Putting Fire in Your Fiction–Part III Tension
Posted on June 10, 2015 Leave a Comment
Tension drives fiction. “Conflict is story…What many do not grasp, though, including many published novelists, is that what keeps us turning hundreds of pages is not a central conflict, main problem or primary goal.” Although those are important, author Donald Maass says that “Keeping readers constantly in your grip comes from the steady application of something else altogether. Micro-tension.”
The Value of True Friendships–Part I
Posted on June 9, 2015 Leave a Comment
from Bet She’an, Israel
What are your friends like? Do they encourage you? Do they support you? Do they influence you in a positive way? Do they go out of their way to help you in time of need? Do they remember important events in your life? If you answered “yes” to these questions, even most of them, then you’ve got some true friendships.
Proverbs 18:24 “A man who has friends must himself be friendly. But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
New Book Review Up
Posted on June 8, 2015 Leave a Comment
I’ve just posted a book review of Tried & True under the Book Reviews tab. Check it out, and check out Mary’s book. You’ll like it.
I did. Very much. 4.75 stars.
Here’s the link: https://donnalhsmith.com/book-reviews/book-review-now-and-forever/
I received this book in exchange for my honest review from the publisher.
Writing Resource–Plot & Structure Part III Character Arc
Posted on June 3, 2015 Leave a Comment
James Scott Bell’s Plot & Structure
“Great plots have great characters. While this is not a book on character creation and implementation, we can’t let the subject of plot go without touching on at least one aspect of character work that is all important: character change.
Here We Go Again–Another Rejection
Posted on June 2, 2015 4 Comments
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Nine rejections in a year. Maybe that’s not a lot for most writers, but for someone healing from rejection issues like me, it’s like having a hundred.
I’ve read posts by other writers who say they have so many rejections they could paper a wall with them. Really? I have a feeling they’re exaggerating. Do they keep track of how many they get?
Putting Fire in Your Fiction–Part II
Posted on May 27, 2015 Leave a Comment
Since I’m always on a quest to learn more and share it with you, I’ll share a bit from Chapter 1, Protagonists vs. Heroes. My focus will be something that challenged me when I wrote “Meghan’s Choice.” My first incarnation of Meghan Gallagher was that she was a spoiled brat who felt entitled. I know, you want to throw up. Who wants to hear about someone like that? Well, Janette Oke did it in When Calls the Heart. Actually, Elizabeth Thrasher does not feel entitled, or she wouldn’t have gone west. I wanted someone similar, yet different for my protagonist.
Handling Jealousy and Envy
Posted on May 26, 2015 2 Comments
when we want what others have
If you look at my page on Rejection Issues, you’ll see that one of the symptoms is jealousy and envy. In the past, I would admit to some jealousy and envy on my part of other people, because they got the breaks, and I didn’t. It seemed like others always got the breaks, while I languished in Rejectionville, always chosen last or not at all.
As I matured, in faith and in emotional health, I tried hard to eradicate jealousy and envy from my life and my thinking. I was successful for a little while.
Let’s look at the definitions first.
Writing Resource–Plot & Structure–Part II
Posted on May 20, 2015 2 Comments
James Scott Bell’s Plot & Structure
Chapter 5–Middles
We’ve all heard about “the middle” of a story and usually what we hear is that it sags, stalls, and slumps. It doesn’t seem to move the story along or go anywhere. James Scott Bell addresses this in chapter five of Plot & Structure.
The middle is typically known as Act II. In a three-act construction, which most stories, plays, and movies are structured, Act II is important because it must move the story along. “What you do in Act II, the middle, is write scenes – scenes that stretch the tension, raise the stakes, keep readers worried, and build toward Act III in a way that seems inevitable.” Pg. 79. How do we do that?
Do Not Judge–Part II
Posted on May 19, 2015 Leave a Comment
There are times to “judge” meaning decide between, and times to trust, believe, and support people. When Jesus said “Do not judge, lest you be judged,” I think he meant to give people the benefit of the doubt when they’re going through hard times. Like my friend who, after a long time of effort, finally decided to leave her husband. I don’t judge her for that because, like I said, I believe God showed me how hard she had tried to save her marriage.
Writing Ideas – Part II
Posted on May 13, 2015 2 Comments
How do you know your story is worth telling? How do you evaluate whether or not your idea is a good one? Will it be a “page turner” or a “book closer?” Will readers stay up until wee hours of the morning just to finish the book of your idea, or will they yawn and go to bed early?
Donna L.H. Smith 