tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72528809111167779362024-02-19T06:23:45.908+00:00annsawriterWelcome to my blog which is all about writing. If you're looking to improve your writing skills or need help in getting your writing up to a standard professional enough for publication, my book Become a Writer - A Step-by-Step Guide will provide masses of tips and help.
Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-30191875879964043722023-08-31T14:38:00.001+01:002023-08-31T15:01:28.942+01:00Writing Hints & Tips: It's a Kind of Magic.<p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hello everyone, I’m back writing a monthly
blog on writing tips, which you can also read on the Romantic Novelists' Association website. So hopefully there will be a few nuggets of advice that
are new to you – and to me, as I get my thinking cap on and try to analyse how
we go about conjuring up people, places, situations, adventures and
relationships that didn’t exist yesterday!</span></h3><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXCHdL0tsrtlfXGbJVv8GXlCLCVfKrzBNVseW3d1RP05IyUdEFzvRDQRSQ2nlXe4GQDWRu-vQ8Vg5x8haVzHgWdtdx7i-Qvpj8fxQNg7sJ58S-2tj0aPoGEyoP0L3PZcSYpURp46gCXv5MZVbVQsUUGmoDnnHiUOXfeX-nw8v1FAIROdkkzoofe9Gerw/s1064/Ann%20in%20Guyere%20Switzerland..s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXCHdL0tsrtlfXGbJVv8GXlCLCVfKrzBNVseW3d1RP05IyUdEFzvRDQRSQ2nlXe4GQDWRu-vQ8Vg5x8haVzHgWdtdx7i-Qvpj8fxQNg7sJ58S-2tj0aPoGEyoP0L3PZcSYpURp46gCXv5MZVbVQsUUGmoDnnHiUOXfeX-nw8v1FAIROdkkzoofe9Gerw/w301-h320/Ann%20in%20Guyere%20Switzerland..s.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ann Evans in Guyere, Switzerland. </td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">To q<span style="font-size: 12pt;">uote Freddie Mercury, maybe </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">‘It’s
a Kind of Magic’. </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">He probably wasn’t thinking of writing a book when Queen
guitarist Roger Taylor wrote those lyrics for the film</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"> Highlander </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">but there’s
parts that ring true to all writers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One prize, one goal</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">… Get it written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get it published!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">This flame
that burns inside of me</span></i><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">,<i> I'm hearing secret harmonies. </i>That
desire to get your story written down on paper (okay on screen) can be like a burning
flame inside of you. It is harmonious in your mind – you know what you want to
say, but getting the right words down in the right order is not as easy as you
might think.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">Well,
unless you are a magician, writing a book or a short story won’t happen with a
wave of a wand. It’s going to be a learning curve, probably a very big learning
curve; lots of trial and error, a few disappointments, stacks of perseverance
and hopefully a lot of fun along the way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">Writing
should be fun – I don’t know of anyone who took up writing as a quick way of
getting rich, or a great career move, or an easy way of becoming famous –
without first starting to write as a hobby. For lots of people it remains a
hobby. For a few it’s earning them a living. For some it’s made them rich.
Others will tell you it’s a great career move, they wouldn’t want to earn a
living any other way. And quite a number of writers have become famous.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">It's all
possible, but I truly believe the love and enjoyment of writing has to be at
the very core of your being, otherwise why put yourself through it?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">So, on to
writing tips – well firstly head over to the Harry Potter Shop and buy yourself
a magic wand… no, only joking! Let's start</span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;"> with
those all-important relationships, particularly thinking about stories where two people fall for one another.</span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;"> And</span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 16px;"> for ease of writing, I’m going to stick with the age-old traditional man/woman, him/her genders/pronouns.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">Close to
the beginning of most romance stories, you introduce your leading characters to
one another (and to the readers). And I believe that this is when we should
feel the spark between them. It probably won’t be love at first sight –
although it could be – but why? If there is an instant mutual attraction – or a
one-way attraction, what is it they’ve seen in the other person that’s pulled
at their heart strings? </span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">Chances are
in your story, your hero and heroine won’t be mutually, instantly in love.
Chances are they won’t even like one another – but again, make sure there’s a
good reason for that. It might be because they are at cross purposes. When
you’ve created your characters, give them aims, desires, beliefs, goals – even
moral issues that aren’t compatible with the other main character’s
desires.</span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">Do that, and you’ll have lots
of ‘ammunition’ to create lively conversations with emotions soon running high.
Place your two main characters in a situation where they can’t easily rid the
other one from their life – perhaps it's a work situation or a homelife
situation etc.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">I don’t
know about you, but if I’m introduced to someone I don’t like or aren’t
comfortable with, I don’t hang about making conversation if I don’t have to –
I’m outa there! And your characters will be too – unless an unavoidable
situation is stopping that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">So, if you
have great plans for these two people, there has to be a believable scenario
where they have no choice but to be stuck in one another’s company, whether
they want to be or not.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">And that spark!
What big or small trait do your characters unwittingly (probably) give out,
that inwardly appeals to the other person? It could be looks, in fact I suppose
we’re all initially attracted by someone’s appearance. It could be the way they
move – a person’s gait and the way they hold themselves can often be very
appealing – that could be the other character’s spark. Could be their voice –
the tone as well as what they say can be a </span><i style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">make or break</i><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;"> point in two
people getting to know one another. </span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">Or it might
be what that person is physically doing at the moment they first glimpse one
another. Are they doing something that sparks a touch of admiration in the
viewpoint character’s emotions. Perhaps showing some skill, or some authority,
or a sense of humour. </span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">Could they
briefly interact or catch the other one’s eye – a fleeting moment that can’t be
forgotten.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">A tiny
spark of magic that’s gone in a flash but made a striking impression on the
other character that could be a prelude to falling in love.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;">Happy
writing.</span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt;"><b><i>Ann</i></b></span></p>Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-56055757760223328752022-11-25T21:11:00.000+00:002022-11-25T21:11:31.522+00:00Christine launches her third Bassett-Lowke book.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBgobfBK6YDGY4ErCKiGSjJrhE8blt-kv6RSD4SE6ndWCwYKg8zujaLMiIQslsAqlYSSPWraIC-H268UiK0be8MuAaSd5ZZxgN0MILqUl8HPnoNz4wYFc0nxd3dxeQNH5lVg6SmwdeSq34cTM2x32QqCPtMOeT5pGTXhTB9HtP6xai3e9ghtGyvYl/s640/Bassett%20Lowke.%20Christin%20and%20books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBgobfBK6YDGY4ErCKiGSjJrhE8blt-kv6RSD4SE6ndWCwYKg8zujaLMiIQslsAqlYSSPWraIC-H268UiK0be8MuAaSd5ZZxgN0MILqUl8HPnoNz4wYFc0nxd3dxeQNH5lVg6SmwdeSq34cTM2x32QqCPtMOeT5pGTXhTB9HtP6xai3e9ghtGyvYl/s320/Bassett%20Lowke.%20Christin%20and%20books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m delighted to
welcome back non-fiction author, Christine Sanderson, as she
launches her third book in her series <i>Bassett-Lowke – The Making of
an Identity</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As many people –
and especially model rail enthusiasts will know, Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke
was the co-owner of the renowned Northampton based Bassett-Lowke company, who
were not only famous for their locomotives, model ships, stationary engines and
architectural models, but also for Bassett-Lowke’s interest in art and design.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPj_breZC-F9gFMiNSNWeb-B3ZI-7JNJqFQfJ-vBw7wGx8xBCWiAEWc3S6c8LIldg7QE7CNDjVCBHEy-pTh6s68oC64LJM94IBFdlGBSxZqtb88-8dfYys8TTRhG1IsD06bYkeS1Ql5BHFhNR1h_pvP-KhodcARg4pwu1w81lG8YlGYHsGQfTeTRqP/s1586/Pic%201.%20W.J.Bassett-Lowke-and-his-%20wife-Florence-Jane.-Photo-%20courtesy-of-78-%20Derngate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1586" data-original-width="838" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPj_breZC-F9gFMiNSNWeb-B3ZI-7JNJqFQfJ-vBw7wGx8xBCWiAEWc3S6c8LIldg7QE7CNDjVCBHEy-pTh6s68oC64LJM94IBFdlGBSxZqtb88-8dfYys8TTRhG1IsD06bYkeS1Ql5BHFhNR1h_pvP-KhodcARg4pwu1w81lG8YlGYHsGQfTeTRqP/w193-h366/Pic%201.%20W.J.Bassett-Lowke-and-his-%20wife-Florence-Jane.-Photo-%20courtesy-of-78-%20Derngate.jpg" width="193" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The company was heavily involved in
model making during the First and Second World Wars. Owing to their skill and
expertise the company was the perfect choice to be deployed in invaluable model
making for the Ministry of Defence.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The first house
Bassett-Lowke owned was 78 Derngate in Northampton, today a Grade II* Listed
Building and a popular tourist attraction. However, the building isn’t famous
just because of the man who owned it. It’s also renowned for being the only
house in England remodelled by the famous Scottish architect, Charles Rennie
Mackintosh.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xakl8VmjnZWx2HUtmP8DKfNBNLL8l2FVjT3RiBAsdkXfLhW9ikL7wGS_zjt4ne_lAbm1cHoJ-ZwQOvICOMdi7yMk0dXpThnRr9yyyJ94f2zYkxQ1O0-1qv3gwPUECLWpBbJTz5f83_DhBAmLBXQqHHRA6ryxhmKR3f2JBF2voXXBOOqbU5SQVudr/s900/Pic%203.%20The-famous-nameplate-known-by-many-toy-%20collectors.-Pic-courtesy-of-Rob-Tysall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="900" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xakl8VmjnZWx2HUtmP8DKfNBNLL8l2FVjT3RiBAsdkXfLhW9ikL7wGS_zjt4ne_lAbm1cHoJ-ZwQOvICOMdi7yMk0dXpThnRr9yyyJ94f2zYkxQ1O0-1qv3gwPUECLWpBbJTz5f83_DhBAmLBXQqHHRA6ryxhmKR3f2JBF2voXXBOOqbU5SQVudr/s320/Pic%203.%20The-famous-nameplate-known-by-many-toy-%20collectors.-Pic-courtesy-of-Rob-Tysall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As a member of the
78 Derngate committee, a tour guide and researcher with 20-years experience of
Bassett Lowke and Derngate, Christine also writes articles for the ’78 Derngate
Newsletter’ and the ‘Lowko News’ for the Bassett-Lowke Society.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">She is on the Committee of the Friends of 78
Derngate and gives talks on Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So, there is no one more qualified than
Christine to write these books.</span><p></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">THE BOOKS</span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The first in the
series </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bassett-Lowke Art: The Making of an Identity,</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> features over 80
colour pages illustrating the work of those artists who were famous in the
engineering and art world such as Henry Greenly, Cecil J. Allen, Edward
McKnight Kauffer and of course Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Christine went on a
year-long quest to source rare catalogues and acquire the necessary copyright
permissions to use them in her book.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRWn8qp5ikZdLxJmoQjSBE_Qzb1KGUWMA6BKKcSx13-5w7e1wsJUammlzlq7kbg130RN6AhzbEr4P5R0kIYXZOy9KhPKMQO889zaHhnCr90QZMhjRrDj6XKpk17xMnRnzq6c8PSisSLaE_aJ4ZVtz-7KE490230cP-l7v_of6FMGE2I0YHYU0EH92/s800/Book%201.bassett-lowke-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="799" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRWn8qp5ikZdLxJmoQjSBE_Qzb1KGUWMA6BKKcSx13-5w7e1wsJUammlzlq7kbg130RN6AhzbEr4P5R0kIYXZOy9KhPKMQO889zaHhnCr90QZMhjRrDj6XKpk17xMnRnzq6c8PSisSLaE_aJ4ZVtz-7KE490230cP-l7v_of6FMGE2I0YHYU0EH92/s320/Book%201.bassett-lowke-art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Her second book, <i>Bassett-Lowke
War Work: The Making of an Identity</i>, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">covers the extent and importance of the work undertaken
by the artisans of Bassett-Lowke Ltd and their associated companies
Winteringham Ltd and E W Twining Ltd.
The work, undertaken mostly in desperation and with the utmost secrecy,
bearing in mind the shortage of materials, makes for an incredible story.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4JobJgAYQm5J-CMNVtdXYMcBwm6heomJaz5LZ2Dp5_mfsF1xwLLknyb3WvVltu9v6JULYOr_Gv_TXO3i2Q7Yqtah0W1uL5c9PTMHk1qw-vZ-UMeJTTQafiONzvz71YvsZE2iEQd4hcF7U6ZuGFtEJ8rmlBF0I5UFYYDFqN_v0Q8PLbizUSzkwEa4/s568/Book%20Cover%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4JobJgAYQm5J-CMNVtdXYMcBwm6heomJaz5LZ2Dp5_mfsF1xwLLknyb3WvVltu9v6JULYOr_Gv_TXO3i2Q7Yqtah0W1uL5c9PTMHk1qw-vZ-UMeJTTQafiONzvz71YvsZE2iEQd4hcF7U6ZuGFtEJ8rmlBF0I5UFYYDFqN_v0Q8PLbizUSzkwEa4/s320/Book%20Cover%20.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">And her third book, <i>Bassett-Lowke
Stationery: The Making of an Identity</i> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">covers the stationery designed for the
company, including letterheads, envelopes, invoices and acknowledgement
cards. Information on who designed the
images, where known, is included along with original artwork and additional
information from stickers found on the stationery advertising fairs and
exhibitions the company attended. This book will appeal not only to those
interested in the history of the Bassett-Lowke business, but also to people
interested in art and design. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztIGWF7w_AdYl31HXYZp7FHAaD-nu0rYtc3cRQJGt8xkIOQLASg0ptJ5jLtqYa-TcVd_i6hpYx8HhygyHIQ57rv2ENiWg3WCoKYUG7B8iD6h09cATNzS9tZIUOgSYdrb-Mggtva9bB7dwwZnmQkucuf8slv6J2TC9CjkaIxxIzivOfN03fhPWo9Hl/s1876/Bassett%20Lowke%20Stationery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1876" data-original-width="1396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztIGWF7w_AdYl31HXYZp7FHAaD-nu0rYtc3cRQJGt8xkIOQLASg0ptJ5jLtqYa-TcVd_i6hpYx8HhygyHIQ57rv2ENiWg3WCoKYUG7B8iD6h09cATNzS9tZIUOgSYdrb-Mggtva9bB7dwwZnmQkucuf8slv6J2TC9CjkaIxxIzivOfN03fhPWo9Hl/s320/Bassett%20Lowke%20Stationery.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">With 70+ pages and
over 100 colourful images, this A5 sized book is full of fascinating facts
about the ephemera of the Bassett-Lowke company.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Printing was
generously funded by the ‘Friends of 78 Derngate’ enabling all proceeds from
the book to go directly to 78 Derngate.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPlEMeIXSOvXW2TZGmmaTmOGgow7WUvRWt0APZuXyvG9umRCHkbUxiBYRz2acKq16DkYIXDAP9YE3-HIcH9_ez2BzsIVNaMxPdfCJJgK1ragslBWMuFEDE7srzU1c5_JaJk4tzwDefMlOiPWwByuIDuoZDSvmFk_XQAAoQT7TgJYxkRm15A9nHb8v/s457/Pic%208.%20Christine-Sanderson-with-her-first-Bassett-Lowke-book-at-the-rear-of-78-Derngate.-Pic-by-Rob-Tysall..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPlEMeIXSOvXW2TZGmmaTmOGgow7WUvRWt0APZuXyvG9umRCHkbUxiBYRz2acKq16DkYIXDAP9YE3-HIcH9_ez2BzsIVNaMxPdfCJJgK1ragslBWMuFEDE7srzU1c5_JaJk4tzwDefMlOiPWwByuIDuoZDSvmFk_XQAAoQT7TgJYxkRm15A9nHb8v/s320/Pic%208.%20Christine-Sanderson-with-her-first-Bassett-Lowke-book-at-the-rear-of-78-Derngate.-Pic-by-Rob-Tysall..jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The remodelled
interior of 78 Derngate was transformed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1916/17
for W J Bassett-Lowke and his wife Florence Jane Jones as their new marital
home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">78 Derngate has
been meticulously restored and opened to the public.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Next door at 80
Derngate, is the museum of W J Bassett-Lowke’s famous model making company,
showing many exhibits of model locomotives, model ships and various ephemera
connected to 78 Derngate and Bassett-Lowke’s life.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">There is also a
boutique restaurant, light filled art galleries, a stylish shop and elegant
spaces that can be hired for meetings, events and functions.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">GET YOUR COPY</span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bassett-Lowke
Stationery – The Making of an Identity</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> By Christine Sanderson</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">ISBN
978-1-3999-3848-8<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Priced at £7.50
+pp it is now available to buy at 78 Derngate or via the website </span><a href="http://www.78dergate.org/shop"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">www.78dergate.org/shop</span></a><u><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: hyperlink;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">For more
information on 78 Derngate – The Charles Rennie Mackintosh House including
opening times and admission prices go to: </span><a href="http://www.78derngate.org/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">www.78derngate.org</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> <i>I'd like to wish Christine every success with her latest book.</i></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-46599608093112684382021-09-18T22:20:00.007+01:002021-09-19T17:30:59.385+01:00Christine produces her second book on Bassett-Lowke<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaWUiv7jk4rYYRSs0kFgg_tfOr4DCL4uIsNMkCGpiWFKkEOkR8JByfYPVzdrH76scsoZ66jZSZYSMGpT-QhOOTeDEh7iZAdQwohQJCkmhnrAOiEsjbKu0pHwTmrhn6yiUXEFqu-1Dt98/s640/Christine+Sanderson+with+book+2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaWUiv7jk4rYYRSs0kFgg_tfOr4DCL4uIsNMkCGpiWFKkEOkR8JByfYPVzdrH76scsoZ66jZSZYSMGpT-QhOOTeDEh7iZAdQwohQJCkmhnrAOiEsjbKu0pHwTmrhn6yiUXEFqu-1Dt98/s320/Christine+Sanderson+with+book+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christine Sanderson with her latest book</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m delighted to
welcome Christine Sanderson back to my blog as she launches her second
non-fiction book on the war work of W.J.Bassett-Lowke. This book is entitled </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Bassett-Lowke - War Work. The Making of an Identity.</i></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m sure that many people
will be familiar with the name W J Bassett-Lowke, and his link with model train
sets and model boats. As the son of an engineer</span><a name="_Hlk82775341" style="font-family: arial;">, Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke </a><span style="font-family: arial;">was born in Northampton
in 1877. </span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">As a young man, he, along with H.F.R. Franklin and help from W.J’s
father, set up the company Bassett-Lowke Ltd. To begin with they were a model
engineering supplies company, but they went on to become one of the country’s largest
suppliers of model railways, garden railways, model ships and exhibition models
which became famous the world over.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The company was heavily involved in
model making during the First and Second World Wars. Owing to their skill and
expertise the company was the perfect choice to be deployed in invaluable model
making for the Ministry of Defence. During the First World War, models ranged
from waterline ships for recognition purposes to machine guns allowing new
recruits to learn how to assemble and operate them without needing the real
thing, so urgently needed at the front line.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the Second World War many more
models were produced for instructional purposes and the larger ones enabled the
military to plan D-Day in secrecy. All of this and more was produced by
