Category: Writing

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

 

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

Great Guide for the new Romance Writer

These days, the market is flooded with “How To” books, and the romance writing field is no exception. If you’re like me, you want something short, easy to follow, and to the point. Romance novels have their own requirements. Readers know how the story should unfold, and stepping out of the box won’t help you here. You can always choose to write a story with a different structure, but you’ll need to call it something else. A family story, Chick Lit, Saga, Thriller, etc… If that’s your story, go for it. But if your target audience is the typical Romance reader, write a romance they’ll love.

I recently downloaded a little non-fiction book by Gwen Hayes. She writes what she calls “kissing books,” and says she’s “saving the world … one love story at a time.” Her romances are on my list of books to read next.

 

I highly recommend the book, “Romancing the Beat: Story Structures for Romance Novels,” or “How to Write Kissing Books.”

 

Ms. Hayes knows her genre, and she knows how to write. Her instructions are clear, concise and to the point. She explains the what, gives you the why, doesn’t stray from her topic, and does it all in a minimum number of pages.  My kind of book! Who has time to read, much less try to follow, a voluminous tome?

Quite emphatically, Ms. Hayes insists that all romance novels have one theme:  “Love Conquers All.” She goes on to explain that your external plot can be varied and probably should be, but a book without the love conquers all theme is not a romance.

About a third of the way into the book, she takes each phase, act, and beat of the three-act structure as it applies to the romance novel and breaks them down in such a way that you can use it as a guide for your own stories. I recently used her book to do just that with a short story I’d been struggling with. The story ended up being one of my favorites! I can’t think of a better recommendation for a “How To” book.

If you want to write romances, get this book! If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to buy the paperback and keep it near your writing space. It may just become one of your most frequently referred to guides on your own journey to the write romance.

Look for the short story referred to earlier in my book of short stories, “What’s Green Beer Got to do with Love, and other short stories,” coming in the first quarter of 2018. Subscribe to my email list and you’ll get a .pdf of the book to download free of charge when it is released. Limited time offer, so subscribe now!

If you’re already subscribed, you’ll get an email with the .pdf sent to you automatically before I make it available to the general public.

Happy Holidays!  Happy Writing!  Happy Reading!

Shirley Holder Platt

http://thewriteromance.com

Books photo credit: Photo by John Salvino on Unsplash

Story Structure – the main building block upon which a story stands

When I decided to write seriously and chose novels as my vehicle for telling a story, I’d never thought about story structure. I had no idea how much I had to learn. I’d written short stories for family and friends over the years and was comfortable with that form. I’d taken creative writing courses, but never one specifically about writing novels.  I thought I’d learned all I needed to know through the millions of books I’d read over the years. I’d even managed to write over 40,000 words for one story and thought it was a good beginning draft of a novel. How wrong I was.

Image of child using building blocks

I excitedly sent that first attempt at a full-length book off to an editor who’d agreed to work with me. Then I got brave and had my first face to face visit with her. She’d read my offering, and I have to say she was very kind, but almost laughed. She said, “I’d call this a good first treatment.” I smiled, nodded, and she kept going. She recommended that I show not tell, outline my plot, define my theme and central question. Lots of things I’d never thought of. I left that meeting with my head spinning.

Photo by Ryan Fields on Unsplash

In the month following that meeting, I read everything she recommended about writing and more. The most basic thing I learned was that story structure is the primary building block upon which a good story stands. After learning the basics of story structure, I now find it hard to watch a movie or read a book without analyzing it. If you plan to write, be forewarned; this will happen to you too!

“Story structure is the main building block upon which a good story stands.”

There are so many books and blog posts about story structure out there that I find it almost impossible to believe I’d missed them. It’s like when you buy a new car. You take your first drive, and everywhere you look there are cars like yours. Before you selected that particular make and model, there were just as many out there; you weren’t keyed into seeing them. That’s how I was with structure.

The majority of romance novels are character-driven stories. Stories that follow, usually, a heroine as she falls in love. Readers live vicariously through those exciting times of meeting a great guy, falling for him, almost losing him, then reuniting for the long run. The main thrust of the book (pun intended) will be about your heroine and the changes falling in love puts her through. Most romance stories follow the basic three-act structure. Basically, in the first “act” you set your heroine up – she meets the hero, act two she works through confrontations and obstacles to love, and act three brings resolution and a happy ending.

Let’s talk about act one. You’ll need a dynamite opening that will grab your reader’s attention and make them curious about what’s to come. Soong, she’ll meet the hero, which will set her on a new course. This is called the inciting incident. She is now on a new path. She may have some second thoughts, but by the end of the first quarter of the book, she’ll be on her way to love. At the end of the last chapter of act one, she’s set up for the obstacles she must face going forward.

