Articles in the Fiction Writing Category

“There are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the cold, hard truth.” ~ Don Henley

Choosing your point of view (POV) is one of the most critical aspects of your novel writing. Yet it is also one of the most automatic. Most writers leap into a story, and start writing from their main character’s perspective, in either the first or third person. This early decision can cause issues later on, if the point of view isn’t the ideal one for your story.

POV is also one of the main tools that establishes the narrative mode of your story. It dictates how involved your readers become, by limiting how much information your characters are able to reveal. It brings a unique perspective to the story, which can drastically change if you rewrite a passage with a different point of view. Take a look at some of the most commonly used points of view in literature, and see if your writing could benefit from a perspective face lift.

First Person POV

Your main character speaks directly to your audience, using “I, me, mine”. When using the first person, you are restricted to revealing only one character’s inner thoughts. Your readers see the world through your protagonist’s eyes only, learning new facts only when they are discovered by your hero. Descriptions of your setting, other characters, and obstacles are all filtered through the POV character’s perspective.

This technique is particularly effective when you are writing a character driven story. Your theme will often depend on the character’s personal growth, inner transformation, and the struggles she faces. It is less effective when you need to be able to switch your perspective from character to character, as readers may struggle when presented with another first person point of view within a story. You may try switching characters at chapter breaks, but readers will greatly identify with the character whose head they’ve been in from the beginning, and may resist the unusual break in perspective.

Third Person Limited POV

Your narrator or narrative voice speaks about your characters, using “he, she, them” while focusing primarily on one or two characters. You still retain some of your authority as a writer, and can describe the rest of the story’s world without the need to take your protagonist’s perspective into consideration. Usually, the story will focus on only one character within a chapter, and perspective switches occur at chapter breaks.

Romances are a great example of when two characters share the protagonist role, and when third person limited is split between two characters. However, be on the lookout for when your point of view slides into another person’s perspective without you realizing it. This can cause confusion for your readers, who may not understand why your story is being seen through another person’s eyes all of a sudden. Also, make sure that you don’t unintentionally reveal facts and thoughts that your protagonist cannot know, or else your story’s continuity can be undermined.

Third Person Omniscient POV

Your narrator speaks in a similar way to third person limited, except that they can reveal anything and everything about your characters. The sky’s the limit here, as you can begin with a grand overview of your book’s world, and then zoom in to the perspective of a bumblebee. This perspective is excellent for plot driven stories, where you need to jump from scene to scene taking place in various areas of the world.

However, third person omniscient is also one of the most difficult perspectives to do well. If you jar your readers too much by jumping around, they may lose interest and set your story down. While you can do anything you want, you probably shouldn’t. Guide your readers through your story with grace and skill, and they will be blown away by the expansiveness and complexity of your tale.

Choose a passage from your latest story, and determine what POV you have used. Try rewriting it another point of view, and see how your story changes! What is your favorite point of view?

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As writers, most of us already know that solid character development is key to a solid story. There’s a lot of advice out there about how to go about making robust characters: observe the people around you, create character charts, make sure you know your character’s back-story, etc.

It’s all great advice. For instance, I love filling out character sheets because they prompt me to think up things like nervous habits and identifying marks that I might not have given my character otherwise, but that make them that much more real.

And, of course, you have to know their back-story. If Sally is a runaway in chapter one who’s been homeless since she was ten, you can’t have her talking about the wonderful new bedroom decorations her mother gave her at age eleven.

But what do you do when that’s just not giving you what you need? When all of that planning doesn’t yield a direction for your character? I have two methods I use, and I adore them both.

First, and my favorite, is to imagine what happens to them after the story ends. This is especially helpful when I’m trying to choose from a couple of story endings, but that’s not the only time I use it. It’s an easy past-time: don’t write anything down, just pick a scene in your head and follow it to its logical conclusion. Maybe it’s a love story and two of your characters end up together. What happens when they have their first child? Or your entire star-ship crew just got back from an epic space-battle; how does that impact their view of the world ten years down the road?

