Characters Worth Rooting For

The best characters. . . .

are dealt a catalyst

The catalyst is what starts the story. Taking the character's history into account, it is the one event or piece of information that propels them forward or sets the story in motion.

The catalyst acts as the "call to action" so that the character can fulfill their destiny.

that challenges their moral compass

The moral compass is the set of beliefs or the code that will guide your character. This sets the tone and expectations for how your character will behave as well as the boundaries they will not cross.

Post-catalyst, they must now protect or avenge, discover the truth, or join the fight.

and causes them to undergo a transformation.

At the end of the story, your character should not be the same person they were when it began. They have handled obstacle after obstacle--endured hardships, made choices, and sacrificed for the greater good.

Ergo:

The best characters are dealt a catalyst that challenges their moral compass and causes them to undergo a transformation.

Photo by Kate photo from Pexels

And the stakes?

The consequences should be exorbitant. The character's failure should be the *worst* possible option for them based on their history or what we've learned about them along the way.

*This* is what makes a character worth rooting for.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

On Themes

"To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme." 

--Herman Melville

And weren't Melville's themes in Moby Dick the mightiest?

Fate vs. Free Will, Man vs. Nature, Revenge. . . .

But what, exactly, is a theme and why do our novels need them?

In fiction, a theme addresses the big questions about life. 

Can love really conquer all?

Do we have free will?

Why is suffering part of the human condition?

Does absolute power corrupt absolutely?

The answers to these questions are what your story will address. They are the theme, or the central idea you are trying to convey. 

The theme, of course, is not the plot. The plot is the events of your story or how it unfolds, your map from beginning to the end. The theme, however, is still its own kind of road map, as it will influence each of the decisions your characters make as your story progresses. 

Some popular themes include:

Love, Good vs. Evil, Survival, Corruption, Revenge, Greed, Sacrifice, Isolation, and Beauty

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

Some examples:

Pride and Prejudice: love and marriage, class systems, family

The Harry Potter series: good vs. evil, friendship, courage

Wuthering Heights: love, revenge, solitude

The Hunger Games: oppression, rebellion, family, love, survival

There are hundreds of potential themes--central beliefs or messages you could impart to the reader--and we're not limited to only one.  

So how do you locate the themes within your story? 

To nail a story's themes, it's worth sitting down and considering the answers to the following questions:

What is your story about?

What is the meaning behind it?

How will your character change?

What is the lesson? 

What are you trying to say about life and the human condition?

As a writer of romances (among other topics) my answer to the Big Question is that yes, love really can conquer all. This theme runs fairly predominantly throughout each of my stories. This message is not stated outright but is evident as the plot unfurls--as my characters work their way toward each other, culminating in a happily ever after. No matter their age, each of my stories ends with the idea that this particular couple will beat the odds--that they are the "forever" kind of couple. 

And while I do begin my stories with the general theme of love in mind, I don't recommend analyzing themes to an excessive degree before words are on the page. If you go into a novel with a litany of themes to address, the story may sound forced or awkward and your writing "preachy."

It's better to draft your novel first then figure out which themes have emerged during an early read-through. You may just surprise yourself. :)

Once they're located, build on your themes in revisions, strengthening them where appropriate and cutting or revising the scenes that don't align with your message. Be subtle, but keep them mighty. 

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

Six Story Questions

Who are your main characters?

What do they want more than anything else in the world?

Why do they want this?

How are they going to go about getting it?

Who or what is going to try to stop them?

What will happen if they don't get it?

If you can answer these six questions, you'll have a skeleton outline for your story. Everything else will branch out of your responses to these key questions. Once the character's desire and their motivations are nailed down, the "how" and "who is going to stop them?" will generate the plot. 

As a storyteller, it's your job to increase the conflict and raise the stakes until the climax is reached (after which you will provide us with a nice resolution), but each new scene will (or should) point back to the desire and make perfect sense based on the character's motivation. 

Photo by Ibolya Toldi from Pexels

So . . . once the desire and motivation are in play, all you have to do is figure out who or what will work against your character and brainstorm all the various problems they can cause. Once a character is on their "quest," the first part of the story largely consists of them going about getting it in all the wrong ways. As they begin to figure it out (whatever "it" is), the opposition's effort will increase, naturally raising the stakes.  

