A Simple Way to Deepen Your Characters

Happy Wednesday, my writing friends,

Deep, multi-layered characters hook readers, am I right? I know this, and I’ve heard and read lots about it over the years. Typical advice: don't be nice to my characters, find out what lie they believe, figure out what they want and why they can’t have it.

Yes! These are great words of wisdom, which I try to follow, but recently I’ve noticed another way to create that intensity.

Family.

Mainly from being sucked in to TV dramas (some have pretty good character development), I’m learning to see how important—maybe even critical—family relationships are for my characters. There’s a universal understanding of the heart connections here. The hurts pierce deeply; the joyful bonding resonates intensely. And if I can be purposeful about my hero's and heroine's connections to family, perhaps I can add that intensity to my story.

Shared Experiences
No one knows what we’ve been through like our family. “Remember how mom used to…” or “I’ll never forget that road trip…” Common memories signal a unique love we all long for.

Deep Pain

For most of us, those closest to us caused our deepest pain from the past. Consequently, loved ones also have the greatest propensity for future potential hurt. With family we’re at our most vulnerable.  

Forgiveness

Let’s face it, who have we hurt more than our very own parents, siblings, or children? A longing for forgiveness, or the relief of receiving it, molds who we are, building either confidence or insecurities.
 

Expectations

All family relationships come with certain expectations. I expect my husband to protect me both physically and emotionally. I expect him to cherish me and love me. If he falls short of these things, it hurts! Same with parents. We expect them to be supportive and loving, but how heartbreaking when father ignores a son or a mother calls a daughter fat?

Can you see the potential for our characters? What a wealth of emotion just wating for us to tap into!

Each family relationship—parent/child; sibling/sibling, grandparent/grandchild—touches on these emotional hot buttons in different ways. Next week we’ll explore how these specific relationships impact our stories.

 

How have you used family relationships to deepen your characters? I'd love to hear.

 

God bless and happy writing!

Ocieanna

 

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Ask O Wednesday How Do I Weave Theme throughout Plot?

Happy Wednesday, my writing friends,

Today we finish up our three-part series on theme. In part one we mulled over how a well-defined theme boosts a story from a way to fill an afternoon to a life-changing experience.

In part two, we dove into how to find a theme by first uncovering what moves us and then having a heart-to-heart with our characters.

Now we’ll explore how to weave theme through plot. It’s so important!

Planning the Big Picture

As I plan my story's overarching plot arcs, the main pegs parallel theme. If my theme is forgiveness, for example, then the main conflicts reflect this. Perhaps my character was betrayed by her husband. My main plot points could be:

Act One: At least one or two major conflict scenes with her husband. The pressure heats up.

End of Act One: A big fight in which she declares she’ll never forgive him. Ever!

Act Two: The husband’s persistent repentance and patient love begin to win her over.

She finally admits she wants to forgive him but is afraid of being hurt. They share a tender, honest moment together.

End of Act Two: Something happens to make her think he betrayed her again, destroying any hope of reconciliation.

Act Three: The misunderstanding about the betrayal is cleared up, and she finally finds a way to forgive him.

Do you see how each plot point revolved around forgiveness? Subplots and external conflict work their way in, but forgiveness underlies and motivates the main forward thrust of the story.

Scene by Scene

Once I get the big picture done, I start writing. Yippee! But before my fingers fly, I create a chart for each individual scene. (Some writers forge scene charts for the whole book ahead of time, I create it just before I write the scene. It’s up to you.)

In the scene chart, I always (always!) make sure to include an element of theme. Even if the scene doesn't involve a major conflict, a hint of theme resonates. This builds consistency and expectancy.

Let’s go back to our forgiveness story. In the midst of a relevant scene, I might include a short snippet of a child forgiving my protagonist for stepping on her dandelion bouquet. Or maybe she sees a dude cursing out a store clerk for getting his order wrong; or hears a song about reconciliation. These little bits all point toward forgiveness.

Since I’m passionate about my theme, I long for it to ring out in every scene. I prepare for this in my scene charts.

