Many writers beyond memoirists find themselves creating a protagonist who is patterned after themselves. This can pose a problem or two.One, many writers tend to be introverts and thus their character ends up passive and sort of floating from one event to the next. Also, I've found that although most people are quick to identify other people's flaws and faults, they have difficulty pinpointing their own. Without a flaw, the character arc becomes more difficult to manage.Do you find yourself …
No-plot, Really No Problem??
I recently received the following:"I've a topic for you. What about the no-plot novel? I've always argued that a novel doesn't need a plot as long as it has a point, also there's the whole "character is plot" argument. The plots in my books are neither here nor there, just things to get my characters to do while I write about them."I'm not certain what he's getting at here. "...as long as it has a point." I assume this refers to the deeper meaning of the piece or the Thematic Significance. …
2 Plot Tips for the Middle
Two recent plot consultations revealed the same dilemma -- both writers were faltering as they made the approach to the Crisis, which occurs about 3/4, give or take, through the entire project.The ProblemCharacters, setting, set-up, premise, and action move from the superficial, introductory mode of the Beginning to the gritty, challenging world of the Middle, the heart of the story world itself. In the middle, masks fall away and the characters reveal themselves for who they truly are, warts, …
Dialogue, Introspection and Narrative, Scene and Summary
1) Question:What is a good percentage mix of Dialogue, Introspection and Narrative? Is there a good mix, or is it just what fits the story? Suspense romance writer -FloridaAnswerA story unfolds in scene, of course. And, scene is usually made up of dialogue and always action. But the dialogue I'm talking about is dialogue that advances the plot, NOT dialogue that is mere information dumping. Introspection can give insight into the inner workings of the character, but is inherently flat and thus …
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SUBPLOTS
You know how a recorded voice sounds when the power dies? The words elongate until the sounds becomes one long moan? Well, the writer had not succumb entirely, but her words were hesitant and apologetic. I had consulted on her murder mystery a year or more ago. Then, we had worked primarily on developing a dramatic action plot line that would challenge her protagonist in a transformative way. We had also toyed around a bit about the underlying meaning of the story --thematic significance.She had …
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