The Inside Story

As writers, we need to think of ourselves as the characters we’re writing about. If the main character is a raccoon, imagine thinking like the raccoon in your story. How would a raccoon express itself if it spoke? How would it react in the events/problems/struggles in which it’s confronted?

As you develop dialog and actions, imagine what the raccoon is thinking and feeling. That’s the heart of the story. Internal thinking and feeling—what’s going on inside the character’s mind—can be the opposite of the character's dialog and actions. Internal dialog allows the reader to better understand the character’s motivations, which adds to character development.

A character may agree with another character by answering, “Sure!” Following this with the thought, Never in this lifetime, triggers the true feelings of the character. The feelings and internal dialog reveal truths that allow readers greater insight into the character.

Exposing the character’s true sentiments can also be used as a method to lighten the story with a dash of humor or to advance the plot.

Let your readers listen in and raise the emotional level of a scene.

 Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

The Telling Room. Empowers youth (young writers ages 6-18) through writing.

Submissions guidelines at https://www.tellingroom.org/submit

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Smarty Pants Magazine for Kids. We are taking submissions for children’s short stories (up to 800 words).

Submissions guidelines at https://smartypantsmagazineforkids.com/submission-guidelines/

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 48 children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK.

Leave a message or check out my blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

TK “To Come”

Sometimes when ideas refuse to flow, when the plotting refuses to plot, and the story refuses to gel, consider writing the bones of the story. Write the draft quickly. The first draft won’t be pretty, but it never is, anyway. Don’t know the name you want to attach to your character? Simply write TK, which means “to come.” The point is to keep writing, even when you don’t know that much about your story.

This strategy works well for Dumpsters, writers who write quickly. The idea is to hammer the gist of the story into a draft. Later, review the draft and fill in the TK spots, followed by revision, revision, revision.

This also works for Plodders, such as I. Even though I have a general idea of the map of the story and how it will end, I don’t have the rhythm or voice nailed down. Sometimes, I don’t even have the particular actions of the antagonist in mind. I have a choice, write the parts I know and TK the parts I don’t. My other recourse is to delay writing.

Both strategies work. Some people prefer to wait and think more about the story. I do that a lot, but I find that if I’m actually writing words, more ideas evolve and that gives me fodder to work with.

The most important takeaway from this blog is to find a way to stay involved in a story. If we delay writing because of some parts that we haven’t worked out, the story may never get written.

Have fun. Play with words. 

Call for Submissions for Young Writers: Word Smorgasbord is thrilled to publish the original work of young writers in elementary school, middle school, high school and college.

Submissions guidelines at https://wordsmorgasbord.wordpress.com/submissions/

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Chicken Soup for the Soul. Our dog titles are so very popular, and you have so many great stories to share with us, that we do a new dog title every eighteen months or so. Here is another chance for you to share a story or two about the member of your family who just happens to walk on four feet!

We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words. Tell us about the magic of your dog or the magic of a dog you know. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. We can’t wait to read all the heartwarming, inspirational, and magical stories you have about a dog and the magic that dog brings to your life or the life of your family!

Submissions guidelines at Submissions guidelines at Submissions guidelines at https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/submit-your-story 

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 48 children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK.

Leave a message or check out my blog at www.nancykellyallen.com