My second trick takes a little more time, but can still be just as fun. I write a short story (actually writing this time, not just daydreaming) that places my stubborn character in an alternate universe. I ask myself “what if Conner were born in modern America, instead of ancient Greece, and was the son of the devil?”. All of the basic character traits stay the same, but he has to interact with a whole new set of people and world rules.

Those are just two ways I help give characters more depth – and figure out how they might react in my current story when I’m stuck for ideas. What methods do you use for character development and to make stubborn characters speak to you?

When driving along the storytelling highway, you are bound to run across a few plot potholes that could send you and your story out of control. Even if you have your trusty map – the plot outline – at your side, it will not always prevent you from running into weather-beaten ruts, perilous potholes, or unexpected road blocks. This is a frustrating scenario for any writer to find herself in, as it appears that the best laid plans are dissolving right before her eyes.

When driving a vehicle, you have a few options for overcoming obstacles to your destination. You can keep moving forward, no matter how treacherous, damaging, or slow-going the terrain will be. You can follow established detour routes, which may make for a smoother ride but can slow your trip considerably. You can kick in the four wheel drive and take it off-road, which can be exhilarating, but can also be more dangerous than the original obstacle.

You can also make a u-turn and head back home, but you wouldn’t want to do that, right? Here are some of the most common plot potholes you may encounter in fiction writing, and solutions to make the storytelling highway a much smoother ride.

Plot Problem 1: Characters Veering Off the Path

Anyone who has been the navigator on a cross-country trip knows the perils of a driver who wants to go off the beaten path. “Hey, there’s a billboard for the World’s Largest Ball of Twine! Let’s go check it out,” your hero says, and the next thing you know your vehicle is turning off on the next exit, into unfamiliar territory. When the characters in your story get distracted by something equally as shiny – and unrelated to the story at hand – it is hard to resist dramatically reaching over and taking the steering wheel out of their hands.

The real world solution is very similar to the literary solution – let the hero get it out of his system. Go and see the amazing roadside attraction, by writing out the unruly scene in your story. Then you will be able to see whether or not the detour was justified. You might be surprised to find that the plot needed a side trip after all, to reinforce the theme of the story, create a new subplot, or to give the protagonist time to think of a solution. Even if the scene needs to be cut out later on, your hero may learn his lesson, and listen to you the next time you tell him to follow your outline.

Plot Pothole 2: Plot Screeching to a Halt

You are writing right along, and then find yourself at a dead end. You have no idea where to go next. Your outline doesn’t give you any clues on how to navigate your way out. Even asking your characters for ideas gets you nowhere. Your plot is stuck in the mud, and you’re tempted to call a tow truck to get you out of the muck.

This plot pothole usually appears when your outline isn’t as strong as you thought it was. You know your characters need to get from point A to point B, but you weren’t completely sure how they were going to do it. Now that you’re on your way, the problem appears much larger and more difficult to navigate. Your best bet is to take a break, and approach your plot problem with fresh eyes. Talk it over with some writing friends, and possibly add a new element or two to the story that can give you more options. Make sure your characters are adequately motivated and equipped to handle the problem, and with a little ingenuity, they can make it out in no time.

Plot Pothole 3: Spiraling Out of Control

When the writing is flowing freely, it is easy to fly by crucial elements of your story. The pacing of your novel may go entirely too fast, as you send your characters zooming towards goal after goal. They don’t get a chance to breathe or process anything that has happened to them. When you finally hit a pothole, your story flies out of your hands. You haven’t taken the time to get to know your characters, and they are overwhelmed and exhausted.

Even in the most exciting, high paced thriller, you need to give your characters slower scenes, where they can pause and decide what to do next. Allow them to pull over, stretch their legs, and examine how far they have gotten in pursuit of their goals. After a high-speed chase, be sure to pause, so your story has natural highs and lows while getting you ever closer to your conclusion. You wouldn’t drive for 24 hours without a break, and your characters need down time as well.

