My anthology, Written Across the Genres, has two Dock Stories toward the end of the book. The setting is Paris, the dock is below the Pont Neuf, the oldest of the 37 bridges that cross the Seine River. Both versions are collaborative stories. I wrote the first paragraph and each person in my two writing […]
Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
In Wired for Story, on page 31, Lisa Cron corrects the myth that the plot is simply what the story is about. She says that the reality is, “A story is about how the plot affects the protagonist.” She continues on page 39 that “the plot’s goal isn’t simply to find out whether he snags […]
What’s in the Background of your Scenes?
Jordan E. Rosenfeld’s book, MAKE A SCENE, offers many writing tips. I particularly liked her paragraphs about Foreground and Background. She says that like paintings, scenes can have backgrounds, but she meant more than setting. Plant “subtle messages and emotional layers in the background through actions” while the reader’s attention is on what’s happening in […]
A Character’s Life
In MAKE YOUR WORDS WORK, Gary Provost suggests writers show that the main character has lived a life before the present time. We have to avoid blocks of information by using backstory sprinkles, but how do we show that our characters go to movies, admire a high school teacher, or have friends in Antarctica? Those […]
“Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.”
Ray Bradbury
“Plot is
Character’s Trust Gone Wrong
The best way you can find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them. ~ Ernest Hemingway This quote from Hemingway made me think about the characters in my novel, HADA’S FOG. Hada trusted the wrong person throughout the plot. Is trust an issue in your WIP?