Ban Rabbit Trails

I try my darnedest to toss out any plotline that doesn’t prop up my message. Theme gets blurry when too many other ideas encroach on it. I keep my focus on clearly communicating this one idea that has so moved me, and stay with it. That’s what I love about books with awesome themes, so that’s what I try to do.

How do you incorporate theme into your stories? I’d love to hear!

God bless and happy writing,

Ocieanna

Ask O: McCrit Rules Part 2

Happy Wednesday, my writing friends!

Last week we looked at part one of McCrit's writing rules--Vernonica's and Annette's. Today we'll check out Dawn's and mine. Enjoy!

Dawn’s Rules

1. All sentences shall make sense. Dawn rocks at noticing confusing or unclear writing. I’d written that something could “give way” to something else. In my head it made sense, but she showed me that it could have two very different meanings.

2. Head-hopping shall forever cease. It’s easy to slip out of a character’s point of view without even realizing it. While in Joe's POV, you might find this: “Like a typical guy, Joe loved machinery.” This doesn't work because a man would never refer to himself as a “typical guy.” Subtle slips like this happen. That's why I'm so grateful for my critique group to catch this stuff.

3. The prose shall flow. Choppy, overly long, or just plain awkward sentences perish under Dawn’s critique.

4. The same word shall not be used repeatedly. Actually, we all pretty much despise the repeated word issue. You know, “She pursed her lips as she bought the purse in the purse department.” It happens to all of us. Critique partners help to catch them.

Ocieanna’s Rules

1. The level of POV shall be deep. I’m a broken record, constantly saying, “Go deeper into the character. I want to feel her. I want to be her.”

2. Thou shalt show not tell. My McCritters know this rule, of course, but we all need to be reminded. Don’t say, “She enjoyed being with him.” Show a scene of her enjoying him. Don’t say, “She felt sad.” Show her fighting back tears, or, even better, a scene where her sadness is so real, it needs no explanation.

3. Clichés shall be banished from the land. I just can’t handle them. One that drives me over the edge is, “Heat rose to her face.” If I see that, watch out. I may throw your manuscript out the window.

4. The story world shall be real. I want to smell the stench of the cargo hold your character tarries in. Make me taste the foul gruel and then the relief of fresh water. I want to feel the hero’s rough, carpenter’s hands on her skin. I want to sit on the sofa with your character and watch as he makes me dinner.

Bonus: A few more, no extra charge.   

• No info dumps!
• No author intrusion!
• Good chapter length. 
• First chapter checklist. 
• Story question in first few pages.
• Ground reader in storyworld in first chapter.
• Interconnected themes.
• Fatal flaw.

Got it? Seeing these rules jotted down in one spot reminds me how hard it is to create awesome writing. It can be overwhelming, but the number one rule for me and all my McCritters is prayer. As we struggle to grow in excellence, our Lord guides us. With Him (and a fresh dose of McCrit rules) our writing will soar. 

God bless and happy writing! 

Ocieanna

www.freedigitalimages.net

What I Wish Someone Had Told Me by Tiffany Amber Stockton

Annette and I have known Tiffany Amber Stockton through ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and attending writer’s conferences. Tiff makes her presence known by the humor, warmth, and energy she shares with those around her. It’s exciting to see her hard work pay off, and we’re pleased to have her as a guest on Seriously Write.

What I Wish Someone Had Told Me

1. Read and Write a Lot. If you want to be a writer, you have to be a reader first. Immerse yourself in books, both on the craft and of the craft itself. Find your favorites or your least favorites. Dissect the good and the bad. Find out what works and what doesn’t. Then, find your own voice and go from there.

2. Use the reader’s time in a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted. If you can capture a reader’s attention so that he or she will not mind being taken away from duties or the daily demands of life, then you have succeeded in your story.

3. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for. Make it more than one, and the old adage, “the more the merrier” will apply. This character is usually the hero or heroine, but depending on the reader, sometimes it’s the antagonist with redeeming qualities.

4. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water. If you don’t identify and establish your goals for each and every character in your story, then your characters are at risk for becoming cardboard, two-dimensional or inconsequential. As every character must have a purpose of some sort, make sure their desires are clearly defined and fulfilled.

5. Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal more about a character or advance the plot. This can also be applied to each scene you pen. If you can’t apply this rule to each scene or each sentence, then you might want to remove or revise it.

6. Start as close to the end as possible. There is nothing that kills a story faster than bogging down the reader in unnecessary details. Know in a general sense how your story will end, and begin in the middle of the action that will get your reader there.

7. Be a Sadist. Take your characters into the worst possible situation…and make it worse. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them in order that the reader may see what they are made of. Test the mettle of your characters. Put them on the chopping block.

8. Write to please just one person. Don’t try to please everyone, or you’ll fail completely. If your story touches just one life, it’s found its purpose.

9. Give your readers as much information as possible. But don’t dumb them down. Write in such a way that the information you do provide leads them where you want them to go, but also challenges them to fill in the blanks.

10. Find a subject you care about. It’s often said to “write what you love.” This can’t be truer than when writing a novel. If you don’t care about the subject you write, why will your reader?

Tiffany Amber Stockton is an author and freelance web site designer who lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart, and their baby daughter in beautiful Colorado Springs. They also have a vivacious Border Collie mix named Roxie. Amber has sold eight books so far to Barbour Publishing. Other writing credits include five short stories for Romancing the Christian Heart, and contributions to Grit for the Oyster and 101 Ways to Romance Your Marriage. A born-again Christian since the age of seven, her faith in Christ has often sustained her through difficult experiences. She seeks to share that with others through her writing.

Author (http://www.amberstockton.com/)

Web Designer - Eagle Designs (http://www.eagle-designs.com/)

Follow me on Twitter! (www.twitter.com/amberstockton)

Marketing Successfully on Amazon by Miralee Ferrell

Here on Wednesday Writer’s Journey, we’ve talked about the necessity for a writer to be involved in marketing his or her work. Today we welcome author Miralee Ferrell as she shares how to utilize Amazon.

Marketing Successfully on Amazon

There are a number of different ways to market your book on Amazon, but today we’ll just look at one. First, let’s review some basic information on Amazon’s ranking system. Books are ranked according to category. There are over 8 million books listed, so yours will fall under the category of all books…then it could be broken down like this: Books, religious, historical, romance, depending on the genre. If your book is ranked at #500,000, that means there are 499,999 books selling better than yours in that particular time period….but it’s also selling better than 7,500,000 other books. Let’s say it’s ranked #20,000 in overall ‘books’. It might be as low as #35 by the time it hits the romance category of historical religious books. Anyone looking at the top 50 selling historical romance (Christian fiction) books will see yours. Not bad, huh?

Obviously, the lower the number, the higher you are on the chart. So, how to move up in the ranking faster? One way is through a high number of good reviews—and not just any reviews, but preferably, ones by prominent Amazon reviewers. Many of these people have a following—readers who consistently watch their reviews and trust them—but it’s not always easy to convince a reviewer to read your book. Here’s a suggestion. It’s time consuming, but can pay off if done properly.

Go through the list of the top 500-1000 reviewers (or more). Many won’t have contact info, so you’ll have to narrow the list to those who do. Then, target the reviewers who might actually read your book. If you write Christian romance, there’s no sense in sending to someone who consistently reviews witchcraft, horror, or other hardcore books. Once you compile your list, prepare a professional, courteous email. Ask the reviewer if they would consider reading your book if you send them a complimentary copy. Offer to sign it, and above all, do not insist that they do a review. Pushy authors will get their letters discarded, or very possibly get a poor review. Here’s a sample letter:

Dear Joe,

I got your contact information from your recent Amazon review of (name a book that’s similar to what you write—it shows the reviewer you have a logical reason for picking them) and thought you might be interested in my inspirational fiction book releasing soon, Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon. I’d love to send you a copy and if you’re interested, I’d be grateful if you decide to post a review. I’ll send you a brief summary if you’d like, and if you send me your mailing address, I’ll drop a copy in the mail. Of course, there’s no obligation. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely…..

Above all, be courteous and don’t assume they’ll jump at the chance to review your book. If they do, be sure to send a thank you note after the review has posted.

