I've fallen into the habit of asking writers to fill out the Character Emotional Development Plot Profile for themselves as well as for their protagonist. One question more than all others reveals depth of passion.QUESTION: What do you stand to lose if you do not accomplish your writing goal?WRITERS' ANSWERS:I've lost my way and haven't been able to find it againThe evil voices will be proven correctSanityMy story will not make it into the worldSelf-respectMeMy self-esteemA sense of …
Plot Whisperer Blog Makes Its TV Debut
A View From the Bay, a San Francisco KGO / ABC television show recently aired the first segment of five on How to Start Your Own Blog in 5 Minutes with website and blog expert Linda LeeWhen asked what a successful blog looks like, Linda showed a screenshot of Plot Whisperer: What a thrill to see the blog on television! Thank you, Linda, for thinking enough of my blog to highlight it in such a visual way and to so many.To watch the segment, go to: View From the BayHaving recently learned Writers …
To Those Who Never Make it to the End
My last post was a bit harsh. I take it back. It is not necessary for a writer to have to go through all that.In my own defense, my purpose here is to support writers achieve their dreams of completing a worthy project. So what about all those half-written stories that end up in the trash bin or at the bottom of a cabinet drawer? Not reaching it, our dreams hound us relentlessly. We never truly forget that which we long for. People who have faced death say they do not think about the work they …
Climax
The final 1/4 of a story carefully builds in tension with several "above-the-line" scenes that culminate at the Climax with an ultimate emotional release.Each culminating ending scene builds in energy to the next scene. Thanks to the earlier Crisis (at around the 3/4 mark of the story), the protagonist becomes more and more conscious of her flaws and strengths and of the world around her. No longer bogged down by fear or pity, she shows through dramatic action the release of pent-up feelings, of …
Hero’s Journey: Protagonist vs Writer
I'm on the edge of my seat. Will she or won't she?I left her last time right after she had written the Crisis. Euphoric for having faced every one of her own demons in order to send her protagonist to death -- metaphorically speaking, of course. Still, she wrote it and survived. An embarrassing mass of slop? Likely. All that matters now is getting the scenes written. Before we hang up last time, I gently coax her to face what is coming. She hears my words but does turn around and thus has no …
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