Making a Story Seem and Feel More Realistic to your Reader By Connie Vines #AudibleAudiobook #Rodeo Bull Rider, #Silver Buckle

 Making a Story Seem and Feel More Realistic to Your Reader.  

The challenge for every fiction writer or non-fiction writer creating a fictional story is to craft a believable one. This challenge is taken to new levels for writers of realistic fiction. These stories, which are woven around real events that have occurred, can be formed from memoirs, historical moments, and even horror stories if desired. Realistic fiction doesn't blend well with other genres of fiction. It must stand on its own.

That's why it's essential to know how to write realistic fiction in a way that can relate to the reader, be realistic, yet avoid including fantasy elements that may drive readers away. Here's how I keep it real for my readers.

#1. Don't go crazy with your characters. Most people in real life don't have crazy names (though spelling names phonetically is the latest craze).  If a parent wishes his/her child to go through life spelling his/her name, that's their business.  However, I don't give my characters unusual names. Sometimes a guy named Joe, Jacob, or Chris is good enough for realistic fiction.

#2. Give your story a good structure. Realistic fiction requires characters to be fully developed and engaging. People like to see what happens to them because realistic fiction puts the reader into the character's shoes.

#3. Create a good introduction. You want your readers in realistic fiction to begin developing relationships with the characters immediately. This will help to draw them into the story. Let the first couple of pages be the setting where your readers develop a dialogue. Then let the events of your story begin to unfold for your characters. This will lure the reader in so they don't want to put the book down.

#4. Make sure your settings are realistic as well.

#5. Create conflicts that are integral to the character's dialogue. Even close friends will inevitably experience conflicts from time to time. In realistic fiction, these conflicts must also have a touch of realism.

#6. Build to a solid climax. The most common error seen in proposed realistic fiction is that the entire story builds up to a climax at the very end. Remember to include plot points, dark moments, and mini-resolutions in your subplots.

#7. Create a conclusion with a twist. Have you ever worked hard for something only to have something unexpected happen?  Sometimes the conclusion of a realistic story is predictable, and that's a wonderful thing. Readers love it when everything works out as it should. For some characters, life throws them a twist.

By keeping things real, you create stories that will help readers relate to your characters in a very personal way. There is no better method to create a story that people won't want to put down until they've finished it.

I don't wish to give too much away in my works-in-progress or my published stories.

But here are a few teasers and hints of what is to come in my novels:

Current (work in progress):

"Perfume Paradise" is a sweet romance...with a hint of mystery.

"Gumbo Ya Ya," an anthology for women who like Cajun romance, is a current release (4 stories).

Each story has a 'Cajun' main character.  And, of course, food is also part of the realistic slant of each story.

Read a sample:https://www.amazon.com/Gumbo-Ya-Connie-Vines-ebook/dp/B091D27R4Y 

https://www.amazon.com/Lynx-Rodeo-Romance-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00ATSATM2/ref=sr_

Everyone Loves a Cowboy...one reader wrote, "Some romances smolder. Others spark with grit, danger, and tenderness all at one...

Another reader wrote... "a cowboy worth falling for..."

"Keep a box of tissues close at hand..."

**Audio Release **

"Lynx" Rodeo Romance, Book 1, is now available in Audio!

(currently FREE for those who sign up) 

Lynx: Rodeo Romance, Book 1  Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

For readers of Romantic Suspense:

Rodeo Romance Book 2,

Happy Reading!

Or, listening to my audiobook

Connie

Where am I?

Website:https://connievines-author.com/

Blogger https://mizging.blogspot.com/

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Are sci-fi authors creating new worlds? Or has every story been written? by Vijaya Schartz

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If every story has been written before, isn’t it the same for the worlds we create in our books? If life is universal, does it develop everywhere in the same pattern? Of course, not. There is also the possibility of worlds and beings so outrageous that they are impossible for us to conceive or imagine. They could even be invisible to us. But then, would they be relatable to the reader?

When we consider Star Trek’s original thinking, it’s about exploration, and the main characters are still human and relatable… like the Vulcans, the Klingons, or the Romulans… even the Borg. Their motivations, although different from ours, are still within our comprehension.

Then, there are entities of pure evil, destructive, without empathy... but although they affect the lives of the crew, they are impossible for us to fathom.

Star Wars main characters are from different worlds, but mostly human as well with human flaws, like the diverse patrons of some outpost bars with weird Jazz music and alien fringe clientele. Even the robots display human feelings.

When Frank Herbert wrote DUNE, he lived in Egypt and took his inspiration from the Tuaregs, a desert tribe of the Sahara. There are so many diverse cultures in this world, that one needn’t go very far to find interesting societies with different sets of rules… especially if you consider the past.

