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Writing Romance 101––Part V
Posted on October 11, 2017 Leave a Comment
We’re still building a heroine named Susie. We don’t know too much about her yet. Here’s a good tip: use little flaws or imperfections to make your heroine someone your readers can identify with. Click to Tweet #amwriting #writingromance101 #craftingtheheroine
Story-fixing Your Novel––Part VI
Posted on February 15, 2017 Leave a Comment
When creating a story, we’re encouraged to create a “backstory” for each of the main characters. This is what’s happened to the character before the story begins, and affects how that character behaves. But don’t confuse character “history” to “backstory.” Use only what backstory is necessary to the story now. Click to Tweet #amwriting #storyfixing
Creating Extraordinary Characters––Wrap-Up
Posted on July 27, 2016 Leave a Comment
It’s been a L-O-N-G series, but I wanted to especially focus in on different tools you can use to identify your characters’ personality types, by looking at least a couple different tools. I won’t get into the four types of Personality Plus; you can look those up yourself. They were created by Florence […]
Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part VIII
Posted on July 20, 2016 Leave a Comment
We’ve been looking at different tools to help build character natures, dispositions, and temperament. Another is Conflict. Using conflict within your characters will create extraordinary situations, responses, and ultimately, characters. Click to Tweet #amwriting #characters In his book, Fiction Writing Demystified, Tom Sawyer (yes, that’s his real name), says that using and focusing on conflict […]
Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part VI
Posted on July 6, 2016 Leave a Comment
What’s your main character’s personality type and how did you develop it? That’s what we’re looking at in this series. There are many different personality tools to evaluate both our own and our characters’ distinct personalities. DISC is a personality tool to help in corporate cultures, whether they be families, companies, or non-profit organizations. Click […]
Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part IV
Posted on June 22, 2016 Leave a Comment
If you’re writing about corporate culture or your main characters are partners or close colleagues in their jobs, the DISC personality profiles might help you define your characters. Because characters with conflicting personalities make the best story. Click to Tweet #amwriting #characters
Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part III
Posted on June 15, 2016 Leave a Comment
Characters with personality make your readers identify and care about them. There are several ways to determine what your character will be like. Are they introvert or extrovert? Dominant or stable? Sanguine or Phlegmatic? Myers-Briggs, DISC, and Personality Plus are tools writers can use to create characters. Click to Tweet #amwriting #characters
Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part II
Posted on June 8, 2016 2 Comments
In the beginning…in creating characters, we must begin at the beginning. We’ve talked about a three-word description, and basic information. How do we determine what the basic information will be? Who do you want it to be? Determining the basic information about the character is paramount to creating one amazing character. Click to Tweet #amwriting […]
Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part I
Posted on June 1, 2016 2 Comments
Starting a new series of blog posts on characterization this week. Why is it that some characters stick in our minds? What is it about them that causes us identify with them and admire them? I’ll be looking at these questions and others in this new series. Some say it’s all about plot. Others say […]
Seamless Self-Editing––Part VI
Posted on March 23, 2016 Leave a Comment
For the next couple weeks, I’ll be referring back to a resource I used a year or so ago, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. A few months ago, I met Robert Whitlow, a successful suspense author, who said this book taught him how to write. He was a prosperous attorney in the South, as well. Some […]
Donna L.H. Smith 