Month: April 2012

Inspiration Monday: post-apocalyptic daydream

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Computer fixed! Notes recovered! Time…still minimal. I’ll shoot for this Friday for the First Pages post, but might have to push it again. : /

Meanwhile, read some fantastic work! You guys are so darn talented!

Chris

LadyNimue

UndueCreativity and another

UnhealthyObsessionWithWords

PenNTonic

Kim

Craig

Hugmore (couple weeks ago)

 

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The Rules

There are none. Read the prompts, get inspired, write something. No word count minimum or maximum. You don’t have to include the exact prompt in your piece, and you can interpret the prompt(s) any way you like.

OR

No really; I need rules!

Okay; write 200-500 words on the prompt of your choice. You may either use the prompt as the title of your piece or work it into the body of your piece. You must complete it before 6 pm CST on the Monday following this post.

The Prompts:

Post-apocalyptic daydream
Hungry for less
Stolen name
Invisible link
Lights up when he walks away

 

Want to share your Inspiration Monday piece? Post it on your blog and link back to today’s post (here’s a video on how to do it); I’ll include a link to your piece in the next Inspiration Monday post. No blog? Email your piece to me at bekindrewrite (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Plus, get the InMon badge for your site here.

Happy writing!

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Experiencing Technical Difficulties

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My computer decided to throw a fit yesterday and I am still in the midst of fixing it. My files (including the notes for what was going to be Friday’s post) are currently being restored. So I’m sorry to say we will all have to wait until next week (or the week after) for the article about what to include in the first pages.

I fully expect  Inspiration Monday to continue as usual, though my replies to comments, etc. will likely not be until late Monday.

Thank you for your patience!

Inspiration Monday: not my memory

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InMon veteran Chris White is taking flash fiction submissions for a short story collection he is self-publishing in protest of the Premier of Queensland cutting funding for literary awards.  I don’t know much about Australian politics, but this sounds like a great project. Check it out now – the deadline is May 10.

In other news this week, AbeBooks did it to me again. I simply ordered the cheapest good condition hardcover I could find – and it came like this:

woah

 Autographed!!! Not only that, there is also a little slip of paper that appears to be the author’s address and phone number. Seriously. I am not making this up. I don’t know who Bill Lewis is (or was?) but dude? Thanks!

This is the second time this has happened to me (I also have an autographed copy of Quentin Dodd’s Beatnik Routabegas from Beyond the Stars). Maybe I should play the lottery or something.

Now check out this week’s work and tell the writers to submit something to Chris!

Parul

Kim (last week) and Kim (this week)

UndueCreativity and another

Chris and another

Craig

Spider42

UnhealthyObsessionWithWords

 If I missed you, please give me a shout in the comments. Pingbacks have been acting up lately.

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The Rules

There are none. Read the prompts, get inspired, write something. No word count minimum or maximum. You don’t have to include the exact prompt in your piece, and you can interpret the prompt(s) any way you like.

OR

No really; I need rules!

Okay; write 200-500 words on the prompt of your choice. You may either use the prompt as the title of your piece or work it into the body of your piece. You must complete it before 6 pm CST on the Monday following this post.

The Prompts:

Not my memory
Electronic babysitter
Lost and found
Royalty free
Wrong order


Want to share your Inspiration Monday piece? Post it on your blog and link back to today’s post (here’s a video on how to do it); I’ll include a link to your piece in the next Inspiration Monday post. No blog? Email your piece to me at bekindrewrite (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Plus, get the InMon badge for your site here.

Happy writing!

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20 tips for creating relatable – and lovable – protagonists

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Photo by Alex Brown

Photo by Alex Brown

Keep them reading. That’s our mission, right? And there’s nothing that can hook any reader faster and stronger than a protagonist they can relate to, like, and therefore care about. This is one half of the D in AIDA:

The D in AIDA

So what makes a character likeable?