What plot potholes have you encountered when writing? Do you have techniques for avoiding or powering through the most troublesome stumbling blocks? Your solution may be just what another writer needs to keep writing through their novel.

Photo Credit: 11-11-06 © Stratesigns, Inc.
Photo Credit: 09-02-08 © Alex Potemkin

I have no name: I am but two days old. What shall I call thee? ~ William Blake

When you first meet a new fictional character, she will often reveal herself slowly. Maybe first, a mental image of her general appearance, or a quick glimpse at her situation and goals. You feel excited as you begin to plan your story or outline, and rush to your keyboard or notebook.

Before that first sentence is written, you come upon an unsettling discovery. You don’t know your character’s name! Often, new characters are not forthcoming with their names, and you have to rack your brain to come up with one, instantly short-circuiting the writing process.

A name is a crucial yet overlooked part of the author’s decision making process. People form associations with different names, and a character named “Sir William T. Rutherford of Devonshire” will create a different impression from one named “Willie McGee”. Here are some considerations when naming a fictional character.

Fictional Character Naming Techniques

1. Consider your story’s setting. Odd place to start, right? A modern day setting lends itself to names we are all familiar with, while a historical setting often has more elaborate names, including the character’s title and homeland. In a futuristic story, a fictional characters name can be as familiar or fantastical as you desire!
2. Research the setting. If your story is in a small town, it’s quite possible that you could unintentionally come up with the name of a real human being. A quick trip to the yellow pages can save you a lot of grief later on in the writing process. Historical stories also face the problem of copying the name of a real world figure, although some writers do choose to incorporate public figures into their novels.
3. Compare other character names. If you’ve already named a few of your characters, review how their names work together. Their name can give subtle clues about your characters’ ethnicity, social status, and how they see themselves (in the case of nicknames). Look out for alliteration! Readers can become confused when multiple characters’ names start with the same letter.
4. Browse baby naming books and websites. Hundreds of thousands of names can be found in baby naming literature, saving both parents and writers a lot of time and trouble. They often including name meanings and origins, which can help your character portray the right characteristics.
5. Examine your friends’ and family members’ names – for names not to choose! No one wants to try to explain to a loved one that they did not write a story about them. Play it safe, and put those names on your permanent “Do Not Name” list.
6. Create your own name. If nothing is calling out to you, you can always piece together your own name. Science fiction and fantasy novels often include otherworldly names, which look like a random mishmash of syllables. As long as your name follows conventional linguistic patterns, readers should be able to pronounce the name to themselves while reading. (A tip: No more than three consonants go in a row without a vowel in most English words.)

How do you decide on your characters’ names? Do they come fully equipped with names, or do you have to coax them out? Have you ever created your own name? Share your techniques here!

Recommended: Five more tips for writers on naming fictional characters at BabyNames.com

Photo Credit: 05-28-06 © Ronald Bloom

Fleshing out characters (giving 3d characters four dimensions) is one of my favorite aspects of writing a story, perhaps more than weaving the plot. The human mind is complex, and in a story, every character is an outstanding individual, with their own story, dreams, hopes and fears. The possibilities are limitless, and I could spend all day uncovering the characters’ motivations, ideals, and inner workings.

Once the plot gets going, even complex 3d characters get busy with what’s going on around them, and are in danger of losing their personality quirks. When I’m writing through an exciting scene, I often forget that the characters wouldn’t act the way I would act. I have to go back and evaluate the scene, and whether they are acting true to character.

When that happens, I look over four dimensions of a character’s personality, to see if they are acting consistently throughout the story. These four dimensions can be determined at the beginning of a story, or infused at any point in time thereafter to bring out the best in your heroes.

