It’s been a long time since I’ve been nominated for an award post.  My blog’s gotten older.  It’s not new and shiny anymore.  And that’s okay.     But I read Mae Clair’s blog every week (https://maeclair.net/blog/ ) because I enjoy everything about it!  And she reads mine.  She was nominated for the Liebster Award first and wrote a wonderful blog for it, and then she nominated me.  I hope my answers live up to her expectations:) Before I talk about the award, though, I’d also like to mention that Mae’s one of the writers who contribute to the blog The Story Empire.  I’ve reblogged their content occasionally and posted it on my author Facebook page, I think it’s so useful.  You can find The Story Empire here:  https://storyempire.com/blog/.   

For the Liebster Award, the rules are:

1. Acknowledge the blog who nominated you and display the award.
2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger gives you.
3. Give 11 random facts about yourself.
4. Nominate 11 blogs.
5. Notify those blogs of the nomination.
6. Give them 11 questions to answer

11 Things About Myself:

1. I’m tall: 5’9″
2. My grandfather was a Dark Dane (his family moved here when he was young).  He told us thunder was Thor knocking down pins at a bowling alley.
3. I raised pigeons when I was a kid.  Still love ’em.
4. I played on our basketball and volleyball teams in middle school for 3 years.
5. I love to cook.
6. I broke my leg June 17, 2016 and they say I’ll heal by this August.
7. My younger daughter lives near St. Petersburg, FL, and keeps inviting us down.  She calls in February and says, “How’s the weather?” because she’s sweet and devious:)
8. My husband’s great-great (maybe another great?) grandfather stowed away on a boat to leave Ireland and come here because he poached a rabbit and had to run.
9. I never wear toenail polish because I dropped a wheelbarrow on my toe and permanently lost the nail, so it looks odd.
10. I’m addicted to Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series.
11. My favorite food is scallops, and I don’t share apple dumplings.

 

The 11 questions Mae sent me:

1. You’ve been given a working time machine.  What era of history would you visit?  I’d travel to ancient Rome.  I took Latin for four years in high school.  It’s a dead language, but I loved the history and the myths.  If I had my way, I’d own a shop that baked bread and I’d visit the Pantheon–for all the gods–and the baths while they were in their glory.  And I’d rock a tunic and sandals:)
2. What is your totem animal? (Inspired by a post Mae recently saw on Jan Sikes’ blog).  Hmm, I have a thing about birds and cats, but I wasn’t really sure, so I took an online quiz to find my spirit animal, and I got the owl.  I’d make a great team member for Christopher Robin, Pooh, and Piglet:)
3. What was the first story you wrote?  The very first?  That was a long time ago, and I don’t think I have it anymore.  But it was about two boys who were just starting to dabble in breaking and entering.  Neither can remember exactly what happens, but a man catches them and drags them to a huge, open field, then forces them to run a gauntlet. People with heavy sticks form two lines, and when the boys try to make it to the end, as unscathed as possible, the one boy falls and is getting pounded, so his friend goes back to help him.  The boy who fell realizes the people with sticks will concentrate on the easier target, so trips the friend who saved him.  That way, he can make it to the finish line.  At the end, the boy who got there first steps onto a podium, and it sinks and disappears.  The second boy, beat up and bleeding, crawls to his podium of safety and it goes up.  The boys had died, shot as intruders, and the gauntlet had been a test to judge their souls.
4. Beach or mountains?    Beach.  I love water and the sound of waves.
5. What is your favorite time of year?    I love seasons.  If we moved someplace that was always warm, it would be a hard adjustment for me.  But I get plenty sick of winter by the end of February.  That’s why I love spring.  I can’t wait until the snow melts and flowers start poking their heads above ground again.
6. Name someone from history you find intriguing.  Once I saw the bust of Nefertiti, I wanted to know her history.  She was married to the Egyptian Pharoah Akhenaten, who tried to change Egypt from worshipping many gods to only one–the sun.  A lot of mystery surrounds Nefertiti, but it seems that she was not only beautiful, but also powerful.  She was involved in her husband’s politics, often pictured as standing behind his throne.  He referred to her as His Beloved.
7. What is your favorite fairytale?  Snow White with the evil stepmother, the seven dwarves, and all the forest animals.
8. When was the last time you played a game of chess?  Never.  Never learned it.  I’m more of a Yahtzee and Euchre type girl.  More low-key.  I don’t have to think too much when I play.
9. If you could travel to any city or country in the world, where would you go?  Holland when all the spring bulbs are blooming.  I’ve visited Holland, Michigan, but it’s not the same:)
10. Name your favorite cartoon when you were a kid.  This is embarrassing.  I don’t remember the Saturday morning cartoons I watched.  When my kids were little, though, I got hooked on Dungeons and Dragons.
11. What mythical creature do you wish actually existed?  Is Dobby, the house-elf, a mythical creature?  I was pretty taken with him.  But just in case, I’d choose dragons, but I want them to be vegetarians:)

