Writing – Page 20 – WRITE TIME AND AGAIN

The Villain Makes the Story

Posted on May 4, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Have you ever wondered what a story/movie would be like if there were no clashing forces going against the main character? It would be boring to the point there would be no story. Not really anyway. Believe it or not villains create that extra zing of emotion for the reader/viewer to the point we sometimes feel as though we’re in the story/movie.

I finished reading a book a few days ago that had me talking back to the characters, and I mean saying things like, “Really? Don’t you see it has nothing to do with terrorism?” At one point I said, “Oh my gosh, this author.” My husband asked, “What?” To which I responded with, “The author drug this out way to much.” Actually, the author did his job, and he did it well. The villains were smug, very smug, and they thought they had everything going the way they wanted it to. Well, they did. The reader (this reader) wanted them to get what was coming to them (and they did eventually). That folks is story, suspense, emotion building writing.

So remember….when you are creating your villains, make sure to give them lots of tender loving care. You want them to connect with the reader too.

The book I spoke of above is linked below just in case you might want to read it. It’s book 5 in the Alton Blackwell Files series by Steven F. Freeman.

Characterization

Character Names

Posted on May 3, 2022April 30, 2022 by L. M. Montes

How do you choose names for your characters? Do you merely assign them a name without giving much thought to it? Do you use a process? There are quite a few things one can do to assign names to their characters. I’ve used a baby names book. Looking names lists online works too. If your character is of another culture or country whose names are different than those used in your own, some baby names books have lists of common names used in different countries.

In one of my pieces of writing I used characters of 4 real life people. I asked them permission first. Please, if you are ever going to do this, ask that person or persons permission to use them in your book/story. When I was renaming these 4 people for my story, I tried to choose names that fit their personalities. Trust me, this wasn’t as easy as it may have appeared to be. One gentleman helped me with that, so that one was easy enough to put a name to. The other three took some thinking. I got my baby names book out and browsed male names. I thought of each person individually and then tried out a name on them. I went through several before settling on some that worked well and matched each of their personalities. There was only one problem. One of the guys I couldn’t think of a name for. At all. So I, for the time being, left his name alone and used his real name until I could think of one that suited him. FINALLY, after writing 25 chapters, I thought of the perfect name for him. Of course, I had to go back and change his name throughout the manuscript, but it was worth the wait.

Most often you’re not going to use real people. But the same thing still rings true. The people you make up will have personalities and you will have to choose a name that fits that personality. Also, if you are going to assign a name to a character that sounds funny or out of place, you might want to explain why they were given that name by making that part of your story. For example, if you give one of your female characters the name of Spunky Dickson (a funny name for a female anyway), have the character tell why her parents named her that. Maybe the whole story centers around that. Maybe Spunky is a nickname.

Have fun choosing names for your characters. Don’t make it a chore. Work with it and mold it into your story.

Poetry

Life’s Tides by L. M. Montes

Posted on May 1, 2022April 30, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Life’s tides sneak unseen
as meditations meld my mind,
passive, I remain,
a wind’s breeze feathers a scent
of sweet roses, walking by,
yet passive to the tides
of life as they wave good bye.

Poetry

Goodness by L. M. Montes

Posted on April 30, 2022July 14, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Issues spatter all around,
leaving a mind struck, not sound,
tis a guide to dullness feed,
for goodness one does want and need,
hoe the dirt and human weeds
and find the sprouts of mustard seeds
lifting tall and growing delight,
a faith in all that’s good and bright.

Scenes

Beginning a Scene (Part II)

Posted on April 30, 2022July 19, 2023 by L. M. Montes

I posted on October 22, 2021 an article about beginning a scene with action. Continuing that, we move to beginning a scene by creating a question in the reader’s mind. This doesn’t mean the author asks a question in the first paragraph. All it means is the situation at the beginning of the scene is done in such a way that the reader must continue reading in order to find the answer to what the information at the beginning of the scene is hinting. See the example below.

Example
Dan did a double take as he glanced up at two women, a blond and a redhead, entering the club. He’d seen the blond female before but couldn’t place her. Maybe she was only a face in the crowd. A nudge on his right shoulder interrupted his thoughts.

“Hey,” said Dwayne with growing impatience. “You join in the rest of the gang or what?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dan turned back to the two women, but they’d disappeared. Shooting a glance in each direction proved fruitless. He ran outside and peered in each direction to no avail.

The rest of the evening, though full of laughter all around, continued to plague him as his thoughts returned to the blond.

The reader is left with a couple of questions:
1. Who is the blond woman?
2. Why is she so important?
There is enticement here. One wants to continue reading to find out who she is and what is the situation behind his familiarity of her. No action is really needed here. Although, one could easily add some to increase the velocity of the story pace.

Poetry

Tuned Out by L. M. Montes

Posted on April 29, 2022April 28, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Talk is words,
nothingness pushed forth,
ears hear sound,
but words not profound.
A rain so dull,
no growth it brings
from what you are saying
as I sit and start praying.
Joy I could feel,
if all remained quiet,
but droning of sound
continued as underground.
A hand pushed up,
your words to stop,
and silence ensued
as your words ran askew.

Poetry

Campfire by L. M. Montes

Posted on April 28, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Pine needles gather as pines tend to scatter
when dry invades the dew,
on trails I saunter,
over and yonder,
to a campfire and a lingering you.
As an ebony sky flicks on its lights,
and fires die then smoke,
your hand touches gentle
the side of my temple,
when I lay my head just right.

Poetry

Moody Weather by L. M. Montes

Posted on April 12, 2022March 8, 2023 by L. M. Montes

Eyes sagged in droop
when rain tapped the roof,
the sun is high up in the sky
and covered by clouds loop.

My happy mood had parted
when from the clouds rain darted,
Sun’s arms though breached as they reached
and now gray skies departed.

Poetry

Dare I by L. M. Montes

Posted on April 11, 2022April 12, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Dare I say walk away,
or dare to fight with fists upright,
whate’er I do one will not like,
and come to me with verbal strike,
you I do please not,
tis my sense on the spot,
but a snare you do fix,
in hopes you’ll get your kicks,

But I have sense,
I’m not that tense,
My peace is of mind,
So to you I may be kind,
and move to walk away,
but instead fight today,
A mood that is so rare,
Fight? Do I dare?