Thoughts: The Hero’s Conscious Awareness

Your characters each have their own perspective on the world. Their upbringing, education level, and current situation shape their thoughts and consequently their actions. A well-to-do, college-educated attorney will think about the world far differently than an abused high school dropout. They will be concerned about different things, have a particular sense of right and wrong, and analyze problems in unique ways. They will also hold themselves and their companions to separate standards, praising and criticizing under various circumstances.

The most common way we look at an individual’s thoughts today is through left brain, right brain analysis. In general, characters who are left brained think logically and rationally, working through a situation step-by-step to its conclusion. Right brained folks look at life on a grander scale, working holistically and creatively to solve problems. You can really flesh out a character’s thought patterns by figuring out if she’s left or right brained, and how she approaches critical thinking.

Feelings: What His Heart Wants

In direct opposition at times to the hero’s thought processes are his emotional reactions to the world. Before his brain gets a chance to analyze, his heart will express his initial reaction to external stimuli. Your protagonist will obviously have feelings about all the other characters he meets, whether they are good, bad, or indifferent feelings. This will color his actions in how much he interacts with others, and in what ways.

However, people have feelings about everything in their lives, not just other humans. She may feel that she is on the wrong course of action, even when she cannot think of a reason why this is so. Known as gut reactions, following your intuition, or even psychic awareness, these feelings crop up consistently throughout our lives. Your character may feel like wearing a red shirt today, even though her blue shirt is clean too. She may despise her best friend’s brother, even though she just met him and knows nothing about him. These are all human feelings that can take your story and characters down exciting new paths.

Actions: How He Presents Himself to the World

Your protagonist shapes his world and his story via his actions, how he interacts with other people and his environment. Actions reveal a lot about a person’s character, illuminating his thoughts and feelings with a tip of his hat. If your character doesn’t act, he doesn’t progress through the story, and will have to be helped along by his companions.

Actions are the home of “show, don’t tell”, where your heroine can really stand out from the crowd. If she pulls over to help an injured animal along the side of the road, she will come across as compassionate and nurturing, even if no one else in the story recognizes that fact. If she stands firmly against every obstacle in her path, readers will come to the conclusion that she is headstrong, determined, and perhaps a little ruthless. Actions really do speak louder than words, amongst your characters and to your readers as well.

Relations: How He Interacts with Others

Your hero does not live in a vacuum. He has to deal with other people, and all of the things that we do in our daily lives. Work, home, school, society, religion, health, goals, and values shape your character continuously. He has to relate to and react to all of these environmental influences on a daily basis, with certain aspects taking precedence depending on the day’s events.

How your character relates to her environment can provide new insights you may not have considered. If your protagonist is a diligent worker, yet lives in a messy home, she obviously has different values about what is acceptable in different settings. At the beginning of the story, she may be a self-proclaimed atheist, yet is presented with many challenges to her faith throughout the story arc. Whether she lets herself relate to those challenges, or remains unchanged, will give readers a new perspective on her personality.

These four dimensions of a character’s personality will give you unlimited characterization ideas and plot possibilities. Your readers will easily relate when the characters think, feel, act, and relate to the world in ways that we all do each day. When your heroine seems dull, go over these four dimensions and see if she has the opportunity to show of her amazing self!

How do you ensure that your characters are fleshed out and believable? To what standard do you hold them accountable? What tricks do you use to bring out the best in your heroes?

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“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” ~ William Shakespeare, As You Like It

Your story’s world, known as milieu,is the environment that your characters play out their story within. This backdrop provides a wealth of description, opportunities, and influences for your story, and cannot be ignored. If your characters could be living anywhere at any time, your environment could use some fleshing out.

Many authors don’t have too much trouble defining their story’s world, because it is a present day story with modern conveniences in a popular town, such as New York City, Paris, or London.  While this makes writing the story easier, it can also “date” a story, when modern day people no longer use telegraphs or 8 track tapes. If your story is modern, don’t neglect to illuminate it with rich descriptions of its environment, culture, and customs.