Bassett-Lowke Ltd.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p>The first </o:p><span>house Mr Bassett-Lowke and his wife owned was 78 Derngate in Northampton, today a GradeII* Listed Building and a popular tourist attraction in the town once noted for its shoe industry. However, the building isn’t famous just because of the man who owned it. It’s also renowned for being the only house in England remodelled by the famous Scottish architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. A visit to the house reveals so much about both of these forward-thinking men.</span></span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IaGfHVf96QkEjpw9BjD0a4c8Su1m1BSJJX8ygUu5WVJSxmouqiAQVlxivGF_pkkpkYKChB_mio9mneDVwK1mT4LNW6UYpuls2HD65MdUNAnrl1Z-sdrZsD9YqIgh1-6UmZgSw9cTw2E/s905/Book+2+cover+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="637" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IaGfHVf96QkEjpw9BjD0a4c8Su1m1BSJJX8ygUu5WVJSxmouqiAQVlxivGF_pkkpkYKChB_mio9mneDVwK1mT4LNW6UYpuls2HD65MdUNAnrl1Z-sdrZsD9YqIgh1-6UmZgSw9cTw2E/s320/Book+2+cover+.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><o:p style="text-align: left;"><br /></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I was fortunate enough to enjoy a conducted tour around 78
Derngate with Christine Sanderson. Christine has been involved with this house
since 2000 and is an expert and enthusiast on W.J. Bassett-Lowke.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p> </o:p>In 2018, Christine wrote and compiled a book on him and his
company, entitled <a name="_Hlk82894475"><i>Bassett-Lowke Art. The Making of an
Identity</i></a><i> </i>and was backed by 78 Derngate. Since then, she has
written a second book in the series, <a name="_Hlk82893043"><i>Bassett-Lowke War Work. </i></a><i>The Making of an Identity.</i> (ISBN:
978-1-5272-8931-4). Again with the backing of 78 Derngate. As a member of the 78 Derngate committee, a volunteer tour
guide and researcher, there’s no one more qualified than Christine to write these
lavishly illustrated books.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>The first
book</span><span lang="EN-US"> in the series <i>Bassett-Lowke Art</i> concentrated on the art work that Bassett-Lowke
Ltd used to produced the many catalogues and advertisements for the company
over the years. They used many
accomplished artists and these are featured in the book.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhQgxCE1yqndGncKYPaPOx8D1wUKIuV2K2qzfeJ6O9h0fZwE-Wa_ca1bKBkTjLHFjkhx5layGbyJpSUSZMd3bJFG8Hx-QV2J6lZEpvXAqRaEJulC4vW2EkgIDqHMFoNi2WY4knYH4Ug8/s259/Inside+book.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="194" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhQgxCE1yqndGncKYPaPOx8D1wUKIuV2K2qzfeJ6O9h0fZwE-Wa_ca1bKBkTjLHFjkhx5layGbyJpSUSZMd3bJFG8Hx-QV2J6lZEpvXAqRaEJulC4vW2EkgIDqHMFoNi2WY4knYH4Ug8/s0/Inside+book.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US">This second book, </span><i>Bassett-Lowke War Work. </i><span lang="EN-US">covers the extent and importance of the work undertaken by
the artisans of Bassett-Lowke Ltd and their associated companies Winteringham
Ltd and E W Twining Ltd. The work,
undertaken mostly with the utmost secrecy, bearing in mind the shortage of
materials, makes for an incredible story. For example, the reader will find out
where the wood was sourced for the thousands of model ships produced and what
was the secret in the coffin at Bath?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64mQCT04L8cbttyKFEu0tSbnpI38xnp81crbwDM7gQKEEjtLNwTejNZz3bll679PlROsfGPuMY0JSz1f1zZAnReLxjOoCc9Dxwvi9lD33Ix2NrQUxOnfuCmGeJg40P1wHjUyd-Jv3qPM/s1734/2nd+book+press+coverage+Page+3+%2526+4+of+BL+War+Work.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="1734" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64mQCT04L8cbttyKFEu0tSbnpI38xnp81crbwDM7gQKEEjtLNwTejNZz3bll679PlROsfGPuMY0JSz1f1zZAnReLxjOoCc9Dxwvi9lD33Ix2NrQUxOnfuCmGeJg40P1wHjUyd-Jv3qPM/s320/2nd+book+press+coverage+Page+3+%2526+4+of+BL+War+Work.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Regarding
writing the book, and gathering information, Christine said: "I have been
very lucky to have been loaned a lot of ephemera from the Bassett-Lowke Society
and various other sources. It took a lot of research and time to find the
information, but as it was completed during lockdown it was, of course, a very
quiet time which gave me the opportunity to concentrate on the
book." <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Christine is
hoping that the book will appeal to those interested in model making, the
War and of course Bassett-Lowke Ltd. With 100 pages and over 80 colourful
images, showing the work achieved together with advertisements and catalogues
produced during the wartime years, this A5 sized book is packed with original
information from articles produced by Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Plus, she has
another two books in the pipeline, Bassett-Lowke Advertising and
Stationery. Christine added, "Whether they will get published remains to
be seen, depending on whether the finances for printing can be obtained.
But at least the information is gathered together and can be kept in the
78 Derngate archives for future reference. This is really what my books are
about, to save the information so it will not be lost." <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Printing
was generously funded by ‘The Friends of 78 Derngate’ enabling all proceeds
from the book to go directly to 78 Derngate. Priced at £9.99 +pp it is now
available to buy at 78 Derngate or via the website.Likewise, the first book in
the series Bassett-Lowke Art - The Making of an Identity is also available, at
a cost of £7.50 +pp.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p> </o:p><span> </span><a href="http://www.78derngate.org.uk/shop"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes;">www.78derngate.org.uk/shop</span></a><span lang="EN-US">.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk82894277"><o:p> </o:p></a></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk82894277;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div>Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-45822519986458241322021-05-29T17:41:00.002+01:002021-05-29T18:46:40.084+01:00Coventry Writers' Group has been Telling Tales!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmURImAK7FolYRgk49Ba2o6vyzgAfgJeYJJe82tX0rsI25-3mJCXXfk_eSYt807ZKj87EZGb9gYjNX31ahm7YMpAhVgv2O_58FGVzfMnx9WNvTvhi-HGGhAgsqZLsdL0sLl19Jz86J0YQ/s1497/TellingTales_front+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1497" data-original-width="974" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmURImAK7FolYRgk49Ba2o6vyzgAfgJeYJJe82tX0rsI25-3mJCXXfk_eSYt807ZKj87EZGb9gYjNX31ahm7YMpAhVgv2O_58FGVzfMnx9WNvTvhi-HGGhAgsqZLsdL0sLl19Jz86J0YQ/s320/TellingTales_front+cover.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Coventry Writers’
Group has produced a brand-new anthology celebrating the city becoming the UK
City of Culture 2021. Entitled <i>‘Telling Tales’</i> it features 21 creative
pieces of writing in the form of short stories, articles and poetry, all with a
Coventry theme.</span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Despite lockdown and the group not being able to meet since the start of the pandemic, the group have kept in touch on line and virtually, and managed to write and put the book together. And just in time for the official start of the UK City of Culture celebrations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The CWG is the
longest established writing group in the city, founded in the 1950s.
Contributors to the anthology include novelist and playwright Margaret Egrot,
romance novelist Ella Cook, children’s author Ann Evans, poet Emily
Lauren-Jones, Queen of African horror Nuzo Onoh, article writer Margaret
Mather, short story writer Hilary Hopker and writer David Court who has
recently had one of his sci-fi stories adapted for the screen. There are also
excellent pieces by up-and-coming writers in the group.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Between the covers you'll find
humorous stories, nostalgic tales, factual articles about this great city, and
poems that you'll love. The actual cover of the</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> anthology features a beautiful
original watercolour painting of Bayley Lane by local artist, and secretary of
the CWG, Hilary Hopker.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chair of The Coventry Writers’ Group, Maxine Burns said: “As a group, we
have published a number of anthologies over the years, and we</span><span style="background: white; color: #141414; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> are proud to present our latest medley of stories, poems and
articles written by some of our members to mark the city becoming UK City of
Culture 2021.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="background: white; color: #141414; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“The CWG has always welcomed all calibre of writers, be they
complete novices, multi-published, or anywhere in between. The group offers
enthusiasm, support and advice to all. We hope people will enjoy reading this
book as much as we have enjoyed writing it.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Once Covid
restrictions are fully lifted, the Coventry Writers’ Group hope they will be
able to launch the anthology with events around the city. They are hopeful too
that they will be able to resume their monthly meetings at the Big Comfy
Bookshop, Fargo Village, on the first Tuesday of each month from 8pm – 10pm.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Telling Tales –
Celebrating Coventry UK City of Culture 2021</i> is available from Amazon and all
good book shops, priced £5.99 paperback, £1.99 kindle.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">ISBN 979
8746368317<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-39132953360052584802021-01-18T09:15:00.001+00:002021-01-18T09:15:52.787+00:00Deadlines!<h4 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lCYGYK_hO5Nffqzuu0fu7gaMVhricN2uEynYLoC-_o_SvY1Jy2hbcMGMSno2JDSu26ham7_2EJuqnfkagl3imAvIQumaQG-Ov8HytdQLEtjuRoq4AGlhGYyV_DQykYX4QWOV3baGuIY/s1385/Warning+Signs+smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1385" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lCYGYK_hO5Nffqzuu0fu7gaMVhricN2uEynYLoC-_o_SvY1Jy2hbcMGMSno2JDSu26ham7_2EJuqnfkagl3imAvIQumaQG-Ov8HytdQLEtjuRoq4AGlhGYyV_DQykYX4QWOV3baGuIY/s320/Warning+Signs+smaller.jpg" /></a></div>Most writers know
about deadlines. Often, they are our key motivation for getting a piece of work
finished. </h4><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">But for five weeks during November and December 2020 I was kept on my
toes writing to some challenging but exciting and enjoyable deadlines as I’d
been commissioned to write a 5-chapter book for Fiction Express.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Fiction Express is
an award-winning innovative book platform that connects students with
professional authors, encouraging reading for pleasure through fun co-creation
of stories. Schools from all around the world who have signed up with Fiction
Express, get a reading experience like no other; and for the authors, it’s a
unique experience for them too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Working closely
with the editor, once the story proposal is agreed and a 5-week time slot
allocated, the first chapter goes live on their website at a specific time –
11am GMT Fridays. Each chapter ends with a cliff hanger and three choices of what
should happen next. Students vote over the next 3 days with the author receiving
the verdict by the Tuesday. They then have two days to write it, ready to go
live the coming Friday morning. Phew!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Fiction Express provides
additional resources for the schools, including a forum where the author poses
questions in relation to the story, and the students give their opinions. They
can also give you feedback on each chapter and say whether or not they are
enjoying it. Happily, I had great comments about my book, </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Warning Signs. </i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">But
also the forum proved to be a fascinating insight into the lives and cultures
of the readers, some of whom were as far afield as Peru and Mexico.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Additionally, the
author also records each chapter. Not the easiest of tasks when there’s only a
2-hour slot to record and send it. Especially tricky if you have a dog who
normally goes walkies at that time of day. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The number of times I’d literally get to the
last paragraph and Rusty would do his usual attention seeking trick of paws on
my lap and head on my keyboard! </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlk_TmgpT6WhpgLRyk4JOimPoZCryWkSXgIzDqh5w348B9692LELsaGcMa8mEIwh-mLwvbVwuCQbvJYyyllhdnv63h2LHqtTHeCY3lmjRyYsNSv2bph-i9Ay5ClbyzvGJNxQ8J33XKMQ/s1256/Ann+and+Rusty+at+Coombe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1256" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlk_TmgpT6WhpgLRyk4JOimPoZCryWkSXgIzDqh5w348B9692LELsaGcMa8mEIwh-mLwvbVwuCQbvJYyyllhdnv63h2LHqtTHeCY3lmjRyYsNSv2bph-i9Ay5ClbyzvGJNxQ8J33XKMQ/s320/Ann+and+Rusty+at+Coombe.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aaghh! Back to square one. Happily, by week five
we’d both got the hang of it. And it was a great experience, an amazing
opportunity, and I’ve my fingers crossed for another book for Fiction Express
in 2021.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Discover more about Fiction Express here: </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">https://en.fictionexpress.com/</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-34521265709808200482020-04-17T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-17T07:00:03.748+01:00Making Sense of it all<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguNzHy03eqolbbnHblk3I5Yat957knQBIFqNBZJ-Ua3TQ_-wx0pJ8mivWpHnXVW5U_4aHbvQVSdqwaKNHGV-NqSVHL0zd8lrtyyyCh7NOnOnUF-GoGM4gmNM0gNAUpx0HXH47TUanj3E/s1600/Making+sense+of+it+all+owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguNzHy03eqolbbnHblk3I5Yat957knQBIFqNBZJ-Ua3TQ_-wx0pJ8mivWpHnXVW5U_4aHbvQVSdqwaKNHGV-NqSVHL0zd8lrtyyyCh7NOnOnUF-GoGM4gmNM0gNAUpx0HXH47TUanj3E/s320/Making+sense+of+it+all+owl.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">When planning your stories, consider
what sort of emotion you are trying to get your readers to feel. For example,
in a thriller or crime story you might want to generate a foreboding mood through
your writing. This might be achieved by dropping in little hints of troubles to
come; or creating darker scenes through your narrative. Dialogue could include
a character's worries and concerns; you might pile on the layers of difficulties
to add to that overall sense of foreboding through your description, narrative
and dialogue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">The same applies if you're
trying to create a sense of intrigue and mystery. Let everything you write go
towards that mood and atmosphere. Or perhaps you're writing about the grandeur
of something, a royal palace, a sumptuous banquet, so you want to create a
sense of occasion. Again, build up the atmosphere through description, using
all the senses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Maybe you're trying to write
something humorous. You'll definitely be hoping your readers will have a sense
of humour and will see the funny side of what your characters are saying and
doing. You'll no doubt find that the characters themselves aren't deliberately
trying to be funny. The humour often happens through their tragic circumstances,
as things go wrong for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">So, think carefully about the
mood and atmosphere in your scenes, know what sort of 'sense' you're trying to
get across to readers. Keep that in focus as you write your stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Common sense<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Unless you're writing about a Frank
Spencer or Homer Simpson type of character, then your characters should be blessed
with a bit of common sense. So that in any given situation, they would use
their common sense. And this is worth remembering if you're not going to irritate
your reader. For example, your character might be facing some sort of emotional
or physical conflict that could be easily sorted if they just used their common
sense. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Try not to let your plot become
contrived – if a character's difficulties could all be overcome if they'd just used
their common sense. For example, all would have been sorted if they’d spoken to
Uncle George, or opened the letter, or said they were sorry etc. It’s so annoying
for the reader when the character doesn’t do the obvious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">If it would ruin your plot for
them not to act in the most obvious way, then be sure you have a very good reason
for them not to have acted as any normal person would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise readers and editors with be groaning
with frustration. Look at your plot and make sure your characters do the
obvious. It might mean you thinking a lot harder about the conflict facing them,
and their situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Sensing when it’s
right <o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">As writers, we have to use our
senses too, especially when trying to work out whether we've got a piece of writing
right, or whether there's something wrong with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Far better to sense that it's not right and
then to work on improving it, rather than thinking it's great – when it's not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">So how do you do that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only say that it comes with practice and
with learning. Writing is a craft that you can learn. If you don't bother
learning the rules of grammar, punctuation, viewpoint, the tenses, adverbs, dialogue
etc., then you won't be able to see your mistakes. Additionally, it’s so important
to read. You learn by reading and seeing how other writers create their magic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">But even if you've done all
that, you still need to develop a sense of knowing whether your work is finally
as good as you can get it – or not. This comes with edits. You need to go over
and over your work, tweaking, re-arranging, re-phrasing, reading it aloud,
listening to the euphony of every sentence, listening for repetitions. Look out
for bad writing habits. Know when something jars. Have a keen ear and listen to
anything that doesn't sit quite right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">If you're looking to create a tear-jerking
scene, it should bring tears to your eyes. If you're creating a dramatic scene,
then you should feel anxious as you read it. If you're creating a humorous scene,
it should at least bring a smile to your face, no matter how many times you go
over it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: FreeSans; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Be critical of your own work, but not to the extent that
you're never happy with it, or you lose confidence in your abilities as a writer.
Develop that sense of knowing when something isn't right, but also develop the sense
to know when it's well written. Learn to trust your own senses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Narrative in
brief<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Always
aim to keep the reader reading. Don’t make it easy for them to put your book
down, or to put your short story aside before finishing it.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Don’t let there be a let up from the action. When
one trouble is over another one is just beginning.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">When the action isn’t so dramatic or intense,
consider using a transition to move the story forward. Also, feed the
reader with tasty little morsels or hints of the drama to come.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Plot and plan your story scene-by-scene, or by
chapters so action and/or emotion rises to a crescendo at the end of that
scene/chapter. Stop at a point where the reader is desperate to know what’s
coming next. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Don’t be afraid to use cliff-hangers. Let your
protagonist be in some sort of predicament – emotionally, physically or both.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">If you have more than one viewpoint character,
make them as interesting as each other.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">If a section is feeling even slightly long
winded or tedious to you, shorten it, either in content or in the sentence
structure. Or consider whether it’s even necessary. Make every word count.
