Tuesday's Writer's Tip About Setting @BWLAuthor @MFRWAuthor #Places #weather #time of day

 Settings is an important part of a story. This is the Where and When of a story. There are severalelements in setting a story in a particular place. There is the country, town or city. Also there is the time of year, and the time of day.  There is also the weather at the time of your story.  All have ways to influence the story.

Place can be used in a variety of ways. Every country has a culture and also important places. The same goes for a town, city or village. Also in each setting there is a particular place such as a house, a room or the surroundings. Giving these particular places a voice in the story can add to the tension. Think of a spooky house or a hotel room, an office or a hospital. All can add to the ambiance of a story.

Time can also be an element in a story. What year is the story taking place. What events have occurred around that time. What time of day is your character existing in. There are differences in the light of morning or a moonlit night. All these can be used to influence the characters.

Weather can also add depth to your story. Think of a frain storm, a tornado, a blizzard. Each of these events could have an influence on your character. Think of the difference between a confrontation in the sun or one beneath the moon. This can influence your characters.

So pay attention to your setting and use the elements to add tension to the story.

 

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Friday Eileen Troemel is visiting and talking about the elements of Fiction #MFRWAuthor #fantasy #dragons

  We all know there are six elements of fiction. Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. I believe the first five lead to the sixth which for me is plot. What's your take on this?

 

For me, it’s usually a scene or a person who I start with – most often a scene. Things come to me in a flash of inspiration and I take it from there. Sometimes it’s a situation and sometimes it’s a character. For the Dragon Descendant series, once I used a scene I’d written for a group but it was too short so I expanded it.  The cover came next and from there it expanded into a short story.  For the subsequent short stories, the characters came to me as the world was already set up. So my top two would be who and where. Often the what and why show up later sometimes at almost the end of the book. The how of a story – this unfolds as I write.

 

 

How do you create your characters? Do you have a specific method?

 

My method is to listen to my characters and write them the way they tell me to or else.  I always say my characters tell me the story. Marelo was stubborn but Bandor told me all about his love and how much he needed his mate. For Solana it was the opposite. Solana told me how much she loved the dragons and how difficult it was for her to cope with her fated mate to be so standoffish. Ariana and Winnod gave me a mix. Ariana told me of her heartbreak and her loneliness after Winnod ran away from their early connection. Winnod told me about how much he loved her even when he knew he shouldn’t. I felt his desperation for even a scent of her when he was in the mountains. With the last book, the mates found each other but Zonlet came through first with his worry and his concerns. He wanted her to have play time but worried about her impulsiveness. When they experience a difficulty, it shocks Bryony and from there, she spoke with me more than Zonlet.

 

 

2. Does your beginning arrive fully developed or do you spend a lot of time making the right approach to scene 1?

 

My openings can be as little as a one liner or as long as a chapter. With the Dragon Descendant series, I didn’t start out to write the final three. I’d written Marelo and planned to write the other three later – like next year later but they sparked something in me and one led into the next and so on.  Ironically I kept saying to myself – oh I’ll just putter on the story tonight before I go back to the current WIP.  Every night I’d share how I wrote a couple thousand words.  Once I got started, the words tumbled out as if I’d opened a faucet on full.   

 

3. Do you know how the story will end before you begin? In a general way or a specific one?

Almost never. I rarely see the end except in a few cases. When I wrote my Wayfarer series, I saw the last four books in a big overview and as I wrote each one the ending became really clear.  With the Dragon Descendant series, I didn’t see the endings of the short stories. I knew a little on how the series would end but it was broad strokes. When it came to Bryony, I got to a point where I knew things had to change and then an idea popped and I knew how it would end. Once I did, I realized I’d have to go back and add hints of it to the stories.

 

 

4. Do you choose settings you know or do you have books of settings and plans of houses sitting around?

Because I write a lot in scifi and fantasy most of what I do is world building. If it’s a new world or new species, I have to create all of it from scratch. I’ve had to describe ships and try to avoid what has already been used. In Dragon Descendant stories, I had to create a whole planet and describe how the people were different from each other and why. Each location becomes a balance between how much do I describe and how much do I let the reader make up what they imagine.  

 

 

 

 

5. Where do you do your research? On line or from books?

 

My research is generally online or with people who have experience with the topic. My standard is to work on my laptop for writing and use my cell phone to go in and Google for information. However, there are some topics which I know someone who can explain things to me better than what I read on the Internet. I use them shamelessly. When I needed to set up the financial part of an entire race, I texted a friend who was an accountant (Wayfarer series). Recently I worked on a shifter series (Puma Pride due out next July), I needed information on genetics. My youngest daughter has participated in genetic research so I called her.  Many conversations later, I believe I came up with something believable but not too sciency. 

