You Can Come Home Again by Sandy Semerad

     Thomas Wolfe haunted me on my way to Geneva, Alabama. Wolfe wrote You Can’t Go Home Again, which was published after his death. The main character is an author, who discovers he’s not welcome in his hometown. He’d written about his town and its people, and they are angry enough to kill him.

     

     Thinking about this, my imagination went wild. As many writers, I’ve used creative license and the backdrop of my hometown Geneva, for scenes in Sex, Love and Murder and Hurricane House.

     

     In my latest book, A Message in the Roses, I wrote about a murder trial I covered as a reporter. That book is set in Atlanta, but many of its characters share traits and backstories of people I’ve known.

     Before I arrived in town, the Geneva Reaper ran an article on me and my books. The newspaper also stated that authors, craftsmen and artists would descend on Robert Fowler Memorial Park to celebrate Total Recall, Oct. 10. Anyone who had ever attended school in Geneva had been invited back. Tents and tables would be set up, where a variety of vendors and alumni were expected to gather.

     Like other southern towns, Geneva has fascinating personalities. Some of my dearest friends live there or nearby. This town (population about 4,300) is  renowned for the Constitution Oak, the oldest and largest live oak tree in the United States. Possibly the largest in the world. This oak has lived at least 500 years. It is 75 feet tall. The tree’s branches spread approximately 175 feet.

  

     Homecoming day in Geneva was hot and humid. No breeze rustled the stalwart branches of the Constitution Oak.

     Breeze or no breeze, I eagerly anticipated visiting with old friends, even though one friend had asked,“Remember the lady you mentioned in your first book, the one who hated your mother’s piano playing, the one who slept with the preacher?”

     I froze, unable to respond.

     “I knew that woman,” she added.

     In light of what happened in Thomas Wolfe’s book, I felt the need to explain myself. “I made up that story. I’m always making up stories in my head. As a child, I entertained myself by making up stories.”

     As my friend quietly studied me, I expounded on my entire writing process. I wanted her to know, I didn’t intentionally defame real life people in my books.

      I went on to explain how I write a back story for the main characters and give detailed descriptions. “I outline on note cards. Outlining keeps me on track,” I told her.

“When I begin the process of writing and typing the story, I’m in a zone,” I said. “I think I know my characters, but they’re always surprising me.”

“How long does it take you to write a book?” she asked.

“It depends. Once I’ve completed a rough draft, I read through the story again and fill in gaps. If I find common themes, I try to accentuate and weave those themes throughout. I’m always trying to create more conflict. And I ask my husband to read it and give suggestions. I also ask my writer friends to be brutally honest with their critiques. I’ve learned I can’t shove my baby out in the world before she’s ready. It’s helpful to let the manuscript sit for a week or two and come back to it with fresh eyes. Then I rewrite and rewrite and pray for perfection.”

            After I finished explaining my writing process, my friend said, “Hurry up and finish the sequel to A Message in the Roses. I want to know what happens to Carrie Sue and Marcus.”

            I hugged her and thanked her for reading my books. “It was great seeing you again,” I said. “Wonderful being back home in Geneva.” 

And indeed it was.

www.sandysemerad.com

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The Inciting Incident - By Rita Karnopp

     The first time I was exposed to ‘the inciting incident’ was a movie by that title.  I’ve been fascinated by it ever since.  So what exactly is this ‘inciting incident’ and how does it affect a story?

     Inciting comes from the Latin word incitare which means “to put into rapid motion, urge, encourage, and stimulate.” And that’s exactly what your inciting incident is; it’s an event that triggers your hero to “go into motion” and take action.

     Here are other ways to conceptualize the inciting incident:

• it jolts your hero out of his everyday routine
• it is the event which sparks the fuse of your plot
• it’s something that MUST happen in order for your hook–your book’s special premise–to kick in

     So if the inciting incident is the crucial event—the trouble—that sets the whole story in motion - when should it happen? Usually, your inciting incident occurs within the first ten pages of your book, after you’ve introduced the reader to your hero, shared what his everyday life is like, and a few important things in his life that need fixing.