<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">When describing people and places and things,
pick out the most poignant aspects. Always tell the reader something they didn’t
know. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Create characters that the reader will be interested
in. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Use good dialogue to move the story forward.
Let characters say how they are feeling.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Hint at troubles to come though the narrative
and the dialogue. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Adjust punctuation. You can create tension
through your punctuation. Add a more breathless feel to a section by
deliberately shortening the sentences.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Occasionally highlight poignant words, phrases
or thoughts in italics.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Always use the senses. Let the reader see,
hear, feel, smell, touch and taste everything the character experiences. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">When you want to ‘up’ the tempo of your story,
let there be a deliberate switch, something happening in the story that
changes everything.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Plan scenes to give a ‘calm before the storm’
type of feel.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Make good use of the weather and environment
to add drama and atmosphere.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Show don’t tell: Don’t say a character is afraid/happy/excited
etc, show it by how they behave and what they say, do and think.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Read aloud. You may find that adjusting the punctuation
and re-phrasing may turn something mundane into something dramatic.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk22786570"><o:p> </o:p></a></div>
<h4>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk22786570;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Exercise 1<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk22786570;"></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">As an
exercise think of an object. Now describe it using the relevant senses</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Senses" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>i.e. what you might see when looking at it; what
sounds it might make; what it tastes like; what it feels like; what it smells
like. Ask a friend or relative to try and guess what you have described. Repeat
the exercise until you are bored (or your friend is).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Editing your work.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the image. This was taken at the Nuneaton & Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-34363719400337797432020-04-16T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-16T07:00:04.333+01:00Keep the reader reading<br />
<br />
<h4>
<o:p> </o:p></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Whether
you’re writing a short story or a novel the outcome is the same – you want the reader
to be so captivated by your words they can’t put your story down until they’ve
reached the very end. So, keeping hold of the reader’s interest is something that
needs to be worked on. And there are lots of little ploys that can be woven
into your fiction that help to do just that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Firstly
however, you must have a good story, believable characters, realistic dialogue,
a gripping flawless plot, written without superfluous words and continually moving
forward with vocabulary that’s a pleasure to read. And then you can start to be
a bit crafty!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">When I’ve
found a good book that keeps me reading, it’s often because there’s no let up
from the action, the protagonist hasn’t resolved their troubles. Before one
problem is solved another is just beginning. Be sure to have things happening
in your story, don’t allow it to become stale or slow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Be guided
by your own judgement. If a section you’re writing feels even slightly long winded
or tedious to you, then look to shorten it, either in content or in the sentence
structure. Or consider whether it’s even necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Of course,
you don’t want every sentence and scene to be high drama, but when the action
isn’t so dramatic or intense, then feed the reader with tasty little morsels or
hints of the drama to come. You can do this either through narrative or dialogue.
For example, this snippet of dialogue foretells trouble: <i>“We can’t go there,
haven’t you heard the legend?”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Or a
little narrative to sow the seed of more drama to come: <i>She put the creaking
of upstairs floorboards down to the house settling for the night.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The occasional
repetition of a word or a poignant phrase can work well to keep the reader on board.
A word or phrase they’ve heard before in the story, but then said in a different
context can be effective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In <i>The
Beast</i>, when the strange old Scotsman tells Grant and Amanda to <i>“Beware
the Beastie”</i> they find it hilarious. But later in the story, when they
sense something stalking them, the old man’s words, <i>“Beware the Beastie”</i>
take on a far more sinister meaning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">And look
at punctuation and sentence length. Short punchy sentences can give a breathless
effect to a scene. Likewise, with dialogue, you can really create drama and mood
through your characters’ conversations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Still with
<i>The Beast</i>, the valley where Grant and Amanda are camping is reputed to be
haunted and early one morning:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You must
be able to hear it. Listen, Grant. It’s coming from the valley.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What is? I can’t hear a thing.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amanda swung round to face him, her frown
heavy over her eyes. “Are you deaf or what? There are people coming this way…I
can hear an enormous crowd of</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> <i>people heading right toward us. And horses, can’t
you hear the hoof beats? Can’t you feel the vibrations through the ground?”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grant slowly shook his head. “Manda, it’s as
silent as the grave out here.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Shouting! They’re shouting now!” She
gripped his arm. “And screaming.” Her voice rose. “Can’t you hear those screams,
those horrible shrieks? Like…like people killing each other.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grant
put his arm around her. “We’d better go and get Mum.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What’s happening, Grant? What’s happening
to me?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It might
be a cliché but remembering <i>the calm before storm</i> can certainly work
when pacing your story. When you have a tense scene about to happen, ensure that
the scene before is the complete opposite. Trust/betrayal; love/hate;
tranquility/chaos etc. So, when the drama happens it has more impact because
of what’s just gone on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Another
little ploy when you want to ‘up’ the tempo of your story, is to create a
change – perhaps in the environment your character finds themselves in; or a
change in the weather; or a change in the atmosphere in some way. Have
something happening which triggers that switch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Cliff-hangers</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.5pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">One<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>sure way of increasing the tension</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Tension" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the dramatic high spot is by having cliff-hangers</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Cliff-hangers" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">.
Plan your scenes</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>so that the most dramatic spot can come at a
point where you can break off for a new chapter. Build each scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>up to its most exciting point – then stop. Perhaps
your character is left in a tricky position emotionally or physically. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">A new
chapter may provide fresh momentum, or you may keep your reader hanging on in
suspense</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Suspense"
</span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>while you deal with another thread of your story.
Maybe that too can be brought to boiling point. You could be like a juggler spinning
plates, precarious yet balanced so perfectly with you in control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Read aloud<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">And finally,
if you want the readers to keep reading, then read your work yourself – out loud.
By doing so, you’ll hear the euphony of your sentences and phrasing. You’ll get
a good ear for how it should sound and how it does sound. Awkward sentences may
only need a word taken out or putting in, or a slight alteration of the punctuation.
Read aloud and only pause where you’ve indicated a pause with a punctuation
mark. The smallest little tweak to a sentence can make all the difference. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__806_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__849_705866054"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__970_359285143"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__2413_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__253_1458522031"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__1050_1759526525"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__870_1085002945"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__255_1458522031"></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">So,
go through your story and see if by re-phrasing certain sections you can add to
the atmosphere</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Atmosphere" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or build tension</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Tension" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">. See
if you can create little ploys of your own – barely noticeable things which only
register in the reader’s subconscious. Occasional words in italics for example,
or the repetition of a word or sentence that turns it into something poignant or
sinister. Could you subtly hint that disaster is soon to befall the character?
Could there be a recurring thought, word or phrase that jabs at your character
when things are getting tricky? Experiment with your writing and see what works
and what doesn’t.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s
Exercise:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Write two scenes where it's the calm before the storm, e.g. trust/betrayal, joy/misery. read aloud and try to improve your work so it has more impact.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow:
Making Sense of it all.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Opening photo is of my good friend, writer Karen King and I running a writing workshop.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-15009896571940741412020-04-15T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-15T07:00:10.115+01:00When and how to use transitions and flashbacks<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVuqhu0dkxGVmftXv8BTTJXXybhzokDCPp0Umwa8FtcVZ1DfQsb5tgfMso9DuXoIHSqeR3ve6y4TUgjHvZ8Cd-jURBgG715lNGR6jtyZZXSb2E9J3jCXmqVPEbHryBZmBaBeTrYRaAUk/s1600/Transition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1000" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVuqhu0dkxGVmftXv8BTTJXXybhzokDCPp0Umwa8FtcVZ1DfQsb5tgfMso9DuXoIHSqeR3ve6y4TUgjHvZ8Cd-jURBgG715lNGR6jtyZZXSb2E9J3jCXmqVPEbHryBZmBaBeTrYRaAUk/s320/Transition.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
writing fiction there are a number of little ploys that you can use to move
your story forwards or to explain the back story. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you’ll need to move your story on,
either from place to place, or from one time of day to a later time, or from
one particular day to some time in the future. It may even be that your
character needs to move emotionally forwards. If nothing important in happening
in the story during these time spans, then you can use a transition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc1340484"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Handling
transitions</span></a><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Transitions" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">A transition</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Transitions" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>might only be a few words, or it could be a number
of sentences. You might need a transition</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Transitions" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to bridge a highly dramatic scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when the character needs time to think before
moving on to a scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with a totally different atmosphere</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Atmosphere" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">. Your
one or two sentences can move your story on an hour, a week, a year; or from
the highlands of Scotland to a beach in the Bahamas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">In time transitions</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Transitions" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">, you
could use simple phrases, such as:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 35.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17.85pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">The following
morning…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 35.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17.85pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">That evening…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 35.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17.85pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">A week
later…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 35.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17.85pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">At the
end of the week… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Here are a few transitions</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Transitions" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>where there is a change of scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 35.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17.85pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Some
miles away…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 35.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17.85pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">In the
train on the way back…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 35.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17.85pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Thick
snow had fallen overnight…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 35.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17.85pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">The
drive to the hospital was agonising...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">A transition</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Transitions" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>should be simple and swift with the objective
of getting from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">here</i> to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">there</i> quickly and smoothly, so that you
can get on with the story. And you would put that transition at the start of a
new scene or a new chapter. After the transition, you get straight back into
the heart of the story, writing through the protagonist or viewpoint character’s
eyes and emotions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">It’s very important however
that you don’t cheat the reader by using a transition to get you through a
scene that might be difficult to write. And if important things are happening
during that time span, then don’t use a transition and then reported speech.
That’s another cop out!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">If things are happening in
your story, the reader needs to see and experience them. Use transitions only
when nothing of importance is happening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc1340485"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__841_705866054"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__962_359285143"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__223_1458522031"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__1042_1759526525"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__2405_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__798_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__862_1085002945"></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc1340485;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Flashbacks</span></span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-begin'></span> XE "Flashbacks" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">If it is necessary to show
something that happened in the character’s past, which motivates and affects
the characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>actions, emotions and attitude towards something
currently in your story, this is called a flashback</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Flashbacks" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">. Note
that I’ve said <i>if it’s necessary. </i>Avoid putting in flashbacks just for
the sake of them. They are there for a purpose, be selective of where and why
you write in a flashback, and make sure the scene from the past that you
choose, reflects why the character is behaving the way they are today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">To handle a flashback so it
does not confuse the reader or bring the present action to a grinding halt, the
author needs to write it with care. It does not have to come in one big scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">, it
can be effective to weave fragments of flashbacks into the action and dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of your story, so the reader glimpses bits of
a tantalising past.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">If your flashback</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Flashbacks" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>needs to be a complete scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or a number of scenes</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">,
then find a way of framing this section between the present action, both before
and afterwards, so there is no doubt in the reader’s mind when they are leaving
the present to go into the past, and when they are leaving the past to return
to the present.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">A change in the tense is
important. If you’re writing in the past tense, when the viewpoint character is
reminded of something that sets their thought drifting back, change the past
tense to the past perfect:<i> had been. </i>Continue to use that <i>‘had’ </i>for
perhaps another sentence or two, to establish that we’re now in a flashback.
Then phase the <i>‘hads’</i> out and write normally. When the flashback scene
is coming to an end, you could slip a <i>‘had’</i> back in again, reminding the
reader it had been a flashback, and bring the story back to the present. Or putting
in the word <i>‘now’</i> can establish we’re back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Here’s an (abridged) example
of a flashback scene taken from my award-winning children’s book, <i>The Beast.</i>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Karbel (the beast) is a
ghost and he’s suddenly remembering the day he died. Killed (he believes) by
one of the main characters in the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdmTkYp7GAE9U-YJ0EZ9JdDebwoapE1qZooS9fG6RskSrh4Y-Zz_m7ReGCoQ3RVsjeicRiE9Vs7Ej8CUoPDJr07hQuWfObB2zAC9jvf-AiVcqpTdgvIPz6EI8vfhmEqyHx-ZEbEtqZrk/s1600/beast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="443" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdmTkYp7GAE9U-YJ0EZ9JdDebwoapE1qZooS9fG6RskSrh4Y-Zz_m7ReGCoQ3RVsjeicRiE9Vs7Ej8CUoPDJr07hQuWfObB2zAC9jvf-AiVcqpTdgvIPz6EI8vfhmEqyHx-ZEbEtqZrk/s320/beast.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
him!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karbel’s
yellow eyes became slits of hatred.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a flash, Karbel recalled that fateful
day. His final day. A day which could never be erased from his memory.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It <u>had
been</u> a long, bitter winter, millennia ago. Snow was up to his belly and he
was hungry. In the valley there <u>had been</u> a human settlement which
normally Karbel kept well away from, but that winter hunger forced him to venture
near. It would be easy picking to snatch a human’s baby offspring.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hunger drove him into the settlement</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">(the
rest of the scene is written in normal past tense up to the point of the boy
saving his baby sister and killing the beast)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">…the
boy thrust the dagger clean into the beast’s heart.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"> K<i>arbel’s
spirit was ejected violently from his mortal body and he witnessed his own
lifeless, bleeding carcass drop into the snow.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
face of the boy without fear was etched into his soul. And <u>now,</u> as
Karbel looked down into the valley he saw that same face. Recognised that same
fearless spirit…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">And
on we go with the story. The flashback scene is neatly ‘sandwiched’, and the
flashback was vital as there was no other way to show that Karbel believes the
boy killed him and is now back to take his soul. And that leads to the whole book’s
premise of Karbel going after the boy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">So, if
you need to write a flashback, be bold about it. Sandwich it neatly between the
point in the story when the character is reacting to something from their past.
Change the tense, use those <i>‘had beens’</i> or similar phrasing. Show what
happened, and then get back to the story, neatly and confidently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">An alternative,
if your flashback</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Flashbacks" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is a short scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">, it could
be revealed through dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">. Simply
have two characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>talking and one telling the other about a past
event. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">If
the flashback scene involves characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from the past in conversation</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">, be
very careful that the whole thing does not get confused. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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if you find you are writing most of your story as a flashback</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
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XE "Flashbacks" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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then possibly you have started your story in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A re-think might be necessary. In short stories</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>however, this can work effectively, especially
if you are looking for a twist in the tail ending. As when you return to the
present towards the end of your story, you can reveal something surprising yet believable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s
Exercises:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Practice
writing transitions. Link them up with some impromptu ‘before’ and ‘after’
scenes. These are just ‘throwaway’ scenes to practice this exercise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Practice
writing a flashback. If you haven’t got anything suitable in your work, use
this scenario: Your character is starting a new job, only to discover that a
colleague is someone they had a massive fall out with. Begin writing by showing
the character starting their job, then the shock upon seeing someone, and then
the flashback showing that unhappy scene. Then back to face the present.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow:
Keep the Reader Reading.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photograohy, for the lead photo. This was from an article we did on the British Motor Museum at Gaydon.</span></i></span></div>
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<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-53089463779594207542020-04-14T07:22:00.000+01:002020-04-14T07:22:22.086+01:00Improving your narrative<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-LW5MUznb_0z7eEb-09sZX0HdqLg_dny4OritXdoUPaQMKbBmuUvT6EEF-5iAnGEdy9QUsLbXn_sSaR9iMQL3kvPCLzwr9LK4WuhPpeiTpytXKDAU5OjuwJbLX9xMoRcAhOXBJdZOCg/s1600/Show+don%2527t+tell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="900" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-LW5MUznb_0z7eEb-09sZX0HdqLg_dny4OritXdoUPaQMKbBmuUvT6EEF-5iAnGEdy9QUsLbXn_sSaR9iMQL3kvPCLzwr9LK4WuhPpeiTpytXKDAU5OjuwJbLX9xMoRcAhOXBJdZOCg/s320/Show+don%2527t+tell.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Show
don’t tell. You’ll have heard</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> that phrase many times, so
be sure you are acting upon it. Your story needs to engage the emotions. It’s no
use simply saying that a character was feeling this way or that way; it’s no
good saying they were feeling angry or feeling sad. It’s through the character’s
actions, reactions, words and thoughts that you need to <i>show</i> them being angry or being sad – or any one of the many emotions
people feel: misery, jealousy, grief, joy, sympathy, love, hate and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">There’s a fine line between
showing and telling. You show what’s going on through the story narrative. It
ends up as ‘telling’ when the narrative takes it a step too far; when the
author chips in and blatantly tells the reader something they feel they need to
know. It’s when you’re offering too much information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">If it’s that important,
find some way of letting the characters impart this to the reader. The author
should have the confidence in their characters to do so, and not feel the
reader won’t understand unless they add their two-pennyworth. Words to watch
out for that might indicate you’re about to <i>tell</i>, could include: <i>because,
for </i>and <i>as.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__239_1458522031"></a>Use the senses<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-begin'></span> XE "Senses" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><o:p></o:p></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">To bring a scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to life and allow the reader to experience the
events in all their glory, write using all your senses</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Senses" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – taste,
touch, smell, sound, sight – and not forgetting your sixth sense</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Sixth sense" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">, that
ability to just ‘know’ something.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__241_1458522031"></a>Sight<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-begin'></span> XE "Sight" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><o:p></o:p></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Readers know what everyday
objects look like, so pick out the unusual aspect or angle, or focus on something
that has specific meaning to the character, perhaps something that brings back
memories or affects their emotions in some way. To increase suspense</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Suspense" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">, why
not have normal everyday things suddenly appearing wrong. If you’ve seen the
film ‘<i>Sleeping with the Enemy’</i> you’ll remember the chilling effect those
neatly stacked tins and folded towels created.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Little things associated with
an unpleasant character can increase tension</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Tension" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
Perhaps your villain smoked cigarettes, so the stub of one left on the heroine’s
doorstep might heighten her fear. The sight of a footprint or a large paw print
in the soft earth might add tension</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Tension" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">; or
the sight of something just disappearing out of sight; or the glimpse of a
shadow; or the glare of car headlights. Whatever you choose to mention in your
narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">, let
it be there for a reason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__243_1458522031"></a>Sound<o:p></o:p></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bring
a scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to life by
allowing your reader to hear the sounds that your character can hear. Think of
the background noises </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">whether your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> are in a factory, a supermarket, on a beach, in
an aircraft or wherever. If there is a sound that is out of place in that
situation, be sure to let the reader hear that. Let us hear the tone of someone’s voice when they speak and the
way that is modulated depending who they are talking to. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">When increasing tension</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Tension" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">, emotion</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Emotion" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and atmosphere</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Atmosphere" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
draw attention to sounds that may not have been noticed before. A quiet room
can become even quieter if you can hear the ticking of a clock, or the soft popping
of a gas fire, or the sound of their own breathing. You can heighten the suspense</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Suspense" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> in a story by writing in the softest sounds –
a whisper, a creak. The softest sounds are often the most effective.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__245_1458522031"></a>Smell<!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Smell" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><o:p></o:p></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">We have all experienced how
certain smells conjure up different memories and feelings. A certain smell can
whisk you back decades. Freshly baked
bread, a particular perfume or aftershave, a fish and chip shop, a sea breeze,
an oily garage, bacon and eggs cooking, lilies, roses, newly mown grass,
freshly ground coffee. Use your sense of smell in your writing to bring a scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to life. And when you want to emphasise the mood
even more strongly, focus your character’s attention on the smell of something specific
and meaningful.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__247_1458522031"></a>Taste<!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Taste" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><o:p></o:p></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> may taste lots of good and bad things
throughout your story, but again use the ploy cleverly when you really want to
arouse the emotions. Let them taste things other than food. How about the taste
of their lover’s lips against theirs? Or taste rain on their tongue; or snowflakes
or fog. At the other end of the scale, let them taste fear, let it be so tangible
that they can taste it. Perhaps they are so sickened that they taste the bile burning
in their throats. What if they are so wracked with misery that their favourite
food tastes like wood shavings and sticks in their throat? As people know what
certain things taste like, be selective in what you choose to write about – pick
out the more unusual things to taste, or when things taste wrong for some reason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__249_1458522031"></a>Touch<!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Touch" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><o:p></o:p></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">This sense can portray so
much. People in love want to touch each other constantly, to be close, holding
hands, caressing, cuddling. Parents hug their children</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Children - writing for" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">;
people stroke their pets; strangers do not touch and if they do, there is embarrassment
and apologies for invading the other person’s space. Acquaintances might shake
hands. We touch and feel so many things, the silky fabric of a ball gown; the
smooth surface of an expensive piece of furniture or ornament; we might touch a
leather coat to feel its softness and suppleness. Let your reader feel your
character’s world through the sensation of touch.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<h4>
The sixth sense<o:p></o:p></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "liberation serif" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sense is all about awareness, of perception and
recognition. That sixth sense is our extra sensory perception, which some
people have more than others. It's a feeling of knowing something when really
there's no evidence to support it. I'm a big believer in allowing my character to
have that sixth sense – not in a constant mystical way, but just occasionally
it can work wonders, when your character just senses that something is going to
happen. <i>Something bad was coming their way… </i>Often it works a treat if you're
aiming to send a shiver down the reader's spine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "liberation serif" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s Exercise:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "liberation serif" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Take your protagonist to a setting that’s new to
them, narrate and describe through their emotions and senses, and really bring
the scene to life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "liberation serif" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tomorrow: </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When and how to use
transitions and flashbacks.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 107%;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the image. This is of Coventry's ancient Charterhouse.</span></i></span>Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-86414546621663825642020-04-13T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-13T07:00:10.600+01:00Creating atmosphere and mood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMBwnz1q-_izOQczgEzSSwjlO4MlkWdL6Aw5LikEDb03mKwWw9NlT6t5eHHEau_BvlKGzJ9mlhe23wn7l7pf0lA3j1QMbrjdM0_UpD2C5NJQVPlF1jcwjWvTu2Qw15pxZXQgCyhkhUN0k/s1600/Atmosphere+and+mood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1000" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMBwnz1q-_izOQczgEzSSwjlO4MlkWdL6Aw5LikEDb03mKwWw9NlT6t5eHHEau_BvlKGzJ9mlhe23wn7l7pf0lA3j1QMbrjdM0_UpD2C5NJQVPlF1jcwjWvTu2Qw15pxZXQgCyhkhUN0k/s320/Atmosphere+and+mood.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">So, you have planned your
story carefully, you know your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>so well they are practically your best
friends, and it is all jogging along nicely. The thing is you don’t want your story
to jog nicely along, you want it to bring tears to your reader’s eyes, or make
them laugh out loud, or make them so involved they miss their bus stop, or read
long into the night even though they know they will struggle to get up in the morning.