Check out this award-winning universe of mine, Chronicles of Kassouk
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Cultures like the Greeks, the Romans, the ancient Egyptians, the Vikings, the Mongols, the Samurai, the mid-eastern tales of a thousand and one nights, the ancient Silk Road, all can inspire us to create new worlds, slightly similar yet different.

In CHI WARRIOR, Book One of the PROTECTORS trilogy, scheduled for release this November, I created a medieval post-apocalyptic world, where simple communities survived far apart, separated by wide deserts, high mountains, vast steppes, and uncrossable rivers with dangerous rapids.

As for the culture, it would be basic, simple, but lawless, and the strongest leaders would fight for supremacy, oppressing the weak to gain power.

On such a planet, imagine an oasis of harmony, a self-sufficient monastery in the middle of the desert, devoted to the study of martial arts, with fearsome fighters… and some ancient technology left behind by Immortals who came from the stars.

When the fictional world you created is a character in the story, it also must have a past, and this one is no exception. I will not tell you what it is, because it’s an important twist in the book.

CHI WARRIOR is scheduled for release November 2025. Here is the most recent blurb, still subject to change.

Anila, spiritual warrior woman, trained all her life in the desert, at the monastery of the Celestial Gate, to take the vows of the mighty Protectors. That’s all she’s ever known, all she ever wanted. But a black cloud with wings haunts her nightmares.

When a barbarian horde descends from the north, Bayor Khan seems unstoppable, determined to destroy everything in his path. Rumors of his cruelty make the most powerful princes tremble in their stone fortresses.

Anila is pulled into the inevitable clash as a prophecy unfolds, blurring the lines between good and evil. But nothing is as it seems… not even her, or Bayor Khan. An ancient enemy rises in the shadows, and the falling darkness threatens Anila and everyone she loves.

In the meantime, check out my latest epic sci-fi fantasy series, available everywhere online: 

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Happy Reading

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, Epic Adventure

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Opera, gyms, and shredded carrots – some of my unfavorite things by donalee Moulton

https://www.bookswelove.com/search?q=donalee%20moulton

I was recently interviewed about being a writer – and being a whole bunch of other things. Quick answers to fun questions. I’d like to share them with you.

 

Things you never want to run out of: Chocolate, sweat pants, downward dogs

Things you wish you’d never bought: White chocolate, stilettos, a gym membership

 

Hardest thing about being a writer: Writing
Easiest thing about being a writer: Talking about writing with other writers

Favorite foods: Miso chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, baked gnocchi with Italian sausage

Things that make you want to gag: Snails (even if you call it “escargot”), lima beans, coconut

 

Favorite music or song: I like music I can move to or with lyrics that move me

Music that drives you crazy: Opera (sadly)

 

Last best thing you ate: Cider doughnuts
Last thing you regret eating: Some waxy wrap thing with shredded carrots

 

The last thing you ordered online: A catio for Wiley Bob so he can safely go out in the sunshine

The last thing you regret buying: A wool winter coat that’s itchy to look at and itchy to wear

 

Things you always put in your books: Humor
Things you never put in your books: Blood, guts, gore (at least so far)

 

Favorite places you’ve been: Sable Island, Thailand, Sweden
Places you never want to go to again: Retreats with yurts

 

Favorite books (or genre): Charlotte’s Web, Where the Crawdad’s Sing, The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, and Five

Books you wouldn’t buy: Horror

 

Best thing you’ve ever done: Written books and stories and poems and articles
Biggest mistake: Going to the opera ties with joining a gym

 

The nicest thing a reader said to you: One reader posted a picture of themselves lounging in the sun reading Hung Out to Die. They captioned it “Perfect afternoon.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Some readers see sexual tension between two characters in Hung Out to Die. I just don’t see it.

 

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: I can get up off the floor without using my hands. So can one of my characters.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Love of coffee. I don’t drink caffeine.

 

Book Reviews by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

https://books2read.com/West-to-the-Bay-Yarmey

Review: A delving into history and the Hudson Bay Company. Tells the story of one young man Thomas and his experiences after leaving his home to travel to the New World. Full of adventure and history. I enjoyed the book and the ease of reading.

Review: I have visited Churchill on the Hudson Bay and this book took me back 300 years to what it was like? A good read cannot put it down

 

https://books2read.com/West-to-Grande-Portage-V2

Review: This book was exactly what I needed to read. It took me away to a completely different world in another time. I followed along, very intrigued by the detail Ms. Donaldson provided about Quebec and the voyageurs of the 1700s all the while creating a very compelling story. I loved this book so much that I immediately began West to the Bay after I finished it. I look forward to reading more and more of Ms. Donaldson's stories.

 

Book Reviews

Book reviews are very important for writers especially in today’s flooded book world. In the past there were traditional publishers, and a few writers who self-published, who send their new releases to book reviewers working on the newspapers. The reviewers would then read them and write reviews for the public. Or the publisher sent the manuscripts (ARCs) to other authors before the book was published and would get a review to add to the front of the book.

