

"Let me explain!" she shouted, but then heard several people preparing their weapons and running in her direction.

"Never mind," she muttered, and ran deeper into the warehouse.

The Dangers and Benefits of Backstory

If you're anything like me, you enjoy knowing every detail of your main character's life. An abundance of backstory can be a good thing, because it gives you lots of material to draw on, later in the story.

However, where writers (myself included!) run into trouble is when we want to tell the main character's entire backstory in the first chapter or two.

Don't get me wrong...I'm sure that your main character has a life story that would put Nobel Peace Prize winners and soldiers of fortune to equal portions of shame, but the reader doesn't want to hear every detail of it all at once.

Think of books you have read, where the story doesn't seem to get moving until the third or fourth chapter. If you go back and read those--that is, if you still own those books--you will probably find that the author spent those first two to three chapters helping the reader get to know the main character.

This sends one of two messages to a reader:

1. The author doesn't trust that the audience can handle having backstory and plot happen simultaneously.

2. The author feels a need to justify his or her main character's importance beforeany plot can ensue.

The first message will leave your reader insulted, and probably cause them to leave the book on the store bookshelf or in the online shopping cart, unpurchased and unread.

The second message indicates that the character is stronger than the plot. To some degree, you need a character who is strong enough to withstand the plot...but if you make the main character too impressive, then the plot will look laughably simple by the time if finally happens.

My recommendation? Start with a bang, not an explanation. As an example, I wrote the first 250 words of a novel. I haven't ironed out the plot points yet, or given my main character's entire life story. Here is the start of that novel:

Tserenia pounded on the chamber door frantically, hopeful that her urgent knocking would create enough noise to waken Zanral, but not alert her pursuers—her own family—to her presence.

“By the elements, Zan, if you do not let me in, I will splinter this door and use you as a pincushion!”

The door inched open a crack, and Tserenia saw Zanral’s face—strong, square jaw, but tired eyes. Very little of his weariness was due to the late hour, Tserenia knew. Zanral’s status in this castle was something they had commiserated over, and the reason that Zanral would either gladly help her escape or eagerly turn her in.

“You are as polite and genteel as ever,” Zanral remarked dryly, and then yawned.

“My bearing is not the issue,” Tserenia whispered as she glanced down the hall, either hearing or imagining footsteps closing in. “My magic is the problem.”

“Are you saying that splintering this door is beyond your abilities?” Zanral asked jokingly. “It was an impressive claim. I must remember that tactic.”

Briefly, Tserenia wondered whether Zanral meant using his own elemental magic to break doors, or the art of bluffing. Rather than waste time clarifying, though, Tserenia explained, “No, my other ability. Zanral, they know about my unnatural studies, and I am in danger.”

Tserenia took a deep breath, the words still strange to her, even as she admitted, “My family discovered that I am a necromancer, and now they are trying to capture me. Hide me, please!”

While I would have loved to explain exactly how Tserenia knows necromancy, what her relationship with Zanral is, given an anecdote about the people who are chasing her, and explained just what type of spell has kept them from catching her...all of that can wait until later.

The important thing to do with a beginning is this: begin!

I know it sounds simple, but getting a story off to a running start is a real challenge. Remember to start with some sort of action. A fight, a debate, a conflict...anything will do, whether it's a martial arts contest to a character agonizing internally over what to wear the first day of work. Just make sure to grab the reader's interest as soon as possible.

Writing Prompts for March 29, 2012: I'll Give You the Beginning and the End...the Rest is Up to You!

Here is a bookend prompt for you to consider. A bookend prompt is (as far as I know) something I created. It is comprised of two prompts. You should use both, though you can use them in either order. Use one as the beginning of your writing and the other as the last line of your writing.

Left Bookend Prompt: He had all the answers.

Right Bookend Prompt: Wait...what just happened?

So, what do you envision between those? A know-it-all scientist who discovers that the laws of physics aren't always accurate? Or maybe a boyfriend who thinks he know what his girlfriend expects of him...only to be surprised by something she does.

Remember, you can also reverse the prompts, so that the story starts with confusion and ends with your character feeling assured of his own knowledge. Good luck, and keep writing!

How to Stage Your Characters' Arguments

One of the best ways to generate tension and conflict among your characters is to have them argue with each other.

I know that in movies, action seems like the safer course, but once the fighting is over, everything reaches a new status quo rather quickly. There is a victor, a vanquished, or the two sides fight each other to a stalemate...those are your basic options.

An argument, on the other hand, can reveal things about your characters that even you hadn't realized yet. For example, in the scene I have been writing for the past few days, one character (Seff) has to convince two other people (Kirth and Vestra) that he has an urgent message; their keep is about to be besieged.

That sounds important enough that Kirth and Vestra ought to believe Seff, right? Unfortunately, Seff is from a country that Kirth doesn't trust and Vestra doesn't know much about, so they are doubtful of Seff's truthfulness.

In this same argument, Kirth and Vestra need to convince Seff that there is a danger from another place...a world that none of them even knew existed until a few days earlier. Consider that this is set in the dark ages, that Seff is from an insular society, and that his country is constantly battling Kirth's--you can see why there's a significant level of disbelief going on throughout this conversation.

Another way that an argument is better than a physical fight is that it makes the characters deal with each other. Rather than simply having your characters trudge from plot point to plot point, this gives them the opportunity to discover what other people in their world care about. What angers Vestra? What would push Kirth to violence? How much does Seff really care if these two believe him? An argument has far-reaching consequences...anything from hurt feelings for the next few chapters to outright war over a misunderstanding.

A final element to consider once you have your debate points lined up, is the setting. In my example, the argument occurs in a desert, right after Seff has tried to attack Vestra. (Kirth intervened, saving her, but now Seff needs to explain himself. It's a long story, so I'll let you know when the book is finished.)

This argument would not have had the same effect if it had occured in the garden of a castle, or in Seff's homeland (or in Kirth's country, for that matter). The austere, harsh setting of the desert magnifies their argument, because the longer they stop to argue, the worse their situation will become. After the brief fight and protracted debate, will there be enough water for all three of them to reach an oasis? Is this an argument that can be settled quickly, or are they better off to table the discussion until they arrive at Kirth and Vestra's keep?

When writing up your arguments, consider these 3 things:

1. Which characters are involved?

2. What are the rules about arguing? (Are there traditions that need to be observed, or does the person with the loudest voice win?)

3. Where is the argument happening, and how does that affect the argument? (For example, the same argument would happen in whispers if it occured in a library. On a soccer field, shouts would be more acceptable.)

Have fun writing, and let me know if this was helpful to you. Thanks!

Writing Prompt for 3/28/2012: Sentient Technology or Annoying Pet?

Do you prefer stories about malicious technology, or pets who know their owner's every pet peeve? Take either view, and expand on the few sentences I have written below:

If the phone would have just stayed where she put it, she'd have been out the door by now. But no...the insufferable contraption had untethered itself from the wall, waltzed across the bedroom, and made a nearly-successful escape attempt through the drain in her laundry room.

Either that, or her cat had moved it.