If we imagine other characters in our story seeing the protagonist through a keyhole view, what would they say or write? If the story is written with a single point of view, the thoughts of the other characters can’t be used or we’d be head hopping. Their judgements can be revealed in dialog, directly in […]
The Power of Three in Writing
The power of three in writing a novel is the idea of using an object, symbol, or some reference three times. For example, in Norman in the Painting, Jill Steele worries about security. She has double locks on her doors, an alarm system, and an extensive collection of Foo dogs. In Feng Shui, Foo dogs […]
Protagonist’s Positive and Negative Traits
Our characters have positive and negative traits like people do. As writers we give characters flaws to prevent the protagonist from being too perfect. Some writers are afraid to do anything that might make the hero or heroine less likable. But the character who exhibits flaws is more believable, more human. Their flaws often worsen […]
Introducing Jill Steele in Norman in the Painting: Character Blog hop 2014
It’s time for a character-centric blog hop. Here you will meet Jill Steele, the protagonist of my multidimensional novel, Norman in the Painting. First, I will introduce the writer who tagged me in this blog hop, Justine Manzano. I connected with her on LinkedIn and she patiently walked me through the steps. Bio: Justine Manzano […]
Writers Quote by Henry James
Henry James said, “What is character but the determination of incident? What is incident but the illustration of character?” James was born in New York City on April 15, 1834. He wrote short stories, plays, and novels. He focused on the consciousness of his characters and his stories were seen as psychological thought-experiments. He often […]
Protagonist admires Norman Rockwell Paintings
My protagonist, Jill, in my new multidimensional novel “Norman in the Painting” is a fan of Norman Rockwell. She falls in love with a man in a Rockwell style painting who appears from another dimension. As in most romance mysteries, obstacles block their way in being together. An old friend of hers has to move […]
Character Paradoxes
In Karl Iglesias’ book, Writing Emotional Impact, he suggests using paradoxes to create complex and fascinating characters. Paradoxes in characters are conflicting traits, contradictions within themselves. For example a character wants to find true love, yet is suspicious of men. A mother might plan to retire in Hawaii, the goal of her life, but her […]