But things have changed drastically. While the big five publishers still do a lot of the publicizing and marketing, the smaller publishers are now requiring their authors to take over that job. With the Internet making self-publishing cheap and easy, there are a lot more books on the market. So this is why reviews are so important—authors need readers to tell others why they should read that particular book. And most of that is done on Amazon. The algorithms on Amazon don’t care how long or what was said in the reviews, they just look at the number of reviews. The more reviews, the higher up the book is placed.

Unfortunately, many readers seem reluctant to leave a review. And there are many reasons for that. They think they have to write a long one giving some of the storyline. But that’s not necessary. All they have to say is that they liked the book and hoped the author was writing another. Some get busy and forget or they don’t think their opinion is important. Also, if they didn’t like the book or it wasn’t what they expected, they feel a little uncomfortable leaving a three star or less review. But, just because one person didn’t like the subject of the book, that doesn’t mean the next person will think the same way. Liking or disliking a book is subjective. And, hopefully, readers realize that when they look at the reviews of a book they are interested in.

So, it has become necessary for authors to actively ask for reviews. Publishers and self-published authors now add a note at the end of the book reminding the reader to leave a review. Also, writers who send out newsletters prompt readers to go into their book’s Internet site and write a quick assessment of the story.

Even though this way of getting reviews is all free it does seem like a lot of work and seldom pays off. In the end, some authors opt for another way to get reviews, and that is to pay for them. There are businesses that accept books for review and authors can submit their work to them. But it costs and some charge up to $450.00. The questions I have about this are: Is this ethical; does it mean that the more you pay the better the review; does this give the reader a true, objective opinion of the story and of the writing?

The thing is that it is easy for readers to leave a review of my, or any author’s, books on Amazon. And you don’t have had to purchase it through Amazon. Just go to the book’s Amazon page, scroll down to review this product, select the number of stars you give it, and click on the write a customer review button. You can write as many or as few words as you wish.

Just a note: if you are a friend of the author on any social media, Amazon may reject your review and may even delete previous reviews left by other readers.

A Short Story Competition by Victoria Chatham

 

AVAILABLE HERE

My dear departed husband (henceforth, my DDH), tired of hearing me say that I would write one day, signed me up for short story writing classes. Once I had completed two or three stories, he encouraged me to enter writing competitions. Some people are natural competitors. I am not. I declined. However, after reading a short story in a local paper, he said, “You can do better than that.”

He handed me the newspaper with the pages already folded back so I could read the winning entry of a western-themed short story competition. The year was 1999, and I don’t remember now what that winning story was about, but it sent my little grey cells into overdrive. My DDH told our friends that I was going to enter the next weekend-long Write ‘Em Cowboy competition, and soon my cheerleading section of one had blossomed into a dozen or more. I finally agreed to submit an entry, simply to shut them all up. 

The entry rules required submitting a one-page outline of a western-themed short story, a page of unpublished prose, and a $20 entry fee. The first prize was $1,000, but I didn’t get excited because I didn’t expect to be selected. Well, how wrong I was. My story was titled The Red Bull, and I expected nothing more than a receipt for my entry fee when I opened a letter from the competition organizers. The first word I read was “Congratulations!” I could hardly believe I had been chosen as a finalist.

The whole weekend was a writer’s delight. No phones to answer, chores to do, people or pets to care for. The event kicked off with a Friday evening reception. There was a short presentation by the chairperson of the organizing committee, and then the guests and the finalists were free to mix and mingle. To prevent the chance of any sneaky notes, all the computers, along with a couple of technicians to ensure there were no problems, were donated by a local company. Each finalist chose a workstation, and writing commenced at 9:00 am on Saturday morning, continuing until 9:00 am on Sunday.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

The story was to be no more than 7000 words. By the time my DDH came to see how I was doing on Saturday evening, I had already hit the 10,000-word mark. I was not prepared to burn the midnight oil to edit out 3,000 words, so I went home to sleep on it. Which, of course, I couldn’t. We were on the road back to the venue by 5:30 am and arrived just after 6:00 am on Sunday. Yes, I beat the deadline with 6,865 words at 8.55 am.

 We waited for the rest of the day as the judges deliberated. Once the Sunday evening banquet was finished and the tables were cleared, the winners were announced. I was placed fourth, earning me a prize of $100 and an excellent critique. Each of the six judges made the same comment: My story was not a short story; it was a book. Because of that, plus the encouragement from my DDH and support from BWL Publishing Inc., it saw the light of day as a contemporary western romance, Loving That Cowboy. I have entered a couple of competitions since, but the heady heights of that first competition remain with me.

Victoria Chatham

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