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">To keep the reader gripped and hanging on to
your every word, you need to bring in changes to the pace and the atmosphere of
your story. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Avoid keeping it on one
straight level, let moods darken; let the atmosphere become more tense; let heartbeats
quicken; bring the reader in even closer to what’s happening to your character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Before you can do this, you need to create a character
who the reader cares about. And the way you get a reader to care, is to let the
reader in on your character, let the reader understand what’s going on in that
character’s mind – reveal their inner worries and concerns; show that they are
human by the things they do, say, think and feel. Strive to make the reader identify
with them in some way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Once you’ve hooked the reader in that way,
when things become more difficult, or the mood darkens, then the reader will
feel the tension and keep turning those pages. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Changing the atmosphere is down to your planning – you may have decided
earlier that at a particular point in your story, something dramatic will
happen; or that particular scene might just creep up on you unawares as you
write. Whichever way it happens, when you have a scene that requires some
change in atmosphere or mood, then work your magic on it to make it really
effective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">I’m a firm believer in the calm before the storm. If the scene just
before the dramatic moment is a complete opposite, then the contrast of calm/frantic,
relaxed/tense, works really well. Then, once you get into the scene where
tension rises, you keep on going, adding layer after layer of drama as the
character’s situation becomes more and more precarious. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">So, these layers, what exactly do they comprise of? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Make the character’s senses heighten. Let them
become more aware of things around them, smells, sounds, tastes, things
they see are now more threatening.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">It’s more effective to show all this through
the character’s perspective, rather than you simply narrating what’s going
on around the character.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Draw the reader closer so they experience
everything that the character experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Tighten those sentences.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Deliberately repeat a word to empathise a
point.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Physical changes to surroundings e.g. weather,
light/dark, silence/noise, movement/stillness etc.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Dialogue. What your character(s) say and how
they say it.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__231_1458522031"></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Let your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-begin'></span> XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback"'><span style='mso-element:
field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>talk to each other<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">As you know, characters need
to communicate with each other. Tension, conflict</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Conflict" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">,
anger, hatred, love, can all develop through characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>talking to one another. Characters can reveal
they are afraid or anxious or show the drama</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Drama" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rising through their speech and what they say.
Staccato dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shows their breathlessness. Maybe they don’t have
time to speak at length, even the narration should come across in that same
short sharp manner. Dialogue that is interrupted, or the speaker stops abruptly
fearing they have said too much can all help to increase the tension</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Tension" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">; the
occasional ellipsis can work wonders, if used sparingly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Here’s a few examples of
showing mood change through dialogue:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">“Another coffee, dear?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">“Don't mind if...” Jane stopped in mid-sentence.
Her nose wrinkled. “What's that smell?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Another example:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">“Pete, if this is your idea of a joke.
If you’ve set me up...”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">He laughed. “Course I haven’t...” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">His voice trailed away. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">“What?” Sue demanded. “What? Speak to
me. You’re scaring me now.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">In a voice no more than a whisper he
said, “What do you think that is, standing over there?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Even the way one character
addresses another can indicate the change in mood. Imagine if Mary normally called
her husband, Joe. What kind of mood do these alternatives suggest?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">“Joseph,
I’m talking to you!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">“Oh,
Joey… have you got a moment?”</span></i><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s
Exercise:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Your
protagonist is walking across the clifftop with someone their care about and
all is going to plan. Using dialogue and narrative, write a scene to reflect
what they are doing, and then bring in some conflict. Something happens to
totally change the mood and atmosphere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow:
Improving your narrative.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the image. This was taken from our trip to France to write about Champagne.</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
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<br /></div>
<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-31343009368512543412020-04-12T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-12T07:00:07.392+01:00Writing the narrative <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Oe619ZPhLO90RNw1mSZ8mL-ntdLV2GYLCzr6ZKUY8fQrxxVZgrJ5UF33VRlBlVRBzcZEeP3zVZQ7lnCBc_3CPgSEnFH-lIFwazgBexZPFbD6W2z6avuYnvyZ5bBLz1nYA2SSfdpyK6Q/s1600/Narrative.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Oe619ZPhLO90RNw1mSZ8mL-ntdLV2GYLCzr6ZKUY8fQrxxVZgrJ5UF33VRlBlVRBzcZEeP3zVZQ7lnCBc_3CPgSEnFH-lIFwazgBexZPFbD6W2z6avuYnvyZ5bBLz1nYA2SSfdpyK6Q/s320/Narrative.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">The narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is the voice through which you tell your story.
Narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is what leads the reader smoothly through the
story with all its ups and downs, high and low spots, emotions and drama</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Drama" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">. The
narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is what tells the reader what is going on. For
example, it lets the reader know that a Highland warrior is marching down the valley,
kilt swinging, his beret tilted to one side. The narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is what tells the reader that thunderous black
clouds are rolling in over the rooftops and that the wind is whipping the leaves
into a frenzy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Your story is a balance of narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">. However,
there is no set formula to see if you are getting the balance right, this all
comes down to your ability to write a story – and that comes with practice.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">You might start with
narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">, setting</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Setting" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and drawing the reader into this new world. Or
you might start with dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and then narrate the next few paragraphs to define
who and where your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are and what is going on. Narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">, like
dialogue,</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue"
</span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>advances your story. Narration works hand in
hand with viewpoint</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Viewpoint" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">, so
that the writer can merge a descriptive passage smoothly into the key character’s
thoughts and actions.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">The setting</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Setting" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for your story is obviously very important.
And the settings will change from scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">. The
narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Narrative"
</span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>voice will portray these settings, letting the
reader in on this world, which so far is a product of your imagination. Your narration
as you tell the story must engage and interest the reader. It must describe scenes</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and stir the emotions of the reader.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Through narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you set the scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">, you
describe what is going on, and you move the story forward. You show the reader
what you can see in your mind. You have to paint the picture and open up this imaginary
world where these imaginary people are battling with the many obstacles
littering their path. But be careful not to sit back in your typist’s chair as
you, the author, describe this imaginary scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>through <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your</i>
eyes. Stick closely to your viewpoint</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Viewpoint" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>character and let the narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>go hand in hand with their emotions.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Your own style of writing narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>will reveal itself the more you write. It is down
to you to polish that style until you create scenes</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which are vivid, yet not too flowery. Too much
and you will be writing ‘purple passages’ which are gushing with sentiment. Too
little and your story could be dull.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">There is a very fine line
however in the narration of the story and the author talking – giving the reader
that extra bit of information that suddenly jars them from the world of make
believe and allows them to hear the author’s voice. You as author, should stay
well hidden – have faith and trust in your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">. If
the author goes beyond the narration and pops in their own thoughts, opinions,
or additional information, it instantly jolts the reader from this fictional world
and reminds them that the author is still there, pulling the strings. The reader
does not want that. This story is between them and the characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">, the
author must remain out of sight.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Find your narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>voice and let that voice speak throughout the story,
linking the passages of dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">,
keeping the whole thing flowing smoothly. If you are tempted to add in some piece
of random information for good measure, or to start preaching or stating an opinion,
then hit the delete key and find some natural way for your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to pass this information on, either through their
actions, their thoughts or through their dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">When writing
description avoid writing the obvious. Pick on the most poignant aspect of a
person, place or thing. Tell the reader something they didn’t know. Find your
own unique ways of showing and describing. Don’t let descriptions slow the
story down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You might
want to get across what your hero or heroine looks like. You may have spent
hours researching the outfits they are wearing. But to write paragraphs of description
can have the reader impatient to know what these two characters are actually
going to say to one another. So, blend your descriptions with movement of the
characters so the story is continually moving forward, and at the same time supplying
the reader with all the necessary imagery in their mind’s eye.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Location <o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Be imaginative when setting</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Setting" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">. Avoid
the obvious or find something different or unusual about a normal setting.
There’s no point in wasting words to describe something everyone knows about.
Pick out an element that makes it different and describe that instead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look for contrasts to the ‘norm’ for the locations
in your stories. For example, the </span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">setting</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Setting" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for a ghost story might well be in a ramshackle
old house in the middle of nowhere, but it could be equally as atmospheric if the
ghost haunts somewhere as ordinary as an office, a library, a hospital ward, a
school sports hall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Why not make your location
in acute contrast to the emotional theme, for example love blossoming amidst
the hostilities of a war or a riot; or murder at a joyful family celebration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">As you narrate and describe
a place, remember it’s not just what can be seen, but the sounds and smells of
that place too. Keep your viewpoint character close as you describe a setting.
Wherever possible, let it be how the character perceives it – and that will be
governed by their mood at that moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s
Exercise:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Using
just narrative write a paragraph or two of a particular setting when the
weather is good and your protagonist is happy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then
write the same setting when the weather is far from good and your protagonist
is struggling to cope with the situation and their mood is far from good. Try
and portray how their mood can affect the outlook on the same setting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow:
Looking at atmosphere and mood.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the image, taken originally from our trip to Switzerland to write about Search and Rescue.</span></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
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<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-89916122241909527352020-04-11T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-11T07:00:02.992+01:00More on writing dialogue<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-g07V1Dxo-FOtrtBgooX9QtVlihutEIeg9v19OciwEjwNmTVYFq2zkLXgJlsFLEWMmC5gbxWiVhR2aSFGEu1oIabMjz8cdBF-QoEOo4pVscioVg5XIfed84cfu2uCnbXr3ol2UdIAyL8/s1600/Moer+on+dialogue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1000" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-g07V1Dxo-FOtrtBgooX9QtVlihutEIeg9v19OciwEjwNmTVYFq2zkLXgJlsFLEWMmC5gbxWiVhR2aSFGEu1oIabMjz8cdBF-QoEOo4pVscioVg5XIfed84cfu2uCnbXr3ol2UdIAyL8/s320/Moer+on+dialogue.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
Writing good, natural-sounding dialogue comes with practice. For some, writing dialogue is the easy part. For others, they struggle to make it come across as sounding natural. The way you blend your narrative in with your dialogue will add to the quality of your style. And an important part of setting out your dialogue is to do with your use of attributions or speech tags.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Attributions or speech tags<o:p></o:p></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Attribution</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue:Attributions" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is the term used to describe who is speaking –
<i>he said, she replied, I answered</i> etc. Some writers feel they need to look for other
ways of saying who is speaking and search the thesaurus</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Thesaurus" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to find alternative ways of saying ‘he said’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the humble ‘he said’ is virtually invisible
in the context of the story. </span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE
"Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">By using an alternative, it can
become conspicuous, drawing attention to itself rather than what is being said.
If your story is littered with contrived attributions it will make it appear
amateurish. You can vary your character’s speeches with equally unobtrusive
attributions such as <i>he replied, he answered, he asked</i> and similar phrases. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Narrative
showing the character doing something either before or after the speech could
do away with the need for any speech tags. Also, sometimes the dialogue needs nothing
around it, as it’s perfectly obvious who is speaking. However, read your work
aloud and listen to the euphony and flow of your words. Adjust with the
addition or detraction of speech tags or narrative as necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dialogue
is one of the best ways to show the personality of a character and the reader
should know who is speaking simply by what is being said and the way it is being
spoken. However, be careful not to have a whole section which is nothing but
dialogue without narrative</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or character interaction. The reader does not want
to have to count back to see who is talking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Dialect </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It
can be difficult to write dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who come from a region or country with a strong
dialect</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Dialogue:Dialect" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">. It’s easy to get into a quandary
trying to mimic a broad accent, dropping g’s and h’s and spelling words where
the reader has to mentally form the sound in their heads as they read. Not only
is this difficult but it also looks awkward on the page. Far better to research
and listen to the speech patterns and idioms from the region or slip in a word or
phrase that indicates the locality. Be careful this doesn’t come across as clichéd,
however. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Slang<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Certain
characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in your stories will undoubtedly need to resort
to slang</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Dialogue:Slang" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>if they are to sound realistic but be careful
not to use the latest modern day slang</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue:Slang" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which comes and goes year after year. While it
might be the way characters are expressing themselves today, especially younger
characters, by the time your book or story comes out, it could be totally outdated
– and make your work ‘dated’ too. Better to </span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE
"Dialogue:Slang" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">stick to the good old fashioned
slang</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Dialogue:Slang" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>words and expressions that have been around
for decades.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Additionally,
while it’s not slang, abbreviated words are important in dialogue. A character
saying: “I have been looking for you.” sounds less natural than: “I’ve been
looking for you.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read your dialogue
aloud and listen to whether it sounds natural or not.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Four lettered words</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For
your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to come across as real people there may be times
when you have no alternative but to use a ‘four lettered’ word. If you feel it
is the only thing your character could say under the circumstances, then use it
with confidence. However, I would add, that in my mind, this would only apply
to adult books, certainly never in children’s or YA books. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For adult
readership, a swear word</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue:Swear words" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>may be necessary to create impact and show the
character’s mood. However, if you have a character who swears continually it
will quickly become irritating for the reader. Plus, the impact will be lost.
