tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70953609501503751682024-03-12T16:06:01.984-07:00The Story GranniesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02411908433686836511noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095360950150375168.post-8330975810929650282014-06-01T10:56:00.004-07:002014-06-01T10:56:24.024-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Granny Kat's Home Remedies
for Your Ailing Story</span></b></h2>
<b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9LUW32RUHNU/U4tpEmGsovI/AAAAAAAAAHI/yvs_9hZtFUs/s1600/Granny+Kat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9LUW32RUHNU/U4tpEmGsovI/AAAAAAAAAHI/yvs_9hZtFUs/s1600/Granny+Kat.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p></b><br />
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<b>Conflict versus Struggle</b></div>
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Dx: You have conflict, really good conflict, but are you
spending enough time on the struggle against that conflict? </div>
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Rx: Don't spend a lot of story time summarizing or
discussing the conflict itself. If you have scenes in which characters need to
explain the conflict with internal monologues or discussions with other
characters, try changing these into arguments and confrontations. The conflict
will be delivered to the reader in a clear and engaging way. Do spend lots of
story time on the struggle itself. Once the conflict is introduced, readers
need to know more details about the conflict, but they should be able to get
those details by watching the characters struggle, not simply by learning facts
as events unfold. Every fact, every new detail should come out of a struggle.</div>
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Highlight the aspects of the struggle by spending lots of
scene time on it. For example, your character's conflict is to take back what
was stolen from his family. Spend scene time showing him struggling to figure
out what happened to the goods and where they are now, scene time showing his
struggle to get to the stolen goods, scene time showing him struggle to finally
locate the goods, scene time showing him struggle to take possession of the
goods, scene time showing him struggle when trying to leave with the goods,
scene time showing him being forced to choose between the goods and something
else he cares about, scene time questioning whether the goods are, in fact,
truly his, scene time showing the value of those goods to him, scene time
showing the value of those goods to the people who stole them, etc. Nothing
should be easy. The story is made up of scenes that show him struggling with
the conflict in many different ways.</div>
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<b>Introspection versus Immediacy</b></div>
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Dx: You've got a great story idea, but the story lacks
tension</div>
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Rx: Immediacy, even the smallest kind, keeps tension on the
page. By immediacy I don't mean characters are running for their lives every
second. Immediacy means the character needs to do or to get or to face
something right now or very soon. He needs this thing or must do this thing or
must face this thing in order to resolve the conflict. He may or may not want
to do this thing, but he's responsible for doing it. And in the process of
doing it, he may not succeed. To practice this, take the tiniest most mundane
detail in your life and imagine what it would be like if you didn't succeed
with it. Grocery shopping. You never make it to the store. The store is closed.
They don't have the products you need. No milk. No bread. No eggs. What will
you feed your hungry family? It's your job. You need to do it. What will you
do? Do have the character think about it and share some of that with the
reader, but don't have the character spend loads of time just thinking about
it. They must do something. Right now! Try another store? Borrow from the
neighbors? Back to your character: what small thing must he do right now to
solve the conflict, either directly or indirectly? What could prevent him from
doing it? Think small. Small is easy to imagine. Small is profound when
properly thought out and worked into the fabric of the story.</div>
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<b>That was Now, This is Future</b></div>
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Dx: You're showing what's happening now without mentioning
or emphasizing what will happen next. </div>
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Rx: Scenes should be in the present, showing what's
happening now so readers can enjoy living through the experiences with the
characters. But they should also emphasize what will happen next. What will be
the effects of a decision a character makes, the outcome of a confrontation, or
an expected event? The now should be full of tension, but most of that tension
will come from the effects of what's happening now. The reader will worry in
the moment what the decision will be because of what might happen due to that decision.
Example: if Susie doesn't get to the store, her little twins will have no
supper, they will cry and cry until they fall asleep, exhausted and hungry.</div>
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Focus on the tension and a sense of something impending. The
usual advice is to think of the worst that can happen. That's terrible advice,
because it steps over lots of lovely things you can use to build tension. Often
the worst that can happen is not realistic, making readers doubt the story's
reality. The worst that can happen might be that Susie gets no food at all. But
what if she gets some food, it's just not enough? What if she has to choose
between feeding herself and feeding her children? That's not the worst, but
it's still pretty bad. What if she gets barely enough food for today, but is now
certain that there will be absolutely none for tomorrow. Focusing on what's
happening now is good. Projecting trouble into the future is better.</div>
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Highlight a character's unfulfilled intention. What your
character is doing now is interesting and engaging and may keep readers going
for a time, but what is your character planning to do later, tomorrow, next
week? Writers are advised to hold back, don't reveal too much too soon. Keep
the reader guessing. Perhaps. Keep the reader guessing about what might happen,
but why keep the reader in the dark about what the character intends to do?
Susie knows there'll be no food tomorrow. She's putting her babies to bed. Is
she going to spend half the night wondering what will happen to her family? No.
