Make the Magic Work: Create a Stronger Magic System
Are you ready to cast a spell on your magical world? This post starts a series about building magic systems with an emphasis on built-in dilemmas and conflicts.
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Author: Liz
Liz began writing poems at age 6 and fairy tales at age 7. She never stopped writing. Her current writing is influenced by her college backgrounds in psychology, education, and communication.
Catharsis for the Reader (Step 4)
Catharsis is the expulsion, repulsion, or purification of toxins and impurities. Emotional catharsis can allow the release and possible transformation of many different negative feelings. These may be toxic emotions built up from real life or emotions instilled by the writer. In Step 1, we looked at various seeds to plant in order to produce […]
Writing Prompt: “Portal”
I created this writing prompt, “Portal”, for the late middle of a book. Flashbacks are portals to the past. They can be an effective way to show contrasts between the way things were and the way things are. But the time change inherent in all flashbacks can jolt the reader’s sense of continuity. For that […]
Catharsis for the Reader (Step 3)
I’m sorry for the long gap since the last post. I’ve been ill but am now feeling much better. So without further ado… Catharsis is the expulsion, repulsion, or purification of toxins and impurities. Emotional catharsis can allow the release and possible transformation of many different negative feelings. These may be toxic emotions built up […]
Writing Prompt: “Honorable Destruction”
I created this writing prompt, “”Honorable Destruction”, for the middle section of a book. Villain motivations are a powerful way to power the story. Perhaps the most potent type of villain motivation is one that the reader thinks is right, justified, or places him on high moral ground. Write a scene where the antagonist confronts […]
Catharsis for the Reader (Step 2)
The well-written book can provide a cathartic experience for the reader. In Step 2, we grow negative emotions until they tangle up inside the reader and turn toxic.
Catharsis for the Reader (Step 1)
Before you can give the reader a cathartic experience, you need to decide which emotions you want to harvest and plant the seeds for those reactions.
