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 […]
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 […]
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.
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.
By learning the components of your own work’s GPS, you will be able to generate scenes faster, and more efficiently.
Threshold Guardians are found at points of physical, emotional, and intellectual change. They are an archetype from the Hero’s Journey but can be used in any plot structure style and by pantsters too.
You can find your main theme imbedded within your protagonist’s character arc. You can then develop that theme by exploring both sides of the theme through other characters’ arcs, subplots, advice, and examples.
I created this writing prompt, “Mourner” for a reflective scene late in a character arc. Late in an arc, the character may still make mistakes but she realizes the role she plays in her choices. She tries to balance — or even counter — the negative in her life with the positive. Write a scene […]
No, this isn’t a joke. Flash fiction and stand-up comedy have a great deal in common. For starters, both forms are compact surprises. How do they do this? It’s all in the set-up, the delivery, and the punch. Let’s look at each in turn… The Set-Up The Set-up answers the 5 W’s: Who, What, When, […]
For those writers who want to improve (or begin to create) dynamic relationships for their characters, here are 4 points to keep in mind.