     Then the inciting incident occurs and it starts to change the dynamics of your hero’s life. He (or she) will react to the inciting incident, maybe even resist it. Your hook kicks in and your hero commits to taking the journey (either physical, emotional, psychological or a combination of these) sparked by the inciting incident.

     With some genres, the inciting incident is almost always the same. For example, in a romantic comedy, the inciting incident is the “cute meet” where the two romantic leads meet each other for the first time. In a mystery, the inciting incident is when the first dead body is found.

     Also keep in mind that each of the protagonist’s attempts to resolve the initial and subsequent inciting incidents must end in failure. There can be partial victories, but once an action ends in success, the story is effectively over. Success, in this case, means that all the problems are resolved. That cannot happen until the final scene of the story.

Let's Talk About Dialogue by Rita Karnopp

 “Stop describing every little thing.  I get it.  I do have a voice and the reader has an imagination,” the character said.
“Well, that’s rude. I just wanted you to feel the hot, dry, skin-cracking, desert air.”  The writer clenched her teeth and swallowed hard.
The character shook her head.  “I get it, but why don’t I just say, ‘This desert air is killing me.  Look, my lips are bleeding.’ Dialog is active and involves the reader. It falls in that overused line, ‘show - don’t tell.’

Okay – so you get my point, right?  Don’t you just hate reading paragraph after paragraph of description or information?  If you’re like me you start skimming until you find dialog.  That should never happen.

Let’s face it – a story is all about interaction – which is dialog.  And if you’re honest, you know when you’ve gone on too long with descriptions, flashbacks, or even thoughts.  Dialog is the action maker.  Dialog keeps us connected with the characters.  Dialog reveals personality and exposes what is going on around him/her without author intrusion.

We can feel our story slow down when there isn’t enough dialog.  Your story should flow with a consistent amount of thoughts or descriptions.  Long paragraphs of filler creates a great place for the reader to ‘stop’ reading.  Boy – you don’t want that.

Use ‘dialog’ to describe a scene, rather than narrative to describe it.  Every chance you get – use dialog.  Don’t tell how angry your character is – show how angry he/she is with dialog.
Do the same with happy, sad, scared, depressed, etc.  Use dialog as your shining light – leading the reader down the dark hall, revealing what’s ahead with each step and each word.

I went to a RWA conference many years ago and an actress shared with us how she works out a scene by physically going through the actions before writing the scene.  Once you feel the actual action, use dialog to share what you experienced and the scene will come alive.  Let’s compare for a minute -

            Lily stepped into the crime scene noticed her partner nearly vomited.  She took the scene in.  It wasn’t a pretty sight. The small bathroom appeared to have been painted in blood.  The naked victim lay in the dry shower.  It was impossible to count how many times he’d been stabbed. He’d been shot in the head once. It had to be a crime of passion.
            “It’s going to be one of those days, Jordan,” she said, moving toward the victim.

Let’s rewrite this scene – using dialog to learn what’s going on.
         
            Jordan stepped beside her, a cloth to his mouth.  Lilly gave her partner a stern glance and shook her head.  “Damn, what do we have here?”
            “A stinking mess, if you ask me.” He cleared his throat and swallowed hard.
            “What are you trying to tell us, Lance Johnson?” She inched toward the naked victim lying on the dry shower base.  “I’d say the doer used that towel and smeared the victim’s blood on all four walls. Why?”
            “You asking me?  Hell, I don’t know.  Killer is making a statement.”
            “I agree, but what is that statement?  He means nothing.  Maybe he smeared someone’s name, demeaning them.  This is payback.”
            “Could be.  Head shot looks after-the-fact.”
            “I noticed there wasn’t any blood near the wound, I agree.  Another reason it’s a crime of passion.  I’d say the killer’s a woman.”
            “Doesn’t look like a woman’s MO.”
            “Normally I’d agree, but this one reads a woman scorned.”
         