          

 

6. Are you a draft writer or do you revise as you go along and why? Do you sketch out your plot or do you let the characters develop the route to the end?

 

My process is to write and then the next time I go in, I’ll read over what I wrote last time (sometimes I reread the whole thing) and edit and adjust as I go.  Sometimes this means I spend more time editing/reading than writing. It depends on how much of a gap there is between writing sessions as I often work on multiple projects at a time.  

 

7. Where can we find you on the net?

 

https://linktr.ee/eileentroemel

Friday - Reed Stirling is visiting and talking about Plot and other elements #Plot #Characters #Setting #BWLAuthor

 

On Who, What, When, Where & How leading to Plot:

An idea for a story takes root and then things evolve from there. That’s where How comes into play, which relates to structure, development, and point of view. What depends on character, the protagonist in particular, and type, and his or her moral outlook, ambition, fears, goals, relationships; in other words, Who he or she is as a representative human being, and this can determine where choices lead and how the narrative develops, thus Plot. When is a function of setting and might be suggestive of local colour or the mores of the era / epoch. Frequently enough a setting, Where, will fire up the imagination, and I’ll want to see something dramatic take place there, specifically an obstacle to achievement acknowledged by the protagonist and then overcome, or not. Plot determines the action, character can determine the outcome, but theme is never to be overlooked.

 

How my characters are created:

My main characters tend to be protagonist-narrators in pursuit of truth as they understand it or as plot and theme define it. Providing them with creditable personality, background, and motivation is not only challenging but also rewarding when things fall plausibly into place. Simple observation of real people in real life exchanges — a young couple in a hospital waiting room, a tête-à-tête in a bar or restaurant, someone behind the wheel of a luxury automobile noticed at an intersection — helps in the general conceptualization of characters. A particular scene will give birth to characters whose voices demand to be heard — that man wearing a Panama hat or that tiny woman wearing bright red shoes. Imagination informs them with a personal history, with particular traits, with relevant choices. The character I want the reader to identify with may not be lovable at all. As long as he or she is interesting, has a voice worth listening to, and is capable of reflecting authentic human instincts, naughty or nice.

An antagonists can be born out of the observation that people, a specific exemplar, for instance, lie repeatedly. I favour antagonists that arise from within main characters and shadow their every move. An idea or stated point of view might need a counterpoint, an opposing view, the right interpretation, the verifiable truth, or just plain obstruction — these factors will give rise to certain characters, main or supporting. Thus, antagonists come into being and help move the action along from crisis to crisis. Antagonist can be well-meaning in their contrariness or destructiveness. They can have malicious intent in their apparent goodness. A plausible personal history goes a long way towards giving them standing. Humanize them, like all characters, through voice, mannerism, idiosyncrasy, tic, flaw, aspiration, success, failure, mendacity, and size of shoe. A black hat might just be in vogue at the time of the story, and not symbolic of a really bad dude with a .45 in his hip pocket. A scar might be emblematic of love or a badge of honour. A penchant for odd-ball humour can lighten what appears to be nothing but dark. The antagonist can be a force-field of repudiation or disdain. A troublesome memory. A inveterate liar.

 

First scene:

Scene one is vitally important. It is something I labour over most intently and that includes the first sentence, sometimes the first word. 

 

Plot determination & how the story will end:

I need to have at least a general idea where my characters are going and how they get there. This applies especially to protagonists. What happens along the way, i.e., plot, may surprise me but ultimately lead to what was intended at the inception, to what is aesthetically, thematically, and intrinsically true.

Greek mythology plays a significant role in underpinning my plots. Knowing the myths helps readers grasp what is going on in the background. Allusions to art, literature, philosophy, and religion serve a similar function.

 

Settings:

Theme and story determine my settings. Some settings are constant, except for individual scenes within them. I determine a particular house plan, should it be necessary, depending on considered purpose.

 

Research:

More recently I research things online. However, the reference books I consult (be they |mythological, philosophical, psychological, or historical) I find on my own shelves or on those of our local library. Most enjoyable is research done in situ, Greece for Shades Of Persephone, for example, and Montreal in large part for Lighting The Lamp and Séjour Saint-Louis, my most recently published novel. Reading other fiction can also be a source of helpful information. Simple observation of people can be very insightful, verisimilitude being the objective of the exercise no matter the setting. Bars and cafés are preferred places to pick up on relevant dialogue.

 

Drafts  and Revisions:    

All initial effort leads to producing a workable first draft. Revision is ongoing. The material produced one day is subject to close reading on the following day, and so on till that first draft is attained, which ultimately takes me back to page one. Changes along the way result if a statement is unintentionally ambiguous or if a passage seems to be leading the potential reader in the wrong direction. Sometimes sequencing can be off. Or dialogue. Or description. Or even one word. Getting it all down in a logical, coherent way takes determination, organization, and hard work. Revision at all stages, in whole or in part, is somehow more rewarding for me than the original writing. Several drafts produce a working MS ready for editing.

