As I try to improve my craft as a writer, I read articles about writing.
Here are the 5 best that I’ve read this week:
1. Novel writing basics: 10 steps to an unputdownable book
This article broke down ideas on ways to tantalize readers. My favorite takeaway was:
If the reader doesn’t have a clear sense of where your characters are, they can come across as talking heads floating in hazy darkness.
Since I have written mostly screenplays, I struggle with too much dialogue at times. I attribute it to screenplays because sometimes my scenes look like a screenplay: description up front and then dialogue action dialogue. I know I need to work on including more dialogue attributions and interspersing more descriptions.
2. 3 Must-Have Scenes That Reveal Character
This article discusses three scenes that are “must-haves” for your MCs.
My takeaway:
As a writer, ask: How will the readers find themselves in this character? How will they connect with this character and start to believe this character is real? It doesn’t matter if your character is a superhero or a soccer mom – we need that connection.
Flaws make a character more real. In Threads of Fate both of my MCs struggle with their self-esteem in different ways. Petra doesn’t feel confident and when she lacks confidence her enchanted grimoire has blank pages. Angsmar has let the voices of a few people become an internal tape that he plays where he thinks everyone views him as a monster. One beta reader commented that he was whiny but another said: sometimes the scariest monster that we will ever face is always as far away as the nearest reflective surface.
3. How to write from a Guy’s POV
My takeaway:
And guys are complex–we have feelings, emotions, pasts that we bury and don’t talk about. Try opening a guy up, explore him…. And on a final note–please, please, please write a CHARACTER first. Write a human being with goals, desires, secrets, resentment, and happiness. Write a PERSON that the reader can empathize with.
Maybe I made Angsmar a little emo. I like to think of it as introspective. Especially since he doesn’t voice his thoughts very often. I think he’s no more emo than Kylo Ren. I firmly believe that people are people and many of the comments in this article are only valid because of social constructs. In fantasy one has the liberty to do away with or embrace those constructs.
4.On Newt Scamander, Toxic Masculinity, & The Power Of Hufflepuff Heroes
My takeaway:
…essential in Fantastic Beasts’s changing this narrative of men being weak for showing their emotions are the reactions of the people around Newt in the film.
In the Threads of Fate universe it’s not easy to be a woman. It’s a patriarchal society and women have few rights. The mores surrounding a woman’s chastity are almost Victorian. At the same time I’ve made an effort to avoid toxic masculinity.
5. 7 Ways to Add Great Subplots to Your Novel
My takeaway:
In fact, the best way to start brainstorming subplots is to brainstorm characters who could populate and propel your plot. Once you’ve done this, you can simply write out your subplots more or less sequentially.
With Dark Fate I know that it’s too short and that it needs to be expounded on. Part of my revision will be to add more descriptions and make sure each scene is as sensory as possible. I think I need to add a few scenes for the villain as well.
Have you read any good articles this week?
