This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida & Kathryn discuss what to do with your villain in act II. As we know, they aren’t usually black-hat-evil-doers, but we still need an escalation of stakes for our protagonist. How do we keep act II moving along at a good pace, whether our villain is a bad person or a force or situation in our character’s life that causes challenges? We look at multiple scenarios for our heroes and what to do to keep them and the villain rising toward the climax.
If Halloween inspired you get your Boo! on, this episode of the Story Works Round Table is for you. Alida and Kathryn talk the craft of scaring the pants off your readers. But this isn’t just a skill for horror writers. We all need to write scenes from time to time full of dramatic suspense, an eerie mood, or dark twists. Loaded with examples and how-to, you’re sure to be ready to write scary!
Let us know what you learned from this episode, what you liked, what you have questions on. Suggest a topic for future episodes. And if you think you’d be a good co-host, let us know!
Get the Scary Monsters & Super Creeps writing workshop at www.StoryWorksFiction.com
How is dialogue in fiction different from real life? When should you use exposition versus dialogue? And how do you use your dialogue to move your story forward? When do you use dialogue to communicate information or explain things? And when should you shy away?
Find out what the Story Works Round Table podcast is all about and meet your hosts, Alida, Kathryn, and Robert.
How do you develop supporting characters? What goes into them versus your protagonist? How do you move them from plot device to fully fleshed being? And what role should they play? Above all how do you keep them from all sounding the same?
How do you know when to end your story? And how do you deliver your ending in a way that leaves readers thinking about your story and character for days? Be deliberate about what you leave unresolved, and don’t let that ending be disappointing! Above all make sure your protagonist takes center stage. And don’t be fooled by our decoy endings.
What is the difference between stakes, tension and danger, and how can we use them correctly to create a compelling story? How do you increase stakes without ending the world? And why should they be personal to your protagonist? How do you make readers really feel the tension? Use these three to craft a surprising story, no matter your genre.
What is an action scene? And how should you go about building one? Why is it so important to choreograph your action? And how can you use your narrator to bring clarity? Don’t forget about your senses, using anticipation, and making sure that reader feels what you are trying to convey.
What are some problems that authors encounter with dialogue? Should you give your character an accent or dialect? And how should you represent that on the page? What makes for good dialogue tags and action beats? We talk pet peeves, our own dialogue tics we struggle with and Include some very entertaining examples of what not to do from Robert!
What is a hook? And what are the different functions they can serve in a novel? How do you craft an opening hook, and what things should you keep in mind as you do? And finally, don’t forget about the value that first sentence can have on your whole work.
What is the third person point of view and why is it so popular? How do you use multiple points of view in the third person? And what are the pitfalls that authors encounter? How do you know if a character has earned their point of view? And whose point of view should your next scene be written in?