She's already plotting. She noticed a neighbor loading his truck with food. She
could sneak into his house and steal some, seduce the neighbor in return for
some food, offer to cook or clean or simply beg. She could forage in the woods,
apply for food stamps, call distant relatives for help. She must get food, and
somehow she will.</div>
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For more in-depth remedies, check out <a href="http://www.katduncanwriting.com/books-on-writing.html" target="_blank">Granny Kat's WritersGuide Series</a> </div>
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Kat Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11056866417759080453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095360950150375168.post-33264985969350929782014-04-04T01:00:00.000-07:002014-04-04T07:37:10.426-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="Lesson1016"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Toward a
More Dashing Style <o:p></o:p></span></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="Lesson1016"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Sentence
Rhythm and Flow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Granny Kat has noticed that beginning
writers often miss out on a crucial aspect of good writing: the rhythm and flow
of words and sentences. When it's done well it's like good music. The best way
to improve the flow of your words is to read you work aloud. Granny Kat spends a lot of time reading her work aloud and it is well worth the time, plus you may be able to entertain some family and friends while you're at it! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Read this
paragraph aloud:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The morning sunlight glowed through the
fog. It was hazy and Patrick could not see past the barn. He listened to the
birds singing in the trees. Their loud calls meant spring had arrived. A few of
the cows shuffled along the edge of the fence. They plodded through the dewy
grass. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Can
you sense the sameness? The monotony of simple declarative sentences can sap
the life out of your writing. Use some sentence variety to liven things up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Morning sunlight glowed through the fog.
Past the barn Patrick couldn't see through the haze. Listening to the loud
calls of birds in the trees, he sensed spring had arrived. A few of the cows
shuffled along the edge of the fence, plodding through the dewy grass.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Once
you start using sentence variety you can begin to feel around for the rhythm
that feels right for you. Pay attention to the rhythm that seems to suit you.
It is part of your style. Beware of falling into a pattern of using only one
type of sentence, even if it is different from a plain declarative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Take
a look at these three paragraphs:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1.
As soon as Jake got home he started arguing with her. Before she could explain
what had happened, he smacked twenty dollars onto the table. After he stormed
out the door, she was furious with herself for not standing up to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">2.
Jake started arguing with her as soon as he got home. He smacked twenty dollars
onto the table before she could explain what had happened. She was furious with
herself for not standing up to him after he stormed out the door. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">3.
Jake got home and started arguing with her. She started to explain what had
happened, but he smacked twenty dollars onto the table. He stormed out the
door, and she was furious with herself for not standing up to him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Each
paragraph uses a different set of sentence patterns, but every sentence in the
paragraph repeats the same pattern without varying. Watch out for this when you
revise your writing. Granny Kat does not like to be bored, oh no. You want a variety of sentences in each paragraph to keep
your reader interested. Even mild levels of monotony will put readers to sleep.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Combining sentences<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Another
hint from Granny Kat is to place important words at the beginnings or endings of sentences for
emphasis. Let's take another look at this sentence:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
little handbag with chain link handles and a silver buckle on the flap sat atop
her desk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">As
you read this, what sticks in your mind is probably "handbag" and
"desk". The details in the middle get a bit lost. Sadly, those seem
to be the more substantial parts of the sentence. Let's take this sentence
apart and put it back together to see what we can do with its rhythm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
little handbag sat atop her desk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It
had chain link handles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It
had a silver buckle on the flap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Those
are the basic details. Let's try a variety of ways to combine these three basic
sentences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Atop
her desk sat a little handbag with chain link handles and a silver buckle on
the flap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
little handbag with its chain link handles and silver flap buckle sat atop her
desk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">With
its silver flap buckle and chain link handles the little handbag sat atop her
desk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">There
are other ways to combine these simple sentences, but let's take it up a notch
further and see how some of these sentences can be used to create expectation,
emphasize intensity, or conclude with a flourish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Examples
that create micro-tension:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Expectation:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
silver flap buckle and chain link handles of the little handbag... (What? What about them?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Emphasize
intensity:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Chain
link handles and a silver buckle on the flap of the little handbag... (Drawing out the conclusion further, makes
the reader anticipate the end part of the sentence.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Conclude
with a flourish:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">With
its silver flap buckle and chain link handles the little handbag shouted
fashionista. (Put a unique word or joke at the end of the sentence.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Sentences
that state a point, and then elaborate:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
little handbag shouted fashionista with its silver flap buckle and chain link
handles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Sentences
used to emphasize similarities or differences:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
handbag might have been little, but it shouted fashionista with its silver flap
buckle and chain link handles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Now go forth and make variety, people! -Granny Kat<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">To celebrate the release of Book 2 in Granny Kat's writing series, Book 1 will be FREE from April 5th through April 7th! You can find both of these on Amazon:</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://amzn.com/B00IS56N8C" target="_blank">How to Handle Details</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><a href="http://amzn.com/B00JG1CJ4Y" target="_blank">How to Handle Grammar</a></b></span></div>
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Kat Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11056866417759080453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095360950150375168.post-48501427442773270072014-02-21T00:26:00.003-08:002014-02-21T00:27:14.027-08:00Reality vs. Fiction<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Granny Kat says fiction is lies. Okay, well not lies,
exactly, but it's not true. Granny Kat's older daughter used to ask "Why
would I want to read about things that are not true?" Good point. So, why
do we read fiction? Why don't we just read fact-based books like a how-to on
golf, a fascinating mathematical book on Fibonacci sequences, or great
time-saving tips on sewing? If we're really desperate to read about people we
could always read biographies, right? So, why do we humans like to hear
stories, and why do we seem to particularly enjoy reading stories about heroes,
conflict, battles, fantastic worlds, amazing feats, and bizarre occurrences?
