You have completed the first draft of your story. If you’re working toward publication, you probably know this was just step 1. (My post on From Draft to Done can help you understand the process.) Today’s topic comes to you courtesy of writer-me, who finished the first draft of her novel last week during writingContinueContinue reading “4 Self-Editing Tasks”
Tag Archives: character development
Irreplaceable Characters
What made me think about this column is the surfeit of remakes that regularly roll through movies and TV executive offices. And are occasionally exercised in fandoms. I had to put my foot down in a recent discussion that there was no way to remake one particular 1980s TV show because it was so utterlyContinueContinue reading “Irreplaceable Characters”
Plotting New Character Goals
Welcome back to my newsletter. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, my goal in 2025 is to post bi-monthly. No better time to start a new habit than right away. As in life, you do not have to set an arbitrary future date to make changes in your life. Small, incremental shifts “one stepContinueContinue reading “Plotting New Character Goals”
October 2024
Sections Writing Advice Editing Advice Service Availability Writing Advice Preptober! A lot of writers challenge themselves to write 50,000 words in the month of November. While the official NNWM has had some problematic issues, trying to write a novel by focusing on “butt in chair” and getting the words down is a valid first draftContinueContinue reading “October 2024”
September 2024
Sections Writing Advice Editing Advice Service Availability Writing Advice Last month, we talked about how to build your story’s ending from your character’s wound and assuaging their fears or the Lie they’ve been telling themselves all this time. There’s a concept called “mirroring” that will make your story resonate with readers. The psychology of theContinueContinue reading “September 2024”
August 2024
Sections Writing Advice Editing Advice Service Availability Writing Advice Last month, we talked about rewards and turning points in your story plot. This character development will drive your story toward the end as the character takes this new understanding and alters their plans. They have finally seen the toxic things, the bad influences, and theContinueContinue reading “August 2024”
July 2024
Sections Writing Advice Editing Advice Service Availability Writing Advice Last month we talked about SCENE GOALS, and the yes, no, yes, but, and no, furthermore ways to end a scene. The fact of the matter is a yes, but or no, furthermore is only meant to be a tangent, a diversion, from their goal. ItContinueContinue reading “July 2024”
Growth
Again, consider bookmarking this post until after NaNoWriMo if you’re taking this month to write your book. In this second post for broad evaluation and fixing of your story, let’s talk about growth and change. What happens to us affects us. What we experience changes our perspective, our behavior, and our relationships. We understand thisContinueContinue reading “Growth”
Preptober week 3
This week you’ll be writing – short things that are part story, part summary, all background. This week is about setting the main character(s) in your mind. Turn them around and over and about in your hands to see them from all sides. You’re going to write a “now” story about the characters in November.ContinueContinue reading “Preptober week 3”
Recommended Reads: Characters
Character development, or characterization, involves a lot of psychology, IMHO. Filling out character sheets lends itself to very stereotypical presentations. Joe Friday’s “just the facts, ma’am” comes to mind when I see them. They even look like rap sheets, IMHO – very off-putting. If you want full-bodied characters, you can’t boil them down to wordsContinueContinue reading “Recommended Reads: Characters”
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