However, other types of stories have a different issue. Their worlds are either partially or wholly unfamiliar to the reader. Historical and romance novels have the task of staying true to facts while adding fictional elements to expand the possibilities of a bygone era. Science fiction and fantasy novels have environments entirely created by the author, which can fall prey to loopholes if the author loses track of his world-building.

Creative World Exploration

1. Research the world’s past. Your world, whether its real or fictional, has a rich history waiting to be unfurled. Writers using a real world location can research online or at their local library. When writing about a fictional realm, it is up to you to create the past events, politics, and religions of your world. Spend some time freewrite the possibilities, and create a timeline of the past that you can refer back to as you write.
2. Plan the future. Beyond normal plotting, unfamiliar worlds require special attention to the future. While your protagonists are creating their own future, the world is evolving around them. Historical writers need to plan around real world events. In Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, Melanie’s pregnancy purportedly lasted 22 months,* when compared to Civil War battles! Science fiction and fantasy writers need only make sure their timelines remain consistent throughout the book.
3. Explain when necessary. Besides the past and future, many stories have unusual present day activities. The classic science fiction example is the oscillating door. When such futuristic objects were first introduced into stories, they had to be explained at length so the reader could envision a door that would open in a circular fashion all by itself. Today, readers are exposed to a wide variety of  technology, both fictional and non-fictional. Explanations would hardly be necessary for the modern reader. Do a bit of research into your book’s market, and see what literary conventions are taken for granted, and what unexpected bits deserve your witty exposition.

Don’t let your characters perform their life stories on an empty stage. Give them a rich, inviting world to explore, and your readers will be happy to tag along for the adventure.

How do you bring your story’s world to life? Do you do a lot of research before writing your stories, or do you edit in facts later on? Share your world building techniques here.

Photo Credit: Temari 09

“Imagination and fiction make up more than three-quarters of our real life.” ~ Simone Weil

Ever been at a family reunion, get-together, party or other event and overheard juicy gossip about love affairs or other eyebrow-raising talk?

The (Real) Scene

You’re nibbling on that yummy chocolate cake someone made—the one that is so moist it melts as soon as it hits your tongue; the one that is so chocolaty and divine, you think you’ve died and gone to paradise when, all of a sudden, it happens–you overhear juicy news.

“Susie, I have to tell you something.”

“What?”

“I’m pregnant.”

“Congratulations to you and Darren!”

“Um, not exactly…”

“Whatever do you mean, Erin?”

“Well, see, I met this man–Carlos.”

“Where?!”

“At the park.”

“Oh, Erin! How…”

“I know what you’re thinking, Susie. And I felt awful at first. Just horrendous!”

“But Erin.”

“Susie, he’s so handsome! His skin looks and feels like soft, melted caramel. His eyes are an endless sea of dark chocolate. And his hair… He has a mane of hair that is long, shiny, black, and wavy. It glistens in the sunlight (and moonlight!) with hues of blue–breathtaking. Carlos is everything I’ve ever dreamed of: daring, spontaneous, mysterious, loving, romantic—and oh, so much more!”

“Oh, Erin!”

Jolt of Reality

In walks the husband, Darren.

Uh-oh!

Gulp.

Oh, that was you—not Susie!

Now both Susie and Erin have realized you overheard the whole shebang. And Darren is left wondering why he could cut the tension in the room with that (chocolate) cake knife.

Stealing Inspiration

Wouldn’t this make for a pretty cool scene in a love story? Or do you think it’s cheesy and awful?

Have you ever been in that situation? Did you take notes—whether mental or with paper and pen? Did you try to ignore the conversation and then later wished you had written down every measly detail of juiciness?

Would you tell Erin’s husband she’s cheating on him? Would your reaction be different in real life than the make-believe story you’re writing–or would it be the same. Why?

And what about “those people” from down the street? Or the co-workers with questionable behavior?

There are so many things in real life that we can take and bleed into works of fiction. True, not every family member, friend, or “different” person you come in contact with will have a steamy — or even interesting — story. But even so, you can spice it up and make it as interesting as you’d like.

