We’re talking character motivation. It’s crucial to every element of your story and you’ll do yourself a favor by having a handle on it in the prewriting stages. We talk about the protagonist, the reader, and you, the writer. Also, how motivation relates to flaws and conflicts, and how a series differs from a standalone.
This week on the Story Works Round Table: conversations about craft, Kathryn and Alida discuss writing backstory. It’s been coming up for both of us lately, including in Alida’s fiction coaching group. What is the one critical element to getting it right? How do you successfully transition your narrative into and out of backstory? Want a great example of a great author deftly handling backstory? We got one!
What makes a mystery plot different from other kinds of genre plots? When should your body show up? And how do you finesse the art of keeping readers in suspense? When and how should you craft your twists, and how do point of view and genre limit your mystery plot points? And how do you keep your protagonist from just calling the police?
How does a writers philosophy of writing affect their voice? And how does the canon of literature you grew up on help you develop as a writer? What are the differences between middle grade and adult fantasy? And what is a middle grade reader looking for? Can you write to specific themes within a middle grade book? And how do you get those children to sound like children while still driving your story? Above all, it’s all about staying true to your own voice and who you are as a writer!
What does it mean to make the unfamiliar familiar? And what parts of your story does that apply to? What is our rule of thumb and why would you want to break it? How should you approach culture? And how often should you touch on new things? Don’t forget, your unique things are what hook the reader!
Is it even possible to have an arcless protagonist? What is an arcless protagonist? After diving into some famous and beloved arcless protagonists, we dive into how to make it work. How can you use your secondary characters to create emotional resonance? And how can you keep that emotional buy in through a series? Do you need the same supporting characters around your arcless protagonist? And what are some of the drawbacks to using one? Just remember: an arcless protagonist is the exception, not the rule!
How did Chris Fox start writing science fiction? And how can you write a science fiction book with limited research? What is classic science fiction about anyway, and how does it compare with today? If you want to write science fiction, what are some technological and science based tropes you should be aware of? And how should you approach alien characters? Don’t make your readers work too hard! And how can you make tropes work for you?
Alida, Kathryn, and Robert discuss the soggy middle problem and what to do about it. Keep your action interesting and stakes and tension rising throughout the entire story. VIDEO AUDIO SHOW NOTES What is a soggy middle? And what kind of writers tend to have...
What is a cozy mystery? And how do you develop the right cast of characters to fit inside of one? What skills to they need? And who do they need around them? We discuss genre conventions for mysteries in general, and cozy mysteries specifically. Don’t forget your law enforcement, or your red herrings!
We welcome special guest, Lisa von Biela, to the Story Works Round Table this week to launch a series on genre fiction. Lisa has numerous dark, horror, speculative stories published, primarily with Dark Fuse. We talk about inspiration, plotting, and the twists of...
In this week’s episode we discuss point of view.