#amwriting – Page 61 – Jean's Writing

Do you know how to develop memorable characters in a story

Published on August 17, 2016August 10, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell10 Comments

Hope you’re not tired of character development yet.

Because I’m still learning and my characters aren’t quite where I want them.

So y’all be sure and send me all the help you can. I need it.

The tips I learned today are:

Don’t write characters that blend into the background.

Whether fictional or real-life they must be three dimensional. What lead up to specific actions and life choices in the story? By understanding their beliefs, education, values, background, and physical attributes the reader will understand their behavior.

By understanding their beliefs, education, values, background, and physical attributes the reader will understand their behavior.

Reveal their character.

In other words, reveal the character of your character. Does your character cheat, steal, or are they a giver, helper and lover. Show the reader their traits. What makes them tick. Let those traits develop over the course of the story. A person’s character is developed when tested. The stakes and the consequences of the events must be high enough to be worth the reader caring about. Will they rise to the occasion or utterly fail? They either have it or they don’t.

Follow the passion.

Finding your character’s obsessive passion is crucial. Make their desire intense. Whatever your character wants or needs, make them care passionately about it.

Journal.

Now I wasn’t too sure about this tip but the more I read the more I became convinced. Q Lindsey Barrett might be on to something. She suggests that when writing the character’s biography and description you also record their rituals, and habits. She reminds us that crafting enduring characters is hard, time-consuming work. Don’t I know it!

Use Character Traits To Create Narrative Tension.

Use your character’s deepest desire by preventing him from having it. Want’s riches, then have his business collapse and file bankruptcy.

Avoid laundry lists descriptions.

Such as hair color, height, and weight. Give more explaining their temperament, confidence, and ambition.

Names.

Names matter but don’t be afraid to change the characters name if it doesn’t seem to fit.

This was my lesson today. Curtsey of Q Lindsey Barrett and her post at the Missouri Review Blog – Click below and keep reading.

Writing Beyond Good: Crafting Memorable Characters

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell,Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

How to avoid murdering your career

Published on August 16, 2016February 14, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell44 Comments

Ever feel like you are strangling a story to death?

I feel your pain. Really, I do. Sometimes I think my WIP needs to be put out of my misery.

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So, let’s all avoid the paper shredder. Because there’s help by – 10 Career Killers by David McFarland Story Doctor.

Here is what I learned from reading 10 Career Killers.

Critics don’t buy books. Don’t write like a professor, write for your reader.
Idiots don’t buy books either. Don’t dumb down your writing.
Develop a wide range of topics. Don’t be a one-hit wonder. Don’t become bland.
Keep up with technology. Learn to speak. Don’t let fear of the unknown stop you.
Be thankful when fans or critics point out things that need changing. Then do it.
Keep writing. Don’t let success kill your talent.
Invest and save. Remember the law of gravity. What goes up must come down.
Focus on your writing. Don’t let outside forces suck up your time.
Figure out what to write and how to market it. Don’t rely on others to make you rich.
Remember the rules of kindergarten and play nice. Don’t burn any bridges.

I usually have a favorite when I read a list of writing tips, but picking just one of these is hard. If I had to pick, I’d pick #3. Why? Because I love all genres and mediums. I love e-books, movies, YouTube, and apps. To me, technology is fun. I can enjoy reading everything from a Steven King novel, a children’s picture book to the latest Vampire YA.

David goes into a lot more detail in his post. After you’ve clicked and read the entire thing, be sure and let me know what you thought.

Which of his writing tips do you relate to?

Got another tip to avoid killing a writing career? Do share.

I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or click the “write me” tab or you can contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell,Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com. Just do stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

What makes for a unique story?

Published on August 15, 2016August 10, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell14 Comments

Some people would argue that there are lots and lots of things.

But today I learned it once again boils down to the characters.

Last week I talked about writing real-life characters who walk and talk like flesh and blood. But how just how do I breathe life into a character? By showing they react to a situation and what makes them special and unique. That is what turns an ordinary cliche of a story such as boy meets girl into an authentic book that only I can write.

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Stay with me.

We all know, or should by now; there is nothing new under the sun. Every story has a basic foundation such as boy meets girl, love triangle, murder mystery, space aliens, super humans save the planet, a journey or quest. Well, you get the idea.

If all stories, like a good cake, have the same basic ingredients, what will make mine unique different? After all, a plain layer cake is plain, right? But add flavors and toppings and your cake will stand out on a table of desserts. Put a surprise in the middle and it will delight those who taste.

strawberry-dream-cake-2428901_0 — Photo: Greg Dupree at Southern Living.com

What can I do to make my book stand out among all the other time travel, love stories, detective or YA heroes set out to save the world books?

Character reactions.

How they react to the situations in the story is what will make my story different. Throw in a surprise in the middle and the reader will keep reading.

Remember, readers gravitate toward the familiar. They respond to characters they recognize and enjoy developing relationships with the lovable granny or the washed up detective as cliche and trope as those characters may be. However, they may grow tired and bored if my characters look, walk, talk and react just like every other love sick gal pal in most

However, readers may grow tired and bored if my characters look, walk, talk and react just like every other love sick gal pal in most chick lit books on the shelf.

Now, I’ve gotta go and give my characters a few quirks. Later Y’all.

I write my blog to share as I learn. It helps the lessons stick. So where did I find all of these great nuggets? At Upgrade Your Story. I hope you’ll click on the video and enjoy.

Do you have any tips or tricks for making your characters unique?

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell,Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Everyone enjoys a little haunting every now and then.

Published on August 12, 2016August 3, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

And that’s what you get a story you won’t be able to turn loose long after reading the words “The End.” Jennifer McMahon leads us all down a rabbit hole of lies and deceit in this disturbing haunting, psychological thriller, and paranormal page-turner.

Many kids have big imaginations and imaginary friends to keep them entertained. Parents think it’s cute, and give little thought to any of their imaginings being real.

But if you lived near Reliance, a village that mysteriously disappeared one day, you might believe in the paranormal too. You might surround your bathtub with iron to keep away the things that live among the shadows.

Fifteen years after Lisa told everyone she was crossing over to the world of the fairies to meet the Fairy King and disappeared, her brother Sam wants to find the truth.

In Don’t Breathe a Word: A Novel by Jennifer McMahon introduces us to a family ravaged by loss.

Like me, you will not be able to put this book down until you find out what really happened to Liza.