Posts tagged as:

Characters

Story Arcs—In A Nutshell

17.10.2009

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of manuscripts from students that have something missing. A story. I get lots of scenes, most of which are lovely. But, with apologies to Gertrude Stein, there’s no there, there. The basic story idea is a good start, but nothing happens. The characters look to be interesting, but they [...]

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That Pesky Voice

24.08.2009

Often a student will ask about voice, and occasionally they’ll want to know what voice to write in. Well, there is voice, and there is voice. First off, every writer has a voice. You can’t make it up. Or use someone else’s. (No, you really can’t write like Judy Blume.) It’s you. It’s how you [...]

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Salads=Characters?

17.08.2009

When summer shows its steamy side, I hate to cook. It’s just too hot. So I turn to cold meals, like salads. Sure, there’s your standard tossed lettuce salad, but they’re like flat characters—just not enough there. I tend to like kitchen-sink salads where I throw in anything. That may be fine and well for [...]

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Stuck in the Mud

15.08.2009

Between all the rain we’ve had, plus all the articles on this anniversary of Woodstock, I’ve had mud on the brain. Only the mud I’m stuck in now pertains to my WIP—a chapter book—and one of my characters. She’s not the main character, yet plays an integral role in the book. I just can’t get [...]

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