On Narrators

As a writer about to tackle a new project, it doesn't hurt to consider all the various points of view from which your story could be told.

Think about the perennial classic The Great Gatsby, for instance.

How would the story have been different had Jay Gatsby been the one to tell it? What if Daisy Buchanan had been given narrator privileges? What about her husband? What if Myrtle Wilson had been allowed to tell her side of the story?

Each of these tellings would have given us a very different--very unique--look at a moment in the lives of these characters. (And no single telling would have been more "right" or "wrong" than another.)

Despite experiencing the same events, no two characters will ever tell the same story. This is especially important to keep in mind if you plan to write in the first person, because not only will the story be different, but who tells your story determines what kind of tone it will adopt. 

So before you begin writing, it doesn't hurt to ask yourself what kind of story you want to tell.

Who will make the best narrator?

     -The person who has the most to gain or lose
     -The person who will be present at the climax 
     -The person who will appear in most of the major scenes of the story
     -The person who can provide an interesting outlook or a fresh perspective

If you're not sure, sit down and write a few pages from each character's perspective and go with the one that feels most compelling. (You could also decide that two POVs are in order, or that everyone should have their say.) After all, if you're going to string 75k coherent words together, the story needs to be riveting enough to keep you coming back to the page day after day, and choosing the right narrator is an important first step.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~ 

On Frustration

Things rarely go as expected, leaving us feeling frustrated much of the time. This is a fact of life.

This should also be true for the characters in your story world. 

Frustration (though it will appear in many forms) is what drives your plot--how a character reacts when he or she doesn't get what they want is what will keep the story moving forward, and how they deal with their frustrations will tell us a lot about them as people. 

So it's safe to say that frustration is one of the key building blocks of storytelling.

No frustration? No story.

What does my character want that she's not getting?
How does she react to this? 

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~ 

On Writing Death Scenes

A character's death is a big deal, and it can be tempting to draw this out over the course of several paragraphs (or, God forbid, pages), articulating every groan and sigh and/or prick of pain--every final thought that runs through his or her mind.

But such descriptions can come across as lurid to the reader--overdone, melodramatic, and even histrionic.

The best route to take when writing a death scene?

Understatement.

Keep the language and descriptions simple--only include the most relevant details. 

Focus on how the characters around the dying react rather than the death itself. 

Oh, and we rarely get to offer deathbed confessions, so try to avoid characters who go on at length about loves, losses, recantations, regrets, etc.

Your readers are smart. They know how to handle a dying character, and the more subtle your narration, the greater the impact it's likely to have.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

Five Things to Remember When Setting Your Goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's that time again!

This particular post has become something of a tradition with me, so, without further ado, five things to remember when setting your goals for the new year:
  

1. Write the Goals Down

It's proven that just in writing your goals down, you're more likely to accomplish them. Make a list and keep it handy. (But don't overload yourself. Limit your list to the three to ten things you MOST want to accomplish.)

2. Make them Specific

Don't just say you want to "read more" or "write more." Write down how many books you want to read a week. Determine how many words you want to write a day, and which story (or stories) you want to write.

3. Create a Plan and Set Deadlines

What will it take to read a certain number of books in a year? Trips to the library? Penciling "reading time" into your schedule? If I wanted to read six books a month, that's one book every five days. With due dates, that's two individual trips to the library. The first and fifteenth could be designated library days. I could find a quiet place and read for thirty minutes after dinner every evening. . . . 

Get an action plan together.

4. Get Out of the Way

I fully believe that we are in control of our own destiny. I'm not a fan of assigning blame or even letting past events or situations affect our today and tomorrow. Don't sabotage your goals with a negative mindset. 

Believe in yourself.

And that voice in your head that says you can't? He's a liar. Tell him to shut the hell up. 

5. Remember WHY These Goals Were Set

Maybe it's to become more well-rounded. Maybe it's to step outside of a comfort zone. The "why" is just as important as the "what" and "how." This is what you will return to when the road gets tough. 

So . . . what do you want to accomplish in 2019?

Your goals don't have to be reading or writing-related, either. Make this the year you get healthy--both physically and spiritually. Make this the year you save for that trip. Learn that language. Work for that promotion. Make that career change. Go back to school.

Step into your "discomfort" zone. 

Live intentionally.

Figure out what matters most to you and make those tough decisions (if necessary). 

Get moving.

And, as always: Be Brilliant!

~Katie~