Month: January 2018

Create Multi-dimensional Characters from your own life

As writers, we’re always looking for inspiration for our characters.

We want them to come alive for our readers the same way they do in our heads. One of my favorite tunes is “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” by Paul Simon. It’s a catchy tune. As it ran through my head today, I started to think of the many ways to find inspiration for our characters. I ended up making a Pin for my Pinterest Board on Writing Ideas. I called it 20 places to find inspiration for characters. Not as catchy as Paul Simon’s title, but then, I’m not a songwriter.

The graphic is shown, so I won’t write the 20 places here. I’ll just say that my best advice to you is this:

Before you write, study people.

Go to the grocery store and listen to people talking in the check-out line. Don’t let the people disturb you when they are behind you talking before a movie starts. Instead, use them as research. Are their voices high and screeching? Do they rumble, mumble, fumble for words? Does your chair vibrate when they talk, or do your ears hurt? You’ll never be annoyed again. The world will become your laboratory. After you notice the tone, the sound of their voices, tune in and see what they’re saying. Did Aunt Martha really have the nerve to tell Uncle Ricky off, finally? Did the dishwasher break and he can’t afford to call a repairman? Does that mean the poor guy is washing dishes every day now, or is he going out to eat every meal? You’ll be surprised to find what people will talk about in public spaces. As an added bonus, they often talk about other movies, or what they’re looking forward to getting out of this one. What do they like? What do they dislike? The same will probably ring true in what they’ll read. It’s all useful.

Are the neighbors outside with their stereo playing while they yell at each other?  What are they fighting about? Are they fighting, or are they just really loud people? You need drama, why not borrow some of theirs? Just remember, when you write dialogue, leave out the uh, ahs, ahems. Cut to the chase, get to the point, and don’t be redundant. OK, that was a joke, did you get it?

While you’re gathering these tidbits, start paying attention to how these people look. Did she really wear those shoes to the dog park? How much do you think his sneakers cost? Does anyone like that facial hair? Where does that tattoo stop? Could she get any more jewelry on? Does her bracelet make a racket as she searches through her hobo bag for her credit card? This is good stuff, people. Don’t ignore it, grab your pen and notebook and write it down. You’ll never remember it later if you fail to capture it now.

You can take this further. What are these people doing? Are they constantly typing into their phone? Are they plugged in with headphones, oblivious to the world around them? Did he really just steal that parking spot from the guy sitting there with his blinker on patiently waiting for the driver to back out? (Let’s hope it wasn’t you waiting patiently.) How do all three people in this scenario react?  You could get a whole scene out of this one incident.

Did it start to rain? What do people do? Run? Open umbrellas? Curse? Laugh and splash in the puddles? Huddle under an overhanging roof? Do they talk to one another?

Is it hot? What are they wearing? Does she have a thong on or no underpants at all? Wouldn’t it be better if he put a shirt on to cover that belly? Does she need a pedicure to fix that peeling polish?

Get the idea?

It’s all fodder for your creative fire. Ignore it at your peril. Notice it and be thankful for it. It’s free for the taking. Now, get your chosen form of writing material out and go to it!  One of the best things about being a writer is being able to have imaginary friends. Take all these traits and throw them together to come out with new and interesting people. When you write a romance, you’re telling a love story.

Invent imaginary people you want to hang out with, that you’d fall in love with.

Give them real voices, things to say, put them into real situations. Make them come alive in the eyes of your readers. If you can create believable characters, you’re at least halfway there.

As always,

Thank you!    Happy Reading!    Happy Writing!

Did this article inspire you, give you ideas of how to start? Send me an email and let me know. I’d love to hear from you.

To receive notification of new releases, subscribe to my email list. Every subscriber will receive a free book of 12 short stories in pdf format via email. The book is in editing as I write this, but will be out shortly.

As always, Thank you!    Happy Reading!     Happy Writing!

Shirley Holder Platt

thewriteromance.com

Photo by Marina Durán on Unsplash

20 Inciting Incident Ideas

What is an inciting incident? It’s something that happens to your protagonist that changes the direction of his/her life. The option to remain in the status quo is taken completely off the table. It needs to happen in the first quarter of your story. If you wait any longer, your readers will yawn, reach for a final sip of their warm milk, and mosey off to bed. 

