Writers On The Move

Getting Unstuck When Writing a Novel

by Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer's Coach

As a writing coach, I see it all the time.

Someone decides to write a novel.

They get off to a brilliant start.

Then – about 4 or 5 chapters in – they get stuck.

They don’t know what to write next.

They try to figure out what to do, but most of the time they don’t, so they give up.

They put the manuscript away and start on something new.

Sound familiar?

If it does, then dig out your half-finished novel and take a look at it with the following elements in mind.

Chances are, one or more of these elements is lacking, or not fully developed, in your story and that’s why you’re having trouble moving forward.

Elements of a Novel

1. Compelling and Distinctive Characters

Readers need to care about your characters, right from the start. Otherwise, they have no reason to continue reading past the first few pages.

Readers won’t like or love all of your characters, of course. In fact, they’ll probably hate your protagonist. But, the point is, they need to have strong positive or negative feelings about these characters. They should not feel indifferent about them.

What have you done in your first few chapters to make readers care about your characters?

2. A Compelling Overall Story Problem for the Main Character

Quite often I see writers run into trouble midway through their novels because they haven’t created a BIG enough overall story problem for their main character. When that happens, it’s often difficult to keep readers’ interest. There just isn’t enough at stake for the main character, so readers don’t care whether or not he solves the big problem.

What is the overall problem your main character (your protagonist) is trying to solve? How much is at stake - what will happen if he doesn’t solve this problem?

3. Rising Action – Dramatic Tension

Once there is plenty at stake for the main character, the next step is to create LOTS of conflict, so it isn’t easy for the character to solve this problem. Things should get worse and worse – this creates rising action.

When your story has plenty of conflict or rising action, readers will worry and wonder if the main character will ever be able to solve, or at least resolve, the big problem. They’ll keep reading to find out!

How do things keep getting worse and worse for your main character?

4. Believable and Effective Turning Points

Turning points are those places in your story where things change. They take a different direction, usually because some choice has to be made or there is some sort of dilemma for the main character. An effective turning point means once a choice has been made, or a specific action has been taken, there is no going back for the character(s).

Do you have several turning points in your story? What are they?

5. Vivid Sensory Details

Details make your story come alive for readers, so they feel as if they’re experiencing the story along with the characters and not simply reading about what these characters are doing and what is happening to them.

Appeals to all 5 senses (taste, touch, sound, sight, smell) should be seamlessly woven into the action and dialogue of the story.

Do you have appeals to several senses in each chapter? Could you create more sensory details to enliven your story?

6. Engaging and Cohesive Subplots

Subplots are stories within the main story. But they relate to the main story. When used effectively, they can create additional rising action and conflict related to the overall story problem.

What are the subplots in your story? Can you create an additional subplot to create more rising action?

7. An Effective Climax

This is the most exciting part of your story. It’s when your main character must do something or make some decision that will cause him to solve or resolve the overall story problem. But it can’t be easy for him.

What is the most exciting point of your story? What is decision or dilemma your main character must face at this point?

8. A Satisfying Resolution

The climax of your story leads to the resolution, where everything is tied together or resolved. Usually, readers get some idea of what life will be like for the main character, now that he has solved or resolved the overall story problem.

It’s a good idea to consider how your story will end even BEFORE you start writing the story. This doesn’t mean your ending (and even other things in the story) won’t change by the time you write the ending. But if you know how you want the story to end, it will be easier to keep writing because you know where you’re going.

How did you tie up all the loose ends to complete your story? What is different for your main character(s) now?

Use these elements as a checklist when writing a novel and you'll be less likely to get stuck and never finish writing your novel.

Try it!

Suzanne Lieurance is an author, freelance writer, certified professional life coach and writing coach, speaker and workshop presenter. She has written over two dozen published books and hundreds of articles for newspapers, magazines, and other publications.

She can help you write your first or next novel. Find out more about her Quick Start System to Writing Novels at www.writeanovelstarttofinish.com

Let Passion Fuel Your Writing Career

The Four Levels of Engagement & How to Use Them To Fuel Your Work

When you are looking to start a new writing project, here are some things to consider:

Level 1 Engagement: Lack of Enthusiasm: When you find you are lacking enthusiasm for your current writing project, many times this is because you are not following your passion, but that of another person. As a writer, we can all write a variety of things from non-fiction to short stories to novels, and we can choose from a wide range of topics. But when you find yourself writing something that doesn't seem to drive you toward your own goals, this lack of enthusiasm may cause you to stumble. Write what fuels your passion.