An occasional swear word in a novel can be startling and effective, while a
hundred will become tiresome. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of
course, if you’re writing fantasy or sci-fi, you can create your own swear
words without offending anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";">Punctuation around
dialogue<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Getting the punctuation</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Punctuation" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>correct around dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>must become second nature to you. So many
novice writers get it wrong or fail to be <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>consistent with their layout around</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Fiction" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dialogue.</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember that all the punctuation goes inside the
quotation marks. If you’re adding a speech tag, you don’t capitalise the first
letter, even if your final punctuation mark before the closing speech mark is a
question mark or exclamation mark. E.g. “Shall we take the bus?” she asked,
glancing at her watch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Also
note the comma after the attribution. Start a new paragraph for every new
character speaking or doing something. Check your settings so that you’re not adding
extra white space every time you hit the return button on your keyboard. Adjust
your settings to indent every new paragraph for fiction, unless the magazine
guidelines/style says not to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE "Magazines" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE
"Editors" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you
know the publication you’re writing for, then check whether they use double or
single quotation marks around their dialogue. If you haven’t a particular
publication in mind, then it’s your choice – whatever feels more natural to
you. However, in my opinion, I would suggest using double because it’s easier
for an editor to change those to single if re-formatting your story for
publication, rather than the other way around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s
easy to make mistakes – all those important commas, full stops, quotation
marks, exclamation marks, capital letters and uncapped letters. Make sure you
have it perfected so that it’s second nature to you when you write dialogue. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Don’t
expect anyone else to put it right for you, it’s no one’s responsibility but your
own. If you don’t master the correct way of presenting your dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it could spoil your chances with an editor</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Editors" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So,
make it second nature and enjoy your dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">. Enjoy hearing what your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have to say and let their dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>carry your story forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback";"><o:p> </o:p></span></h4>
<h4>
Today’s Exercise: <o:p></o:p></h4>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">As dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>practice, write a page or two of mainly dialogue
but incorporating narrative,</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: #00FF; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: #00FF; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>around this scenario: The bridegroom and best
man await the arrival of the bride. The bridegroom is getting cold feet, about
the wedding.</span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<h4 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow:
Writing narrative.</span></b></h4>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the photograph.</span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Read more writing tips in my book, Become a Writer, a step by step guide. <a href="https://amzn.to/3487fws">https://amzn.to/3487fws</a></span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-66187675691906646952020-04-10T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-10T07:00:01.241+01:00Writing realistic dialogue<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyAEA6iB3OMv5TfCkvdcXNDoCCvBzSS8iiwd-dJrHk2XSwdI4qeY5pqc-7jyVVduiIEalXBHmPPAgnD-V5ILeGZUZY5vc3D2PHoUIMqVXyGcncS3KSEzQzceD0X9ralZGyLtczUPjKNw/s1600/Old+typewriter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="509" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyAEA6iB3OMv5TfCkvdcXNDoCCvBzSS8iiwd-dJrHk2XSwdI4qeY5pqc-7jyVVduiIEalXBHmPPAgnD-V5ILeGZUZY5vc3D2PHoUIMqVXyGcncS3KSEzQzceD0X9ralZGyLtczUPjKNw/s320/Old+typewriter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
way you write your dialogue can make or break your story. After all your efforts
in creating your characters with all their individual traits, personality, appearance,
background and so on, it’s vital that the way they speak and the things they
say, match their personality and mood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
you want your dialogue to sound like real speech, it actually only gives the impression
of real speech. When people are talking in real life, there are lots of <i>y’knows,
umms</i> and<i> ahhs,</i> along with repetitions, interruptions and drifting
off at a tangent. Real speech in a story would be tedious. The author has to give
the impression of real speech with all the boring bits taken out, leaving just
the words that are there for a reason. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A few
lines of good dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> can reveal more about character and plot than
many pages of narrative. Plus, dialogue brings vitality to a story – it brings your
story to life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Reasons for dialogue<o:p></o:p></h4>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To
carry the story forward.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To characterise
the speaker and other characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To
show the emotional state of the speaker.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To
describe or set the scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> or mood.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To
increase the tension</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Tension" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> and suspense</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Suspense" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To
provide the reader with necessary information.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Make
every word of your dialogue count. It is not there to pad out your story. If
something is mentioned in dialogue,</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> then it is there for a reason. The reader may not
know that reason at that moment, but later in the story it should become clear.
If your dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> is littered with irrelevant, unnecessary facts
that come to nothing it can mislead the reader as well as slowing your story down
and spoiling it. So, keep it alive and moving forward. Don’t allow your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> to get bogged down in a lot of unnecessary banter
that does nothing to move the story forward. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of
course, making every word count also applies to your narrative – in fact when
you’re polishing your story or novel, there should be no superfluous words or
long-winded phrases. Every word really should count and be there for a reason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One
piece of advice I picked up years ago, but which has stuck with me, was: if you
had to pay 10p for every word you write, you would be meticulous about unnecessary
words slipping in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
Be careful not to duplicate. <o:p></o:p></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
you’ve already mentioned something in the narrative, there’s no point in bringing
it up again in conversation, and vice versa. And while dialogue is great for
providing the readers with important information, be careful one character isn’t
telling another character something they already know, just for the benefit of
the reader. Bad example: “Hello, Sue, I bet you’re excited to be marrying Joe
today at 3 o’clock at St Jude’s and your honeymoon in Paris, particular as you’ve
only known him three weeks.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dialogue
needs to sound natural with the characters all sounding different from one another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__211_1458522031"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>Show don’t tell through dialogue</h4>
<h4>
<o:p></o:p></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dialogue
is the best way to reveal character, so be sure that in your story you do not
simply state that your character is, for example, a man with a quick temper, or
a real joker, without writing scenes to show these traits. Similarly, don’t
just tell the readers about two people being in love, or hating one another.
This must be shown through the scenes you write, and the way they speak and
behave around one another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
Let dialogue work for you<o:p></o:p></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Your
characters’ dialogue doesn’t just carry the story forward, it shows the character’s
mood, emotions and relationships with others. Let dialogue work in heightening
the drama of a scene. If even a single word of dialogue isn’t there for good
reason, then change it for a word or sentence that does add something to the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A line
of dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> is the perfect tool for starting off your story
as it immediately draws the reader in. As someone is speaking, you’re immediately
introducing a character. It can reveal personality and how they are feeling
right at that moment. It can set the scene and even</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> indicate the conflict</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Conflict" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> and what is at stake. A few good lines of dialogue
at the start of a story – or at the opening of any scene can take the place of
paragraphs of narrative. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dialogue
is also a perfect choice for ending your story. After all, the reader has stuck
with your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> throughout your story, so why not allow one of
them to have the final word? I’ve found that a final line of dialogue can conclude
the story perfectly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s
Exercise:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Find a professionally published extract of dialogue and
copy it exactly. Take note of where the punctuation goes; take note of where
capital letters are used and where they aren’t. Check your own work to see how
it compares.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tomorrow: More on dialogue including
speech tags and punctuation around dialogue.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-85338614590728260442020-04-09T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-09T07:00:03.571+01:00A bit of English grammar<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3ttxQlEHFKGjvmD6Usl6zdzfE4Rltf6WXxTsk0V5wi-hnZhQKFwIq1o-3Clk-BiQlrE1gY1J6ry__s2ay1imcySxJqoyDaYLCkoJAWLPXzgCfK7teTWrUuDQMpQVesiTSAg8LA7zFNU/s1600/English+grammar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="900" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3ttxQlEHFKGjvmD6Usl6zdzfE4Rltf6WXxTsk0V5wi-hnZhQKFwIq1o-3Clk-BiQlrE1gY1J6ry__s2ay1imcySxJqoyDaYLCkoJAWLPXzgCfK7teTWrUuDQMpQVesiTSAg8LA7zFNU/s320/English+grammar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h4>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 0cm; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Not wanting this to be a
lesson in English Grammar – I’m certainly not qualified to do that! However,
there are certain aspect of English grammar that writers need to be aware of
when writing fiction. Tense being one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 0cm; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">You need to decide what
tense you’re writing that particular story in. The tense being the form taken
by a verb to indicate the time of action. The major tenses basically are Past,
Present and Future. There are many more, but let’s stick to these main ones. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 0cm; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Writing in the </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Past
Tense</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"> is the most common and
versatile tense to use for your fiction writing. Here, the character, for
example: <i>walked in, took off his coat and smiled.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 0cm; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">The </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Present
Tense</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"> is another commonly used
tense, but I’d say much more difficult to sustain. Here, the character: <i>walks
in, takes off his coat and smiles</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 0cm; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Should you attempt to
write an entire story in the </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Future Tense,</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"> that sentence would be along the lines of: <i>you
walk in, take off your coat and smile.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 0cm; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Although in everyday life
we talk a great deal in the </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Future Tense</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">, it doesn’t come naturally to write in that tense –
apart from dialogue<i>: “I’ll do that, dear.” “Shall I drive?” </i>The future
tense refers to a time ‘later than now’. As far as I know, there are very few
books – if any, written in the future tense. The reason being that the essence
of telling a story, is to relate things that are happening or have happened.
The whole tradition of storytelling goes back to distant times when our
ancestors sat around the campfires telling stories of things that had happened.
It’s not easy to tell a fictional story about something that hasn’t yet
happened. But don’t let me stop you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 0cm; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Still on the subject of
tenses, we use Past Perfect or the Past Perfect Continuous when we write a
flashback:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>It had been a beautiful
summer…</i> It’s feasible that we might want to use the Future Perfect or
Future Perfect Continuous in a scene where your character is daydreaming about
an event they hope, or dread will happen – maybe a premonition type of scene. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 0cm; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">The great thing about
writing is that you can be adventurous. See what works for you. However, don’t
change the tense in your story unless it’s deliberate and to intentionally
create some kind of effect – don’t change it because you’ve made a mistake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
Understanding viewpoint</h4>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It’s really important to understand v</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">iewpoint. Viewpoint</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">is through whose eyes, ears, thoughts and emotions the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">story is told. Be sure that you’re writing through the viewpoint of your main character – your protagonist. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is important that the conflict</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> in the story affects this main character personally, so that the reader experiences all their joys and sorrows. If the reader fails to connect with this character they may not read on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Your story or book may just have one viewpoint character (single viewpoint), or you may decide that you want some scenes or chapters told through the eyes and heart of another important character or characters (multi viewpoints). Either is fine but avoid head-hopping. Don’t jump willy-nilly from one character’s head to another. Give each viewpoint character their own scene or chapter. In your layout you could indicate a change of viewpoint by adding some extra white space between paragraphs. Make it clear at the start of the new scene that we are now in another character’s head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Short stories tend to be single viewpoint – two at the most. Longer stories and novels could have multi viewpoint characters because the story is more complex. Be selective however, the reader doesn’t need to see the story through every character’s eyes.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">There’s also the omniscient viewpoint, which is a kind of God-like approach that’s all seeing and all knowing. So, the reader gets to see what every character is thinking and feeling. However, unless you’re a very experienced writer – and the story warrants it, writing in this omniscient viewpoint can come across as amateurish. You are aiming for readers to connect with your main character and if </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">you are constantly skipping from one character to another, the reader will not be able to identify with any of the characters</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and undoubtedly lose interest in the whole thing. If you decide on using everybody’s viewpoint</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, beware that it is the perfect way of making your story nobody’s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
Theme</h4>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">To</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> describe what is meant by the ‘theme’ of the story, I would describe this as being a simple sentence or two that sums up what your story is about. For example, it might be a <i>rags to riches</i> theme, or a <i>love conquers all</i> theme, or a <i>revenge is sweet</i> theme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">However, while other writers might disagree, I’d say that you shouldn’t worry too much if you don’t know the theme of your story. In my experience, very often the theme doesn’t become apparent until you’re halfway through or have even finished writing your story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">When you do finally understand the theme, then you can re-work to enhance that theme, making it stronger through the dialogue, narrative and description as you polish and edit.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc1340468;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc1340468;"><b>Which Person to
write in</b></span><b>?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">You also
need to decide whether you’re writing in the 1<sup>st</sup> Person, 2<sup>nd</sup>
Person or 3<sup>rd</sup> Person viewpoints.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc1340470">Writing in the First Person</a></h4>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Some stories work best when written in the 1<sup>st</sup>
Person. Here you write from the perspective of ‘I’. However, writing in the 1<sup>st</sup>
Person does not mean it’s you, the author, unless it’s autobiographical.
Otherwise, you need to create a fully rounded fictional protagonist. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Don’t think you can get away with not doing this,
just because the main character is referred to as<i> I</i>, <i>me</i> and <i>my.</i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"> There are no short-cuts to be gained by writing in the
1<sup>st</sup> Person. And exactly as when you’re writing in the 3<sup>rd</sup>
Person, the protagonist can’t know what’s going on in someone else’s thoughts,
so viewpoint rules still apply. Remember, no head-hopping<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc1340471">Writing in the Second Person</a></h4>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Writing in the second person it’s as if you
are talking to the reader and you would use the pronouns ‘you’ or ‘yours’.
Writing fictional stories in the 2<sup>nd</sup> Person although possible, is
not very popular amongst editors or even readers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Yet, writing fiction from the 2<sup>nd</sup>
Person perspective could be just as intimate and engaging as if writing from
either of the other two perspectives. Maybe more so, if done well, as the
author is literally inviting the reader to feel and experience what’s going on
for themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">When writing non-fiction, particularly
articles and instructions, writing in the 2<sup>nd</sup> Person is the perfect
way of drawing the reader in to what you’re saying. E.g. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see your book on the
library shelves…<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc1340469;">Writing
in the Third Person </span></h4>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc1340469"></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">This is probably the most popular and easiest to
manage. Writing in the 3rd Person is when the protagonist is referred to by
name or by the pronouns: he, her, she, he, his, hers, they, theirs, them etc.
Exactly the same as if writing through the 1<sup>st</sup> Person, the </span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE "Viewpoint" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">story unfolds through their
eyes, emotions, actions, thoughts and feelings. You can get just as close
emotionally to the character whether you’re writing in the 1<sup>st</sup> or 3<sup>rd</sup>
Person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Again, the viewpoint rules apply. When writing in
the 3<sup>rd</sup> Person (and 1<sup>st</sup> Person) you can only know what’s
going on in this character’s head. Your protagonist might surmise or guess what
other characters are thinking and feeling but won’t know for sure. So, don’t go
jumping into other character’s heads (head hopping).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Today’s Exercises:</span></b></h4>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__1014_1759526525"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__161_1458522031"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__2377_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__934_359285143"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__834_1085002945"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__813_705866054"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__770_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__836_1085002945"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__2379_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__163_1458522031"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__815_705866054"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__772_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__936_359285143"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__1016_1759526525"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__2387_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__171_1458522031"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__823_705866054"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__1024_1759526525"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__944_359285143"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__844_1085002945"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__780_922623623"></a><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Practice writing in the 1<sup>st</sup>
Person, as if the protagonist is the ‘I’ / ‘Me’ character. Write a short scene,
perhaps showing the character running for a bus or train or walking through the
park. Keep it simple as the emphasis is on getting the viewpoint of the 1<sup>st</sup>
Person correct. You will also need to decide whether you’re writing in the
Present Tense or Past Tense. See what feels most natural to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Write another scene in the 3<sup>rd</sup>
Person, so the protagonist is referred to by name or he/she, his/her,
theirs/they etc. Again, you will need to decide whether to write in the Present
Tense or Past Tense. Your choice. </span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<h4 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Tomorrow: Writing realistic
dialogue</span></b></h4>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Thanks to Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the photograph.</i></span></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-48935634844019589452020-04-08T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-08T07:00:06.187+01:00The Plot Thickens<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBLR5F9Oxq6KejbcxhyJEROXNqnKpsttKeK1-BKHVHFZJvERI26AEhRmC0Jq0PeFlLGACO8oU8aJn3Eelkk6sNr4eus0QvvlEUmAGUfE2_mOiLH_OKMoL6pNTe0yHu5JNsfSKdyFUYXs/s1600/Little+Tyke+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="482" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBLR5F9Oxq6KejbcxhyJEROXNqnKpsttKeK1-BKHVHFZJvERI26AEhRmC0Jq0PeFlLGACO8oU8aJn3Eelkk6sNr4eus0QvvlEUmAGUfE2_mOiLH_OKMoL6pNTe0yHu5JNsfSKdyFUYXs/s320/Little+Tyke+logo.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some writers plot meticulously, others write ‘by the seat of their pants’
You may have heard the question: are you a plotter or pantzer? There isn’t a
right or wrong way when it comes to plotting. It’s whatever works for you – and
you might find you use a different approach depending on what you're writing. You will
no doubt find your own way of plotting, but if you’re looking for suggestions,
here’s a few:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Post-it
notes: different colours depicting different moods or characters.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> story board: sketch out your story.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">A</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> time-line: consider the time covered in your story, and plot hour by hour,
day by day, month by month, depending on the time you’re covering.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">A </span>numbered list: For example, 1-30. Gauge roughly where major and minor
events will come in this list. You will be constantly re-arranging, but
that’s a good thing.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none;">If you know the ending, try working backwards logically, scene by scene or
chapter by chapter.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Major scenes</b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While some lesser scenes can
simply be told through narrative so that the story moves forward at a good
pace, make sure you don’t move too swiftly through important scenes. They need
to be written in all their glory – through a key character’s viewpoint, so the
reader can experience the event as closely as the character does. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let readers experience all the emotion</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Emotion" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and drama</span></span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Drama" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;">;
let them hear the actual words being spoken, and not have the scene</span></span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>simply skipped over by a few narrated
sentences or they will feel cheated.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b>Character led stories v plot led stories</b></h3>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Whatever story you’re
writing, it’s all about the characters. If you deliberately plot a story where
things happen to that character, it can come across as contrived or forced. Far
better if you create really believable characters with personality, background,
ideals, dreams, and so on, and allow the story to develop naturally around what
they get up to. Your story then becomes character led rather than plot led.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b>Twists and turns</b></h3>
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">You do need to constantly
surprise the reader, make sure they can’t see what’s coming. One way of doing
this is to free write. If you don’t know what’s coming next neither will the
reader. You might find that when you start out on a new story you do free write
to begin with, mainly because you’re excited about the great idea you’ve had and can't wait to get going. Then very often, you get so far by free writing before coming to a grinding halt. That is the time to
start to plot and work out the route you’re taking.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">You can keep surprising the
reader by making your protagonist </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">unconventional
in some way, so they don’t behave how you might expect them to. Or set your
story in an unusual environment – somewhere that’s not commonplace. Then,
whatever you write, it won’t be common knowledge to others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Perhaps your character works in an unusual
trade. It might take additional research, but it will make your story more
unique. Or your character’s goal is something out of the ordinary. So, why not
have a romance blossoming on a trek through the Tianzi mountain? Or a thriller
set in the</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> ancient ruins of Hierapolis?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Should you happen to create something that
turns out to be obvious, edit your work and change things around. When I was
writing my first children’s book, <i>Cry Danger</i>, I’d practically finished
it when I realised that when my villain was revealed there would be no
surprises. We knew it was<i> him</i> all along. So, after a re-think, I
realised it would come as a huge surprise if the villain turned out to be
someone else – someone who had seemed so nice and innocent all the way through.