In my opinion, a lot of fiction is based on real life anyway. Sure, there are writers who have off-the-wall, unique (and simply amazing!) imaginations but there’s also quite a bit of make-believe that’s based on true stories. They’re just embellished. That’s where creative writing comes in, right?

Right.

Have you  swiped a storyline from your own family or friends? If so, did they find out? What was their reaction? Do you think it’s ethical? Of course, you’d have to change names, locations, etc., so readers (or the people you’re swiping inspiration from!) would never know exactly who you’ve based your story or book on. Come on, spill the beans. You know you want to!

Photo Credit: 10-08-07 © Hélène Vallée
Quote Source: Quote Garden, Imagination

Writing fiction is sometimes about finding the right talent, casting the right fiction character for the role, or creating a cast of rich and multi-dimensional personalities. There are a number of character creation methods and each writer learns their most effective character development tools through research and experience. My own process continues to grow and develop as my writing grows up.

A few months ago I bought myself a clever e-book called “How to Create Believable Characters” by James Chartrand and Taylor Lindstrom. It’s packed with practical information on how to build your very own fiction character, or role-playing alter-ego, from scratch. I read it eagerly, already fascinated with character development and creation.

As I read, I drank in every piece of advice it offered. I gained a better understanding of why I write the way I write and I improved my character creation skills. I learned how to choose and create talent; casting the “right” protagonist for each fiction story.

There are two “schools” when writing fiction. One is a “plot-driven” story where you develop an intense plot, a situation into which you place characters. I am in the other “school”, a writer who discovers a protagonist first and then writes a plot that gives that star her life and purpose. This is a ‘character-driven’ story. Can you think of any “character-driven stories” you’ve read recently?

Who is she?

When I first decide to write a new story, I visualize my heroine. Most of the time it’s a ‘she’, simply because I’m used to thinking like a girl. I do know female writers who prefer to write male characters (and do a fantastic job of it too) but for some reason I prefer writing women.

My heroine may be young or old, clever, stupid, pretty, dull… I spend some time trying to get to know her. I don’t decide ‘how she is’ instead, I get a feel for ‘who she is’.

There are some elements I decide up front. Is she stubborn, or reckless, or depressed? I follow my instincts and she becomes whatever most sparks my interest at that time.

Other aspects come naturally as I continue to think about her. It might fit her to be afraid of dogs; maybe she is a school teacher. Does she have any particular talent casting her into the spotlight? Is she likely to go for the bad boy type, or does she prefer the office underdog. (Oh, perhaps she would usually go for the bad boy type but falls for the office underdog!)

Becoming Herself

After developing my protagonist’s traits and personality, I give my fiction character a life. Some of her past was determined earlier in the character creation process. Now it is time to explore her history and to decide what has happened to shape her into the person she is. Plot elements begin to emerge as her life takes form.

Here’s where it gets tricky. After the fun of writing, planning, and mapping out my heroine’s intriguing story, I notice aspects of her that no longer “fit”. As I focus on plot development I sometimes find that, this protagonist isn’t right for this plot.

Why not add that lacking ‘something’ to my original character? That would be the obvious and easy way to fix my dilemma, wouldn’t it? Couldn’t we force her to be what we want, gift her with that particular skill or talent? Casting her into a role that doesn’t suit her, however, is not a simple solution.

My characters become “real” the minute I start developing them, which means they have their own faults, traits, and personality. They are imperfect in a carefully balanced way – each and every one is unique.

Giving my heroine a new flaw or quality, just because the plot calls for it and not because it feels a part of her, causes her to lose that sense of being “real”. It makes her thin, stiff, two-dimensional; the organic creation process has been broken.

(There is of course another side to this. The needed flaw or quality could be a part of her in-story development or personal development goals… But that is for another post.)

It’s Talent Casting Time!

Now, I have this great story, all lined up for exploring and turning into a masterpiece, but my protagonist just isn’t right for the part. Do I scratch it and start over? No way!