Because they seem real to us? Or maybe because we have imaginations? What use
is imagination? Dogs don't have imaginations. They live in the moment. Sure,
they are pretty clever, they can learn lots of things: they learn commands and
tricks, respond to our emotions, they can even anticipate events based on
previous experiences. But they don't sit around contemplating the past and
imagining the future. We do. We can project the present reality forward or
backward. In fact, while we're at it, what is reality?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ak9ptVMxkOE/UrLJMoSvuwI/AAAAAAAAABI/_QUPE6bsnhs/s1600/Granny+Kat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ak9ptVMxkOE/UrLJMoSvuwI/AAAAAAAAABI/_QUPE6bsnhs/s1600/Granny+Kat.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In philosophy there are two views on reality. On the one
hand reality can only be perceived through our senses. Whatever we cannot see,
hear, or touch is not real. The other view is that our minds create what we
hear, see, and touch and therefore everything we perceive is an illusion
created by our minds. In essence, nothing is real. Both views are interesting
and if you combine either of them with the concept that we can think ourselves
into the past or into the future all while living in the present, reality
becomes a vast playing field. And I haven't even mentioned emotions! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How can we use this information as storytellers and authors?
We must realize that we are playing with reality. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Playing</i>. Keep that in mind. Your story's reality is created
entirely by you. Or is it? You are presenting story details, but your reader is
reacting to them. Some readers will like your stories and want to read more.
Other readers may not like your stories and may put them aside. This does not
mean your stories are bad or unworthy, it only means that not all readers will
connect with your story. Have you ever gone back to re-read a story that you
read when you were a child? Try this exercise. Go to the library children's
section, or young adult section, find a book that you know you read as a child,
or one that was read to you. Sit in a quiet place and read it again. Does it
seem familiar? In what ways? Does it seem different? How? My best guess is that
it will feel somewhat familiar, but that you will interpret things in the story
differently now that you are older. You may not remember some parts at all. Other
parts you may re-read and say to yourself "I didn't realize the author
meant <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i>." It's not because
you've forgotten parts of the story (even though you might have), or that you
remember the story differently. It's that you are a different person now that
you've read that story and many others and have had many experiences since
then. And it's also because our memories change over time, but that's a topic
for another day.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a writer who plays with reality you are going to connect
with some readers, but not all readers. I believe it was Abraham Lincoln who
wrote, "“You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the
people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never
please all of the people all of the time." <b>Granny Kat's question to you
is</b>: How can you maximize the number of readers you please? <b>Granny Kat's Answer:</b>
By making your story world's reality vivid, engaging, and compelling. How do
you know it's compelling, especially after you've read it so many times you can
practically recite it? You can send it to some critique partners and see what
they say. You can also put it aside yourself for a time and come back to it. Or
at least move on to writing new chapters so that some time passes between when
you drafted chapter one and when you come back to revise it. And, of course,
you can submit it to agents and editors and see what they say about it. If your
writing is coming along nicely, and your ideas are interesting many editors and
agents will give you specific feedback rather than the disappointing
form-letter response. Keep trying! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are some ideas about fictional reality to keep in mind
as you present readers with your story world. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Reality doesn't have
to make sense, but fiction does</b>. In our real world the way people behave, the
events that happen, the results of actions we take, etc. often do not make
sense, or may take many, many years to figure out. This is not acceptable.
However, in our own lives there's not much we can do about it except carry on.
In fiction, however, this is plainly not acceptable and if it is allowed to go
on unchecked, readers will generally be dissatisfied with the story. Your
fictional story may have mysteries, questions, and possibilities, but by the
time your story ends, all of these should be resolved (except in the case of a
continuing series where some questions may remain open). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Avoid the boring
aspects of life.</b> Do not fall into the trap of providing a blow-by-blow
setting description of everything the character does during his day. Skip the
shower, breakfast and commute to work unless something important happens along
the way. Don't mention how people living in the woods manage to go to the
bathroom, or how they take care of their other bodily needs unless it is
central to the story. Readers will not give it a second thought if you don't
mention it. Along with this is the caution that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">characters are not people</b>, so don't treat them as people. You will
want them to be well-rounded of course, but you do not have to explain every
aspect of their lives or recount, or even summarize, their whole previous
experiences. Mention any part of their background that is necessary to move the
story along and to provide a sense of where they fit in the story world and no
more. You do not need to explain the circumstances of their birth, their
heritage, their childhood, career training, etc. Present those setting details
only as needed to set the stage or to fill in a detail needed for the reader to
understand the characters thoughts or actions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Above all, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">entertain
and give an emotional experience</b> for the reader to enjoy. The reality you
create for the reader should feel real as the reader lets himself slip into the
story world. Feed him small bits of setting detail that helps him feel the real
experience of the characters. But don't load him down with so much detail that
he's distracted from being entertained by the story itself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For you to work on: Try to look at your words from a
reader's point of view. Will they understand the reality you are presenting?
