writing – Page 87 – Jean's Writing

4 Puzzle Pieces to Hook Your Readers

Published on April 27, 2015April 27, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell7 Comments

W = (Who, What, Where, and When)

Right up front give your readers what they want, information.

Show your readers an image that grabs hooks them from the beginning.

1. Who

Introduce your main character and make the reader care.
Show the reader who your characters are by their actions.
Make them care not only about who your MC is, but who they will become.
Help your readers connect with your character.

2.What

What’s happening to the characters, or their surroundings? (Jump right into the action.)
What are they thinking or saying? (Don’t censor them. When people think no one hears them, in their head.)
What is plausible? At least give your story some realism and believability.
Something interesting might happen, but for the story to hook your readers, what is happening must affect the characters.

3. Where

Where are your characters? Are they coming or going? (Literally or emotionally give the reader a hint.)
Where does the story take place? (The character should be there for a reason).
Does the where make sense?
Anchor your reader without excessive exposition or narrative that bogs down the reader.
Use sights, sounds, textures, temperature, tastes, and smells, but don’t get carried away with too many purple adjectives.

4. When

When goes hand in glove with where.
Time frame is important. However, you don’t always need to say at 3pm on this date, this happened.
Let the reader know when your character is living.
Don’t leave them floating like an astronaut without a clue as to when the events are happening.
Writing a historical novel? make sure to show the readers the time matches the characters.

Hitchcock’s. Axiom: A good story is life with the dull parts taken out.

The Saga continues:

Rachel’s eyes flickered from the handgun on console to the Winchester in the rack and back to the smile behind the wheel.

“Now don’t you worry ‘bout these ole things. Ain’t a pick-up in Texas don’t have a gun or two.”

She knew he was right and it wasn’t the guns that bothered her. What bothered her was that his slick smile didn’t reach those cold blue eyes.

“No problem, got my own.” Rachel said.

The smile dimmed for a second as he took in her sidearm and the small silver badge on her belt.

“Well, glad to be of service to one of Texas’s finest. Officer?”

“Randell, Rachel Randell. Thanks, how far are we from the next town?”

“Bout forty-five minutes from Wichita Falls. That where you headed?”

Rachel nodded. “That’ll do.”

As soon as she got a cell signal, she’d call the office, get new wheels and be on her way. This guy didn’t need to know her plans.

He leaned forward and turned up the radio. Country music filled the cab and Rachel hoped that meant the end to conversation or anything else. But she didn’t plan on relaxing, not with two extra guns and a stranger next to her.

Write About an Underdog in Your Story

Published on April 24, 2015April 24, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

U = Underdog

Everyone loves to cheer for the underdog; the loser, small fry, runner-up, the little guy.

Stories about underdogs are pervasive in sports, politics, religion, literature, film and even commercials.

Politicians use the underdog concept advertising their humble origins, lack of resources, and determined struggle against the odds. From President Obama to Tea Party Republicans, it’s a running theme to see who can out poor-mouth the other.

Underdog author J.K. Rowling, was a welfare mother who wrote seven bestselling books, creating a lovable underdog character, Harry Potter, an inexperienced but passionate orphan who grew up in a closet.

I could name dozens of terrific books about underdogs from kids books to thrillers but you probably have your favorites.

So make sure you write an underdog into your story.

One in which, readers can grow to love and cheer to victory.

Flash Serial Continued:

Rachel unbuttoned another button and rolled up her sleeves. Much longer and she’d consider breaking regs and stripping down to her tee-shirt. No sign of life for over an hour, not even a damn snake to break the boredom. She’d never live this down when she made it back to the office. If she made it back to the office.

Just one more screw-up for the guys to rib her about, not that they needed anything. As the youngest Ranger, she endured the guys teasing and her new nickname “the kid” but she was determined to prove herself. She just wished her dad were still around to see how hard she worked. At least he’d watched her walk across the stage at University of Texas and later write her first traffic ticket as beat cop. God how she missed him. She wouldn’t mind being called “Randall’s kid” if he were around to laugh with her. He was a tough act to follow.

She wiped the dust from her eyes and stepped to the side, waiting for the truck to stop.

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Writing with the Rule of Three

Published on April 21, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

R = Rule

The Rule of Three is used in speaking, writing, and music.

Through the Rule of Three ideas are more interesting, enjoyable, funny, scary, memorable and more effective. The Rule of Three can create reader expectation, it can also intensify conflicts and help to hook the reader. From slogans, to nursery rhymes we see the principle of three are everywhere. And let’s not forget superstitions, “bad things come in threes.”

Stories have three parts: a beginning, middle and end
Trilogies: in films, books and plays
Screen writing: 3-act structure
Patterns: Three is the smallest number of elements to create a pattern
Classic joke structure: set-up, anticipation and punch line
A complete set: Salt, pepper and sugar
In Public Safety: “Stop, Look and Listen”
In religion: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

My A to Z serial flash continues:

Rachel stared at the distorted image flickering above the hot black asphalt, convinced there was no place hotter than Texas in August. Not even hell. She cranked the AC higher praying for relief and an end to this long road.

This morning she’d thought the trip a good idea, but now she just wanted it to end. She leaned over the steering wheel and peered through the windshield. Smoke now mingled with the shimmering heat, rising with the sun’s reflection. A loud clank shook the car and it came to an abrupt stop.

“Shit,” Rachel yelled, “Shit, Shit.”

She flipped open her phone. No signal. Miles from her destination and no sound but the ticking of a dying motor.

Avoid too much sweetness

Published on April 16, 2015April 16, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell11 Comments

N = Nice

Are your characters too nice? Too agreeable?

Readers don’t want perfection, they prefer reality.

Readers can relate to reality.

Too much niceness can seem artificial as Sweet-n-Low and turn off your readers.

I bet your favorite and most memorable characters were flawed and sometimes down right disagreeable.

Write characters who are engaging, interesting and filled with conflict. People who are most often warring with their own nature, or good and evil.

She typed the coordinates Mac had emailed into her smart phone. As luck would have it, the perp was an eight-hour drive from San Antonio. At least he was still in Texas, that would make things easier for her but harder for the hacker. Rachel smiled as she reached into her desk drawer and retrieved her sidearm. Kindness never killed anyone but she knew what did. She didn’t get her reputation by being nice. However, she always got her man.