Miralee Ferrell lives with Allen, her husband of 37 yrs in Washington state, where she enjoys horseback riding with her daughter, puttering in her flower beds, reading and writing Christian fiction. Miralee is active in her church where she serves on staff ministering to women. She and Allen plan to spend a few months each year on their sailboat.

Web site: http://www.miraleeferrell.com/
Blog: http://www.miraleesdesk.blogspot.com/

You can find all four of Miralee's books on http://www.blogger.com/www.Amazon or http://www.blogger.com/www.Christianbook.com. Finding Jeena (the sequel to The Other Daughter) releases in April of 2010, and Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon, releases Feb. 1st.


Amidst a backdrop of thievery and murder in historic Bridal Veil, Oregon, a schoolteacher is torn between the memories of a distant love and the man who could be her future. Margaret Garvey had given her heart to Nathaniel, but he left town four years before. Now she's giving love another chance, but her decision to build a new life with Andrew is shaken when Nathaniel steams back into Bridal Veil on a riverboat to work at the nearby sawmill. When disaster strikes the town and threatens the welfare of its citizens, Margaret will be faced with the most important choice of her life.

Taking a Holiday Break by Deborah Raney

As we continue on our journey as writers, we need to keep a balance with other aspects of our lives. So this Writer’s Journey Wednesday, author Deborah Raney is here to share tips on how to handle the busy holidays—soon to be arriving.

Taking a Holiday Break

If, like me, you have a January deadline this year, you may not have the luxury of taking a break over the holidays. But I've learned that during the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years, I find it almost impossible to concentrate enough to write anything worth keeping. So if at all possible, I plan ahead to take a break from working on my manuscript during those weeks.

Instead, I try to use those weeks to gear up for uninterrupted writing in the new year. In order to spend a guilt-free January and February writing ten hours a day, these are some of the tasks I try to check off my to-do list:

• Catch up on reading research books and articles for my work in progress, along with the industry magazines that have accumulated on my desk.

• Update my website and get my next e-newsletter ready to send out.

• Get my closets organized and my house cleaned (this means taking the Christmas tree down the day after Christmas).

• Arrange lunch dates with all the friends and family I'll be ignoring the rest of the winter while I hunker down to finish a rewrite.

• Get my speaking calendar and notes up to date, send PR material to venues where I'm speaking, make sure I have books ordered and on-hand, etc.

• Balance the checkbook and get my tax stuff in order for the accountant. April 15 will be here sooner than we know!

• Make some casseroles and cookies to put in the freezer so my family won't feel neglected while I go into hiding come January.

• Write some shorter pieces that don't require so much concentration: blog posts, articles, speeches, workshop material, etc. Oh, and the family Christmas letter!

It's not always possible to take the holidays off from writing, but if you find it tough to work on your novel in all the hubbub of the season, it might be worth it to clear your calendar as much as possible and plan to make up for lost time in the New Year.



DEBORAH RANEY is at work on her 19th novel. Her books have won the RITA Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award, Silver Angel, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. Her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Her newest books, the Clayburn Novels, are from Howard/Simon & Schuster. She and her husband, Ken Raney, have four children and enjoy small- town life in Kansas.
http://www.deborahraney.com/
http://www.novelgarden.blogspot.com/

Craft Cinema by Kathleen E. Kovach

At Seriously Write, we enjoy featuring other blogs that are unique in what they offer writers. I love movies and often use them for not only escape, but inspiration. This Writer’s Journey Wednesday, please welcome author Kathleen Kovach, creator of the Craft Cinema blog.

Craft Cinema

CraftCinema.blogspot.com offers a unique perspective for the writer who loves movies. I have found that I can study a two-hour movie for the craft of writing much easier than a book that takes me several days to read. I started this blog as a point of conversation after several members of my local ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) group decided to watch a movie together and discuss it. It morphed into what it is today, a place for me to process my thoughts and showcase certain aspects of the writing craft.

At Craft Cinema, I discuss plot structure, GMC, plot twists, dialogue, and so much more. For example, while watching Galaxy Quest with Tim Allen, I discuss the hero's journey which helps to develop the character arc. Enchanted with Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey had a bit of foreshadowing that I pulled out. After viewing the classic movie, The Greatest Show on Earth with Charleton Heston, Betty Hutton, Jimmy Stewart, and Cornell Wilde, I wrote an article titled "Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing." It occurred to me that all four of its stars could have had equal billing. So who was the main character? Read my article. My conclusion may surprise you.