I do a talent casting call.

I have tons of talent on hold that got dumped from other stories because they didn’t fit. Are any of them perfect for this role? If none of those characters are suitable, I think about which traits this protagonist needs and make that aspect a starting point for a new rising star.

By now I’ve changed the story several times and every time I do another call. I change the story a little for every character. After auditioning many people for the job they have all influenced the final story and add to it’s richness and depth.

Once I’ve my found leading lady, I can begin talent casting the supporting roles.

While this method can be time consuming in the early planning stages of fiction writing, the outcome is a full cast of strong characters I know and understand like old friends. They are the “right” characters for their specific role and are a good fit for the story. The writing process becomes easier because I’m no longer struggling with uncooperative, pigeon-holed characters. Now, when I’m writing fiction, I don´t “decide” my character likes or does things, I “know” she does.

The Final Curtain Call

In the end, my story becomes both plot-driven and character-driven. It is packed with a powerful selection of multi-dimensional, realistic personalities. The cast of characters live their own lives and I record it rather than control it.

Have you tried talent casting your characters? What other methods have you used to develop the star of your story?

Photo Credit: 01-12-10 © John-Francis Bourke
Photo Credit: 04-10-07 © Sean Locke

Writing a compelling story involves putting your characters into difficult situations, known as conflict, and showing how they work their way out of them. While we have all faced our share of conflict in our own lives, our heroes can get into more trouble than we ever thought possible! Sometimes, they want to wander far afield from the problems we thought they would encounter, and trip over new sources of conflict we never considered before.

If you find yourself writing about a trouble making protagonist who thrives on conflict, you may wonder how exactly she’s going to get out of it. As your plot progresses, the encounters will only get more intense, and more critical to the character’s primary goals. The heroine has to find her way out, but if she and the writer have painted themselves into a corner with conflict, the story will fizzle out.

The Primer Coat: Review the Plot

The first layer of paint to explore is the plot up to the point of this apparently insurmountable conflict. You’re not looking for a way out of this conflict, even though that is very tempting at this point. The more intense the problem is, the more excited your readers will be, so stick with it! What you are looking for, are hidden tools and clues to paint your way through the conflict, with your protagonist victorious.

For example, your hero cannot think of a way to disable the machine that is threatening to destroy his hometown. However, when you look back at the scene where the antagonist built it, you realize that the key component is susceptible to water damage. If there are cooling pipes filled with water attached to the machine, your hero could use that water to stop the machine and save the day.

The Color Coat: Character Reactions

If your hero is drawing a blank when faced with the biggest conflict of his life, remove him from the story for just a few minutes. Present the problem to him, and freewrite his response. While under pressure, he may buckle, but with some space to breathe and think, he may be able to come to his own solution. Then you can figure out how to make him realize that solution within the story, by having either an internal or external trigger prompt him into action.

Your hero may not have the answer though, which means it is time to look at other characters. Pretend that they are the main character instead. What would the antagonist do if he were in the same predicament? Would the hero’s girlfriend have the same reaction? Write through a couple of imaginary situations, and see if they present alternate scenarios to victory.

The Top Coat: Give Friendly Advice

When you’re absolutely sure you have firmly painted your conflict into the corner, don’t give up hope! Instead, sit with your character over a cup of coffee like you would your best friend. Listen to her problems, and then offer up the best advice you would give.

Your heroine may have to cut ties with her ex-boyfriend once and for all, but doesn’t know how to approach him. Have a mental or written conversation back and forth with her, where she explains everything that is going on, as well as her hopes and fears about the encounter. You can then let her know what you would do if you were in that situation yourself. Whether she listens or not is another matter, but she will be more prepared to face her final conflict, and you will be prepared to wrap up that critical scene in your story.

How have you painted your story conflict into a corner? Did you make your way out, or have to backtrack and start over? What are your techniques for dealing with insurmountable plot twists?