Level 2 Engagement: Inspired: Inspiration occurs when an idea manifests. Inspired people are more engaged in their project and may think and speak about the 'great idea' they have. Inspiration is important to fueling your writing, but inspiration alone is not enough. Talking about and thinking about what to write will not get words on a page.

Level 3 Engagement: Motivated: Motivation is an idea you can't put down. It won't let go of you, following you to the grocery store and to bed at night. But its more than just an idea, it's an idea that must, and I mean must, be acted on. Motivation means you will sit down at your desk and write. Being motivated will fuel your writing and provide you with a body of work.

Level 4 Engagement: Passion: Passion is when you have an idea, and it's one that won't let go of you and you writing this particular article or longer piece is part of your destiny, your path. This project will take you where you want to go with your writing career. It is the work you were meant to write to share with the world and it will show in your final product. Let passion fuel your work.

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D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and a co-author of a Young Adult Science Fiction Series. Her latest book, Flight from the Water Planet, Book 1 of The Exodus Series was written with coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.

D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole and, Perception. The Mermaid, an award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.

She is a wife, mother, grandmother and business coach. In her free time . . . ha! ha! ha! Anyway, you can find more about D. Jean Quarles, her writing and her books at her website at www.djeanquarles.com

You can also follower her at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook

NYTs Best Seller's List or Book Club?

In this profession, they say you've made it when you are on the NYTs Best Seller's list, or at least in the top 100 on that list. But what if you were to get your book or books as part of a book club discussion? Do you think that is "making it"?

I recently attended a "Reluctant YA Readers" book club (a group of adults who don't want to admit they read YA but do anyway - lol) at the local library. I really enjoyed the discussion, even though I hadn't read the selected read for the month. After the group left, I spent some time talking with the librarian who heads up the reading clubs. My book, FINALLY HOME, will be either the book selected for the October reading or I may end up on a different day just to have my own book event with the ability of being able to sell my book. The hope is that the second story in the series, THE TIES OF TIME, will be completed and published, so I can sell both books at the same time.

To me, it's not necessarily the NYTs best seller's list, but it means I have finally made it. I'm making a name for myself, starting locally and building a readership and hopefully that will lead to word of mouth sales, which in turn will eventually lead to NYTs Best Seller's list, not that that has really been goal since publishing my first story. It's a nice little perk.

Eight years from the first story being published online after taking a shared 2nd place to the present, putting my book out there for the librarian to put my books out in the face of the public. I've not pushed my books in the last couple of years as much as I did when I first got published, but now I feel it is time to really step it up and put more effort into getting my stories completed and published and maybe shoot for the stars - the NYTs Best Seller's List.

This is an encouragement note, as Heidi's was a couple of days ago. It doesn't matter the route you take to get there, just keep at it and persevere and you will get there. Reach for the top rung!!

Elysabeth Eldering
Author
Finally Home (A Kelly Watson, YA, paranormal mystery) - available in print, ebook, and as an audiobook
The Ties of Time (A Kelly Watson, YA, paranormal mystery - coming soon)
Elysabeth's Writing Blog

Turning your poetry dabbling into a marketing tool

Poetry doesn't sell. It's so often said (and validated by poets everywhere), that it has become something of a truism. If you write poetry, you probably do it for the love of it. You may well be supporting your poetry habit with a range of more lucrative types of writing like nonfiction or even working a day job. However,value doesn't always come in the form of cash. There's real value - and ultimately financial value, to be had by using your poetry as a marketing tool. So where do you begin? Here are a few tips to get you going.

Think themed chapbook

Have a look through your existing poetry collection, and see if you can find a recurring theme that you can use. Some examples of themes which immediately suggest a market include (and I’ve used some of these myself) – Mothers, Love (in all forms or a specific aspect of love such as romantic love), Pets, Nature, your locale, a historical period, person or notion, politics, family life, humorous wordplay, or even sports. Some chapbooks that I’ve particularly admired from well known poets include one on phobias, one on romantic love, and one set in the world of Walt Whitman during his period on the battlefield. My own tendency seems to be towards writing scientific poetry – astronomy, physics, the genetic code, evolution. So don’t limit yourself to clichéd themes. If there’s something you tend to gravitate towards, go with it. Another option is to think about what fits your other work - the stuff you want to sell, and theme the book around that - this way you'll be drawing in your target market. And speaking of markets...

Define your market

Identify the market that matches the theme you came up with in the first exercise. Try to make of list of up to three specific markets, and then list another six examples of those. For example, if your market is florists, then come up with six florists you could contact when you go about marketing your work. Having a sense of where you’re planning to market will help you plan and create your book in a much more coherent and effective way. Always keep your market in mind when you’re constructing a book.