Act two will encompass half of the book. You’ll need to place hurdles that she must overcome. These can be internal or external – or both. Your readers will follow as she unblocks each impediment. She’ll face at least two by the middle of the book. Then, right around the halfway mark, throw a new snag that will change her direction. This will keep your reader interested. We all love books that surprise us, right? It’s been said that good writers torture their characters. Act two is where you get to do this. After the twist at midway, she’ll face another obstacle, get past it and then comes one that is a total disaster. This will be a very low point in her story that will lead to a crisis. She’ll be sure that she’ll never have the hero’s love. Leave her there at three-quarters of the way through your story on a climactic note that will have your reader turning the page to see how she overcomes this stumbling block.

Act three will continue building on the last disaster/ crisis until you bring the story to its climax. She’ll figure out the miscommunication; he’ll vow his never-ending love. Bring them together with a bang. This is the climax. Your heroine’s high point. That should come at about the ninety percent mark. Everything after that is easy going. Clean up loose ends, have your couple overcome any outstanding obstacles together. You’re almost there. Now comes the denouement. Here, you’ll wrap it all up to leave your characters and readers with that much anticipated happily ever after.

Sound easy? Maybe not at first, but with practice that structure will become ingrained. Even those of us who aren’t outliners will find ourselves following these basic patterns.

Here are a few books and blog posts that will help you if you’re struggling to make all those words on the page come together into a coherent and compelling story.

Super Structure: The key to unleashing the power of story by James Scott Bell

5 Secrets of Story Structure: How to Write a Novel that stands out by K.M. Weiland

Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 core competencies of successful writing by Larry Brooks.

What have you learned? If you have a favorite book about Story Structure, Contact me and let me know!

 

5 Tips for the Pantser in You

Hello, my name is Shirley, and I’m a Pantser. Did you ever feel like you needed a group session because everyone you know is an outliner and you aren’t? If so, welcome to my world.

Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash

I’m a Pantser, and I’m proud of it. Some of us are just not cut out to be outliners. I know, I know, conventional wisdom will tell you this is wrong. But really, is it? One of the most highly recommended books for people learning to write is Stephen King’s “On Writing.” He’s a pantser! So, yes. It’s OK. Give yourself a break, pat yourself on the back. Take a deep breath. Stand up and proclaim to the world: I’m a Pantser and proud of it.

Just because we’re pansters doesn’t mean we have no idea what we’re doing. Here are five tips to help the Pantser in you create a fabulous story.

  1. Understand story structure inside and out. Someone like Stephen King can skip outlining, because he’s studied what a good story is made of and written so many novels that it is inherent in him. He does it automatically. You need to have the basics of story structure ingrained, so that, when you sit down and your story flows, it takes a form your readers can follow and enjoy. For more on story structure, see my next post.
  2. Know your characters and make them come alive. Readers want to relate to your characters. They want to feel their emotions, agonize over their quandaries and feel the excitement of the ride as they over come the obstacles you put in their paths. Make your characters real by giving them a full range of flaws along with their loveable quirks. If you’ve given yourself time to get to know them, it’ll show. There are worksheets galore to help flesh out your characters, or you can simply have a make-believe interview. If you run low on ideas, browse through the list of character traits at the website at ideonomy. Traits are categorized by positive and negative for your convenience.
  3. Ask yourself, “What if…” Something like: What if this wonderful three-dimensional character I’ve created fell into a manhole and found themselves in an underground steampunk world? That should get your juices flowing. Write about what comes to mind until you slow down. Then ask again: What if she met the man of her dreams in this steampunk world but had to get back to the surface because her best friend is in trouble and needs her. Keep asking what if until you’ve got a whole story.
  4. Write now. Edit later. You’ve admitted it. You’ve said it out loud. Now let go and follow your muse where it leads you. Don’t strive for perfection, just get the story out of your head and into the world. Follow your characters’ hearts. Describe their world. Give them obstacles and watch as they work themselves around, under and over them. Discovering is one of the best things about being a pantser. You get to be the reader and the writer. Let the story take you over. Doing this will keep it fresh and fun – something I find indispensable to my pantser mind.
  5. Be prepared to self-edit and re-write. Go into it with the knowledge that you will have to spend time at the end to polish your jewel. This may not be your favorite part, but never leave it out. You’ll have saved time at the beginning by plunging right into the grit of your story. But it’s like the old saying about paying now or paying later. Pantsers pay later. And that’s OK. Just don’t expect your first draft to be a finished masterpiece, and you won’t disappoint yourself. You understand story structure. Your characters are fully fleshed out. You’ve put them into amazing circumstances and they’ve come out just the way you hoped they would in. Now it’s time to take a close look and fine tune your timing.  Make sure the story fits into a proper structure. If you did your homework up front and studied story structure, you’ll find each story fitting in with less and less effort.