And you don’t have to wait that long.  You can start as early as you like. Some books begin with a bang, and the action never lets up. That bang is the inciting incident.

Since no inciting incident equals no story, you need something more than a dropped toothbrush. 

Are you having trouble thinking of inciting incidents to get your story moving? Here’s a list of twenty. Feel free to use any of them.

    20 inciting incident ideas:

  1. You break a leg
  2. You find a briefcase full of one-hundred-dollar bills
  3. Your doctor says you only have three months to live
  4. You get fired
  5. You move to a new city or country
  6. You find that your husband/wife is having an affair
  7. You run away from home
  8. Your spouse asks for a divorce
  9. Your best friend betrays you
  10. You run into an old boyfriend who’s still into you
  11. One of your closest loved ones dies
  12. You start a new job
  13. You get a new boss
  14. You get a promotion
  15. Your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere
  16. You’re caught in a natural disaster
  17. You get kidnapped
  18. You lose your child while shopping
  19. You find out you have a stalker
  20. Your house burns down in the middle of the night

Have other ideas for inciting incidents? Comment below, or email me.

Subscribe to my email list, that I only use to let you know when I publish new titles, and I’ll send you a free pdf of my book, “What’s Love Got to do with Green Beer? and other short stories.”

As always,  Thank you!    Happy Reading!    Happy Writing!

Shirley Holder Platt

TheWriteRomance.com 

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

 

Review of “Wait For It” by Mariana Zapata

I just finished reading “Wait for It,” by Mariana Zapata, and I recommend it highly. Zapata goes deep with her characters, building the story slowly but deftly. The romance happens organically with well-defined characters that I fell in love with myself. The story starts with Diana, a mother of two kids, moving into a new neighborhood. Before she knows anyone living nearby, she’s awoken in the middle of the night by her five-year-old who’s heard people screaming outside. Diana is doing her best to be an adult but hates getting involved in other people’s drama. Afraid that someone will get seriously hurt, she overcomes her own fear and dashes outside with a baseball bat to break up the fight, saving her neighbor’s life. Instead of a thank you, she is met with insolence. Despite the rude treatment she receives, she knows in her heart that she has done the right thing.

The book moves along and Diana is faced with one obstacle after another, each testing her maturity. Zapata paints a believable woman making difficult choices in a world that doesn’t always appreciate a good Samaritan. The romance develops slowly and quite naturally. Zapata presents no bodice ripping scenes unless you count the one love scene near the end, which could have been toned down for my taste. Instead, the story treats you to a natural progression from mistrust to guarded trust, to friendship, and finally to love. And isn’t that really the way life works for most of us?

Instead, the story treats you to a natural progression from mistrust to guarded trust, to friendship, and finally to love. And isn’t that really the way life works for most of us?

I am ready for Diana and her kids to move next door to me. I was sad when the story ended with an epilogue that was five years after the last scene. I wanted Zapata to write the happenings in those five years, not a summary. That’s how good the story was.

If you’re looking for fluff, forget this book. If you want a story that will make you smirk, laugh, cry, shake your fists one minute, thank the heavens the next, but mostly convince you that true love is worth waiting for, then this book is for you.

Have you read any books by Mariana Zapata? If so, let me know what you think of them using the Contact Me form.

Subscribers to my email list receive a free pdf copy of my book, “What’s Love Got to do with Green Beer? and other short stories.”

It’s a book of twelve romance filled stories, one for each month of the year. Subscribe now and I’ll email the book to you as soon as possible.

As always,

Thank you!    Happy Reading!    Happy Writing!

Shirley Holder Platt

TheWriteRomance.com

Why does a Romance Book need Conflict?

A good romance book needs conflict like a plant needs dirt and rain to make a flower. First comes the seed. Then dirt and rain. But, you may ask, won’t that make mud? It would if you didn’t add a fourth ingredient: sunshine. Only after the sun shines through can your plant flower. The same is true for your story. You need a seed. I usually start with an idea of who my main characters will be. They’re lovely people in my mind. After all, I want them to fall hopelessly in love. But I know they will never get to that blissful state unless they work through inner and outer turmoil.

Readers want to live vicariously through a romance book. If everything is unicorns and rainbows, who will care? That might suffice for a children’s book but not a love story.

