Tag Archives: plot
Did you hear…?
“People don’t live in a vacuum. What are your characters talking about when the reporter isn’t around?” That was my “duh” moment from last week’s critique group. I should have remembered that St. Mary Mead provides endless resources for Miss … Continue reading
It’s not about us
The neat square of sunlight in their front yard was all the sisters needed to enjoy the false spring day. The younger girl sprawled on a blue beach towel, her head bent over the pages of her chapter book, a … Continue reading
Falling in love again
When a friend recently said he had fallen out of love with his novels-in-progress, I could relate. There are days when I tire of Janelle or feel the plot is plodding. I want to tell the reporter to get a … Continue reading
Sweat the small stuff
We’ve all seen it – a bruise that moves from the left to right eye after a cutaway, a hat that flies off in one scene but is firmly in place in the next, a lamp broken during a struggle … Continue reading
Filling holes
We were leaving our critique group last week, comments and suggestions duly noted, when one of the members began asking me more about my main character’s motivation. Easy questions. I had written her back story before I started the book, … Continue reading
Ramping up the tension
Some people thrive on conflict. I am not one of them. Actual and imagined confrontations leave my stomach in knots. Although conflict avoidance can make the real world more pleasant, it is the kiss of death in fiction, which requires … Continue reading
