In walked a woman who sat with the rest,
her clothes of silk and makeup smooth,
she had to look her best,
smile she did
and greetings pure,
who would have guessed that underneath
she seethed with vengeance sure.
The others were impressed
as they spoke with her aright,
and never did they see her
in any such different light,
it wasn’t till she dropped a word
with innocence so bright,
that shuttered and shook the others
against themselves with all their might.
Now, she was truly happy
with malice that brought delight
of having caused a killing ruckus
so scathing and impolite.
Blog Feed
List of Character Flaws
Below is a list of character flaws you might find helpful when creating characters for your story. It always helps to consult a reference when the mind goes blank and you can’t think of enough possible ideas. My article I published on January 18, 2021 called Character Flaws goes into more detail about this topic.
- stubborn
- vain
- lazy
- headstrong
- cowardice
- cruelty
- selfishness
- manipulative
- dishonest
- unfair
- paranoid
- hypocrisy
- negative
- entitlement
- cynical
- petty
- assertive
- wrathful
- violent
- player
- user of others
- superstitious
- shy
- sensitive
- jealous
Courage by L. M. Montes
The door to courage is not locked
but fear stands in the way
of any who must walk through now,
not wait for another day.
Then you take a second glance
and see a gateway open
to anyone who sidesteps fear
with courage and now hoping.
The Tension Factor
Components of creating tension:
- An opposing force
- Unanswered question or questions created by the situation or by other characters within the story and keeps readers asking more questions thereby raising their curiosity
- Danger, fear, or conflict
- Increased danger, fear, or conflict that ebbs and flows as the story moves along
- Engaging characters with opposing goals
If you’re having difficulty coming up with specific ideas that will create tension/suspense, think of it this way, play on your main character’s fears. Make them as uncomfortable and fearful as possible. Throw the works at them. Just don’t forget to give them the courage to work through that fear and accomplish the story’s goals.
A Day at the Beach
Vacillation by L. M. Montes
Where is goodness anymore–
around the corner–
alas, no–
such dread and sorrow–
push them back–
open the door of your heart–
joy enters in–
yanked back out–
dwell on peace–
if only for a little while–
life droops–
and picks up speed–
joy and peace–
or knocked to your knees.
Apples
A Flower’s Scent by L. M. Montes
As I walked past the garden,
a scent had grown therein,
gliding over plant and earth
and said, “I beg your pardon.”
The sweetest scent so aromatic,
turned my head to see,
the flowers lifting up their heads,
and struck so automatic.
In their garden hidden,
so many different kinds,
whose scents arise to float
on air as they have often ridden.
A Scent of Love by L. M. Montes
A newness sparks a sensory influx
from the winds of change
sailing in my direction
with scents of wisdom
and feelings of joy encompassing,
ever enveloping around my eyes,
songs, tinkling melodies, fill my ears,
and tasting the freedom of God’s love.
The Words You Choose
Is there a right or wrong way to say something? Of course. But, not everyone will like what you say. You can’t please everyone. There will always be somebody who doesn’t like what you wrote. Maybe you wrote something regarding a certain topic and Person A didn’t agree with your ideas. Spoiler alert, here again, not everyone will agree with you. Let’s say Person A sends you a message saying you should have said “this” or “that”. And maybe Person A points out where you could go to get more information that would prove what you wrote was wrong. Then they tell you that maybe you need to correct what you wrote accordingly.
Uh, no. If you feel strongly about your words, stick with them. If it’s fact filled nonfiction, and your research is documented correctly, stick with your stance. Your job is not to please everybody who reads your writing. Your job is to write. Stick to your words.
There will be times when you want to respond back to someone who “stabs” your writing in the “heart”. It will make you angry/irritated. But, before you respond back to them, take a deep breath. Let it out slow and take five minutes to think of an appropriate response. Then, tactfully, respond to them (if you choose to).
WRITE TIME AND AGAIN 