Will they connect emotionally to what is happening? Will they be entertained?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Granny Kat </b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02411908433686836511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095360950150375168.post-40851219484483628972014-02-15T12:25:00.002-08:002014-02-15T12:25:45.781-08:00How to tell the difference between a plotted and character-driven storyRecently I got a question (which doesn't mean I don't have other
questions, lol--just that I'm still trying to play catch-up and it's one
hell of a flu season) <br />
<br />
<i>I struggle with plot driven vs character driven and what the difference
is. Even when creating an outline I cannot tell which one it is. Any
examples from popular books would help.</i><br />
<br />
I don't read as many popular books as I should, so I'm going to use
popular movies that have a plotted and character-driven version, because
it's easier to see. And for that, let's talk about Rambo, one of my
favorite series.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first movie in the series (there are four) is<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Blood" target="_blank"> First Blood</a>, loosely based on a David Morrell book of the same name. Loosely based on the David Morrell book of the same name, it’s
the psychological study of a Vietnam vet. In the movie, Rambo is a drifter. Everything that happens in
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">First Blood</i> builds on his backstory
and who he became<i> because</i> of that backstory. When he heads up into the
mountains and does his whole poncho-survivalist thing, it’s understandable
because he was Special Forces. It’s something he was trained to do. When he
refuses to leave town, it’s because he was a former prisoner of war and he was controlled
for a long time, which means he refuses to let anyone control or confine him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All Rambo's actions are based on who he is (a former Green Beret,
ex-prisoner of war), what happened to him (he survived torture and
confinement), what he became (a veteran with extreme post-traumatic stress disorder),
and what’s happening to him in the story because of his past (because he was a prisoner of the North Vietnamese he refused
to leave town when told to get out which made him turn around and walk back in,
which made the sheriff arrest him, which made the jailor try to give him a
haircut and shave him with a straight razor which triggers
Rambo’s PSTD which gets the story going).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the first Rambo movie is character-driven, the later Rambo
movies are plot-driven. Although Rambo is still at the <i>center </i>of each movie, he
could easily be replaced by pretty much any action hero from Jean-Claude Van Damme to Jason Statham because the
scriptwriters forgot the simple incident Morell based Rambo’s reactions on—Rambo
was a POW. And because he was a POW, he had PSTD and control issues.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rambo’s time in the POW camp was the start of his
transformational arc. Everything that Rambo does—all his actions and reactions,
circle back to Vietnam. </div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>When the sheriff tells Rambo to leave town, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rambo refuses to go because he won’t be told
what to do ever again.</i></li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>When the sheriff puts Rambo in jail (behind bars) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it triggers Rambo’s post-traumatic stress
syndrome.</i></li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>When Rambo’s jailors get ready to cut his hair, it makes him
flashback to prison (his pertinent back story) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and being tortured</i>.</li>
<li> Because he was Special Forces in Vietnam, he
reacts to that trigger with violence and escapes into the wilderness.</li>
<li>When Trautman shows up, there's still a piece of Rambo able to listen because he never cracked in the POW camp, so there's still a piece of him able to respond and pull back.</li>
</ul>
<br />
*A character-driven story is <i>pushed</i> by back story.<br />
<br />
*The external plot is silly-simple (they tried to force him to do things
that went against his back story and he reacted--violently).<br />
<br />
e.g.,<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descendants" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descendants" target="_blank">The Descendents</a>--the
hero had a indifferent relationship with his wife. Now that she's
dying, he's trying to find out who she was, and reconnect with his
daughters.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>If he hadn't drifted away from his wife, she never would have had an affair</li>
<li>He never would have felt obligated to find his wife's lover (to allow him to say goodbye)</li>
<li>His wife's affair alienates their teenaged daughter because she
thinks it's wrong that her mom is betraying her dad, which opens a line
of communication between Matt and his daughter, which allows him to heal
the rift between them.</li>
</ul>
Simple line of action: Matt needs to find his wife's lover so he can say goodbye before they pull the plug. <br />
<br />
Just like in <i>First Blood</i>, there's a lot going on, but the two
movies aren't pointed at anything. Rambo just wants to be left alone.
He's not trying to do anything. In the same way the <i>Descendents</i> wasn't really about finding Elizabeth's lover. It's more about the bad choices you make in life, and making good choices.<br />
<br />
There is no major goal. They're just stories about people. Sometimes the
people are exciting and blow things up, and sometimes they just walk
around with their kids.<br />
<br />
Let's look at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambo_III" target="_blank">Rambo III</a>.
According to the 1990 Guinness book of records, Rambo 3 had the dubious
distinction of being the most violent movie ever made with 221 acts of
violence, 70 explosions, and over 108 characters killed on-screen. In it
Colonel Trautman asks Rambo to help him supply the rebels in
Afghanistan (at the time the <i>Soviets</i> were the bad guys). Rambo
says no, Trautman goes by himself and is kidnapped, and Rambo takes down
the entire Soviet army with minor help from the Afghan rebels in order
to get him back. Who can forget that iconic screen shot of Rambo
shooting down a Soviet helicopter with an explosive arrow, all that
heart-thumping music and Rambo in his tank (and black wife-beater "with"
headband!) surviving a direct collision with a helicopter?<br />
<br />
Was there any sign of Rambo's PSTD or anti-authoritarian stance? No, because it doesn't matter.<i> "Rambo"</i>
doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is getting Trautman back
and blowing up as many things as possible. There's a solid goal (get
Trautman back, destroy as many Soviets as possible), but the character
needs to be flexible (adaptable?) to get the story from pt A (Rambo
turning Trautman down because he wants to be left alone) to pt B
(blowing up the Soviets and bagging 108 kills. Although to be fair, it's not just about hitting the Guiness Book of World Records, lol).<br />
<br />
The story doesn't flow out of character and back story, <i>it flows
"toward" the goal. </i>The story is plotted without taking the character's back story into consideration..<br />
<br />
Sometimes stories are a combination of character-driven and plotted because character-driven stories can push a
strong plot if the story events and goal <i>also</i> flow out of the character's back story.<br />
<br />
In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Hard" target="_blank">Die Hard</a>,
John McClane is estranged from his wife, Holly and goes to the Nakatomi
Christmas party (where he hopes they'll get together again).
