Time to Write Week 50

Group 1: Edits chapter 30 and chapter 10

Group 2: Writing Chapter 50

Group 3: Writing Chapter 30

3 weeks remaining in our writing journey Let's think this week about how you are going to end your story. Here are some options on endings: Coming full circle....the story ends where it began but the character has overcome the obstacles. A moral ending shoes the character depth of growth through the entire story. The surprise ending is unexpected by the readers and maybe adds a twist. An emotional ending impacts a reader profoundly or should. A reflective ending let's the character evaluate how far they have come through their story journey. Cliffhangers are utilized to continue series and can keep readers on the edge of their seats but be careful. Some readers don't care for these. Humorous endings cand be fun for readers. Image ending is leaving the story with a descriptive scenery. Dialogue ending leave the character last thoughts with the reader. Question endings can give the reader room to wonder and question what happened. But a word to all the different endings above. Make sure that you use a genre specific ending that fits. I write romance and true romance stories on have two ways they can end. With a happily ever after or with a happy for now ending. I have often had to remind my readers that the hero never dies in romance because I put my hero's through so many things. Anyway. Hope this stirs your thinking on how you will end you story. Onward. 3 weeks to go!!!! You will have a finished novel soon enough!!!! Onward. TIME TO WRITE!!!

Music and Writing

I bet like me many of you have a music play list for your writing time. I know some of you must have complete quiet and no noise to write and that's fine but let's still talk about a playlist.

I am quilty of writing in the bedroom at night and while there I often have the TV on. I have to have some noise or I am easily tossed into boredom enough to get out of my seat. I am 56 years old and was just recently diagnosed with ADD...meaning if I am sitting in a completely quiet room a dog barking in the neighbors yard will distract me. And I have always had trouble focusing if 10 other things are going on around me and if you are talking to me I have to make certain I tell myself to really listen. The doc said your brain is moving so fast you miss things. She's right. I have 7 other things whirling while I try to make have a conversation. Same thing when I write. So sometimes for me the distraction of music while I write will allow my mind to stay focused on the story. Just low music to know the edge off of distractions elsewhere that might pull me away from the story. It's also best if I let my pandora play music where I don't know the words or yes, I will sing along and not be able to get the writing done. But I have found if I pick theme related music it helps me click back into the story. Sometimes I pick a lovesong for my couples and listening to it will remind me of the love between them so I can get my head back into the story. I have worked for a while now on Paint the Sky my story for Leaning Bear as I have mentioned. He is a Cheyenne Medicine Man of few words but very smart. He was in Dawson's Haven and so many people like him he is getting a story. So I have this Native American Music I play when working on his story. So try music if you are struggling to whirl you mind into a story again. I think the music helps if I have stepped away from a story for too many days. I am also thinking about adding some music to my blog so you all might see that some time. (If I can remember how to do it.) Anyway get back to your writing....we got this!!!

Time to Write Week 49

Group 1: Edits chapter 29 and chapter 9

Group 2: Writing Chapter 49

Group 3: Writing Chapter 29

4 weeks remaining in our writing journey

Writing emotion. There is much to think about on the emotions of the characters with their internal and external conflicts. 

I always get into a bit of trouble with my editor on adding more emotions especially in the impact full scenes. So usually on my 2 or 3 rewrites I am conscious of working on that over and over. 

I will refer you to the Emotional Thesaurus for help on emotion. The whole series is fantastic for helping and I utilize them a lot while I am developing a story and as I edit. Worth the purchase a hundred times over.

I hear authors and editor speak about writing deeper (point of veiw) POV which is connected to writing better emotion. Readers want to experience the emotion the character is living for themselves. They dont want you to tell them what the reader is experiencing. They want you to show them so they feel the impact of what is hapoening first hand. This is where show verses tell goes into this deep POV and emotion as well. They are all intertwined. 

Don't tell the story. Show it through the readers eyes. To write impactful emotion you must include verbal and nonverbal communication. Dig deep. If your character is sad show them tearful with physical pain about it and with words that are heartfelt about their sadness. Their experience should be shown in their movement and thoughts and to the point that sadness is profound enough for your word to affect the reader in the same way. 

I urge you to read up this week on POV. Emotion. Show vs. Tell. And as you edit through your story think about these things in each scene and each reaction your character has to happenings. 

I have not given a lot of examples here. But pick up your favorite novel. Thumb through it to your favorite scene. Why is this favorite scene? Read it and red it again. Why and how has it impacted you to be your favorite scene? Write down what you answers are about that. Now turn those around to add them to your major scenes where you can. 

Again this is not easily learned. I still struggle to make sure my scene impact readers with the character emotions. I have to rework scenes time and again to make sure this is happening. You may have to work at it too. 

I urge your to study the craft of writing. Pinterest isna great place to search for topics on writing. I spend a lot of time there reading different authors views on how they do things. There is always something to learn. So this week do some reading up on this topic but don't lose your writing time. 

Onward!!

Bad to the Bone...bad guy hints

Another word about bag guys or antagonists in your story. Just like your hero/heroine needs goals, motivations and conflicts....so does your bad guy or girl.