Of course, then I had to go back to chapter one and work my way through the
book, sowing the seeds, writing in those subtle hints and clues so that when
the truth was revealed it was a big surprise to everyone – but totally plausible.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There’s
no right or wrong way to plot and plan, we all develop our own ways. Personally,
I tend to think in scenes</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rather than
chapters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Chapters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">. I try to think what needs to be achieved in that
particular scene, making it almost a mini story in every scene – but they need
to link together and flow nicely. Take each scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>slowly, look to
the detail. Bring each scene to life with colour and emotion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b>Chapter by chapter</b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you’re writing a book, at the start of each new
chapter establish where we are. If your book has more than one viewpoint
character, establish whose head we are in. Start and end chapters in a logical
place, or at a point where the reader needs to be left dangling. Cliff-hangers
make the reader read on. Don’t give the reader an opportunity to put the book
down. Keep them desperate to know what happens next.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Pace</b></h3>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__1028_1759526525"></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Make it a roller coaster of a
ride. Imagine if you were on a fairground ride and it started at the highest</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, fastest most terrifying moment. The rest of the ride
would be something of an anti-climax. So, give your story a dramatic start by
all means, but it should not be the most dramatic moment of the whole story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Be aware
too, that while a story needs drama</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Drama" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, action and emotional highs and lows, it does not want
to be high drama</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Drama" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>throughout. Give
your story a mix of quieter, slower, more relaxed scenes</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– although never
boring and always moving forward, rising gradually to a crescendo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Hold the reader’s attention</b></h3>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Keep</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> readers
interested not only by the events happening to your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– and your characters</span></span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;">’
reaction to events, but in the way you write these incidents. Look to the
opposite ends of the scale. For example, high drama</span></span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Drama" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>incidents hit harder if the scene</span></span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>before is of a slower more relaxed nature. If
you are revealing </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">betrayal it will be more acute if the reader
has witnessed a previous scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of total trust.
If there is a scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-bidi-font-family:"Lohit Hindi";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of joy it will be
more joyful if the reader has coped with the character’s sorrow beforehand. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If your
character is about to step into danger, then the lead up could lull the reader
into thinking they were safe. Think ‘calm before the storm’ scenarios.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span><b>Vary your sentences</b></h3>
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__201_1458522031"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Vary their structure</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
length and even the choice of words, so that it might be read with a feeling of
calm, or a feeling of rising tension</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
Longer words and sentences and descriptive passages will give a more leisurely
relaxed sense of being. Short, sharp words and sentences will give the opposite
effect. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you can pace your story and mix in
unexpected twists and turns, then like a roller coaster ride, your readers will
cling on breathlessly to the very end.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s
exercise:</span></b></h3>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you
did yesterday’s exercise, creating a very broad outline of a beginning, middle
and end to a story, now expand that plot. Try making a list of 1-30, and jot in
an idea of an event or something happening for each stage. Don’t be afraid to
shuffle these points around as a story starts to emerge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow: Some English grammar.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">For more writing advice and tips, read: <a href="https://amzn.to/3487fws">Become a Writer - a step by step guide</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you Rob Tysall of Tysall's Photography for the image.</span></i></span></div>
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<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-84388419996619690262020-04-07T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-07T07:00:05.969+01:00Stories need structure<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KP3bgx5K1-b0uyyeRhbwotNfKsSk6Jx839vVnfBgvPfxohbr_YJrsCeQDRquKx5dg85ozJLs9jyjbrtK_OhYbOMZR__kFQL7-q-9cxItmXMAfxBrCWTjdloh8A7zyPNyngRBLPzkrjw/s1600/Structure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="1000" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KP3bgx5K1-b0uyyeRhbwotNfKsSk6Jx839vVnfBgvPfxohbr_YJrsCeQDRquKx5dg85ozJLs9jyjbrtK_OhYbOMZR__kFQL7-q-9cxItmXMAfxBrCWTjdloh8A7zyPNyngRBLPzkrjw/s320/Structure.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0cm;">Whatever you create and build, it needs structure. Take a
building for example. To start with it needs </span><span style="color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0cm;">solid foundations, then comes a sturdy
framework around which is attached the fabric of the building. Next
comes the décor – the flare of the designer to make that building the best it
can be. So your stories need structure too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Change the metaphor to making a cake. The solid foundation is the cook’s
knowledge of cookery, of how to follow a recipe, of knowing how ingredients
react with one another, of knowing when that cake needs to go in and come out
of the oven. The framework is the
ingredients and how they combine together. The decoration is the special touches that make the cake perfect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s the same when writing a story. Those solid foundations are your skills
as a writer – the knowledge that you’ve learnt so far. The framework is the
many different aspect to a story: characters, setting, viewpoint, plot,
conflict, dialogue, narrative, tense, theme, editing and presentation. The
décor is your personal style and flair;
your descriptions; the depth of the emotion woven into the story; the realism
of your characters; it’s how effective you are in building tension and
atmosphere; it’s those unexpected twists and turns in the plot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Your story isn’t just a jumble of words, it’s a logical sequence of events
that take the reader from the beginning to the end with increasing conflict</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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"Conflict" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, tension</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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"Tension" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> and interest along the way. Your story
structure may be vague or highly detailed, or somewhere in between. Think of it
as a guideline that you can follow or veer away from, as you choose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Don’t worry that plotting and structuring will
hinder your creative streak or stop the characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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"Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> from developing. Structure</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
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"Structure" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> is not carved in stone, you can change things
at any time. It is merely a guide, so you don’t get lost and helps to avoid
writing yourself into a dead end. And best of all, if you can see a vague
outline of your story, especially for a book or serial, it’s not quite such a
daunting prospect to get from start to finish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Planning your story</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0cm;">Take it back to basics – the 3-Act Structure, that is the beginning, the
middle and the end. The structure of the plot might be referred to as the story
arc. The internet has lots of diagrams that help you think about the shape of
your story. You may find them useful – or you may not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Basically, the story arc is the narrative of your story, showing the
development of characters and plot, the rising and falling of character’s
emotions; the rising and falling of the drama, with everything leading up to
the climax of the story – make or break time. Then comes the resolution, the
results of what becomes of the characters after the climax, the d</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">é</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">nouement, the final act that
shows how the character has evolved and grown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Beginning</span></h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__179_1458522031"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I always find it best to start the story where
there is a change to your protagonist’s routine, something different is
happening in their life. It could be creating a problem or it could be the
opposite.</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Conflict" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> You could start with an interesting line of
dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> or some narrative. Whatever those first lines
are, make them hook the reader for some reason and make them want to read on.</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Narrative" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> If your beginning is flat and dull don’t go thinking that’s
okay because it really livens up on page ten because your reader may never get
that far.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here’s a few examples of opening lines to some of
my books: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Without a doubt, Philippe Beaulieu was as
magnificent as the pictures he painted. </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">(Champagne Harvest)<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">‘<i>Hexe!’ The word rippled around the chamber
softly, barely audible, like a breath of wind.</i> (The Bitter End) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The fog came down before midnight.</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (Kill or Die)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Karbel’s yellow eyes sparkled as a shaft of
sunlight glanced off the rock.</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (The Beast)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__193_1458522031"></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">That opening scene is<b> </b>so</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> important</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">. It is where you will interest a reader or
editor</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Editors" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, or lose them forever. So,
make those opening sentences as alluring as possible. Don’t try to explain
everything at once or even establish the logic behind the words. All can become
clear later, once you’ve got the reader on board.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">At the beginning of your story you introduce your
main character, you set the scene, and establish the conflict – or at least
hint at it. It helps if your protagonist has a goal – something they are
desperate to achieve. Make sure this is something worth struggling for – and
that applies whether you’re writing a book for a toddler, or a hard-nosed
detective story. It’s just as vital for a two-year-old to find her lost teddy,
as it is for the serial killer to be apprehended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Middle</span></h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__183_1458522031"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">At this stage you probably don’t have all the
events and action sorted in your head. These will come gradually as characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> interact with one another. However, there may
be key incidents that you know should occur, so you could jot these down as
bullet points in your story outline. You may also want to introduce other
threads or sub plots into your story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">You will certainly want to make the problems for
your protagonist worsen. Incidents will undoubtedly occur to you as your
characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> develop. Note these points down so you can see
the shape of your story. Make sure your character’s</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> problems are not resolved too early and the
pace of the story is progressing nicely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I tend to think in scenes, with each scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE "Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> carrying the story forward and character’s
problems growing more difficult all the time. One problem or dilemma should
lead to another on the journey towards the climax and ultimate conclusion to
your story. Basically, give your character a hard time and don’t let them get
out of trouble too easily.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The End</span></h4>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__185_1458522031"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">You may or may not know how your story will end,
but you can remind yourself here to tie up all loose ends of your storylines
and sub plots – before the climax of the story. The climax of the story should
be the most dramatic of scenes</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, so don’t risk diluting the
main action by tying up the loose ends at that point. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The climax is where your protagonist wins or loses,
achieves his goal or fails. At the crucial black spot of the story, let him or
her win or lose through their own actions or decisions – don’t bring in the
cavalry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__187_1458522031"></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">This will be the most intense struggle your character has yet had to face.
This is the point where you really want your readers to be rooting for your
protagonist. Should they fail, at least let them have learnt something
important along the way. Give some ray of hope even to the saddest of endings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 4.0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; page-break-after: avoid; tab-stops: list 0cm; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Endings to avoid</span></h3>
</div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do not cheat your reader by some surprise
twist that is not in the least believable such as a mistake or misunderstanding
that could have been sorted out at any time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do not cheat your reader by the
introduction of some character or random incident/coincidence that has not been
part of your story throughout.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do not leave the reader dangling in the
air with unanswered questions. Unless of course, that’s your intention with a
sequel waiting in the wings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And please do not let your character
suddenly realise it had all been a dream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b style="text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s
exercise:</span></b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Your
character is on a mission! Determined to do something but things go wrong. Try
and devise a plot, with a beginning, middle and end that sees that character
facing those problems and achieving their goal, but only after a lot of
difficulty. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Let one obstacle cause inner conflict in the
character, that is, they are struggling against a personal trait or belief of
theirs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tomorrow: The plot
thickens.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 107%;"><i>Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the photograph.</i></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Read all of my writing tips in Become a Writer, a step by step guide. </span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>https://amzn.to/3487fws</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_RKeH-7ZCRx2mUda-7r8_hMoBwcnew814thHDnC0oEwCFnTaEtZe_KJEoLTU3O4K1MpMQBcW-PDdHBGsrmhtNpPo6XQnYGC1E0UwmmsJvdtw_tPjcVOGw-VrabsDDkZFO0eTG68-Ctc/s1600/Become+a+writer+new_tn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_RKeH-7ZCRx2mUda-7r8_hMoBwcnew814thHDnC0oEwCFnTaEtZe_KJEoLTU3O4K1MpMQBcW-PDdHBGsrmhtNpPo6XQnYGC1E0UwmmsJvdtw_tPjcVOGw-VrabsDDkZFO0eTG68-Ctc/s320/Become+a+writer+new_tn.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-874658800676795012020-04-06T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-06T07:00:00.876+01:00Making an impression<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_JLHPmT59BabkvzhpyGvkD7D3jj91WuRAxZe-nJUFwtUtRlwYO6brfnVy94Ssgt-QrB_xgCZKUmAhrFg9k4CBpZpVQ5RKxFEWR1vaU0_M02oKvmHmgX4mIte23ooUNiwzrhqlpRRpw4/s1600/Pic+3.+The+Einstein+Hollow+Face+Illusion+by+Bryan+Parkes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1223" data-original-width="689" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_JLHPmT59BabkvzhpyGvkD7D3jj91WuRAxZe-nJUFwtUtRlwYO6brfnVy94Ssgt-QrB_xgCZKUmAhrFg9k4CBpZpVQ5RKxFEWR1vaU0_M02oKvmHmgX4mIte23ooUNiwzrhqlpRRpw4/s320/Pic+3.+The+Einstein+Hollow+Face+Illusion+by+Bryan+Parkes.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-outline-level: 2; mso-pagination: none; page-break-after: avoid; tab-stops: list 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__988_1759526525"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__787_705866054"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__2351_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__744_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__808_1085002945"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__135_1458522031"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__908_359285143"></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As in real life, first impressions count, so
aim to create a clear picture when you first introduce a character into your
story. I’m not suggesting you write a large chunk of description that would
only slow the story down. But try to get across an image of that character for
the reader to instantly form a picture and an opinion. Be sure your character
is making an impression. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">You don’t have to tell the reader everything
about your character – and certainly not all in one go. But it is important
when you first introduce a character that you reveal in some way the most
important aspect of their appearance early on. For instance, if you don’t
reveal that the hero has a long black beard until chapter eight when the
heroine gets her engagement ring tangled in it, will completely throw the
reader. Provide enough description for the reader to form an accurate picture
in their mind rather than an incorrect impression. Then add to this as the
story progresses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">By having your character <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">doing</i> something as you introduce them
will allow you to convey something of their appearance, their personality and
their mood. It may even hint at the conflict to come. Showing your character
doing something will conjure up a picture for the reader to hang on to. Be
aware that the way a character walks and moves says a lot about them – and
remember that a character’s current mood will affect their mannerisms and
conduct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Think to yourself what this character was
doing immediately before you introduce them onto the page. Characters have
backgrounds, and unless your character has just been beamed down from the
ether, he or she will have been doing something just before you brought them <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">into your story. Whatever they were doing,
thinking and feeling will affect their mood right at that moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Last
impressions - killing your darlings.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">W</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">e writers are
a funny bunch – we slave blood, sweat and tears to create the most realistic,
unique, interesting and memorable characters and then, very often, we dispose
of them in the most tragic of circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even when
we’re not killing off our darlings, we’re putting them through the most
traumatic of situations, heaping troubles and burdens on their paper-thin
shoulders and pushing them to the limits of endurance. And I thought writers
were such nice people!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But it has to
be done. If you’re going to create a story that will grip the reader, then you
must create characters which evoke some sort of emotion in the reader. It
doesn’t necessarily mean you have to make the reader like your character. It’s
perfectly fine to make the reader hate the character, or be infuriated with
them, or pity them, or any other emotion. So long as the reader feels <i>something</i>
towards them. The thing you don’t want is for the reader not to care. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Writing a death scene</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, when the
time comes in your story where one of your characters must come to a sticky
end, what do you need to do, to make sure you write the death scene to the best
of your ability?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here’s a few
points worth remembering:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #181818; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Make sure you’re
created a character that the reader is interested in. Let them have a
backstory, a personality; work to achieve the emotional response in the
reader that you intend. So, when they pop their clogs it will mean
something to the reader – sadness, glee, satisfaction, shock. It will all
depend upon how you’ve portrayed that character.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; color: #181818; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Likewise, if you’re getting rid of a villain
or an unpleasant character, you will want the reader to feel some
satisfaction that they’ve got what they deserve. Or maybe you’ll create a
bit of a twist by making the reader feel sorry for them in some way at the
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could do this by letting
your narrative link into some poignant aspect of the character’s life as
they die, so that it touches the reader in some way – even with the most
villainous of characters. Having a little bit of heart or humility or fear
in their final seconds can leave a lasting impression on the reader.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #181818; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Producing the
unexpected is always good. If it’s to be a sudden ending, then make it
have great impact by your phrasing. Surprise or shock the reader by the
turn of events. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #181818; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Remember to be tasteful. Don’t go overboard
with the gore and blood or it might seem gratuitous – there purely for the
shock value. You can create a better effect by looking at the emotional
side of things rather than the physical.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #181818; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s important to show
what effect the death of this character has on other characters,
especially your protagonist. If you’ve done your job right, the reader and
your protagonist should be experience similar feelings about this
character’s demise.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As writers
we draw on our own experiences whenever we write, so make sure you have some
way of lifting your mood again after writing a particularly draining scene. You
probably need to choose your time for writing a harrowing part of your story.
And don’t forget it’s just a story and as writers that’s our job as Stephen
King says, to <i>kill your darlings.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s
exercise:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Write an opening scene which introduces your character and provides some sort
of first impression about them. Give something of their appearance, their mood
and their intention at that moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Have a go
at writing a death scene. You might find you can adapt it in a future story, or
not. But have a go at killing off one of your characters. Aim to create some
sort of emotional response in your readers. Ideally, it should bring tears to <i>your
</i>eyes as you write it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow: Story structure,
plotting and planning.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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</span>
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<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-7176712517177694712020-04-05T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-05T07:00:05.900+01:00Character motivation<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YNlHG7hPucMnMirWWgexqSUrT0j3ze9P_anE8KrOjCOCtTVWuh7Wg_Stsnyn3iOY2IIZ1ocnuhU91wFmt5LU-4Gi-j4zsbN10J7Aig26CL2tbq1kaecnIkpwpRlRXFEJtofmYxY3mp4/s1600/Pic+2.+Man+as+Machine+by+Jim+Dixon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="1000" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YNlHG7hPucMnMirWWgexqSUrT0j3ze9P_anE8KrOjCOCtTVWuh7Wg_Stsnyn3iOY2IIZ1ocnuhU91wFmt5LU-4Gi-j4zsbN10J7Aig26CL2tbq1kaecnIkpwpRlRXFEJtofmYxY3mp4/s320/Pic+2.+Man+as+Machine+by+Jim+Dixon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“What’s
my motivation, darling?” said the actor to the director. The actor given the
part, wants to know the back story; what’s been going on; what their
character’s aims, intentions and ambitions are. What the character motivation is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The reason the actor needs to
know is so they can portray that character with real depth and meaning. As
writers, we are the directors of our stories. And it’s important that we know
the motivation behind every single character – whether they have a walk on
part, or the starring role. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">If you aren’t clear on each character’s
motivation, then your reader won’t be either. Without motivation, your
characters could be inconsistent in their behaviour and attitude. A clear
motivation will make them a stronger, more believable character. They know
exactly what they want and are determined to achieve it. When you have two
characters strongly motivated, that’s when conflict occurs, and your story
becomes character led rather than plot led. Give your character a strong,
realistic motivation and your reader will understand them, even if they don’t
empathise with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">What's happening in your characters' lives?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Every character in your story should be
feeling motivated in some way. The fact that you have created them and given
them a role in your story, means that they have a background, family, friends,
dreams. Maybe their motivation is just to get on with their job at this point
in your story when they come into contact with your protagonist. Maybe they are
reacting to something that’s happened in their lives, and it might impact on
your character. Only you can decide. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Your characters’ motivations will reveal a lot
about them such as their moral standards, their beliefs, their values, their
strengths and weaknesses, as well as their hopes, dreams and fears. Every
single character in your story has a reason for doing what they do. Take time
to examine their personalities and circumstances – and get them motivated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Naming your characters</span></h3>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk18056027"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Finding </span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">the right name for
your characters</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is important, and you’ll know from your own
experience that different names conjure up different images. If you’re one of
those writers who can’t continue until they have the right name for their
characters, could I suggest you try and put this aside; give them a temporary
name rather than let it stop you from progressing.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Remember that names can be lengthened or
shortened, which is worth thinking about, as this can show the mood of other
characters or reflect the atmosphere</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Atmosphere" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by the way one character addresses another. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Although the popularity of names can
indicate the timeline, the era, social class and a lot more, names do come
around in circles, but beware of modern names. Be sure the name would have been
around when your character was born.</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Children - writing for:Age Range" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The internet will
provide you with most popular names for all years and all nationalities if you
need help</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Names may also affect the personality of
your character. Would you give a weak sounding name to your strongest
character? Would you give the best name you’ve thought up to a minor character?