What are these "wrong ways" and what does the opposition look like?

Now your skeleton outline is starting fill out. . . . 

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~ 

What Should I Write About? Part Deux

A few weeks ago I wrote a post called "What Should I Write About?" 

In it, I argued that a writer should focus on an idea that excites them and/or something that piques their curiosity. 

This week, I'll be more specific, so. . . .

What Should I Write About?

Well, look around you. 

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

What's in the news? What are the hot topics? 

What headlines are grasping people's attention? 

What books are people reading? 

What movies and shows are they watching? 

What do they seem to want more of? 

What stories or storylines could use reinventing? 

Is there a new spin you can put on an old tale? 

Every new story told is informed by the stories that came before it. One story inspires the next and the next. . . .

There is nothing new under the sun--there is only our unique voice and style, and the choices that will make the story exclusively ours.

So take a familiar topic (that interests you and/or piques your curiosity) and manipulate it, telling the story as only you can.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

Hot New Release!

So this little labor of (nonfiction) love is live today!

And don't let the title fool you. This book isn’t just about writer’s block. It’s a love letter to writers at all stages—equal parts inspiration and application—a reminder that our writing (and what we have to say) matters.

It's a nice, two-hour read, and my hope is that you feel inspired and ready to tackle this creative life by the time you've reached the end. 

(But yes, there are plenty of tips on how to tap into that well of creativity and keep it flowing.)

Here are the buy links:

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble 

iTunes

Kobo

Google Play

Feel free to share these on social media and/or with a writer in your life who could use some encouragement. 💖

And always. . . .

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

Coming Soon!

Be Inspired. Be Bold. Break Through.

What do Stephen King, J. K. Rowling, Virginia Woolf, and F. Scott Fitzgerald have in common?

Writer’s Block. 

Yes, in addition to being bestselling and/or celebrated authors, each of these writers admitted to suffering from writer’s block at some point in their literary careers.

In fact, writers of every caliber have faced a creative block at intervals throughout their journeys, but when it happens to us—when a project stalls, when the right words refuse to manifest, when the page remains empty—the doubt creeps in.

What is happening? 

becomes 

What am I even doing? 

becomes 

Why am I even bothering? 

There is, however, a way out. 

The Ambitious Writer’s Guide to Overcoming Creative Blocks and Building a Writing Routine that Works not only breaks down the components of a creative block—what it is and isn’t, how it affects us, and how we can move past it—but also offers insights into the creative process, inspiration for writers at any stage, and tips for kick-starting a stalled writing practice.

So if you’ve hit that proverbial wall in your current project, if the new project doesn’t want to transfer from your head to the page, or even if you want to safeguard yourself so the creative blocks are fewer and farther between, then this book was written with you in mind.

First Impressions

What "first impression vibes" does your main character impart?

Do we like them immediately, or do we dislike them?

In real life, we tend to like those who are most like us. Perhaps we are close to the same age, share the same style or interests, or are living similar moments in our lives. We gravitate away from those we don't immediately understand--perhaps someone from a different culture or socioeconomic status, or someone much older or younger than us.

We will most certainly dislike someone who is acting in a way we don't consider normal ("normal" as it reflects our own values or belief systems, of course).

Many of our interpretations of a person are enacted on a subconscious level--at the time, we don't even realize we're judging or making assessments, sizing the other person up, if you will.

The same applies to fictional characters. 

We are going to most relate to and enjoy reading about someone who is like us.

But. . . . 

It's also likely we will become bored with them, and this is why our characters should be unique--just representative enough of the demographic to relate to the intended audience, but different enough to pique and maintain the reader's interest.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Readers are not going to identify with every character acting between the covers of every book, and this is why, as writers, it's up to us to create enough sympathy surrounding a character that readers can't help but connect to them in some real way. 

The writing advice for how to do this varies: some say give the character a dog--something to love dearly--or a tragic backstory, or a noble cause.

But whether they are good or bad, likeable or unlikeable, the reader *will* develop an opinion at that first meeting, and it's up to the writer to use the tools at their disposal to overcome (or build on) that first impression to whatever degree is necessary to keep the reader turning pages.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~