On our way out from the Desert Rose RWA conference, a writer asks for help with her story. Using the plot planner she created in the workshop, she points to the key scenes in her story, her face filled with joy and confidence in the layout of the dramatic action scenes. She turns serious as she expresses concern about her character's likability in the beginning first quarter of the novel. Then she slices the edge of her hand, cutting off the first quarter and looks up beaming as she declares she …
Desert Rose Romance Writers of America Conference
The conference lived up to its name; the entire desert appeared in full bloom upon our arrival in Phoenix. Met up with my agent and dear friend, Jill Corcoran, and fun began. My name badge as The Plot Whisperer seemed to part the waters; everyone was more than kind and often downright respectful to me. No Plot Whisperer books in the bookstore. They sold out before I even arrived (note to self: ask for a guarantee that the number of books available for sale equal the number of writers anticipated …
Organizing Your Plot
Some writers desire help in brainstorming plot elements for their stories. Others are looking for a way out of the corner they've written themselves into. Some want to test the story choices they've made. Others simply want encouragement and a renewed belief that the time and effort she puts into her story is worth it, that her story is worth it, that she is worth it, that someday someone will read her words and be moved by her story.The exercise of listing scenes and filling in a character …
Finding the True Protagonist of Your Story
Some writers start out writing a story knowing exactly who and what they are writing about and stay true to that vision from beginning to the end. Others write about one character doing one thing, then switch to another character doing something else, and then switch back to the first character or switch to an entirely new person with different action. Switching viewpoints reveals a multitude of sides to a story. Switching too many times leads to a tangled mess.A writer works on the same …
Crisis versus Climax
She's confused about the difference between the crisis and the climax, and this is after a 5-hour plot intensive (where we began with the climax first and then moved to the beginning). She admits to having reread chapters in my book and watched a couple of videos again. Still confused. "What is the difference between the crisis that brings the protagonist to her knees and the climax?"Then she briefly relates a beginning with unusual characters and a protagonist with a concrete and relatable …
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