Unfortunately terrorists take over the building, and McClane has to take
them down in order to get his wife back. Fortunately, he's got some
great back story.<br />
<br />
The plot is still simple (get his wife back alive), but it's amped up
with lots of explosions, great villains and amazing stunts. You can
dress it up or down, but the difference between <i>Die Hard </i>and <i>Rambo III </i>is simply motivation.<br />
<br />
By <i>Rambo III</i> are Trautman and Rambo friends? In<i> First Blood</i>, Trautman says he trained Rambo, in <i>Rambo 2</i> he tells Rambo to go back to Vietnam. By number 3,<i> is </i>Rambo at the point where <i>he'd blow up the Soviet army to get Trautman back?</i>
Yeah, right.<br />
<br />
In <i>Die Hard,</i> it's<i> hard</i> to ignore the fact that McClane wants
Holly back because it's right up front and center. He flew (despite hating planes) cross country, and he's
willing to suffer through a posh, snarky Christmas party to be with her. He<i>
loves</i> Holly and has motivation with a capital "M".<br />
<br />
There's a goal that flows out of his back story (get
Holly out of there because he loves her), it supports his motivation, and the
story events work for who he is (a really good cop) and showcase his strengths and
weaknesses.<br />
<br />
<b>so how can you tell what's what?</b><br />
<br />
If your character's motivation to get through the story or do whatever
you want him to do flows out of who he is (in back story), then most
likely it's character-driven. If you think you're going to need a little
less input from the peanut galley to get your character from beginning
to end, it's most likely plotted. And I'd suggest either thinning your
character out a little so he can fit into the story, or finding a story
that fits the character.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<i>Granny Jo</i><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02411908433686836511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095360950150375168.post-65175415210514279962014-01-12T02:42:00.000-08:002014-01-12T02:42:00.331-08:00Tension School<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hello and welcome to Tension School. Most of you writers reading this post have an undiagnosed condition that I like to call <i>Tension Deficit Disorder</i> or TDD. This condition frequently occurs with new writers, writers who are struggling to move beyond the basic levels of writership and for some of you it also occurs when you are writing for your own enjoyment rather than the enjoyment of readers. Now, before you get your hackles up, let me explain. New writers do, can and should write in whatever way they best can. I am not here to judge, only to assist those who are willing to reflect on their efforts and work toward improvement. If you already think your writing is perfect, then you don't need me to help you with it. If you are looking at trying to work beyond the basic levels of writing, then you might benefit from reading some of my blogs. I tell it like it is, but most of the time I do it in a kind, thoughtful way, free of judgment. If you are writing for your own enjoyment, or for some kind of personalized therapy there is nothing wrong with that. Granny Kat has done the same thing. I'm just pointing out that along the way you may have developed TDD without realizing it.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gHG9R3kwRqY/Us0rF1A5bXI/AAAAAAAAAFg/2myj6TUVziY/s1600/Granny+Kat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gHG9R3kwRqY/Us0rF1A5bXI/AAAAAAAAAFg/2myj6TUVziY/s1600/Granny+Kat.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fortunately, Granny Kat has no problem with tension. In fact, she would consider it a dull day indeed if she faced no tension whatsoever. Tension brings out the best and the worst in all of us, and if that is true of real human beings, it should also be true of characters. Now, if you have developed TDD you may experience such symptoms as difficulty plotting your novel-length stories, struggles to write scenes where anything of actual story-worthiness happens, worries about the pacing of your drafts and a general reticence to put your characters into hot water. You created your characters, your darlings, your babies and of course you want them to be happy, fulfilled, loved and successful in their story world lives. That is what all parents want for their children. All well and good, but that recipe makes for rather dull reading. If you truly love your characters you will want them to suffer. But this suffering is not without its merits, because through their suffering they will become better people and when they succeed in their post-suffering world (also known as the end of the story) readers will be delighted.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, now to the cure for TDD. In a phrase the cure is "ramp up the tension". How do you do that? Try to get some tension on every page. I know, it's tough to do and it's a lot of work. Start with making sure you have tension in every chapter, then when you go back and re-read scenes, see where you can add tension, or revise to bring out the tension that's already there. Here are some ideas for ways to bring out tension. Start with some very broad ideas for your characters and their situation:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Conflict of backgrounds</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Conflict in values/ideals</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Conflict in long term goals</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Conflict in short term goals/quests</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Conflict in loyalties</span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now work at a narrower level:</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- make the goal harder to reach (put up roadblocks, red-tape, new rules, more opposition)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- set a clock ticking (time is running out, something must be done by Monday or else...)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- put a character in jeopardy (threaten the character's job, home, family; threaten his life, threaten to expose the character's personal secrets)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- pose a new question (introduce a plot twist, old girlfriend, twin brother, skeleton in the closet, secret, past he thought he got over, show that this character isn't everything he/she seems)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- keep secrets from the reader (tease the reader by withholding knowledge the character has; tell the reader the character has it, but don't tell the reader what it is)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- foreshadow (hint that something bad is going to happen)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At the very narrowest level you can use tone and mood in your grammar:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Use an authoritative tone to build tension. There's something tense about being under the thumb of an authority figure. It's an automatic reaction to check your speed when a police car is behind you, or close your internet browser when your boss walks by. Any sentence or paragraph that uses an authoritative tone or any character that speaks authoritatively will automatically raise tension. Passive voice sentences work very well with authoritative tone.