I present these articles in an entertaining way. There is nothing worse than reading dry instructions when talking about a creative endeavor. But the main goal is to see how the craft is done well (or not done well) and how to study from other writers so we can apply what we learn to our own work.

Occasionally, I like to pull trivia from the IMDB site. This is the Internet Movie Data Base site where I go to get my facts straight. Often, they have fun stuff that just has to be shared. For example, in the new Star Trek movie, Uhura's refusal to give her name to Kirk was the writer's nod to the television show where her character was never given a first name. Cool, huh?

At Craft Cinema, you will also find movie reviews void of spoilers. The most recent review is The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.

So, come on over, grab a bag of popcorn, a pad of paper and a pen, and enjoy great movies with your right brain while learning with your left.

Kathleen E. Kovach and her husband Jim raised two sons while living the nomadic lifestyle for over twenty years in the Air Force. She's a grandmother, though much too young for that. Now firmly planted in Colorado, she's the Rocky Mountain Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers and leads a local writers group. Published with Barbour, Kathleen has three books out, including her latest, God Gave the Song, which is the first in her series of three set in southern Oregon. Kathleen hopes her readers will giggle through her books while learning the spiritual truths God has placed there.
http://www.kathleenekovach.com/

http://www.kathleenekovach.blogspot.com/
http://www.craftcinema.blogspot.com/

How to Chase Away the Writer’s Blues by Christy Barritt

Christy Barritt is an author, freelance writer and speaker. This Writer’s Journey Wednesday, she’s here to share tips on what to do when feeling discouraged.

How to Chase Away the Writer's Blues

Seasons of discouragement come and go for every author. But sometimes when it hits, it hits hard. Numerous authors have walked — or attempted to walk — away from writing as self doubt begins to plague them, burying itself in their self-confidence and assurances.

When you begin to feel discouraged, here are a few important things to remember:

* Rejections don’t mean you’re not good. Rejections happen to all of us. They're unavoidable and don't mean we're bad writers. They mean your story didn't fit a need or didn't meet an editor's preference.

* Know that publishing isn’t instantaneous. Some writers spend ten plus years working on developing their craft before they're ever published. Be patient. Dreams rarely come true overnight and neither does being published.

* Write and then write some more. The best way to learn how to write is by writing and reading. This helps us develop our skills. Someone once said writers have the longest apprenticeship of any profession. I don't know if that's true, but it does take time to become a good writer.

* Become a sponge. Join writers groups, take workshops or college courses on improving your craft. Soak up everything you can and continue to learn.

* Give yourself a break. Sometimes the best thing one can do is step back from writing and take a breather. This will give us a clear head and oftentimes a renewed inspiration.

* Seek God’s approval. Pray that God will remove or strengthen your desire according to His will. If He has other, bigger and better plans for your life, then ask Him to show you those and give you the strength to pursue other mediums.

* Don’t entertain negative thoughts. They will fester and grow. Deal with them and move on.

* If you can walk away from writing, then you should. This is the most difficult piece of advice but it’s true. If writing is something you’d feel good about leaving and not returning to, then you should. Writers have a passion for their work — a call. If writing is truly your passion, you won't be able to walk away.

* Get the opinion of someone valued and trusted. If you’re truly questioning if writing is what you should be doing and if you have any talent at it, then find someone who knows English and writing and get their opinion. Plead for honesty. Sometimes, we’re met to write for ourselves and other times, we’re met to write for others. Talking to someone trusted might help you find out which category you fall into.

* Press on toward the prize. Remember, it’s God who sustains you. Let Him hold you up and carry you through.

To find out more about Christy and her work, please visit her Web site.