Think of your characters as the seeds. Plant them firmly in the dirt, meaning give them inner demons to fight. Demons who fight dirty. Then make it rain. Put them into outer situations where their love will be tested over and over again. Pull them apart like a summer thunderstorm pouring through their lives. Make the ground slippery, have them fall. Give them the courage to pick themselves up, shake their fists at the sky like Scarlet O’Hara and swear that they will not be defeated.

Your readers will be glued to the pages. They will root like cheerleaders with megaphones for the couple as they work through their trials . When all seems lost and love an impossible goal, bring out the sunshine. Let it send rays of hope into their lives. Have a green sprout shoot up out of the mire of their drama. Your readers will be happy. Your characters will be happy.

Then add one more downpour. Let it rain in their lives until they are like a farmer watching a crop flood with no way to stop the root rot that is bound to follow. When desperation has them giving up, bring out the sun. And I mean bring it out in full force. Let it shine benevolently, so that the struggling sprouts stand tall and put out leaves, even flowers. End the torture of your characters. Give them one last chance to pick themselves up and choose love. Love is like sunshine. Let the love fully flower into a happy ever after.

Now isn’t that a lot more fun than watching unicorns leap over rainbows?

Does this analogy help? Email me and let me know!

Subscribe to my email list, and I’ll send a free copy of my book of short stories, “What’s Love Got to do with Green Beer?” to you as a thank you. I’ll never spam you, but I will send a notice when I publish new books.

As always,

Thank you!    Happy Reading!    Happy Writing!

Shirley Holder Platt

thewriteromance.com

 

 

What’s Inspiration Got to do with Writing a Romance Story?

I retired in June from a long career, so I could follow my life-long dreamof writing a novel. My mind was bursting with ideas. In six months, I wrote four books, published two of them, and had two on the editor’s desk. Then I ran out of ideas. I felt as if my well had dried up. My family suggested I might need a rest after so much had happened in such a short time. It bothered me that I didn’t know what my next story might be. Had I run out of ideas altogether? It was a frightening thought.

And then I sat down, opened an Excel spreadsheet and started asking myself questions. I started with the one thought that came to my mind. What if I wrote a sequel to one of the books that I’d already written? If I did, who would be the protagonists? That reminded me of a review I’d received on the first book. The reviewer said something like, “I’d love to read more about this couple.” That helped me decide which book might work for a sequel. But I didn’t want to simply continue the story. What if I wrote about the secondary characters and included parts of the first couple’s continuing story?

Voila! I had my new protagonists. More questions came quickly after that.

How do they meet?

What do they like about each other?

What do they dislike about each other?

What do they want?

What do they need?

What is each character’s main flaw/obstacle?

How do they overcome/change?

And the questions kept coming. Soon, I had a full-blown story in mind. I felt excited and began researching parts of the story about which I didn’t already know. My spreadsheet was filling up fast, and it was past my bedtime!

Photo by Gerrie van der Walt on Unsplash

So, I ask you, “What’s inspiration got to do with writing a romance or any story?”

For me, inspiration came after I started writing. I wrote questions on a spreadsheet, but that’s still writing. It counts. It’s a great way to start, to get those creative juices flowing. If you are feeling stuck, start writing. Use my method, or get out a piece of paper and write whatever comes into your head, stream-of-conscious writing without putting buffers on can birth astonishing brain-children. Take a walk and let nature quiet your mind, then write down things you thought about while walking. Use any method, but make sure it includes writing. You’ll be amazed at the stories that will suggest themselves.

I recently read a blog post by Bryan Hutchinson entitled Do This Crazy Thing to be an Inspired Writer Now!  I loved what he had to say about inspiration and writing. Here’s a quote from the post: It’s not a lack of inspiration that causes you to feel uninspired. It’s the desire to not be inspired by what inspiration wants to give you. 

Never sit and wait for a proverbial light-bulb to go off.

Pay attention to all notions that come up. Don’t let your internal editor tell you your ideas won’t work. You may just have the next blockbuster waiting inside you.

Speaking of notions, did this article inspire you, give you ideas of how to start? Send me an email and let me know. I’d love to hear from you.

To receive notification of new releases, subscribe to my email list. Every subscriber will receive a free book of 12 short stories in pdf format via email. The book is in editing as I write this, but will be out shortly.

As always, Thank you!    Happy Reading!     Happy Writing!

