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What the Heck is a Character Arc?
One of the fundamental things that you should understand to help you write a great story is the character arc. The term character arc embodies all of the internal changes that the character goes through as a result of the story’s actions. Many novice writers and even published genre novelists leave this out, but I believe that it is crucial and helps to take your story to the next level. Do I Really Need a Character Arc? Although it is quite possible to write a story without a character arc, I would advise against it. The character arc is one of those things that satisfy the reader on a deeper…
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A Plot is a Plot is a Plot
Fail to plot, plot to fail. If structure is the thing that gives substance to your story, then plot is structure’s show-off fraternal twin. The two are tied together (conjoined twins, maybe?). Plot consists of all of the happenings in your story; the things that take your inciting incident all the way to your resolution. The defining factor of what is plot and what is filler is cause and effect. Plot is Propelled by Cause and Effect Each scene should have a cause, and each scene should have an effect. This is what propels your story forward. If you have a scene that has no story cause and has no…
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Why You Should Never Edit as You Write
Are you frazzled whenever you sit down to write? Frustrated? Ready to give up? Do you sit, thesaurus in hand, pondering the exact word to describe what you are trying to say? Are you vexed between the choices? Can you not decide whether your heroine’s eyes should be cerulean blue or azure? Please don’t. You should never edit as you write. Editing While You Write Conflicts with How the Brain Works One part of your brain is dominant while you write, and a different part is dominant while you edit. When you stop to examine what you’ve written, or to find exactly the correct word, you move from the creative…
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Get Started and Write Your Way to Joy!
Get started and write your way to joy. Joy is that elusive emotion that we all hunt for every moment whether we realize it or not. What brings you joy? Writing can bring you joy. You can create worlds and characters and plots and…literally anything that you want. My last true shot of joy was while I typed. The words flowed and I hit the emotional notes that I wanted to and joy overcame me. I was sequestered in my stateroom on a cruise ship at the time. And all of the parties going on elsewhere on that boat could not compare to what was going on within my laptop.…