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Active voice sentences also work.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">* Active: Employees must wash their hands before returning to work.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">* Passive: This paperwork must be completed by 5pm.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">An authoritative tone builds anticipation of action because we wonder what will happen if/when the rules are broken. It's the most basic of moral levels.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don't miss out on opportunities to build tension in the novel. One place that is overlooked is character meets. You can build tension by preparing the reader ahead of time for the meet. Drop hints that the characters have opposing viewpoints on an issue, and then the reader will want to see what happens when they meet. Have characters be worried about the meeting, or excited about the meeting, and then have the meeting go all wrong for one of the characters. Mention the upcoming meeting a few times in different scenes, if possible. Be sure to follow through and make the meeting scene memorable for the reader. If you've built anticipation and tension for the reader, make sure you don't disappoint the reader by giving them something slap-dash and ordinary. Either give them what they were expecting, or surprise them with an unexpected twist.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There's hope for TDD! You don't have to suffer any longer. Your job is to make your characters suffer, not you! Don't fall into the lull of low tension scenes where all goes well. Put your suffering into your novel and save the joy and happiness for your own life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">See you in print!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Granny Kat</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02411908433686836511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095360950150375168.post-26608419506947976752014-01-07T16:56:00.000-08:002014-01-08T02:46:19.438-08:00Woot! The structure of a transformational character arc with pictures and everything<br />
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I came across this powerpoint yesterday while I was cleaning
out a workshop and fell in love with it all over again. I guess this is where I
admit I fall in love with most of my powerpoints, lol. They’re just so…shiny, and yeah. I'm very much a geek.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-32iilbXxM54/Us0sWi30hgI/AAAAAAAAAFs/yk3D_tlMNRk/s1600/canstockphoto5642849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-32iilbXxM54/Us0sWi30hgI/AAAAAAAAAFs/yk3D_tlMNRk/s1600/canstockphoto5642849.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a></div>
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This is a schematic I did back when I was solidifying my
thoughts on the arc and how it worked. Until I sat down and took a good, hard
look, I’d always bought into the whole stages and steps things, but the more
study I did into how the arc worked in real-life wips, the simpler I realized
it really was. You can’t impose structure on everything if everything is…well, “everything.”
Some people write huge convoluted things, and some don’t. Which means that any
structure big enough to encompass everything needs to be fairly spare.</div>
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You can scale up and scale down, adding
more stages and steps if it works for your comfort level, or strip it down, if
you’re comfortable using three points. Sort of like boats, you know? Some people
love all that GPS and computerized stuff, and some are just as comfortable with
a sextant and the stars. Maybe it's just the way people think and the whole plotter/pantser debate. It seems like a pantser would be good with a sextant and the whole "well, the accuracy is pretty good" while a plotter would be saying, "but it's not <i>100</i> percent accuracy. How would you know if you're going to run aground on a reef or something?"</div>
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Every character with a transformational arc starts out at pt A, with some kind of
backstory pertinent to the story. And lol!!! Trying to say this cold, not in
the context of a workshop just stopped me, so let’s talk about “backstory
pertinent to a story”.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is pertinent
backstory and how is it different from “backstory” in general?</b></div>
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Every character has backstory, because everyone has a past. However,
everything in a character’s backstory doesn’t always work for a story. The fact
that I really like Hostess Raspberry Zingers has no bearing on anything 99.9
percent of the time. I’m not sure what it was that caused me to side with
raspberry-coconut instead of chocolate or twinkies, but it only impacts a story
where I’m picking out a snack.</div>
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So let’s go back to that statement></div>
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<i>Every character has backstory, because everyone has a past.</i></div>
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Yeah, everyone has a past, but if you don’t narrow it down
to what’s going to drive your character through the story,<i> how will you know
what they’ll do?</i> If I just say Mercedes is this poor kid who works at MacDonald’s
and her sisters were just kidnapped, how will I<i> know</i> Mercedes will fight tooth
and nail to get her sisters back, regardless of how many issues she has? I can’t
give her motivation simply because I say she has motivation. Motivation, along
with conflict, comes from the inside, and that’s where core events come in.</div>
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While it might be sort of a cheat to say to that every character
contains a core event in relation to their story, characters need a handle—some
way to work with a character that doesn’t squash them flat and allows them to
grow and change.</div>
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One thing I’ve gotten a lot firmer on over the years is the
difference between contemporaries and stories with a heavy dose of external
events, like paranormals, romantic suspense, mysteries and thrillers. I usually
use Kim’s story to talk about emotional structure and Mercedes to talk about
the transformational arc, because they’re vastly different stories. Kim’s
story, being a contemporary, has no big external story arc. Kim needs to open
her bed and breakfast on time, but if push comes to shove, she can do it
without a bathroom in the bridal suite. Mercedes’s story, being a romantic
suspense, has a huge, fast-running external arc. She “needs” to find her sisters
before the villain kills them which means the space between pt A (the way she
starts out) and pt B (her transformational point) is full of scenes that
address three things. The externals (rescuing her sisters), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">her </i>arc (she needs to stop holding
herself down or she’ll never change in time to rescue the twins) and her
relationship with the hero (since this is a romance). These three things
flip-flop around, depending on what you’re writing. If you’re writing a
mystery, the scenes need to address solving the mystery and the protagonist’s