Shirley Holder Platt

thewriteromance.com

Four Tips for Naming Your Novel

Who knew naming your novel could be so difficult? Turns out, it can be harder than writing the darned thing. When I began writing, I thought the first title that came to mind would do. I’ve since learned that my idea of a book name that will attract readers is not necessarily the same as my readers’ idea – and they are the people who count! Here are four things to keep in mind when naming your novel.

  • Be Humble.

Admit it, you may not be the best person to name your book. Seek help. Bryan Cohen, an author, podcaster, and coach, offers a course to help writers learn the art of copywriting. Cohen advises brainstorming fifteen ideas for your title, putting them into a poll, and sending the poll to some of your readers. Note, he doesn’t advise sending to your writer friends! I recently took his advice and was surprised to find that none of my favorites resonated with my readers. So, do as I did. Swallow your pride and ask.

  • Be Distinctive.

Jacob M. Appel of Writer’s Digest says, “strong titles are distinctive, but not distracting.” So, how do we come up with distinctive titles? First, we understand that coming up with the title needs our time and attention. Don’t think you can stick any old title on the cover. Use your creative juices here. According to Dictionary.com, Distinctive is defined as having a special quality, style, attractiveness, etc.; notable.  Use unique words that readers will remember. Don’t be a copycat. Come up with something new. If you’re not sure if you’re prospective title has been used, try looking it up on Amazon or use your favorite search engine to see if the name comes up when you type it into your browser.

  • Use the Power of Attraction.

Note: Much has been said and written about book covers, and I’ll talk about that in another post.

But, unless I walk into a bookstore where books are presented with the full front cover, I won’t be attracted to the cover first. I’m usually browsing the aisles when visiting bookstores. All I have to go on there are the titles and author names. Make your title so attractive, someone will pull the book from the shelf to find out more.

The same thing happens when shopping for a book online. The covers are presented in tiny thumbnail pictures that I sometimes can’t make out, but the title, if done right, will scream, “Read me!” I’ll ignore a clumsy cover wherever I see one if the name intrigues me. I’m interested in the words, the story, after all.

  • Be Memorable.

Make a lasting impression by keeping it simple. What have we all heard about first impressions? They last! You want your title to be so interesting that people will hear about your book and remember the name long enough to find it later online or at the bookstore. I’m thinking of a book that came out in 1969 by David Reuben, M.D. called “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex.” How can you forget that title after you’ve heard it once? It’s concise, tells you what to expect, and stays in your head like a familiar song on the radio. Another title from more recent times that sticks is “Gone Girl.” Great name. It sets up questions in your mind immediately.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to come up with a good title. No slouching allowed in this area. The time you spend will be worth it, because a book’s name can make all the difference in your life as an author.

Have other ideas about naming books? Email me!

Subscribe to my email list, and I’ll send notifications to you when I publish new books.

Thanks!   Happy Reading!    Happy Writing!

Shirley Holder Platt

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Chick-lit and Romance – Hot Genres for 2018

It’s a new year, and word has it that the hot genres for 2018 will include chick-lit, romances, and stories about women. That’s great news for people like me. I plan to write more stories this year, and I’ll be emphasizing strong women.

Speaking of…Emma Emerging will be out in paperback soon!

I’ve written a book of twelve short stories – one for each month of a year – that I will send free of charge to all subscribers as a thank you for joining my email list. Those who subscribe to my list will also get an email whenever I publish new books. I will not share your email address, nor will I bombard you with emails.

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

My third novel entitled The Secrets of Sandy Shores will be released by February. Here’s a sneak preview of the cover:

Subscribe to my email list and I’ll send a notification when the book is available.

Why do we love to read about women overcoming obstacle after obstacle? Perhaps it’s because life continually throws problems in our paths. We like to read about other women finding solutions to the hard situations we all face. It gives us hope, and sometimes, it helps us see answers. When books strike deep chords within us, we resonate – reader to writer and even to characters in the story. Books are safe places to discover new ways to live. We let the protagonist endure hardships, and we live vicariously through her as she falls, picks herself up and goes on to victory. As she learns, we learn.

I hope my stories will resonate with you. I am happy to have you accompany me on this journey. If you find that a story I’ve written strikes a chord in your heart, I’d love to hear about it. Send an email to me at thewriteromance@gmail.com.

Happy New Year!     Happy Writing!     Happy Reading!

Shirley Holder Platt