Construct Your Book

This might sound like a big thing but it's actually just a simple collation exercise. Start organising your poetry into a Word (or other word processor) file. You can use a Word book template for that - there are quite a few that come as standard with with Word or you can search here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/?CTT=97 A chapbook could have as few as ten and as many as thirty pages of poems. Twenty poems would be about average for a small chapbook. Put them in an order that makes sense and if there are any gaps or areas that require more poems, then write them! Once you've got everything together number your pages, add a table of contents at the front, and voila, you're almost there.

The all important bio

This is the key - your bio. This is where you need to make your book work for a living. Include not only a little bit about yourself, but a link back (with an enticing offer like a free chapter) to your selling page for whatever product - your novel, your nonfiction, your audio series, etc, you want to sell. Also include an attractive photo. Don't rush this. This is what's going to make value for you.

Get someone else to read it for you.

Whatever you do, don't skip this step. Get a fellow writer or eagle eyed reader to read through it for errors, things that don't make sense and the overall ordering. If they like it, get them to give you a quote to use somewhere at the back of the book.

Get it out there

Make sure you've got an enticing title, that the book looks good, and then turn it into a .pdf. If you're using Word 2007 onward, then you can just save as a .pdf. You could sell the book if you want, but you probably won't make much. Using it as a promotional tool, you can upload it to your website or blog and offer it as a gift for anyone who subscribes. This way you not only get more subscribers, more people reading your work, but you also draw in readers and potential customers for your big tickets items.

Writing isn't always about commerce and marketing. Sometimes it's about creating meaning, and that, of course is at the heart of poetry. But there's no reason why you can't create meaning, bring in readers and still sell your work. Using a poetry chapbook is a unique way to gift your work and still benefit financially from it.

Magdalena Ball is the author of the novels Black Cow and Sleep Before Evening, the poetry books Repulsion Thrust and Quark Soup, a nonfiction book The Art of Assessment, and, in collaboration with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Sublime Planet, Deeper Into the Pond, Blooming Red, Cherished Pulse, She Wore Emerald Then, and Imagining the Future. She also runs a radio show, The Compulsive Reader Talks. Find out more about Magdalena at www.magdalenaball.com.

The Path to Publication

When I began writing my first novel in 1996, I really did not think I would ever be published. But it was a cathartic experience, and it was something I needed to do to prove to myself that I could write a novel.

I started researching my second book in 1999. After about ten years of rewriting, polishing and collecting rejections, Cowgirl Dreams was published. I’m not telling you this to discourage you, but to encourage you.

That first attempt has yet to be published, and I am so glad it was not then. I did the best I could, but in going back and doing the rewrites (it will be the fourth in my series), I find I’ve learned so much about the craft of writing.

I met both of my publishers at writing conferences hosted by Women Writing the West. Since Cowgirl Dreams was based on my rodeo-riding grandmother, I thought that might be the best place to look, and it was. The first two books in my series were published.

At another WWW conference, where attendees can set up appointments with agents, editors and publishers, I pitched the idea of writing a series of magazine articles about the old-time rodeo cowgirls of Montana. As I was leaving, one of the other editors in the room jumped up from her table and caught me at the door. “I couldn’t help overhearing your pitch,” she said. “Make an appointment with me.”

I did, and Globe-Pequot Press offered me a contract to write a non-fiction book. When my first publisher closed down, I asked if GPP was interested in my third novel. They were and also picked up the first two books to be republished with new covers and new editing.

Dare to Dream was launched this week, the newest novel in the “Dreams” trilogy. The non-fiction book, Cowgirl Up! will come out in September.

My message to aspiring authors is this: do not be in a hurry to get that first book published. Have patience, study and practice the craft of writing, get feedback from critique groups or partners, and get it professionally edited (especially if you are self-publishing). You do not want a book out that is riddled with errors and flaws.

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A native Montanan, Heidi M. Thomas now lives in North-central Arizona where she blogs, teaches writing, and edits. Herfirst novel, Cowgirl Dreams , is based on her grandmother, and the sequel, Follow the Dream, won the national WILLA Award. The next book in the series, Dare to Dream, has just been released. Heidi has a degree in journalism and a certificate in fiction writing.

Create Less Than Perfect Characters

"Create Less than Perfect Characters" by Joan Y. Edwards

In order to create less than perfect characters, each character must have a flaw. It's okay to dream up a character with more than one flaw. Brainstorming your character with different types of flaws may help you decide which one creates the most havoc for him in his particular situation. You could group three primary flaws that are characteristic of one particular gigantic shortcoming for your character. However, you may want one flaw that signals their defining trait.