arc, but not necessarily a relationship of some sort. “However” if it’s a contemporary,
the scenes should address Kim’s transformational arc and her relationship with
Jason, although not necessarily Kim’s battle to fix up the bed and breakfast.</div>
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The arc is the blue line on top, the line of action (or how you're showing the arc) is the red line and the black line is theme. All stories have theme, even if the writer is using it subconsciously. It works to keep everything on the straight and narrow, and helps when it comes to figuring out what scenes need to be in the story. And that...is a post for another day.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Granny Jo </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02411908433686836511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095360950150375168.post-59163638392909299562013-12-31T11:24:00.001-08:002013-12-31T11:27:22.244-08:00The push and pull of conflict in a transformational character arc<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hi! My name is Jodi. You can call me Granny Jo. I always
thought I was the strange, kind of backwoods granny without a filter, sort of
like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Duck Dynasty</i> does Granny
Clampett, but I suspect I’m more of the geeky, weird granny who runs around in
Crocs and writes on her arm with sharpies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LGS8ZnH9bnQ/UsMZw_6VTmI/AAAAAAAAACM/EZanYMmqBtk/s1600/canstockphoto5642849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LGS8ZnH9bnQ/UsMZw_6VTmI/AAAAAAAAACM/EZanYMmqBtk/s320/canstockphoto5642849.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently, I got out of a workshop on
advanced alternative GMC where I had the pleasure of talking to Janet again.
Janet has a mind like a steel trap and calls me out anytime I weasel word
something. Lucky for me, she had a question about Hague. I’m not sure if it
means this particular section of the workshop needed to be reworked or if it was
just a question and I’m over-thinking it. I’d asked if she could
see the events between pt. A (the way a character starts out at the beginning
of the transformational point) and pt. B (how they change)?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I can see some of them
(the really big ones) but I'm not sure how much change the character needs to
show in the first half of the story between the inciting incident and midpoint</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Michael Haigh in his Identity
to Essence lectures says the character shows a significant change at the
midpoint stepping into his/her "essence" before one last reversion to
identity, but it's the part up to the midpoint that I'm not sure how to plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He mentions the character glimpsing his/her
essence early on before the midpoint but he didn't say any more than this.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
True, he doesn’t say much more, but I’ve always had the
feeling he kind of assumed there was going to be a push and pull of conflict as
the character races toward the transformational point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kim’s arc is to let go of pain and open up to love again, a
statement which really doesn’t spell out what needs to be in the story or how
much of it there needs to be. However, you might say Kim’s essence (who she
really is on the inside) is an open, loving woman with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no</i> pain, and she first glimpses that when she goes over for the
first dinner. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh...” she thinks to herself, “this is what it would be
like if life was different, if I could let go of my pain and accept love back
into my life. It’s so warm and…I really want it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But she can’t, because she’s got a lot of trauma and guilt
(her subconscious conflict) Her conscious conflict (she just doesn’t have time
for a man in her life, especially not with the B&B getting ready to launch
and staying true to her husband’s dream) tells her to push Jason away (in the
process she’s also pushing away Tyra, a total win-win). Consciously, she’s just
trying to stay on track, while subconsciously she’s afraid of pain, and
suffering from “I can’t love this child, that’s a betrayal of Cleo’s memory. I
killed Cleo. I let her down. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can’t </i>let
her down again.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, her essence (the open, loving woman without pain)
is pulling at her, forcing her along the path that leads to Jason and Tyra. It’s
her subconscious goal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, there’s a condition to the way Kim’s conflict works
to show change in her arc. Her change needs to happen in feasible increments. She
can take one step back and one step forward, or three steps forward and a
gigantic step back, but the progression of her change has to work for the story
and projected word count. Kim simply can’t go from “I’m hurting and messed up,”
to “Aww…I luv you.” She has too much baggage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The events you pick as the starting and change points of
your character predetermine how much change needs to happen between the start
of the arc and the final wrenching struggle where the character fights change
(the black moment). Kim can’t be healed in a short story because people don’t
easily toss years of painful baggage aside. She needs space to show the
progression of her arc, which means the amount of change to show before the
black moment depends on two things; the events you pick as the starting point
and point of change, and word count.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because I picked such a difficult arc, more change needs to
happen in a way that’s believable for a reader. However, if I were to pick a
shorter arc (maybe from the death of her husband due to natural causes until
her realization love can happen twice) there’s less to show.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In this part of the
story how aware will the character be that s/he is changing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will s/he realise at all (and maybe
rationalise it away with an external reason for acting in a different way) or
will it just be the reader who can see it and maybe the catalyst character?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reader is usually aware of what’s going on because they
can see into the character, feel her thoughts and hear her self-talk. In many
stories, the point of change happens when the character becomes self-aware and
starting acting on their subconscious goal. Kim has been trying to change ever
since that first dinner with Jason and his kid, but until she realizes pain and
self-hatred are standing in her way, she can’t release them and step into her essence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If she realizes she’s changing, it probably happens in
flashes of “I really want this” only to be rationalized away by “I must be
tired and maudlin” or “I just don’t have time for this.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think the hero sees it on a certain level, although subconsciously.