 

My 11 questions for those I nominate:

1.  Are you a cat or a dog person?  Or both?  Or other?
2. What are 3 of your all time favorite movies?  books?  songs?
3. Let’s say you’re single and can run off with one fictional hero (if you’re a gal) or heroine (if you’re a guy).  Who would it be?
4. If you could be a master of anything (besides writing), what would it be?
5. What’s something on your bucket list?
6. Whom do you consider to be the most memorable villain in literature?
7. If you had to move and could resettle anywhere, where would you go?
8. What’s your favorite food?
9. What was one of the hardest lessons you had to learn in life?
10. What makes you happy?
11. What’s the last or next book you have coming out? Or you’re working on?

I know not everyone I nominate will have the time to do this, but here goes.  There’s no time limit, and if you want to pass, no problem.  I had fun with it this time:

1. M.L. Rigdon aka Julia Donner @ https://historyfanforever.wordpress.com/
2. Kathy Palm @ https://findingfaeries.wordpress.com/
3. Les Edgerton @ http://lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com/
4. Rachel Roberts @ http://www.rachelsroberts.com/
5. Kyra Jacobs @ https://indianawonderer.wordpress.com/
6. C.S. Boyack’s Entertaining Stories @ https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/
7. Christina Rowell @ https://devilslayingamongstotherthings.blogspot.com/
8. Sue Bahr @ https://suebahr.wordpress.com/
9. Rita Robbins @ https://raslone.wordpress.com/blog/
10. Karen Lenfestey @ http://www.karensnovels.com/
11. Liz Flaherty at WordWranglers @ https://wordwranglers.blogspot.com/2017/05/powering-through-liz-flaherty.html

 

Happy Writing, All!

 

 

 

Okay, this is sort of sad since I’ve been writing for so long.  You’d think I’d develop a natural rhythm or something, but it hasn’t happened.  When I started my mystery, instead of plotting out every little thing like I usually do, I just jotted down main points and trusted myself to fill in the rest.  That was a bust.  I hadn’t thought the plot through enough, so I stopped writing and did what I should have done in the first place.  And then I got a little gung-ho and made a serious list for myself to follow from now on.  This list, hopefully, is not for everyone.  If you’re lucky, you don’t need it.  But I do.  Maybe it can help somebody else, too, so I’m sharing it.  But if you can think on your feet–or fanny, since you’ll probably be sitting down–faster than I do, ignore this.

First, I start every book with an idea.  I ignore it for a while to see if it’s serious and REALLY wants me to write it.

Second, I think of the people who can tell the story.    Do they interest me?  Do they start yammering in my head?

Third, I write three chapters and see if the story and characters grab me.  If they don’t, they’re toast.  Even if I pound hard, I probably can’t make them walk and talk.  But if they come to life and I want to know what they do and how they do it, I commit to them.

Fourth, I draw out character wheels so I get to really know my characters.

Fifth, I write out plot points.

And finally, I try to bring those plot points to life and start writing.

From now on, this is what I’m using for ME–(and if it helps you, yay!)–to plot my stories:

PLOT POINTS FOR BOOKS (60,000 TO 80,000 WORDS)

The first fourth = set-up:  10 chapters (so that word count = ¼ of total for book) (my chapters can be numbered or not, short or long, one scene or more, depending on length of book) :  so, write out 10 plot points that include:

Chapter 1:       INCITING INCIDENT

introduce the MAIN CHARACTER through action

                        introduce book’s BIG PROBLEM (external motivation—what the protag must fix)

Intro. INTERNAL PROBLEM protagonist must face: WHY he has to face problem

Chpts. 1-10:      Introduce MINOR CHARACTERS (a friend,  antagonist, romantic interest, etc.)

Intro. 2^nd problem protag must solve (1^ST SUBPLOT ties in with plot & theme)

Intro. 3rd problem (2^ND SUBPLOT = ties in, too) *I need 2 subplots to reach 60,000+

Ground the story in SETTING—shown through protag’s eyes, why it’s important to him, right feel for story

At end of 1/4^th: Protag learns something new that throws him/her (1^st plot twist) *KNOW THIS

The second fourth of book (chapters 11-20, will take you to halfway word count for book)   SO, plot 10 more plot points.

Protag sets out to fix problem with a new plan

What seemed easy isn’t, doesn’t quite work

Things get complicated and worse

Subplots get complicated, too

At end of fourth, there’s 2nd plot twist.  *KNOW THIS  Plan fails, or person they suspected has solid alibi, or a new body shows up, or learn something new that throws off everything, so they have to go in a new direction)

The third fourth of book (chapter 21-30).  Write out 10 more plot points:

                         Protag starts work on a new plan, new direction

Looks like he might fail, afraid he’ll lose

One, last plot twist & new direction to end book *KNOW THIS

The last fourth of book (chapers 31-40+)  Write out last 10 (or more) plot points:

                         Resolve smallest subplot, then bigger subplot, then book’s big question

Resolve romance

Wrap up any loose ends, etc.