Think of surnames too. A character might get called by their surname by one
character, and something entirely different by another. Calling someone by
their surname can alter the mood of a scene. And don’t forget nicknames – and
the reasons behind them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Avoid making your character’s names sound
too similar to each other. Create contrasts to avoid confusion. It’s so
distracting to be reading a story and having to revert back to see who Amy and
Abby were, or Jake and John and so on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">When thinking of a character’s first and
last names, you might want to contrast them too. Perhaps if you have got a
flamboyant first name, let the surname be plainer – and vice versa. But on the
other hand, two plain names may sit nicely together and instantly conjure up
what that character is like or looks like. Similarly, two flamboyant names
together may work well. The choice is entirely yours so give plenty of thought
to your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">’ names before you christen
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s
Exercise: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
you were to start a story around one of your characters, what would their main
drive be for that day or that moment in time when the story opens? Get writing
and see where it leads you. Do the same with an opposing
character that you’ve created. You might have the ingredients for a good story.</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Create
a brand-new character, give them a name and a nickname. Next write a scene
which indicates the reasons behind the nickname.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now
write an opening scene where that character is determined to do something – for
good reason, then allow something to get in their way and cause them a problem.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Tomorrow:
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First impressions – and last
impressions.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
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<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-61720364845119570532020-04-04T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-04T07:00:00.648+01:00Nobody’s perfect – especially your characters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nobody’s perfect – although I’m sure a few
people will disagree. But at least when you’re writing fiction, you don’t want
perfect characters. It’s often the flaws and the imperfections that make our
characters unique and interesting. Also, perfect characters aren’t likely to
get themselves into situations that are worth reading about. However, you’re
trying to create characters who the reader will empathise with, and not find
annoying or pathetic. It’s a fine balance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are so many personality flaws that our
characters <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could </i>suffer from, so
spend time considering the complexities of their personalities. Obviously,
there are some that certainly would never fit into your ‘hero’ category. For
example: being cruel to animals, old folk and children; or being a bully. Save
those traits for your villains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">By giving your character flaws and weaknesses
– and you as the writer <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">knowing</i> how
these have come about, you will create believable, interesting characters. It’s
that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">knowing</i> on your part that will
make a difference. Spend time creating the back story of your characters, and make sure you don't just tell the reader that hard guy, Jim, is a real softy at heart; or Sarah is totally impatient. You need to write scenes where these traits are revealed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While we need characters to ‘stay in
character’, they can be contradictory in their behaviour if the right
circumstances come about. Also, people behave differently depending on who they
are with or talking to. If this is happening in your story you need to be consistent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, your protagonist has flaws and weaknesses.
If you plan on bringing them to the fore at some major turning point in your
story, it might just seem that they are acting out of character, which the
reader won’t appreciate. It's odd, as people can behave out of character in real life and get away with it, but do this in a story, and it probably won't work. So, if you need a character to act 'out of character' at some point, then the solution would be to hint at any such flaws in their character before they
appear. Be subtle in your handling of this as you don’t want to alienate the
reader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For example, showing your protagonist with a
furious temper could turn some readers instantly off. Unless of course you show
it when he or she is angry about someone being treated unjustly or unfairly. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jealousy isn’t an attractive trait, but your
protagonist ‘beating themselves up’ about feeling ridiculously jealous, as they
try not to be, reveals their flaw but could also be endearing to the reader.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then, there’s the baddies and villains of your
story, who you want the reader to feel strongly about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reveal their unpleasant traits in whatever
way you find effective. No need to show them in a good light. Just be sure to
show them in their true light. Let the reader see how they are behaving and
make up their own mind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When creating an unpleasant character, have
them behaving in ways that will get some sort of emotional response from your
reader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last thing you want is the
reader shrugging their shoulders having no interest in them at all. Make the
reader so irate that they must keep reading in the hope that the ‘baddie’ gets
what’s coming to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In my book <i>Kill or Die</i>, there are two ‘villains’
both are pretty repulsive, but my aim was to evoke two different emotional responses
from readers. One character is utterly merciless, cold hearted and frightening. I didn't want the reader to have any sympathy with him. While the
other does get the reader’s sympathy despite being pretty nasty. It was fun finding
ways to do this. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, enjoy weaving flaws and weaknesses into your character's personalities. It all helps to ensure your characters are complex and interesting enough to keep the reader
right there – reading. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s Exercise:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Spend some time creating a character who could
potentially be in conflict with your first character. Give them different
goals, ambitions and moral values. Make sure their background accounts for the
flaws or negative values in their makeup. You might find it helps to write
scenes from their past that made them the way they are today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow:
Character motivation<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-22796913182597050242020-04-03T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-03T07:00:03.654+01:00Getting the reader to care about your characters<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZ_tsHYa6BfJOlEckLw026oodKJzaat6MKNLi1jQw8RcgIWcj1QSzm2h1uraIbuw-D35nObeA9AuVGwkrmuDT7GA6P1MyVEUAC_NnplvKlNdZB-_Z0-TGweIvKZP68xyKbJxlV1LMosA/s1600/Readers+care+about+characters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1338" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZ_tsHYa6BfJOlEckLw026oodKJzaat6MKNLi1jQw8RcgIWcj1QSzm2h1uraIbuw-D35nObeA9AuVGwkrmuDT7GA6P1MyVEUAC_NnplvKlNdZB-_Z0-TGweIvKZP68xyKbJxlV1LMosA/s320/Readers+care+about+characters.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">It's so important that the reader cares about your characters. If they don't care, they aren't likely to read on. So, for readers to care, <i>you</i> must care about the characters you create. You have to believe in them and be intensely involved with them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">To be honest, this rapport with your
characters isn’t an immediate thing. Usually this bond develops as you write,
as those characters start talking in the dialogue and reacting in the narrative
– when they start thinking and acting for themselves. Often, it’s only as you
get into the story that their true personalities emerge, and sometimes in ways
that surprise you.</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Perhaps you’ll
discover their changing moods, their fears, their humour – or lack of it, what
spurs them on, what they love and what they can’t stand. Often you will
discover skills that you never knew they had – yet turn out to be important
later in the story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">On the other hand, as you get well into the
story, you might realise that certain aspects are missing. Then it’s a case of
going back to the beginning and blending in the important details you need for
later. But that’s the great thing about writing, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">you
aren’t writing in stone. You can go back over those early parts of the story
and re-write, once you know your characters better.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">As well as knowing your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">, you also need to
understand them. It is not enough to have characters simply disliking one
another, there has to be a reason behind this. Similarly, don’t expect the reader
to believe two characters are in love, or falling in love just because you say
so. This must come across through their interaction, thoughts, dialogue and
emotions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">A fun way of really getting to know your
characters, is to make a list of random questions to ask your character. For
example, what do they keep hidden in the box at the bottom of their wardrobe?
When did they last cry? When did they last laugh? What secret do they hope
never comes out? Their answers will surprise you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Probably only a fraction of your character
sketches and traits will come to light in your story, but if you know all this
and more, your character will be real to you, true to themselves and believable
to the reader. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Spending time on creating well rounded
characters with personality all add up to making the reader care about them.
And if they care, they will read on, wanting to know what’s going to happen.
The last thing you want is for your readers not to care what happens to your
characters. You want some emotional response from the reader. They don’t
necessarily have to love your characters – you might actually want them to hate your
character. That’s great. But what you don’t want is some mediocre emotion where
the reader couldn’t care less one way or the other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk18064916"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc1340449"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__2353_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__990_1759526525"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__746_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__137_1458522031"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__910_359285143"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__810_1085002945"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__789_705866054"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__2355_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__791_705866054"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__992_1759526525"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__812_1085002945"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__748_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__912_359285143"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__139_1458522031"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__814_1085002945"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__2357_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__141_1458522031"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__750_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__994_1759526525"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__914_359285143"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__793_705866054"></a><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Visualise your character</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">s<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Before you can write anything, you need to
see your character in your mind’s eye, even if it is just a vague image to
begin with. Once you start to write about him or her, they will become much
clearer to you. Gradually, as you get to know their background, their skills,
their personalities, their fears, their dreams and so on, they will start to
become real. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">As you start to colour in your sketchy
outline and fill in the blanks, your character will become a living, breathing
person with a mind and opinions of their own and with a background and a life
that involves others. It’s worthwhile to spend time writing a character sketch
for each of your characters. This would be just for your own reference, don’t
even try to include all these points in your story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Appearance:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Gender, age</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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"Children - writing for:Age Range" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">,</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> height, shape, colouring, hair style, nationality, clothing; mannerisms,
gait, habits. The way they speak and move. What’s their own opinion on how they
look? Do they see themselves as others see them?<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Normal life:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Where they live;
marital status, their work; education; birth date, star sign, intelligence;
financial situation; hobbies and interests; family circle; friends;
relationships; enemies; skills; fears and phobias; favourite things; likes and
dislikes; aim in life.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Personality: </span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here’s a few traits to consider:</span><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shy, outgoing,
talkative, quiet, moody, cheerful, optimistic, pessimistic, depressive,
revengeful, timid, thoughtful, thoughtless, kind, unkind; forgiving,
unforgiving, sense of humour; calm, easily angered. What’s their opinion on
political issues, religion and topical issues? <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Background:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Past experiences
shape a personality, just as their current situation affects their moods and
behaviour. Make sure your characters have solid backgrounds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s
Exercise<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Working
from the character you started to develop yesterday, now do a full character
sketch covering everything mentioned here.
And if you find yourself going off at a tangent as certain traits take
on a life of their own, then go with it, and see where your imagination leads
you. You might surprise yourself by writing entire scenes that you might use
in a later story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow: Don't make those characters too perfect.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the photos.</i></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" /></span>Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-24987221302876606262020-04-02T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-02T07:00:06.299+01:00Bring in your characters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWicuWaP9p2R-xjIi9KqXDIEyR4MCYBusjJbtWnMsXaBFD1q8eYwpYGrQHAsQGBcnp04dFqCiBCA_p-lBtGfubgW92gW4dPqzEsbnRv15NaIzkxegqojE09HBenSHHuMu6aWjBSFCgkQ/s1600/Fantast+character.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1478" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWicuWaP9p2R-xjIi9KqXDIEyR4MCYBusjJbtWnMsXaBFD1q8eYwpYGrQHAsQGBcnp04dFqCiBCA_p-lBtGfubgW92gW4dPqzEsbnRv15NaIzkxegqojE09HBenSHHuMu6aWjBSFCgkQ/s320/Fantast+character.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Where do all those amazing characters that
we’ve met in stories come from?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do writers use people they know in real life,
or simply conjure characters</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>up from thin air? Ask any author how they
created their characters and you’ll get a multitude of answers. Often, the
author can’t say exactly where they came from. Some just seem to jump into the
author’s mind and demand to be written about. Other characters emerge more
slowly, as the author begins to write, discovering their personalities and
foibles gradually.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some characters appear speaking words,
acting out scenes and behaving in a way that the author has no control over. If
that happens to you, be grateful and get everything written down as quickly as
possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Or m</span>aybe you’ll find that you
create characters by writing a character description about them, covering their
appearance, personality, background and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When creating characters we automatically
draw on our own experiences and people we know or are acquainted with; even
strangers and passers-by in the street can often spark an idea for a character.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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But a<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> word of warning about basing a fictional
character too closely on a real person, as this might hold you back when it
comes to creating conflict for this character. You might not be able to take
things to the extreme if you’ve got for example, your grannie or best friend
at the back of your mind.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Also, no matter how well you think you know
someone, you can’t know their every thought, every action, every hope and dream.
And you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">need</i> to know all of these
things and more if your characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
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"Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
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mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are to appear real. It’s a similar situation
when writing in the first person, the ‘I’ character, really does need to be a
character in their own right and not actually yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Don’t be fooled into thinking that writing
in the first person is the simplest option because it’s<i> you.</i> If you’re
thinking of the character in your story as yourself, you aren’t likely to push
the boundaries beyond your own experiences, and that might not make for a great
story. After all, would you really want to put yourself through danger,
disaster and heartache as your protagonist will probably endure? Obviously,
draw on your own experiences, beliefs, emotions and so on, but let that
character have an independent existence and not be a reflection of you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Get inside your character’s
head<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Stories are all about characters. We create
them, give them lives and backgrounds, then place them in situations where they
find themselves in some sort of difficulty – emotional, physical or both. The
story then is how they react to the problems facing them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As writers, it’s our job to keep the reader
engaged as the character works through their problems. Somehow, we must make
that character interesting enough for the reader to care what becomes of them.
If your character is one-dimensional, wooden, or nothing but a caricature, then
the reader probably won’t be bothered one way or the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or if you as the writer haven’t allowed the
reader to really get to know the character, that won’t hit the mark either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So firstly, your characters need to be real
three-dimensional people who the reader – and you as the writer, really believe
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, and most importantly, you
need to write through your main character’s (your protagonist) viewpoint. That
is, writing as if you are that person. The world is perceived through <i>their</i>
eyes and emotions – not yours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As the writer, think of yourself as a
puppeteer. You’re sitting back in your chair pulling the strings at arms’
length. You create the characters and then set them free in this fictional
world which you’ve also created and see what happens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As the writer, you remain operating those
strings. If you let go, the characters and the story will collapse. It’s just
that you must stay well out of sight, so you’ve giving the illusion that the
characters are standing up for themselves. And wh</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">en it comes to the narrative, that is, where
you’re setting the scene, describe it in a way that’s in tune with the
atmosphere of the story, and the mood and emotions of the character at that
moment.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s Exercise<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Take a look back at the story ideas you’ve
already come up with. If you haven’t done this, read my blogs of 29<sup>th</sup> and 30th March for inspiration. See if you can come up with a story idea, even if it's just vague at the moment. Next, give some thought
as to who the main character would be in that story. Free write about this
character and see where your imagination takes you.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting the reader to care about your
characters.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the photos.</span></i><br />
<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-83694907257801745112020-04-01T07:00:00.000+01:002020-04-01T07:00:00.424+01:00Improving on your own unique style of writing<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It’s one thing to sit and silently
read your work to yourself, and another to read it out loud. Reading aloud
highlights awkward phrasing, superfluous words, boring or long-winded passages,
incorrect punctuation, mistakes with grammar, head hopping – and many other
errors and imperfections.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Always read your work aloud and listen to
the poetry or euphony of each sentence. Pause only where your punctuation
indicates it. If your sentences sound awkward or ugly, then re-write them, it
might only be a matter of a slight re-arrangement, or the addition or deletion
of a word or comma, but it may make all the difference to how your work sounds.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">In any piece of writing it’s important to
cut away any superfluous words and reading aloud will quickly let you know if
something is becoming tedious and needs to be made more succinct – <i>snappier</i>
in other words! Getting into the habit of reading your work aloud will certainly
improve your style.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Drawing on your own unique experiences<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">What helps to make our style unique is that we
all have different experiences in life and different opinions. As we write, we
draw on our experiences, weaving those memories and emotions into the thoughts
and actions of our characters – sometimes deliberately, sometimes
subconsciously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Our knowledge of the world and its inhabitants
reveals every possible human trait: anger, jealousy, love, hate, friendships,
betrayal and so on. What we haven’t experienced personally, we will have seen
on TV, read about in newspapers and witnessed through other people’s actions.
