by J.A. Marx The spirit world. Holding to scripture. Authentic characters. Artistic license. How does an author reconcile all these concepts? I’m factual and a realist, which is partially why I don’t write fantasy or sci-fi. I’d find it too easy to write contrived scenes. Princess Janellia stands on the precipice of death and…suddenly a dragon swoops down and rescues …
A Tool for Your Writer’s Tool Kit: Observation
by Becky Wade Jane Austen was a genius with story in so many ways. One particular skill that I marvel over? Her skill at observing others and then transferring recognizable markers of personality and character to the page. Think for a moment about just a few of the characters from Pride and Prejudice. What do the following names bring to …
Making Memories
by Dani Pettrey My daughter got married last weekend. It’s hard to believe my baby girl is all grown up and now a wife of her own. My husband is a wedding photographer and was able to capture this gorgeous moment. It was a day of enjoying, making and capturing memories. And, it got me thinking. Isn’t that what we …
The Beloved Character
by Phyllis Keels I used to have a hard time causing my main characters to go through hardship, suffering, or even to allow them to experience conflict or pain. That was before I understood its purpose. That was before I personally understood its purpose. Suffering is not pleasant and we usually avoid it at all costs, but sometimes it finds …
Why – Character Motivation
by Anne Greene Want to create unforgettable characters? Then find the WHY for what they do. Find the deep-down inner motivation that drives your character. Character Motivation is vitally important. Motivation engages the reader. Readers relate to character motivations. They make the character live in the reader’s minds. Motivation leads to the character arc. It’s the WHY of Goal Motivation …
What’s in a Name?
by Ann H. Gabhart I’m at the beginning of a new story. I’ve written the proposal. I’ve named the main characters. No way can I write their stories without knowing their names. And just pulling a name out of a hat doesn’t work for me. I need them to have the right name. That’s not to say a character has …
When Tragedy Strikes…
by Shirley E. Gould My amazing husband passed away suddenly on May 7, 2013. My life has taken a devastating turn that has sapped my writing creativity. It’s hard to string words together when you’re telling yourself to breathe in and out, when your heart is broken, and everywhere you turn reminders of his absence overwhelm your emotions. After two …
Letting Your Protagonist Be Super and Human
by Rachel Hauck Did you see the movie, “The Avengers”? Did you like it? I did last year and wow! Another blow-’em-up New York City movie. I think Hollywood needs to get more creative, but hey, that’s me. Poor NYC if anything ever happens to them as depicted in movies! Back to “The Avengers”. Besides Ironman, Thor, Hulk and Captain …
Moments in Time-Bringing Characters to Life
by Ann H. Gabhart Not long ago I got to thinking about the odd moments that can rise from the murky depths of my memory, nudged out to my consciousness by a chance word, an image or even a sniff of some aroma. Of course, we all have those moments of tragedy or world changing events so intense we remember …
Lessons From Sherlock
by Tessa Afshar The British love their Sherlock Holmes. They love him so much that they have built a flat on Baker Street that supposedly once belonged to this fictional character. So it’s not such a shock that they would come up with another Sherlock Holmes television production. Personally, I can’t get enough of it. There are several reasons for …