 

If I start writing a book with all of this done beforehand, I’m in a lot better shape.  Hope this helps you, and if you don’t need it, good for you!

Okay, so I’ve probably mentioned before that I love Julia Donner’s Regency romances.  Her newest will be available on May 31st, and I had the pleasure of beta reading it.  Yowza!  If it’s true that a story is as strong as the adversary the author created, then this one’s a winner.  If I could have reached inside the pages and strangled Vincent, I would have.  And an American hero in a Regency romance?  Double points for Max!

Anyway, I liked this book so much, I asked Julia Donner to write a guest blog for today. And since she comes up with such strong characters in her stories, that’s what she chose to write about.  Here, then, is Julia Donner’s advice about creating characters:

 

WHAT A CHARACTER!

If asked, would you know what flavor ice cream your protagonist prefers? Do you care? Is this important? Only if it’s important to you as the storyteller or it influences the plot. Sometimes, something as simple as food preference will resonate with a reader.

The storyteller must know the heart and soul of their characters. The late Suzanne Simmons defined the process as knowing what the character wants, why they want it and what they will do to achieve that goal. If you are writing a character-driven story, an entire plot will hinge on those three questions If it’s plot-driven, those questions answer how your character will respond to plot events and incidents.

My background is in theater. Characters come to me whole. It’s the only way I can describe it. When I see the character in my mind, I know their preferences for everything from cars to clothes, food, to the type of pet they’d have. I know how they will respond to any situation, and most importantly, their weaknesses, fears, and deepest yearnings, for this is the stuff that makes a character real and helps the reader to identify with what is on the page.

Let’s be real. Perfect people are boring. One-dimensional people are nice, make terrific, easygoing friends, but they’re not as interesting in a story as a morality-challenged nun. Which would you rather read about?

Here’s an example of creating believable traits. Ask yourself how well you know your character. Dig deep. Would he or she lie? If a compulsive liar, how did they get that way? And what if a main character, who swears he’d never tell a lie, is forced to fib? How do we show the physical responses, other than shifty eyes, on the page?

Two, former CIA guys delved into the nitty-grits about lies and types of lies and wrote a book about it. They say there are “smart lies” we all tell. Being guys, and during a NPR interview, one says a smart lie is what a husband should say when his wife asks him if he likes her new outfit or haircut. They agree that they’d compliment the wife, whether they liked it or not. But I think, if they were really smart, they would physically demonstrate their reply with a hug, kiss or something interesting whispered in her ear. Then, through action, it becomes believable. In writing, and often in real life, showing is better than telling.

Have I digressed? What was the purpose of the previous example? How “smart” is your character? Does he care enough to make the effort to ensure his wife believes? Does he believe it himself? These are questions the writer must ask in order to create a layered personality. If it were a romance, a little scene like that could be a perfect setup for a seduction. Or a mystery. What if the guy is more than just smart and is playing along the wife he plans to kill?

There are many ways to create character. Background is key—family and environment, hardship or plenty in childhood. Notice how your friends or family members act during different situations and imagine how your character would react based on the family history you’ve developed. Families also tend to have the same gestures and expressions, verbal and physical.

Always keep in mind that most of what moves a story forward is how the character reacts, often to the messes they’ve made on the way to getting to their goal. The bigger the mess, the more tension. The next book in my regency series has Agnes exhibiting behaviors that annoyed one of my critique partners. The character’s inability to overcome her weaknesses was an integral part of the story/plot line, so that when Agnes finally grows a pair, we can cheer.

We, as readers, want to know there are others out there with warts and problems similar to our own, to see them kick the crap out of an enemy, overcome evil, or wrestled down hideous problems and come out standing strong, maybe bruised, but always wiser.

It is essential that by the end of the story your character has changed or learned something important about themselves. This can come through events in the plot or an epiphany that might seem trivial to someone else. Most often, these changes come through BBM (big, black moment) or an event that forces the character to confront what needs to be changed or rectified. The ubiquitous adage of “that which does not kill us makes us stronger” often applies in many instances in life and in the stories we read. In the end, the character has learned, is stronger, has survived. Maybe even found happiness. I don’t know about you, but that’s what I call a satisfying conclusion.

 

An American for Agnes, book 10 in the regency-set Friendship Series, is now available for pre-sale and will be released on May 31^st 2017.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Agnes-Friendship-Book-10-ebook/dp/B071SCRR4P/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1495987132&sr=1-1&keywords=an+american+for+agnes

I also posted a snippet from AN AMERICAN FOR AGNES on my webpage.  You can find it here:  http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/

Happy writing, and hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day!