Our take on all these things can be portrayed through the way we write our
stories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">So, whatever your style, make sure you produce
smoothly written work, which is easy to read, without spelling and grammatical
errors. You can have metaphors and similes, if you wish – but as mentioned
earlier, make them <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your</i> unique
metaphors and similes, not old clich</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">é</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">d ones. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Your plotting has a lot to do with style too,
taking the reader on a journey with your characters, adjusting the pace so that
there is only enough let up for the reader to catch their breath before moving
on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Your style should feel natural to you, rather
than trying to emulate your favourite author. Your style shouldn’t come across
as trying to impress with the vocabulary you use. I’m not saying a thesaurus
doesn’t come in handy at times, but words searched for from a thesaurus rather
than taken from your own stock of words in your head, will probably stick out a
mile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">You style is in the dialogue and how you blend
dialogue with thoughts and narrative. And your descriptions – the length or
brevity you go to in the way you describe characters, places and mood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Remember, no one can create that style for
you. It’s individual – unique to you. And the more you write, the more your
style develops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc1340459"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Today’s Exercises:<o:p></o:p></span></b></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc1340459;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">If you did yesterday’s exercise, take another look at it
and read it aloud, or </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">select any piece of your writing. C<span style="color: black;">heck your punctuation</span></span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Punctuation"
</span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
see if you have created an easy to read passage. Read it aloud to yourself,
pausing <i>only</i> where you have put a punctuation</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Punctuation" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mark – not when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> need to take a breath. Listen to the poetry or euphony</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Euphony" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of each sentence and adjust so that each
sentence flows.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Here’s an opening line, see where it takes you: <i>I’ll never forget that
smile… </i></span>Write for 10 minutes, and then read it aloud as suggested above. Are you
pleased with the way your writing flows or could you improve upon it?</li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Tomorrow:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bring in your characters.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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</span></b>
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<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-3745664461734581672020-03-31T07:00:00.000+01:002020-03-31T07:00:06.335+01:00Developing your own unique style<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk35942276"></a><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn5UUj_2_FSZ8cgMaeZZi15-BorVvUC3sa4FWQBKCpexBLRqHEiSNb7L8jUuAfEA_j-QTnJtdgiiDoYSwdYifTjGvyvoFiAP89ryq3A_p1wsSxPsFQMigyi9jOGFIdbd3bnFjacZUdbM/s1600/medieval+writer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1200" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn5UUj_2_FSZ8cgMaeZZi15-BorVvUC3sa4FWQBKCpexBLRqHEiSNb7L8jUuAfEA_j-QTnJtdgiiDoYSwdYifTjGvyvoFiAP89ryq3A_p1wsSxPsFQMigyi9jOGFIdbd3bnFjacZUdbM/s320/medieval+writer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">If you look at the great writers of the
past, names which spring to mind might be William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens,
J.R.R.Tolkien, Jane Austen, Mark Twain, George Eliot or any of the other
classic writers from long ago. There is no doubt that these writers were great,
their work has withstood the test of time. But as they picked up their pens –
or quills in some cases, they probably never imagined their stories would still
be being read centuries on. I imagine, as they sat down to write they were
feeling just as apprehensive and uncertain about getting their thoughts and
ideas down on paper, as any novice or experienced writer of today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Of course, these days, with more opportunity
to know what’s going on in a writer’s head through social media, blogs,
articles etc., we learn that even the most famous, experienced writers have
their off days and writing hang-ups. Nevertheless, writers whose work we know
and admire have all persevered and eventually completed their work, surmounted
their difficulties and got it published. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Think about your favourite authors. If you
analysed why you enjoy their books so much, what would you say?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They
write a cracking good tale.</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
plot is always believable yet full of unexpected twists and turns.</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>seem like real people who you become involved
with.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Stories
are full of suspense</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
XE "Suspense" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, impossible to put down.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Their
writing is beautiful – simply a joy to read.</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Their
descriptions paint vivid scenes in your mind.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
stories are full of emotion</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Emotion" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, making you laugh and cry.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
stories are thought provoking.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Whatever it is about the way an author has
captured your interest, it is unlikely that you would say: “I liked this book
because it reminded me of a book by so-and-so.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Stories you enjoy have all been written in
that author’s own style, their own voice. They have written it in the way that
was natural to them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Reading is important to writers. Analysing
the way certain authors write their stories can be a useful lesson in
creativity, but to try and imitate their style is pointless. However, the
public could be waiting for <i>your</i> book or story, written as only <i>you</i>
can – in your own inimitable style.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">So, when considering your style don’t fret
because you’ll never be able to write like Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie,
Stephen King, J K Rowling or any other famous name – because no one expects you
to, and no one wants you to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your style
will come from you, and only you. It will be<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
your</i> unique style.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Publishers say they are looking for
originality – therefore <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> have what
they need. We are all unique in our own way. There is no one else quite like
you. No one thinks or acts or writes like you. So, if you write in your own
style, being true to yourself, that originality will shine through.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiGr4vagL5KU3978OwNikcPqJro4fAiLl2z09_HaunOah9fSDRi6IM55RTXNUXwrcuWcRypF7i12KsPD6iw6IgZdMEtlNo8CFFF5yUgRW7bWfUmFGjoAe7DynNkDtoqt3O7Zh_b_EGfM/s1600/Getting+down+to+some+writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1200" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiGr4vagL5KU3978OwNikcPqJro4fAiLl2z09_HaunOah9fSDRi6IM55RTXNUXwrcuWcRypF7i12KsPD6iw6IgZdMEtlNo8CFFF5yUgRW7bWfUmFGjoAe7DynNkDtoqt3O7Zh_b_EGfM/s320/Getting+down+to+some+writing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Improving your style</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">You won’t find your own style by thinking
about it too much – you find it by writing. The more you write, the more your
style will develop. You may not even notice that you have a particular style,
but others will. However, your style must constantly be worked at and improved
upon by learning the craft, writing and re-writing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">If your style is to simply write the first
thing that comes into your head and leave it that way, then it will be your own
style, but it probably won’t be anything special. Re-writing and editing your
work is as important as getting it down in the first place. If you don’t work
at getting the very best from your writing, then you aren’t being true to
yourself, and success will be a long time coming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">To write good fiction</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Fiction" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, it is essential to
understand basic grammar</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Grammar" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and punctuation</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Punctuation" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Reading your work
aloud will help you to identify any incorrect grammar</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Grammar" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> so that you can rectify it. </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Punctuation</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Incorrect punctuation</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Punctuation" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is annoying to readers and editors</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Editors" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> alike. Although a story should get a thorough
line-edit before being published, the writer should ensure their writing is up
to an acceptable standard in the first place. Don’t take it for granted that
someone else will correct your mistakes. Writing is a professional business, so
give yourself the very best chance by presenting your work as professionally as
possible. And that means getting your punctuation correct. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Also, remember that how you punctuate your
writing will </span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE "Punctuation" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">either make it flow
beautifully or not. It will either become a joy to read or a jerky,
uncomfortable experience for the reader. The correct punctuation will also
ensure you achieve the desired pace and mood that you want.</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Emotion" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"> Incorrect
punctuation can also change the meaning. These examples will make you smile:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">A woman
without her man is nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">A woman:
without her, man is nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">“Let’s
eat Grandpa!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">“Let’s eat,
Grandpa!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Be
particularly careful with </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">punctuation</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Punctuation" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> around dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Remember ALL
punctuation goes inside the speech marks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Are you sure about that?” he asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Yes, absolutely!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Hey, shouldn’t that be a capital <i>h</i>
on the word <i>he</i>? It does follow a question mark.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Nope! If you’re adding a speech tag it’s
lower case if following any punctuation mark except a full stop. If you end the
dialogue with a full stop, you wouldn’t add a speech tag. Your next piece of
narrative would start a new sentence with a capital letter.” With a sigh, she
read what she’d written and moved on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Paragraphs</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">There are no hard and fast rules as to the
length of a paragraph</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Paragraphs" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Basically, just as a
sentence centres around one statement, then a paragraph</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Paragraphs" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> elaborates on that idea. Once that has been
dealt with a new paragraph</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Paragraphs" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> begins. Of course, when writing fiction and
you have characters talking to one another, start a new paragraph every time
you write a new piece of dialogue from a different character. (More on dialogue
later).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Also, vary those paragraphs.</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Fiction" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> If your page is a continuation of short
paragraphs, it could become irritating to the reader. Or if it is one big chunk
of words without a break, it could become boring and unappealing to the eye. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Be aware that fiction is usually set out
differently to non-fiction. Study published fictional stories to see how new
paragraphs are usually indented.</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Clichés</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Be careful that familiar expressions and
clichés don’t creep into your narrative. Things like: <i>It was as black as
night; it was as old as the hills; she was no spring chicken.</i> If you find
yourself using expressions that you’re heard many times before, delete them and
come up with a new way of describing something. Your style will not benefit
from churning out old clichés. If you want to use similes and metaphors, create
your own </span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE "Clichés" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>XE "Clichés" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">unique ones.</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Adjectives</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Be careful with adjectives. Too many, too
frequently, can be irritating and seem amateurish – select them with care. Look
for ways of narrating your story without littering it with adjectives</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Adjectives" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">. T</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">he result will be far more alive and colourful than you would ever have
imagined.</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Adverbs</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">While you might think adding adverbs</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Adverbs" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to enhance your dialogue</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Dialogue" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> will improve your work, the opposite is often
the truth. Use adverbs sparingly. It’s too easy to add an adverb to a speech
tag, thinking you’re adding to the effect. But this could be making your work
appear amateurish. E.g. <i>John said happily; Mary answered angrily. </i>Let
the dialogue speak for itself without having to tell the reader how it was
said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Vocabulary</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">When looking for the correct word to use,
choose the most natural sounding word that comes instantly to mind. Avoid
searching for pompous or obscure alternatives – they won’t impress anyone.</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Dictionary" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> But on the other hand, if a long or obscure
word is the correct word to use in the circumstances, then use it with
confidence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Today’s Exercise<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Free write for the next five minutes, without
any pre-thought, on one of these topics: your pet; your job, your hobby; your
house or your garden. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read what you have just written and save for
future reference. Now re-write, looking to re-phrase or bring in more colour,
life and emotion. Having made a start, could you write more on the subject?
Keep writing and see where it leads you.</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tomorrow: More tips on improving your own
unique style of writing.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the photos.</i></span></span></div>
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
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<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-11809547194455813992020-03-30T07:00:00.000+01:002020-03-30T07:00:07.491+01:00Stories need conflict<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2S2GZd8HtrWOSo_LiUrQXdkg2tuAyh9PiHPFLk1t32h_6-hi5D-rnLB4nXp3wo3khWIv11FsRzPmkqnPC8jUyc0x-MA5hvfLkOl9PrPTo7cmmy6tfYIBHIqtTy1GzC9wz3Mgviox94Os/s1600/Pic+4+Let+battle+commence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="1000" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2S2GZd8HtrWOSo_LiUrQXdkg2tuAyh9PiHPFLk1t32h_6-hi5D-rnLB4nXp3wo3khWIv11FsRzPmkqnPC8jUyc0x-MA5hvfLkOl9PrPTo7cmmy6tfYIBHIqtTy1GzC9wz3Mgviox94Os/s320/Pic+4+Let+battle+commence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Your story needs conflict</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;">. If you don’t have conflict,
then you don’t have a story. There must be problems for the protagonist to
overcome. However, c</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">onflict does not mean all guns blazing and people at war with one another. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Conflict comes in all different forms. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Even the gentlest of stories needs conflict, including children’s
stories. Glance at picture books and you’ll find the main character is trying
to do or achieve something, even if it’s just a teddy looking for their lost
ear or a cute steam train that's come off its tracks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHAoYW91ZvvCGbtVWgVbqcfswFhGFHJpojxVISFyRdDs9-mwaVapOnVZe0aofsYfs6E6-5bzfFr4oU2sZCzbUVUf0KN-D7bMnVFKRHeepDfOpeTaSzWxWYfsL6sVK8ptE_adAKlWTp5o/s1600/Fun+and+learning+for+all+the+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="1000" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHAoYW91ZvvCGbtVWgVbqcfswFhGFHJpojxVISFyRdDs9-mwaVapOnVZe0aofsYfs6E6-5bzfFr4oU2sZCzbUVUf0KN-D7bMnVFKRHeepDfOpeTaSzWxWYfsL6sVK8ptE_adAKlWTp5o/s320/Fun+and+learning+for+all+the+family.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">There is inner and outer conflict – or emotional and physical. Inner (emotional)
comes from a character’s own moral standing, their beliefs, background,
upbringing, personality, etc.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> For example,
your main character could be doing battle with their conscience over something. The conflict may revolve around unrequited love, or a family dispute. Maybe your protagonist is anxious
about a forthcoming event. It’s those inner emotional traits that can cause
conflict inside the character, so they are fighting against themselves in a way.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Outer conflict (physical) comes from difficulties arising which are beyond
their control, such as other people, the weather, physical obstacles, health
issues, restrictions put down by others, the world around them. Everything and anything in fact that they can't control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Your
story <i>must</i> have conflict. Your protagonist’s difficulties are what keeps
the reader reading on. Combine emotional and physical conflict to make your
story even more compelling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Basically,
give your character problems to overcome and don’t let them resolve the
problems too easily. By the end of your story your character will either have
got to grips/overcome their problems – or not. But even if they haven’t, try
and end on a note of hope that at least they have learned something by the
experience. Don’t leave your reader feeling dissatisfied by the outcome. If
your story has a number of sub plots make sure these are all wrapped up. Avoid
leaving lose ends. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Two quick tips <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you’re stuck for a story idea, try this: Give your character a goal –
something they are trying to achieve. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Perhaps a new bride wants to cook a meal to impress her in-laws. Next, think of
obstacles to spoil her plans. Maybe the cooker breaks down, or she burns
everything, or she adds salt instead of sugar to the dessert. Thwart your character's plans and you have a story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another quick idea is to give your character a fear – something they really struggle to cope
with. Now create a situation where they have no choice but to face that fear.
How will they cope? As an example, let’s say your protagonist is new to the
area, but has been invited to a party with her child. They are both delighted –
the chance to make new friends. However, she has an irrational fear of clowns –
coulrophobia. And wouldn’t you know it, a clown has been booked as
entertainment for the kids. Does she face her fear or give in to it and pass up
the chance to make friends? Her phobia has far reaching consequences - and you
have a story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Simple ideas but with twists and surprises these basic scenarios can be
used time and again, and the stories made as in-depth as you wish. It’s just
that little spark you need to get going. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s exercises<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Choose
a place you know well, allocate a season of the year to it. Now place a
character into that setting. They are feeling one of these emotions: sorrow,
joy, fear or anger. Free write on this scenario, see if you can come up with
the reason the character is feeling that way. See the situation through the
character’s eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Write for
10 minutes on something that happened to you yesterday. After 10 minutes
introduce a fictional element to your story – something that takes the story
off into a new direction. See where you can go with this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow:</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Developing your own unique style</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the photos.</i></span></div>
<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252880911116777936.post-33176120295099784882020-03-29T08:43:00.000+01:002020-03-29T08:43:19.317+01:00Finding ideas for stories<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDse1HHmMKnIHvpSs_tWFnC9XN8UXUbjU8s9BtGyFQ1BWpbXIgvAuwxC_4qVp3r2LGnOQV1uaAV4b91CBXGZ6iNoRQeNMNLIJgtpyg2Vhm0XMkyy8G8UgE89dcsSU9TgKDbOXRC-xICo/s1600/Pic+8.+Halifax+Tableau+by+Frederick+Rowland+Emett+OBE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="1000" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDse1HHmMKnIHvpSs_tWFnC9XN8UXUbjU8s9BtGyFQ1BWpbXIgvAuwxC_4qVp3r2LGnOQV1uaAV4b91CBXGZ6iNoRQeNMNLIJgtpyg2Vhm0XMkyy8G8UgE89dcsSU9TgKDbOXRC-xICo/s320/Pic+8.+Halifax+Tableau+by+Frederick+Rowland+Emett+OBE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Before you can start writing a story you
need at least the spark of an idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
spark might come in the shape of a character, some real life happening, a
theme, an emotion, an overheard remark, a dream, a nightmare, an object, a
photograph – anything in fact. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For me, buildings very often spark an idea –
derelict buildings in particular seem to fire my imagination. At least two of
my 30 plus books were inspired by the crumbling ruins of abandoned, derelict
houses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">An old photo of Blackgang Chine on the Isle
of Wight of a house on a clifftop shortly before it crumbled into the sea
inspired my third children’s book, <i>Disaster Bay. </i>And a ramshackle old
house I used to drive past on the way to Leicester inspired the house where my
protagonist in <i>Kill or Die</i> gets held hostage.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anything can spark an
idea.</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Emotion" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trick is to catch hold of that spark and keep
hold until you can develop it into something more substantial.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__775_705866054"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__796_1085002945"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__123_1458522031"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__2339_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__732_922623623"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__896_359285143"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="__RefHeading__976_1759526525"></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Inspiration
very often comes when we aren’t looking for it. I</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">deas flit in and out of our heads at any
time of day or night. Make sure you have ideas notebooks dotted around your
home to write those ideas down before they are lost to you. Keep a box or
folder where you can store cuttings and photographs which might be used in some
way in your stories. And of course, have files and folders on your PC where
images of people and places can be stored for later use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Developing ideas<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk18052758"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It only ta</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">kes a spark of an idea to inspire you to write. But a spark is not a story,
so how do you expand a spark into a fully-fledged story? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We all work in different ways. An idea might develop and germinate in your
head over time. You might find it easier to get notes written down on paper or
computer, where you can expand on them and let the imagination take over. Perhaps
your idea is the ending. You visualize a scene</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Scenes" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>crammed full of action and emotion</span></span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Emotion" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;">, but you have no idea of the
events or characters</span></span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that have led up to this point. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">With luck your idea might unfold itself from start to finish with a logical
string of events and action that simply needs writing down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, (and most probably) it’s a
confusing jumble of images and thoughts with no clear path in sight at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So basically, you have a spark of an idea which will not be ignored. From
this point you need to expand on your idea. You need to develop a storyline and
to do this you need to create characters</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE
"Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;">. It may be that your
characters</span></span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Droid Sans Fallback";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:HI'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> XE "Characters" </span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
"Droid Sans Fallback";mso-font-kerning:.5pt;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-language:HI'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have introduced themselves to you in your head
already. Perhaps a character was the initial spark. Either way, spend time
thinking about them and getting to know them. (More on characters later.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Perhaps the setting for your story was your inspiration. If so, learn more
about this place, research and explore, gather photographs of it. It’s fine to
collect images from the internet for your own personal use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The spark for my ‘Beast trilogy’ (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Beast, The Reawakening </i>and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Rampage</i>)
came when holidaying in Scotland. Sunlight sparkling off the mountain tops kept
catching my eye making me think I could see something up there. But when I
looked, there was nothing. That was my<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>spark
of an idea which I began developing. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maybe
there is something up there, watching…<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJlIyoXOOhOY468JXaZpX633CEQHstWegNow2pmCeNfBOGwYj_9I10GI6HO5Kzt_hLHL5XsJWetF2ybx1KNTc72GuKf7wOCNDWLVgfduwJQ_DeyUofDZM6BTpD_qgAFIkUjH-YKGMZ_g/s1600/beast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="443" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJlIyoXOOhOY468JXaZpX633CEQHstWegNow2pmCeNfBOGwYj_9I10GI6HO5Kzt_hLHL5XsJWetF2ybx1KNTc72GuKf7wOCNDWLVgfduwJQ_DeyUofDZM6BTpD_qgAFIkUjH-YKGMZ_g/s320/beast.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In my head I came up with lots of ‘what ifs’. What if it’s a dangerous
animal living in the mountains? What if it’s growing angrier by the second and
decides to stalk some unsuspecting holidaymaker? What if… and so on. Once I had
decided there was definitely something up there in the mountains which was decidedly
dangerous, the actual revelation of what that creature/character was, came
about when I visited a little museum on that same holiday and saw the skull of
a sabre toothed tiger. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Development of the story was then well under way. The idea excited me, but, had I not held onto
the initial spark of the idea, these three books would never have been written.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, treasure those inspirational sparks and ideas, and store them safely
where they won’t get lost. Develop them into something special and enjoy the
process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s writing exercise<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Get yourself all set up
with an Ideas Notebook, or an Ideas Folder on your PC.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you’re buzzing with
ideas, get them written down – bullet point lists will do at this stage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you’re working
straight onto your computer and are on the internet, squirrel away any
photographs or images which have potential for story ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tomorrow: Stories need Conflict.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br />Ann Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09310566139408774783noreply@blogger.com0