How to Write Powerful Scenes that Engage Readers
Every writer faces dead scenes at some point (yes, including John Green and Rainbow Rowell). But your dead scenes still have buttloads of potential. Yes, two cheek loads. So don’t toss ‘em. And having meh scenes doesn’t mean you’re a terrible writer either, sweet flamingo. So let’s talk about how to breathe some life into your scenes. Every single scene has to motivate the plot by either: Building up your main character(s) Creating conflict World building (or doing all three!) But first, let’s talk about the necessity of a powerful opening paragraph: The Opening Paragraph: First paragraphs must propose questions to the reader. A powerful first paragraph sets the emotional tone for the rest of the scene. It spotlights the characters involved, offers a setting for the scene to play out in, and throws the reader right into the next plot point. Overwhelmed yet? Lol, don’t panic, baby. Consider these ideal examples of opening scenes: “Alderaan was known to people throughout the galaxy for its beautiful scenery, its aesthetically pleasing architecture, and its commitment to preserving harmony and tranquility. Those people would have been very surprised by the scene at the Aldera spaceport, when the Tantive IV unexpectedly unloaded a hundred refugees from Wobani.” -Leia Princess of Alderaan Claudia Gray “Mr. Hindley came home to the funeral; and- a thing that amazed us, and set the neighbours gossiping right and left- he brought a wife with him. What she was, and where she was born, he never informed us: probably, she had neither money nor name to recommend her, or he would...
How to Find Time to Write Every Day
You’ve heard the masters say the key to great writing is writing every day. And you’ve tried that before, but you gave up trying. Why? Because writing is hard. And life has this fun little way of getting in the way. Well, I need you to know something: I did the exact same thing you did. I tried writing every day. But life threw some nasty uppercuts. Plus, I believed I just couldn’t write unless I felt inspired to write. So I didn’t. My writing took a hit as a result. And I don’t mean my stories were meh. Nah, I mean, I couldn’t connect to the story and would abandon it as a result. Do you know what else happened? I felt my desire to write slipping away I grew depressed because I wasn’t achieving my goals Maybe the same is true for you. But you can avoid it. Not only this, but you can write every day and make it stick. So how do you make time to write every day?: You “sift” for time You focus on the carrot (or the reward) Sift for Time Time is gold: it’s valuable and it’s the one thing we wish we had more of. Time, though, is much easier to sift for than gold. In fact, all of us do have more time to write. But we don’t think we do because we bury time with one big lie we tell ourselves. The big lie we tell ourselves is that we don’t have time. Now, I’m not suggesting our lives aren’t crazy or that we don’t...
How I Overcame Discouragement and Revived my Passion For Writing (and How You Can too)
You and I want nothing more than to write every day, all the time. But in the whirlwind of life’s demands, you lose energy, focus, and determination. You feel it in your gut. That desire for writing is fading. And worse still, no one seems interested in your work anyway. “Why don’t I feel like writing anymore? Does my fiction matter? How do I get my passion back for writing? Can I get it back at all? ” Yes, you can, you sweet little pickled onion. Promise. Because I went through the same thing not too long ago myself. Just a few months ago, life pushed everything I love into the background and plopped health problems and bills and rent and even more adulting onto my lap instead. My passion for writing began slipping away and I felt so helpless against it. Worse still, I saw my peers skyrocketing and I felt even more alone, resentful, and lost. I didn’t write a single word for nearly four months. So what changed? How did I start writing two hours a day for my blog and make book sales along the way? The Wake Up Call I learned about a free seminar from a successful blogger named Jeff Goins. I downloaded his free eBook “The Writer’s Road Map: 12 Steps to Making a Living Writing” What I read woke me up. Jeff shared advice that, once I fiercely implemented, completely changed the writing game for me. I’ll share just three tips: Write every day even if it isn’t magnificent writing Real artists don’t starve as long as they work consistently...
4 Tips Writers Learn from Star Wars about Crafting Iconic Characters
Luke, Princess Leia, Yoda, Chewie, Han, R2-D2, Rey, Fin, Darth Vader… I don’t have to tell you which universe these iconic names hail from. (And if you’re anything like me, you’re counting down the minutes until you get to watch more of this universe unfold tonight!) Star Wars created awesome, ridiculously cool and iconic characters that took the world by storm. So how did creators like J.J. Abrams, George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan and others create such iconic characters? And how can you, a padawan writer, create characters as iconic and shimmering as these faces? There are four basic building blocks needed to create a character that resonates with your readers. So what are they?: a unique identity, an iconic friendship, an incredible feat, and emotional growth. So, let’s expand on these and how you can implement these building blocks in your work of fiction. 1. Unique Identity Crafting a unique identity for your character requires more than just a rebellious, wild personality. Unique identities are born from characters who take striking turns from unchallenged ideologies, paths, titles, or destinies. And Star Wars offers a plethora of unique identities exactly like this. Take Darth Vader, for example: Vader was once a young and promising Jedi named Anakin Skywalker who did the unthinkable. He disregarded the Jedi code forbidding romantic relationships and married his childhood love. Breaking under the weight of fear of losing his wife in childbirth, this powerful young Jedi turns to the dark side and becomes one of the most powerful Sith Lords of all time. Talk about a seeeerious turn from the straight n’ narrow!...I’m Rae Elliott: Author, Blogger, Geek
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Write Fandom-Worthy Fiction with the Help of Great Resources:
A writer's complete guide to everything worldbuilding.
Slam dunk your NaNoWriMo goals without living like a hermit!
Create well-crafted protagonists readers will adore.
Create unforgettable female characters that readers will applaud.
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