 

Find me at the following:

 

reedstirlingwrites.com

reedstirling@gmail.com

http://bwlpublishing.ca

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bookswelove

Amazon Author central: https://authorcentral.amazon.comgp/home

 

Tuesday's Writer's Tip The When of Your Story #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Writing #When

Tuesday's Writer's Tip Reminders for Using Show and Tell with Where and When #MFRWAuthor #Writing

As we've seen it's important to show your readers where and when the story takes place. This can be done in a number of ways either by showing through dialogue and action. Or by telling the when and where in passages of description. The following things are good to keep in mind when you're revising your story.

Have you established where the story is taking place preferably by the second page of the story. Having your characters exist in a vacuum might work if you are writing a science fiction story or even a horror tale. One of the first editorial comments I received was "Your characters are existing in a vacuum." The editor was kind enough to add a few brief sentences to show me what she meant. Letting the readers know where the story is taking place is important and each time you move the location, you need to show where the characters are.

Putting the bits about the where and when of the story into the first chapter helps. The readers want to know this. Think of how hard it would be if you were reading a story and learned this was taking place in the present or the past or happening in a hovel when you thought a palace. Doesn't take much to tell and show where the characters are situated and when in history they exist.

Another thing to be aware of is giving the reader a picture of where a character exists of the social structure. Matters are different for the rich or poor, for the servant or the owner, for the doctor, the nurse or the patient. Consider all these things and show and tell the character through action, dialogue and description these things.

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Using Show and Tell to give the When of your story. #MFRWAuthor #BWLPublishing #Writing #When

Letting the reader know early in the story when the action is happening is important. Imagine how you would feel if you were reading along and suddenly you realized the story was a historical one or you thought it was a medieval and you learned it was a Regency. I believe you would be a bit angry.

Now you could put a heading at the opening of the story. Something Like August 1812 and that would let the reader know when they were. You could also say something like Fresent Day. Ten years ago. These would tell the reader but they're stale ways to show what you want the reader to know.

Using show and tell is a help. Have the characters in a conversation speaking of something that belongs to the period. Miss Mary Brown turned to her cousin. "When we go to Brighton, will we see the Regent." This would give the reader a real clue to the when on the story.

The July sun shone relentlessly on the mountain climbers. This will also tell a bit more about the when.

Try something like. The incessant ring of the alarm caused Susan to groan. Six thirty is too early to be up but there were things to do and places to be.

All these ways show how to give the reader clues as to when the action is happening. They will keep them reading.

Tuesday's Writer's Tip Using Show and Tell to Establish Where and When #MFRWAuthor #Writing #Show #Tell

Setting is important to every story. That means where and when. Knowing where the story takes place can add depth to the story and so dows knowing when. These two areas also have some dealing with the plot. Think of the difference between a contemporary setting and a historical setting. Then consider one that takes place in a different world as many fantasies and science fiction stories. These have a real purpose in a story.

Sure you can take the same basic plot and set it in a different country, a different era, a place devised from your imagination. There are certain things that will make a difference to the basic story.  A land where there are dragons makes the where different and the way people act than today's world with planes, cars and television. So when you're writing the story, you need to find ways to bring the reader into the setting you're using.

So we'll continue with the where. The setting or the where is a backdrop but this also hold influence on the characters actions and reactions. Think of the difference between a ballroom and a prison cell. Consider how the characters interact with the setting. What do they see, smell, touch, taste, hear. All the senses make an impact on the characters and also bring the reader into the story.  Just remember not to give too much in a long passage of description. That can be boring. You need to choose the elements you want to focus on. You also want to scatter them through out the story.

So consider the where as part of your story and bring your characters into this setting.

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Tuesday's Writer's Tip Where Is The Character #MFRWAuthor #BWLPublishing #Where #When

The third must in the opening of the book is the where and the when. Thses items have a great effect on the story.

Just where in this or another universe are the characters of the story found. There is much to learn about the physical place where your characters exist. Think of writing a historical but all the dialogue sounds like people of today speaking. The reader won't buy this. Or consider a gritty mystery story set in the slums where everyone talks as though they were college educated. The where has much to add to the story.

What year does the story take place? Writing about prehistoric times would be much different than writing about some year in the future. The story must show the time period when the story takes place. Being true to the time period is essential. A story set in the 1920s has a different flavor than one set in the sixteenth century. So pay attention to the time element of your story.

Another thing is what season, what month is featured in the story? Having a snow storm in July in the northern hemisphere means something drastic has happened to make this possible. The weather can add elements to the story. Think about the difference a rainy day can make characters act other than when the day is bright and sunny.