Nothing – absolutely nothing can replace dialog.  It’s better to share information in dialog than in the character’s thoughts.  But, don’t get caught up creating short back-and-forth exchanges.  If your dialog doesn’t advance the story – you’re stalling. Don’t do the;
            “Good morning, Jana.”
            “Good morning, Sue.”
            “Have a great day.”
            Sue smiled.  “You have a great day, too.”

Boring for sure.  It doesn’t add anything to the scene or the situation.  Of course had you written something like this – it changes everything.

            “Good morning, Jana.”
            “What the hell’s good about it?  Johnson just fired me.”
            “No possible way.  Did you tell him you were being harassed?” Sue leaned over and hugged her friend.
            “He didn’t believe me.  Said either I could forget about the whole damn thing or I was fired.”

Motivate Your Characters and Plot by Rita Karnopp

As with each of us . . . characters in our books change as the story progresses.  The growth of a character is very important.  I think this aspect of writing is sometimes overlooked or even forgotten.  We focus so much on what is happening externally that we forget what is happening internally.

We need to learn what motivates our character as the story progresses.  They must have reasons why they do the things they do.  They must have reasons why they resist the right decision.  They also must have reasons why they react the way they do.  Each of these ‘reasons’ is what motivates our characters as well as drives the plot of the book.

Confused? Don't be; it's simpler than it may seem. Characters can be broken down into four groups:

1.     The never changing character – they refuse to change in personality and motivation.  You get what you see.

2.     The no-personality changer – they don’t change or grow during the story –but they want to. 

3.     The changing character – they change but their motivation does not.

4.     Finally we have the characters who changes throughout the story - as their motivation also progresses.

While plotting out the story we must decide, ‘what is the key motivation for each main character?’  This will add incredible depth to the story.  Always be aware that character and plot are entwined.

The never changing character – I’ve often heard that a character must change – even if in a small way.  Why?  Think about James Bond – he’s smart, debonair’, unstoppable, and he gets the girl.  His character has a single direct motivation the entire length of the story.  At the end, Bond is still smart, debonair’, unstoppable, and he gets the girl.

And when you think about it - his motivation doesn’t change either. He accepts a mission, and he doesn’t stop until it’s accomplished.  There are always the ‘mini’ motivation interruptions such as saving a woman from drowning or escaping a death trap.

We can apply this never changing character with a direct motivation to any genre’.  Our responsibility is to present the reader with a character and goal clearly and powerfully obvious from the start.  There will be no doubt who this character is and why he’s doing what he's doing.   This then gives us (the writer) ‘license’ to complicate the story plot.

Be aware – an unchanging character with a direct goal still can react or respond to more than one emotion at any given moment. Our Mr. Bond might feel attraction to a knock-out blonde and at the same time distrust her.  If your character feels two conflicting things toward another character, bring this to life in the scene in which it happens. Then—and this is the important part—return to the main goal in the next scene.

This tells us that his motivation is unchanged. Although Bond, for instance, has just made love with a woman, she hasn’t fundamentally changed him. He’s not changed in either his behavior or mission as a result of her attractions.

The no-personality changer – This type of story focuses on a character who doesn’t change in persona or attitude, but what he/she wants accepts as a result of story aftermaths.

These characters are often the heroes or villains. The heroes are admirable characters from the beginning. They don’t change because the writer has created a character that is supporting an ideal/situation that he/she clearly represents and embodies.  Say for instance saving an endangered species or leading a group to keep oil from being drilled in sacred Native ground.

The fact is your character starts-out heroic and you don’t want him to change.

