Fiction – Page 7 – WRITE TIME AND AGAIN

The Tarnish

Posted on May 29, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Draft one of your story is like tarnish on your good silverware or your jewelry. There are parts of it that are discolored, or in the case of your story, make no sense, or is in need of more information. Your grammar and spelling may need to be cleaned up as well. That’s what the first draft is: a mess that needs to be fixed. But, hey, you have it down on paper (in an electronic document) right? Right. That’s what counts.

Once you get that first draft done, that’s when it’s time to clean the “tarnish” off and polish it up. So, you go back to the beginning of your story and start reading through it, all the while making notations of changes you might want to make. When that’s done, go back to the beginning once more and make those changes you noted.

Keep going over and over your story like that until it’s the way you want it. Make sure everything makes sense. Lastly, you want to check grammar and spelling and word redundancies. When that’s done, you will have a finely polished story that will shine its brightest.

Fiction

An Author’s Journey Pictorial (Fun with Pictures)

Posted on May 25, 2022May 25, 2022 by L. M. Montes

IDEA

JOT DOWN IDEAS FOR YOUR STORY

CREATE CHARACTERS

OUTLINE YOUR STORY (IF YOU ARE A PLANNER) AND WRITE IT

YOUR FINISHED BOOK

Characterization

Character Richness

Posted on May 25, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Have you ever read a book, and you liked the characters so much that you didn’t want the book to end? Oh yes, I’ve been down that road myself. That means the author did their job of creating characters that stand out and touch your heart. But, how did they do that?

Their characters displayed emotion to the point that the reader ‘felt’ right along with them.
The character displayed a habit or two. This personalizes the character, makes them human.
The character was relatable. We as a reader could identify with that character. We may have understood what they were experiencing. If not, then we could at least feel for them and/or root for them.
The dialogue sounded real and not mechanical or robotic. Maybe they made you laugh or cry.

These are just some of the elements a writer uses in order to bring a richness to their characters. Take your time developing them. Observe people around you and jot down notes of things you see or hear them say or do.

Characterization

List of Character Flaws

Posted on May 22, 2022May 22, 2022 by L. M. Montes

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

Emotions

The Tension Factor

Posted on May 21, 2022 by L. M. Montes

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.

Characterization

Likeable Characters

Posted on May 10, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Have you ever finished reading a book of fiction and were disappointed it ended? And was part of that disappointment because you were going to miss the characters? You actually liked the characters so much you didn’t want the story to end. You enjoyed your time with them. Why do you think you liked them so much?

The answer is very simple. The author did a fantastic job creating them. But how were they able to be that effective in their creation? It lies in the attention to detail. It goes beyond physical appearance. Go deep within your characters, their minds: how they think, feel, react to certain things, mannerisms. Study other people around you and make notes in a journal. What do you like and dislike about them? Make a list of habits and choose some for your character to have.

Also, consistency is a huge key to creating believable characters. Don’t have them be unafraid of spiders in one chapter and afraid of them in the next. Don’t give them one habit in the first part of the book and it not be their habit in another part of the book. That will only serve to frustrate the reader, and they’ll put the book/story down.

You won’t know if your readers will like your characters or not, but if you do your job and pay attention to detail, the chances of them having such an impact on the reader will go up.

Writing

The Fruit out of Reach

Posted on May 9, 2022 by L. M. Montes

There are days I hesitate to sit down to write because I feel apprehensive as to whether or not I will have the words to continue the chapter I am working on. It’s as though I’m standing in front of a fruit tree staring up at the perfect piece of fruit. If only I could access it. But, how to do that? Ah-ha! a ladder you say? What if there is no ladder? Then what?

So, I sit down to write anyway. The screen is staring back at me. Ideas are filling my brain, but which option do I choose? Should I have my character do this? Or that? Maybe another option would be better. The perfect scene is there. I just can’t access it because the way to go about reaching it isn’t available. So I start to wonder if I will ever think of what to do.

Then I wonder if I’m thinking to much about it. Maybe the idea will present itself if I stop trying so hard. So I start writing something…anything…and see what happens. Tip, tip, tip…my fingers fly over the key board. All at once, the ideas flow. A wind picks up and the fruit starts falling from the tree on its own. And that perfect piece of fruit that I wasn’t able to reach before? Well, it just landed in my hands. The direction of where I wanted my chapter to go just presented itself on its own. Yes!!!

Seriously though, I have days like that. There are also some days my mind doesn’t want to write anything. That’s ok. It’s your minds way of prompting you to do something else so it can come up with creative story ideas while you rest it. Remember the movie,
Field of Dreams? Kevin Costner’s character was told to build the field and they would come. So, give your mind a rest and the imagination will stir.

Characterization

The Observer

Posted on May 7, 2022 by L. M. Montes

As a kid people always told me how quiet I was (I still am). It surprised me (and still does) that some have a problem with that. The truth is, being quiet is part of my personality. If there is something to say, I’ll say it. I’m not the only quiet human. There are others. But there are times when I’m not. I like to be goofy and joke around, just not all the time.

What I’ve noticed though, after my dad pointed this out, when I am quiet, I am observing other people. How they talk, their mannerisms, their physical attributes, their speech patterns, everything; I take in everything. Here again, that’s how I have always been. Does this mean I observe everything around me? No. LOL. My husband is good at that. We compliment each other in that way.

If you are creating characters, be mindful of them (their mannerisms, physical attributes, language, etc.). Observe other people and write down what you observe in a character journal so you can use that information later when creating a scene/chapter in your story/novel. Or if you’re in the process of creating a character, those observations can come in handy.

Writing

People Inspiration

Posted on May 6, 2022 by L. M. Montes

If you are an author, whether you are experienced or not, sometimes talking to someone you trust (implicitly) about your story ideas can help you tremendously. I know that’s very simple advice, and maybe you already knew that. But it’s a good reminder. I never would have come up with the story I did for my first book had I not confided in my creative writing professor. Sometimes we need that nudge. So, if you are on the fence about a piece of writing you are working on, hash it out with a trusted friend.