So make sure you have these elements present in your story.

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - What - From Idea To Finished Book #MFRWauthor #What #Goals

Now that we've looked at when and where, the next W to consider is What. What is the characters' goals. Now when there is more than one character each one has a goal. These goals may or may not march together.

Take romance - The heroine may want romance and may have a particular man in mind. He may or may not have her in mind but another female. Thus there is a triangle and finding ways to show the characters reaching their goal.

Sometimes a goal may change. Think about revenge. The character wanting revenge may learn things that change his desire. There are so many things to look at when you're deciding the what of the character.

But once you know when the story takes place and where the characters are set and you look at what they want, you have a better picture of the character.

I'm working on a book right now where the hero really makes a miscue with the heroine and she wants nothing to do what him. He realizes after he asked her to give up her career and become his mistress that he loves her.  Unfortunately, the heroine was falling in love with him and expected a proposal, not the one she received. So the what becomes very important. He wants her. She wants nothing to do with him. And they must work together.

The what is part of your need for making the character. So is the Why and next time we'll look at that.

Tuesday's Writer's Tip -Looking at the When of a story #MFRWauthor #Writing #When

There are six elements you need to have in your book- Who are the characters. What is the goal the characters want to achieve. When is the time the story takes place. Where is the place where the story takes place. Why is the reason the characters want to achieve their goals. How is the road they take to reach their goal.

Today, I'm looking at the when of a story. When the story takes place is very important to the writer. Let's look at the number of whens that go into a story.

When can be the century. The story can take place any time from prehistorical times to the future, The time period of a story can help create the story. I have a series set in an ancient alternate Egypt. The when had a part in determining the alternate world part of the story. I learned there were no camels in Egypt until around one AD. My story was set in BC centuries before. Thus I had to change the focus of the story.

Many of my stories are contemporary and what happens in the world around is important. I seldom mention the political events but looking at the medical advances is important.

So century does have an effect in a story and often means research.

The when also means things like season, time of day. I'll look at these Next week.

Friday's Guest - Krissie Fortune #MFRWauthor #writing

We all know there are six elements of fiction. Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. I believe the first five lead to the sixth which for me is plot. What's your take on this?

1.      How do you create your characters? Do you have a specific method?

 My characters start off in my head, but they’re like chess pieces I move around to make the plot work. Once I have that, I think about the people. What do they like? What do they dislike? Why are they attracted to each other? One of the pins on my Pinterest board of writing tips is a questionnaire about your characters. I find it helps sharpen up my ideas about them. After all that, when I start writing, they take on a life of their own. Maybe I wanted one to be uptight, but she shows me her slutty side. It’s an amalgam of methods that seems to work.

2. Do your characters come before the plot?

 I’m a big believer in plot first. That said, if the characters are wooden, my writing wouldn’t sell.

3. Do you know how the story will end before you begin? In a general way or a specific one?

A general way, with a happy-ever-after guaranteed. I know my hero and heroine will fall in love, and I know some of the obstacles they’ll face along the way. They never have an easy ride.   

4. Do you choose settings you know or do you have books of settings and plans of houses sitting around?

For my Scattered Siblings series, my husband drew me a map based on what I told him about my otherworld. I know which species lives where and the home territory of each werewolf pack. For my Heroes of Westhorpe Ridge Trilogy, I needed a coastal town in North Carolina. I’m a Brit who for health reasons doesn’t do long haul flights. Since my town was imaginary, I used the British sea side resort of Whitby as my base but Americanised it. (And yes, that is where Bram Stoker wrote Dracula, but I left the vampires behind.)

Westhorpe Ridge straddles a gorge with cliffs either side. Devlin’s hotel sits on the cliff top. Montgomery Hall replaces Whitby Abbey on the other.

5. Where do you do your research? On line or from books?

Mostly on line, but anything’s research. I recently went to a talk by a Farrier. I went out of interest, but afterward, l realized I knew my next hero’s profession. My Heroes of Westhorpe Ridge series features former military men. I looked at USA service websites so much a recruiter came on line and wanted to chat with me. They’re also into BDSM and I visited one that opened its doors for writers to chat with the Doms. I learned about flogging, people visiting in their lunch break, and breath control. It was quite a day.

6. Are you a draft writer or do you revise as you go along and why? Do you sketch out your plot or do you let the characters develop the route to the end?

A bit of both. I write until I’m stuck, then revise the chapters I’ve written. By the time I’ve done that, I generally know what happens next. Once my first draft’s finished, I revise and revise until my head hurts. I’m dyslexic and don’t see the errors every time, but with the help of my husband, I get there in the end.

 7. Where can we find you on the net?

Website      http://kryssiefortune.wixsite.com/kryssie

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