How did the character react? The
character should remain true to his/her identity. If outgoing, use that personality
throughout the story. A shy character should not suddenly become the life of
the party.
What is the main character’s
dilemma? An old adage of writing novels is treat the character badly; then
treat him/her worse. Dilemma is a situation in which the character has no good
options available so s/he has to choose the best of the poor choices. This
throws the character out of his normal life and into a situation in which he is
not ready to handle, so future mistakes will be inevitable. This is a set-up for
upcoming scenes in which the character will work through different choices and
fail even more. It also allows the character to learn and grow by the end of
the tale.
Reaction is the response to the
dilemma. Express the character’s feelings along with the reactions. Show how
the character is hurting. The more you create an emotional experience for the
reader, the better your writing becomes. This can be shown through narrative,
dialog, gestures, expressions, and how the character decides what to do next;
then acts on the decision. Make your reader wonder if the character can ever
get out of the situation. Make the reader worry. Make the reader want to find
out how the story ends.
Next week, I’ll continue to discuss
scene development.
Call for Submissions for Young Writers:
Magic Dragon. Work should be neatly printed or
typed. If you type it, please double-space. Stories and essays can be up to
three pages, poetry up to 30 lines. It is ok to send writing that you have also
illustrated. You can write about anything that is important to you; it can be
serious or funny, true or fiction.
Submission
guidelines at http://www.magicdragonmagazine.com/?page_id=6
Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:
CHICKEN
SOUP FOR THE SOUL: THANKS TO MY MOM. We're looking for stories about moms of
all ages, from young mothers to great-grandmothers, and everything in between.
Please remember, we no longer publish "as told to" stories. Please
write in the first person about you and your mom. Do not ghostwrite a story for
someone else unless you list that person as the author. You will also receive a
check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will
retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.
Deadline October 20, 2014.
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