Now, repeat after me: “I’m a Pantser and I’m proud of it!”

Comments? Contact me.

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Being an indie author doesn’t mean you’re alone.

It’s the day before Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., and I have much to be thankful for. My debut novel, “Moon Songs” is now for sale on Amazon. I can’t tell you how exciting it is to finally have a book published. It’s a life-long dream come true. I’ve learned so much in the months since I retired from corporate America. Deciding to be an independent “indie” author was my first step. I thought that would be so much easier than trying to find a traditional publisher. Well my friend, I’m here to tell you – there is no easy way.

Here are a few things I learned about writing and publishing a novel:

1. Being indie doesn’t mean you go it alone. There are lots of people involved if you do it the right way.

2. You need an editor. I found mine by serendipity. She’s a friend of a friend. Isn’t that the best way? She taught me more about story structure in a few hours than I’d managed to absorb through a lifetime of reading.

3. You need a good cover. Luckily, I have a sister who’s an artist. She graciously painted and donated the artwork for the cover.

4. There’s a proven method for writing a novel. I needed to learn the ins and outs of writing a novel, and for that I have Joanna Penn’s course, “How to write a Novel” to thank. Don’t you just love a name that tells you exactly what you’re going to get?

5. There are the amazing people out there who so graciously offer free advice to new writers. People like K. M. Weiland whose Helping Writers Become Authors was and continues to be invaluable. And Mark Dawson with his podcasts and Self Publishing Formula. If you’re aspiring to write and self-publish, I highly recommend that you check these people out. Click on the links above and you’ll be taken to their websites.

6. You can’t just write and publish a book. You have to promote it.

7. The best way to let people know you’ve published a new book is through a targeted email list.  That’s why I’ve started a list and have a goal of adding 100 people by the end of this winter. If you’d like to subscribe, click here. I’ll only email information about new books I publish. I promise I won’t send a million messages, and I will never share my list with anyone.

I’ll never sit down to read a novel again without being aware of all the blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into the book.

Help me get to my goal of 100 subscribers by the end of this winter! Click here to join my email list.

Happy Reading, Writing, and Thanksgiving!

Shirley

So You Want to Start a Blog?

If you’re like me – starting out in the writing world/deciding you’ll self-publish and thinking you need to have a blog – you’ve watched podcasts, YouTube videos, read books, and articles until your head is about to explode. You’ve probably realized that writing is only one of the many skills you’ll need. The advice I’ve found says you need an author webpage; a blog; an email list and a way to increase it; an editor; a cover that’s professional and will catch reader’s attention in a few seconds; a way to format and upload your book…

That’s a lot! Today, I’ll share a few things I learned when starting this blog. Maybe they’ll help you bypass a few of the roadblocks I’ve hit.

  1. If they say it’s easy – DON’T BELIEVE THEM. Have you heard the old axiom, “If it were easy, everybody would be doing it?” There’s a reason it’s an axiom. Note: This point does not apply if you are under the age of 12. For everyone else, trust me, you’re going to have to apply yourself to get this done.
  2. If they say you can do it in 30 minutes, give yourself 3 days max. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
  3. It’s worth it. Persevere. If nothing else, you’ll learn a little about patience. And if you are worried about your brain in old age, the learning will stretch you and keep your brain flexible and strong.
  4. It can be done. If I can do it, anyone can.

Now, for some practical advice:

  • Find a guru. I followed Scott Chow’s guide and it was awesome. Here’s his “How To Start A Blog Today” site: https://www.theblogstarter.com
  • Read it all through first. Then start and not a minute sooner.
  • If you use BlueHost and WordPress – don’t be afraid of PlugIns. They are your friends, and a lot of them are free.
  • When you think you’ve got it all sorted out and have published your pages/post(s) – test it again on a different device.
  • This is a big one folks: Only share your link after you’re sure the URL gets you where you want to go. I shared mine too soon and the cache system on my friends’ and relatives’ devices kept sending them to the unfinished site. Spare yourself this agony. If I’m too late, check out this site on clearing caches: https://kb.iu.edu/d/ahic.

Hope this helps. If you have a comment,  contact me.

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Thanks and happy blogging!

ShirleyP