Flaw, according to the Google dictionary, is a mark, fault, or other imperfection that mars a substance or object. For example: The outlet store sold plates with flaws in them. Synonyms for flaw are defect, blemish, fault, imperfection, deficiency, weakness, weak spot/point/link, inadequacy, shortcoming, limitation, failing, or foible.

In 1993, to focus attention and resources to eliminate accidents and human error, Gordon Dupont, a worker in maintenance for Transport Canada developed the following Dirty Dozen list of causes for human mistakes at work: http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/The_Human_Factors_%22Dirty_Dozen%22

Lack of communication
Distraction
Lack of Resources
Stress
Complacency - a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, unaware of potential danger, defect, or the like.
Lack of Teamwork
Pressure (of deadline)
Lack of Awareness
Lack of Knowledge
Fatigue
Lack of Assertiveness-don't feel free or not allowed to speak up
Norms-the way you've always done it

These could cause life-changing situations for your characters. But you don't want your characters to get hurt. I understand. About 6 years ago, Pam Zollman told writers you have to hurt your "bunnies" (characters). Oh my goodness! As a writer you may be a "Mother Hen or "Protective Father" and don't want anything to happen to your little ones. However, to have a plot, to have a story at all, means that you must create something bad to happen to your main character. That's bad, spelled and pronounced B-a-a-a-a-d. After the bad experience, watch him meet the challenge. I promise you that your character will meet any challenge you give him. He will make it out of the darkest corner. With your help, how can he fail?

To look at the dark side, the darkest corners of films, watch a few film noir from the 1940's to late 1950's. The Guardian lists the Top 10 Film Noir movies and a summary of each one and why it was good. Film noir was usually in black and white. It may have been an American Detective or crime film that emphasized cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. It seemed to me that no character in a film noir ever reached the good side of human behavior. One person, the detective who solved the mystery, may have been the only one on the right side. According to Fandor, the noir style has expressionism and realism with night scenarios, strong shadows, low-key lighting, dynamic compositions, hard-boiled dialogue, flashbacks, fragmented narratives, and fluid camera movements.

One of the many I've seen on AMC on television is Out of the Past (1947).

A private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses and duplicitous dames.

But it could have been one of many. Film Noir present a pretty bleak view of our world. Consider this pitch description of Blackout:

A down-and-out American visits London and meets a beautiful blonde who offers him a fortune to marry her. He quickly agrees but the next day he awakens in an artist's studio covered with blood and his supposed father-in-law's corpse!

Sometimes writers put a funny spin on the foibles of the characters, one such 1955 film is "The Trouble with Harry." Poor Harry gets dug up numerous times during the story. I remember when I saw a 1989 movie Weekend at Bernie's considered a dark comedy. I was so surprised at myself for laughing hysterically at it.

Many times in life, the story behind the story is intriguing and goes to the dark side. For instance, the movie Captain Phillips (2013)

The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship hijacked in two hundred years.

Some of the men in the crew with Captain Phillips contend that Captain Phillips shouldn't have taken them there in the first place and have claimed a lawsuit against the real Captain Phillips. Now that would make another good movie.

Reverse the usual for your characters. What if everyone in your story except one person was evil...not just one flaw, they had all flaws except for one good redeeming trait. See what kind of story you get.
For instance, there's a robbery in town. Everyone helps the robber get away. Why? It's sad to think about, but what if the world was that way. What if your character has people believing the best about him and they couldn't believe he did it. He had charisma personified. But one character could see through all the songs and dances and convict the robber.

When you write a story, you get to create a world that might be hard to imagine...a sad, tragic, magic, or joyful world. But it's your story with your main character with many flaws, three flaws, or only one flaw. A flaw is what gets him into trouble. A flaw is what gets him into the deeper depths of despair. Only when your character is brave and wise enough to see things differently is he able to think of a way out of his bottomless pit. You have a choice of a happy ending or an ending that you drape in the perils of tragedy.