So here are some ideas:
Romance
Revenge
Justice
Greed
Acceptance
Respect
Fear
Desperation
Anger
Hurt
Escape
Achievement
Persecution
Rivalry
Discovery
Ambition
Survival
Love
Hate
Hope
Conspiracy
Honor
Grief
Loss
Rebellion

And this list could go on and on. So jot down your Villians goals, Motovation and Conflicts in your planning book. For everything your hero has to go through your villian should not have things easy at all. 

 Build up the Conflict for your bad guy all through the story because as your hero's struggle ramp up you csn add to the story more by giving your bad guy just as many troubles. 

Read up on villians and story arc...this will improve your story by leaps and bounds.

Time to Write Week 48

Group 1: Edits chapter 28 and chapter 8

Group 2: Writing Chapter 48

Group 3: Writing Chapter 28

5 weeks remaining in our writing journey

As we move ahead to finish a rough draft let's talk more about how to create conflict. 

So I have talked over and over about GMC. Who is your hero, what does he want, why does he want it and what's in the way.....

So the first rule. Don't give your characters what they want so easily. Make it nearly impossible. 

At every turn make things harder and harder for your characters. Toss in the crazy and worsening thing to the point a normal person would give up and walk away defeated. Increase the conflict of failure for your hero. Make it impossible but make if where your hero can't walk away. 

Conflict between characters need to grow. Conflict in story needs to increase. Don't make it easy on anyone. 

Work on this once you are editing your story. I sometimes add in more as I rewire when ideas hit me. Always worth it. 

Now it's time to Write.

A bit more on CONFLICT>>>

No matter the Genre you write it's important to push the story forward. We keep hearing this same theme regarding character goals, motivations, and Conflict. Deb Dixon's book on this is a Must. I think I have mentioned that a lot. Conflict should be at the center of every story.

No matter how many obstacles are characters face it's why we cheer and fight with them. Seriously if you don't have enough conflict there is no story. So what are the conflicts we can have our hero/heroine face? Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. Self I remember clearly learning about these three conflicts when I read Call of the Wild by Jack London when I was about twelve. So this has been around for a long time. Man vs. Man is your hero must fight against a person or people in an effort to meet his goals. Now, this fight doesn't have to be a physical fight. It can be any kind of conflict that occurs to keep him from his goals. Man vs. Nature I'd your hero in some kind of survival situation against the elements. Man vs. Self is where the hero must fight against his own convictions to reach his goals. These three conflicts above are the main ones mentioned in most studies of conflict but many more can exist given the genre written.  Man vs. Gods/spirits/supernatural/alien Man vs. Some new or different society or nation Man vs. Unknown Man vs. Technology And this list is just about things that can occur to create conflict for your hero. I heard a well-published author once say to put your hero through hell from the beginning until the end of the story. Multiple conflicts can add to a story if done well. Progressive complications, something more added around every corner to upset the hero's journey to his goals makes for better reading. So up the stakes which builds tension. And each bit of tension should be worse and worse for the hero. When tension and conflicts increase it is easier to see how a character is growing. They make it through one thing to only reach another. Raising the stakes can keep readers turning the page. Remember though each conflict should be related to blocking the hero's goals in some way. The best way to add conflict through a story is to escalate it bit by bit until it seems all but overwhelming for the hero to ever overcome it. Each conflict should threaten the hero's goals more and more. And each conflict should show more and more threats to your hero overall. All the conflicts should be worth it. In other words, adding ten minor discomforts to a hero's goals doesn't make for a good story but adding five major conflicts that have layered effects on the hero's journey will keep the reader turning pages. Up the antenna every scene you can. Complications if major can take the hero to a turning point that changes character. Because this is where the hero realized he isn't going to be able to overcome the conflict and so the story turns. These are where you can toss is Twist of plot too but this is where your hero might think all is lost. Write it out which will help you see what is happening to your character. Add this to your notebook. Who is your character? What does he want? Why does he want it? Now list all the conflicts in order or easy to hard. They might be best written in that order leading from smallest to largest. That can head up the crescendo of your story and heighten reader interest. Use some time in your planning book to see if conflict is placed all through your story...jot down where more should be added or how you can ramp up what you do have. If you are pretty far in your story and think conflict is lacking then all is not lost. As you edit your first draft you can begin writing in more conflict. Making it tougher on your character. Off to it! Time to Write.

Time to Write Week 47

Group 1: Edits chapter 27 and chapter 7

Group 2: Writing Chapter 47

Group 3: Writing Chapter 27

6 weeks remaining in our writing journey 47 weeks behind us and 6 ahead of us. Have you mapped out where you should be in your story planner? Are you gonna be able to make it? Of not plan for it. Map it out and work hard to achieve it. Here is an idea if you can afford the ink. When your rough draft is complete print it out. Take a day off work or use a weekend to sit in the quiet and reading your story. Use a red pen and a highlighter. Scribble all over the changes you need make or the things you need to add. The different view off your laptop can help you find things you have not found whole using your computer or laptop. Seeing your story on paper opens your eyes to things you haven't seen. If you are not finished or nearing your completed first draft I encourage you to keep going. You can print it out later when you are done. Those of you working on edits can print a chapter at a time to review with your red pen and highlighter. Go to it!