Photo Credit: Wendy Harman (wharman)

When Writer’s Round-About became The Craft of Writing Fiction I felt experienced a fear of change because I’m a non-fiction writer and rarely spend time writing fiction. As I was chatting with my writing colleague, Kimberlee Ferrell, about the changes, I realized my relationship with fiction isn’t as distant as I thought.

Precious Memories

In fact, while reading Kim’s latest post (Reading and Writing: Develop Your Child’s Love of Language) I realized that fiction hits close to home–real close. Not only was my childhood passion for reading based on fictional books and stories, it’s the genre I first started writing!

One of Kim’s tips from that post is:

“Of course, before kids can learn to write well, they need the fundamentals of the alphabet, and reading. I try to read every day with them. Right before bed is the traditional reading time, but don’t be surprised if they come running to you with their favorite story in the middle of the afternoon. Anytime is a good time to share a story with your kids.”

And she goes on to suggest the library as a fabulous place to nurture your children’s reading and writing skills:

“Be sure to take them to the library as often as possible, to expose them to the wide variety of books available. Many libraries have summer reading programs that encourage children to read (or be read to), with many rewards along the way. You could also join (or create) a parent-child book club to encourage the sharing of books and stories.”

Wow. Kim’s words jostled my memory of the countless trips my parents and I made to the library when I was growing up. And they read to me, bought me (both new and used) books to keep in my personal library, and always, always encouraged my passion for reading, writing, and spelling. Those were the days!

Fear of Change

But see, I’ve been hesitant about the new turn this site has taken. As someone who simply detests change – even though I know in my heart and soul it’s usually always for the better in any situation – my heart kind of sank when I found out that Writer’s Round-About had become a new and improved site: The Craft of Writing Fiction.

Here’s a snippet of what the site owner, Rebecca Laffar-Smith, has shared regarding the changes:

We’re still Writer’s Round-About deep within our souls but we’re so much more than that too. And we want to develop a powerful presence, an inspirational community, and a go-to resource for writers.

The new domain name, craftingfiction.com also has a strong sense of purpose and commitment. It is a strong foundation for growth and expansion. It’s forward thinking and innovative. It’s driven to succeed and we are too.

I’m sure these changes are for the better. And, just like children learn and grow and change, so do we as adults. It’s how we improve and move further down the path of success.

I think my hesitation comes from feeling such a closeness to Writer’s Round-About’s history. I’ve read this blog from the beginning—when it was born on Blogger! And I’ve been around for the switch to self-hosted WordPress. I eventually shared a few guest posts with readers here and now (with close to 40 posts published) I guess you’d call me a regular contributor.

Rebecca and the other bloggers here have become more than writing colleagues or friends—they’re family. And this blog feels like a place I’ve always been welcome to come to, kick off my shoes, grab my favorite drink, and get comfy.

And that hasn’t changed, I know.

My (Comforting) Epiphany

The epiphany I’ve had about this whole “fiction theme” –and what Kim helped me see during our talk today—is that my roots with fiction date back to my earliest years.

Although I love writing non-fiction and telling real-life stories now, my passion for reading and writing was actually born as I read countless pages of fictional stories.

When I was a little girl, my all-time favorite book was Danny and the Dinosaur. Next in line was Charlotte’s Web and Judy Blume was one of my favorite authors. As a child, I felt such a sense of peace with a book in my little hands, reading a make-believe story that took my mind to far away places. And even today, when life overwhelms me, there’s nothing like a good novel to help me cast my worries to the wind and transport my mind to another world.

And now, finally, I’m at peace with the new direction this site has taken.

I owe a special thank you to Kim and Rebecca, for helping me search my heart and remember how much fiction has played a significant role in my life. Thanks, ladies!

What about you? Do you gravitate toward non-fiction? Or does your imagination carry you away to a place of innocent make-believe? Do you love the new look, feel, and theme of this site? ‘Fess up!

Photo credit: mexikids