I thought by looking at these 12 causes of mistakes and glancing at the dark side might help you decide which flaw is "perfect" for a character in your story to make him memorable.
Here are a few first sentence story-starters or character sketches:

Everyone in his family for generations has been trustworthy. But not, Ned Parker.
A leader needs good communication, but the President of the United States did not have good communication on the day when the people of Zamboo declared war.
Everyone cringed to think that the airplane built by Forever Airlines had not had the suggested maintenance inspections and repairs. Whose fault was it that maintenance orders were not carried out? Who is going to pay for the deaths caused when Flight 513 went down on I-95?
James couldn't focus on his job as a taxi driver. He worried about his grandfather. He worried about his son in school. Most of all, he worried about his bank account. He didn't notice the lady walking out from two parked cars.
Teresa was unaware of the faulty electrical cord she used to turn on her hair dryer. She never checked her surroundings. She took it for granted that everything was going to be fine and that electrical outlets stay good for a lifetime. The day her hair frizzed and the shock went through her body, was the day she became paranoid about safety.

Please leave a comment. Tell me some of your techniques for helping your characters fall deeper in trouble or rise from a b-a-a-a-a-d situation to create a better world for themselves. I'd love to hear what you think.

Celebrate you and your gift of writing,

Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

I hope you'll buy Flip Flap Floodle to read to your children and grandchildren because even mean ole Mr. Fox can't stop this little duck from playing his song.

Joan’s Elder Care Guide, Release December 2014 by 4RV Publishing

Website/Blog

Twitter/Linked in/Facebook Author Page

Submit to Fiction Magazines with Themes

I love magazines with themes or prompts, because they expose the many, many ways our minds work differently to produce so many stories from one kernel of an idea.

For all you fiction writers out there, if you're having writer's block or if you want to challenge yourself to write something you normally wouldn't, try writing for one of the magazines or e-zines below.

Paying Markets ($10-$50)

THEMA Literary Journal. Each issue is based closely around a specific theme. All genres. Reprints accepted. Current and upcoming themes: "Was that today?" and "We thought he'd never leave." Submission guidelines

The First Line Literary Magazine. Each story must start with the same sentence. All genres. Current and upcoming first lines: "Fifty miles west of Bloomington lies Hillsboro, a monument to middle-class malaise," and "We went as far as the car would take us." Submission Guidelines.

Pantheon. As the name suggests, this magazine's issues center around various gods and goddesses. All genres welcome. Reprints accepted, but unpaid. Current themes: "Ares" and "Gaia." Submission Guidelines.

Infective Ink. All genres. Current and upcoming themes: "The future of dating," "Great friendships." Submission Guidelines.

On the Premises. This is run like a contest, but with no fee. Third to first prizes $100-$180. Honorable mentions, $40. All genres. Current Contest: "Decisions, Decisions." Submission Guidelines.

Long Count Press. E-book anthologies of fantasy fiction. Currently closed to submissions, but check in the future. Last theme: "Mesoamerican Fantasy." Submission Guidelines.

Timeless Tales. Retold fairy tales. Next theme: "Twelve Dancing Princesses." Reprints accepted. Submission Guidelines.

Subterrain. A Canadian magazine that requires paper submissions (and an SASE with an IRC). Upcoming themes: "Pulp Fiction," and "Meat." Submission Guidelines.

Semi-Pro and Pro Markets

Crossed Genres. Science fiction or fantasy only. Current and upcoming themes: "Typical" and "Robots, Androids, and Cyborgs." 5 cents/word. Submission Guidelines.

Unlikely Story. Their two main themes are "entomology" (bugs) and "cryptography" (codes and ciphers). They also have other theme issues, like "cartography" (maps). All genres. 5 cents/word. Reprints accepted at a lower rate. Submission Guidelines.

Crab Orchard Review. Literary. One yearly theme (submissions accepted October). This year's theme: "Stories that covers any of the ways our world and ourselves have changed due to the advancements, setbacks, tragedies, and triumphs of the last twenty years, 1995-2015." $100 minimum. Submission Guidelines.

Penumbra. Speculative fiction only. Upcoming themes: "Pain" and "Lewis Carroll." 5 cents/word. Submission Guidelines.

Cobblestone Publishing's non-fiction magazines for kids 9-14 accept 800-words stories based on specific themes. Your choices: Calliope (world history), Cobblestone (American history), Dig (archeology), Faces (world culture and geography), and Odyssey (science). Check the guidelines for query dates and themes. Very good rates. Submission Guidelines (choose the individual magazine you're interested in).

Guidelines

Fiction magazines these days come and go, so be sure to verify the details before submitting. And, as always, read the submission guidelines, word count requirements, and theme information very closely. Some are so specific you'll pretty much have to write a story with the magazine in mind. Others are looser, so you can match up stories you've already written.

Whatever you do, have fun and keep writing.

Melinda Brasher's first fiction sale was in THEMA, one of the magazines above. She has other stories published in various magazines, including On the Premises. She also loves to travel and is currently writing a budget traveler's guide to cruising Alaska.