Christy Barritt’s newest book, Suspicious Minds (Kregel, 2008) is a lighthearted mystery about a sassy crime-scene cleaner who likes to stick her nose into police business. The book won the inspiration category for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery. The first book in the series was Hazardous Duty, a finalist in the ACFW Book of the Year contest. She’s also the co-author of Changed: True Stories of Finding God in Christian Music (Standard, 2005). She’s married to Scott, a teacher and funny man extraordinaire. They have one son, 2 dogs, and a houseplant named Martha. When Christy’s not writing, she enjoys having coffee with friends, taking crazy road trips that usually involve no maps and flipping coins, and making her three-year-old giggle.

The Character Therapist Blog

It’s Writer’s Journey Wednesday, and today we’re featuring a unique blog for writers. The Character Therapist was created by writer and licensed therapist, Jeannie Campbell. We invited Jeannie to visit and explain exactly what The Character Therapist offers novelists as they continue on their journey to publication.

Character Therapy: The Basics

by Jeannie Campbell

WHAT IT IS

Character Therapist [kar-ik-ter ther-uh-pist] noun. A person trained in the use of psychological methods for diagnosing and evaluating fictional characters to help authors write more realistically.

This is what I do. So how can you—a published or aspiring writer—and your beloved characters benefit? Rather than tell you, I’ll give you a few examples of the types of questions I field each week.

* “I have the man so tied to his mother that he can't break away from her. Do I need a good reason behind this?”

* “How would compartmentalizing parts of self damage a person? How would the buried parts manifest themselves? How easy would it be to slip up? He's pretended to be someone else for so long...what if he's that new person now, and can't find himself anymore?”

* It was brought to my attention it is against the law for a therapist to date a client for two years or something to that effect, but I took artistic license and played the story out the way I wanted to. Am I staring down the barrel of some serious issues here?

* “Is it feasible for a teenager with Asperger’s Syndrome to take a driving test, fail, and then want to take the test again?”

* “If someone has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and they are triggered, would they have ‘panic attacks’ that would send them to the hospital for a few days?”

* What makes a womanizer tick?

* If a child was young when they lost a parent, will they remember the parent? And if not, should they be reminded?

Internal motivations, effects of external conflicts, plot feasibility, character strengths and weaknesses, behavioral manifestations or limitations…a character therapist’s playground.

HOW IT WORKS

All I need to work with is a character sketch. I’ve gotten sketches that were a short paragraph to some several pages long. Some of the more fun assessments I’ve posted on my blog were the result of email “sessions” between the author and myself as we delved deeper.

I welcome specific questions, but otherwise, I look at the overall psychological picture. Quirks, pet peeves, family history, hobbies…all these things add up! I might not diagnose every one of the characters I do therapy on, but quite a few of them qualify.

Character therapy is just another tool in your writer’s toolbox to take your writing to the next level. Pick my brain so you don’t have to pick yours.

I look forward to therapizing…er…terrorizing…uh…analyzing your characters!

Jeannie Campbell is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She received her Masters of Divinity with Specialization in Psychology and Counseling at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and her BA in both psychology and journalism from the University of Mississippi. Her passion is helping those not afflicted with mental disorders to understand and have compassion on those who are. You can find her at The Character Therapist (where she posts Treatment Tuesdays and Thursday Therapeutic Thoughts) and her writing blog, Where Romance Meets Therapy.

About Us

The written word is powerful. It can comfort, challenge, and inspire. It can make us laugh and bring us to tears.

But, how can we effectively communicate our message and touch lives?

Our mission is to help you succeed in spreading the message God has given you through your writing. On this blog, you’ll find information on craft, encouragement, resources, and success stories.

Here’s what you can expect:

Manuscript Mondays * – On Mondays, we’ll focus on the craft of writing.

Net’s Notations – On Tuesdays, Annette will offer her thoughts on writing.

Writer’s Journey * – On Wednesdays, we’ll provide resources, information on writers’ organizations, conferences, and advice, as well as featuring writing books.

Dawn’s Devotional – On Thursdays, Dawn will share inspirational thoughts for the writer.

Fortifying Fridays * – On Fridays, visit for encouraging words to launch your weekend, including success stories.

* Guest writers

Are you a writer with articles or encouragement to share? Do you have a favorite writing book you'd like to advise others to use by writing a short review for us? Leave a comment with your email address and Dawn or Annette will get with you. We're actively scheduling through the summer and fall. Thanks!