It’s the intangible that gives him the faith to keep going, even when Kim is
fighting herself. So yes—in flashes for him too, complicated by his own
internal conflict.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02411908433686836511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095360950150375168.post-6859230116301180922013-12-22T02:21:00.000-08:002013-12-22T02:21:46.632-08:00Just call me Granny Grumpy<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8P93IuIRd4E/Ura8cmOIaUI/AAAAAAAAAB8/7rGHLcVKdQE/s1600/Grumpy+Granny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8P93IuIRd4E/Ura8cmOIaUI/AAAAAAAAAB8/7rGHLcVKdQE/s200/Grumpy+Granny.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Just call me Granny Grumpy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m the one who’s blunt and undiplomatic and
prefers direct to obfuscated. I’m also the one, though not the only one I’m
sure, who thinks language matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hence, I’m the one who gets to share tidbits from the real world of
reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ones that annoy and
infuriate, and before ereaders, resulted in books being flung across the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, the things that make you wonder
about – well, about all those things Granny Kind and Granny PC don’t say out
loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, truthfully, mostly, neither
does Granny Grumpy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For example –BDSM-themed stories apparently unaware ‘dominant’
is a noun, and ‘dominate’ is a verb and the difference matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or books unaware there’s discreet and there’s<i>
discrete</i> and the latter isn’t a typo with respect to the former.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sure, they’re little things, and mostly simple and
easily fixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overlooking them is
easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust me on that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve written enough and edited enough to get
that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m usually good with that until I
start seeing them in book after book after book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because, as I said, language really does matter and
as authors it should <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really matter to us.</i>
Language is how we communicate, how we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">share</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stories, believe it or not, tell and teach
and shape and frame and reflect change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They aren’t just entertainment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That doesn’t mean they’re in your face, sharpened teaching tools meant
to initiate wholesale change ala Louisa May Alcott.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does mean stories, even genre fiction, even
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">romances,</i> are someone’s voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re your voice and your words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, in the great electronic backlist of
ebooks, they’ll be around a while, maybe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So maybe, knowing that, using your voice correctly,
with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">intent,</i> is worth a thought or
two.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With that in mind, know the Grumpy Granny also
hasn’t enough time lately to tap her cane on this soap box very often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually, she’s off oohing over geeky
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Online things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Online things writers might use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://en.linoit.com/">Like Lino</a>
– the online sticky site that is a storyboarder’s nirvana and includes a free
option. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02411908433686836511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095360950150375168.post-4677182204777126422013-12-19T10:16:00.000-08:002013-12-19T10:21:36.128-08:00Head Hopping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NXTM-qIKt48/UrM426Zi0pI/AAAAAAAAABs/kCDfwhgBVhg/s1600/Granny+Kat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NXTM-qIKt48/UrM426Zi0pI/AAAAAAAAABs/kCDfwhgBVhg/s200/Granny+Kat.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
Most complaints Granny Kat hears about head hopping happen because the reader is pulled out of the story. If you can be more subtle about it, then it's usually not a problem. New writers often head-hop without realizing it and once they understand what it is, they can work to avoid it. An example of blatant head hopping would be:<br />
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<i>Anticipating a kiss, Jane sighed and looked up into Joe's handsome face. He'd never seen a more beautiful smile in his life.</i><br />
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In the first sentence we are clearly in Jane's point of view (POV) as she sighs and admires Joe's handsome face while anticipating their kiss. In the second sentence we have head-hopped to Joe who is, in turn, admiring Jane's smile.<br />
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<b>A possible fix:</b><br />
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<i>Joe took Jane into his arms. </i>Anticipating his kiss, Jane sighed and looked up into Joe's face. He'd never seen a more beautiful smile in his life.<br />
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These small changes (above) have muddied the waters for that (now second) sentence. This could all be in Joe's POV. If we do a solid job of keeping the scene in Joe's POV, then we have achieved limited 3rd POV. That is, Joe is telling us the story and along with that we are getting his thoughts and feelings. What we know about the other characters is limited to what Joe can figure out from their body language, hear in their words, or find as far as facts.<br />
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Joe can also interpret those facts for us in subjective or objective ways. For example, he could say, "Jane seemed relaxed and comfortable." (objective observation), or "Jane was relaxed and comfortable." (subjective opinion). If Joe's limited 3rd POV becomes too subjective, it may seem as if he actually knows what's in Jane's head, which morphs us into the omniscient 3rd POV. Omniscient means that the narrating character knows what is in every character’s head at the same time and it is shared with the reader as needed. By the same token, if Joe's limited 3rd POV becomes too objective, it may seem as if he's distancing himself (and the reader) from the intimacy of his narration, which also morphs us into the omniscient 3rd POV.<br />
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The differences are subtle and often interpreted differently by different readers. Generally, if a writer starts out with the intention of using omniscient 3rd, the narration is more objective and more psychologically distant (i.e. light on the deep inner thoughts and emotions). Are you having trouble with head-hopping? Ask Granny Kat a question and she’ll be happy to reply with helpful comments.<br />
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See you in print!<br />
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<i>Granny Kat</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02411908433686836511noreply@blogger.com0