The changing character – Then there are the stories where the major character changes notably. The character has a single cause/motivation due to his/her backstory.  Consider Pollyanna’s aunt.  She refused to show kindness and love – because as a young woman she’d been hurt by the man she loved.  A lot had to happen to her before she realized it was okay to reach out and love.  The point here – she had to change for the story/plot to have resolution.

Keep in mind when you write the changing character:

His/her character change must result in response to story consequences or results. Develop the story so your character changes the way you want.

Your character must have emotional responses to these events.

Make sure the character change is emphasized. The ‘change’ must be shown. This is called validation, and it’s crucial for all changing characters.

You must add validation at the end of the story so the reader knows this character’s change is not temporary. Usually this ending validation is on a larger scale than what has gone before.

Readers enjoy and are satisfied at the end of a book when there’s a changing character/single motivation.

Characters who changes throughout the story - as their motivation also progresses -  Of the four characters, this is the most complex fictional pattern. A character’s personality as well as their goals change throughout the story.

Simplify this character – change him/her from a self-centered model to a caring person – putting life in danger to save the child-type.  

With this type of character your hero/heroine’s changes must be dramatic and prove they are a result of the horrendous events, be supported by believably portrayed emotions, and be confirmed by ensuing actions on his/her part.

Books We Love just released Rita’s fifteenth book, Thunder

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FM1IO0U

Mingan (Gray Wolf) is certain his twin brother wouldn’t commit suicide. Entering the world of professional wrestling and fulfilling Thunder’s obligations, Mingan begins by scrutinizing everything around Thunder’s life, starting with the beautiful and haunting Chloe. As hard as he tries to keep her at a distance, he’s pulled to her like adrenaline on a choke hold. If they find his niece, they’ll find his brother’s killer . . . or will they uncover something more sinister going on?

 

Characters Act and React by Janet Lane Walters

This may be something I remember from physics or it may not be since that is the only college course I failed to ace. I did not fail but nearly. For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. For characters part of this may not be true though I'm not sure.

Just what is an action in fictional works. The action can be physical or verbal, usually. If someone slugs the hero or heroine with fists or with words, the hero or heroine is going to react. This reaction can tell you much about the character.

Since much of the way I develop my characters is by using a bit of Astrology, their reactions are usually geared to their signs. An Aries would hit back and usually not with words. A Scorpio wouldn't get mad but they would get even. These are just examples of reactions.

The kind of action the character chooses will also delineate their character. Are they upfront, subtle or some variation of these two. An action can be deliberate or unintentional. We all know people who open their mouth only to shove their foot inside. There are some people who will never act openly.

An action or reaction can come from outside the character or be an internal one. Think of how people operate during an emergency. Some panic and some take charge. Or when a value is challenged. Some may act in the open and some may do so in secret.

When developing your characters, imagine how they would react in a given situation and when putting them into action, think of how this particular character would act or react.

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Janet Lane Walters' recent release from BWL is Shattered Dreams, Moonchild Series, Book 1
Torn apart years ago by lies and threats, Rafe Marshall returns to town and confronts Manon Lockley. She has been told he died on the night he stood her up for their senior prom. When she faints, Rafe catches her and realizes he hasn’t stopped loving her.

Manon carries anger and now grief that wasn’t real. Rafe wants her in his life, but she doesn’t want to talk about what happened in the past. She can’t be sure if her father or someone else told lies about Rafe and she doesn’t want to know. Can Rafe persuade her to listen? Not without a battle.  

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DPZT6K2

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Janet Lane Walters has been writing and published since the days of the typewriter. She has 30 plus novels and seven novellas plus four non-fiction books published. Janet lives in the scenic Hudson River valley with her husband, a psychiatrist who has no desire to cure her obsession with writing.

She is the mother of four and the grandmother of five with two children expected to arrive soon from China. Janet writes in a number of genres - Romance from sweet to sensual and from contemporary to fantasy and paranormal. She has published cozy mysteries and medical suspense. She also has a number of YA fantasies published. Visit her Blog:
   

http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com/