by Guest Blogger |
People love to be inspired. It’s what draws us to stories of underdogs, great achievers, and even, to an extent, celebrities. We love to see how regular people just like us can succeed against all odds.
Storytellers often try to cash in on this audience appreciation for underdogs, but we can easily miss the foundational element of an underdog story: empathy. The reason the audience becomes entranced by the story of an underdog is not because underdogs are fundamentally attractive; we are entranced because we empathize with them.
by The Magic Violinist |
With the divisiveness we’ve experienced this election season, I thought we could all use an article about understanding one another. Studies have shown that reading stories allows us to be more empathetic. We learn all sorts of new things from reading and “meet” different characters we then come to understand through their thoughts and actions.
This happens naturally, but there are a few extra steps you can take to create more empathy in your writing that will not only help you understand your characters better, but will also help you to better understand the people around you.
by Kellie McGann |
Characterization is one of the most important aspects of writing good fiction. Characterization is what gives authors the power to sway their readers. It’s how you get your reader to fall in love with—or despise—the characters in your book.
Let’s look at a characterization strategy that will pique your readers’ curiosity. I call it the Eyepatch Technique.
by Guest Blogger |
Writing a novel that appeals to a younger audience takes a certain amount of finesse – especially if you are no longer in that age bracket! It is not easy to venture into the minds of young adults and, essentially, “relive” your own past.
Let’s have a look at six essential tips from published authors when it comes to writing YA novels.
by Pamela Fernuik |
If you are planning on writing a story, there is something you need to consider besides basic plot structure. You need to determine your Inciting Incident.
What incident will compel your protagonist to act, prompting them to move through a meaningful story?
Let’s take a look at what an inciting incident is and how to write one.
by Jeff Elkins |
The first time I took up the NaNoWriMo challenge, I lost my first two days staring at a blank scene. I’d write a paragraph and then delete it. I’d get a couple sentences into a chapter and then change my mind. My writing was a disappointing mess.
By the third day, I was already so far behind my goal, I realized I was never going to catch up. I stuck it out for two more weeks, but then, discouraged and frustrated, I quit.
The second time I tried the NaNoWriMo challenge, my experience was different.
One preparation secret made all the difference in helping me start off on the right foot and actually finish my book.