I took inventory of the most likeable attributes of some of my favorite characters. I also borrowed some of the best advice from the Internet, and compiled it all here for your reading pleasure! Not all of this will apply to every character, but pick the right handful of traits for your hero, work two or three of them into your first page, and you’ll be well ahead of the average aspiring novelist.

Stuff that makes us connect with them

  • They enjoy things – especially the simple things. People who don’t enjoy anything are whiny. People who like things are fun to be around, both in real life and in books
  • They have flaws, but not unforgivable ones – flaws they must realize and overcome (Donald Maass writes about flaws and strengths here)
  • When they make bad choices, there are consequences – otherwise it’s a Mary Sue
  • They express universal truths – this doesn’t have to be deeply philosophical, just a little detail that everyone notices but nobody has put into words yet. Like how hard is it to drive in high heels (okay, maybe that one’s semiversal).
  • They want something deeply for personal reasons – this is the most important trait. They are in love. They are slaves. They’ve never met their real father. Etc. Even if your protagonist is a villain trying to take over the universe, he should have a personal reason for doing it (e.g., so that no one can ever hurt him again). We should feel this on the first page.

Stuff that’s just plain likeable

  • They have pets – especially if the pet is stupid, ugly, or smelly
  • They have the chance to be mean but aren’t – even characters who are jerks most of the time, but nice to one person (who must be weak or an underdog), or are nice when it matters most, are lovable (Blake Snyder calls this “saving the cat“)
  • They don’t realize how awesome they are – other characters like them better than they like themselves (this doesn’t mean they need to be totally insecure – just a little)

 

Stuff that makes us root for them

  • They are unlucky – Stanley Yelnats from Holes is unlucky but perpetually hopeful anyway, and it makes us love him
  • They defend the innocent – and/or stand up for the underdogs
  • They want to run away from danger, but don’t – the definition of courage
  • They are loyal – even a character who lies, cheats, and steals, but still sticks up for his friends, is likable

Book Country advises:

  • We don’t have to like what they do: we have to understand why they do it
  • Never let coincidence help a good character

Elise Broach adds:

  • They should be in love or in trouble (or both) on the first page
  • Avoid whiny, passive or cruel
  • Shoot for: spunk, persistence, courage, kindness, ingenuity, loyalty, humour
  • But be careful with spunk/sass – now getting overused
Neil Landau and Matt Frederick suggest these devices for getting to know your character:
  • Create memorable entrances – what would you notice about them meeting them the first time? Their charm, or clumsiness? Their laugh, or their uneasy silence?
  • Use props – what your character carries with him everywhere, or keeps in an honored place in his bedroom, can tell you a lot about him

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QUESTION FOR THE COMMENTS: What protagonists do you connect with most? What makes you like them?

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Stay tuned: next week, we’ll talk about more stuff you need to include in the first pages.

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puppy dog

Ways to make your readers love your main character.

Inspiration Monday: all I’ve ever known

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Delicious news. One of my favorite YouTube vloggers, Hank Green, has begun an exciting, unprecedented project: translating the Austen classic, Pride & Prejudice, into – what else? – YouTube vlogging. It’s rather experimental; they’re not really sure if they can pull off the whole thing, but I like it so far. The more viewers they get, the more likely they’ll be to keep going, so be sure to check it out after you read the brilliant work linked below. Start with Hank’s introduction or with the first episode.

Now onto it!

Chris and another

LovetheBadGuy

Barb

Spider42

Craig

UndueCreativity

EDIT: For some reason I missed Marian. I have no idea why.

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The Rules

There are none. Read the prompts, get inspired, write something. No word count minimum or maximum. You don’t have to include the exact prompt in your piece, and you can interpret the prompt(s) any way you like.

OR

No really; I need rules!

Okay; write 200-500 words on the prompt of your choice. You may either use the prompt as the title of your piece or work it into the body of your piece. You must complete it before 6 pm CST on the Monday following this post.

The Prompts:

All I’ve ever known
Countdown
To be protected
Save the song
Escape from pretend

Want to share your Inspiration Monday piece? Post it on your blog and link back to today’s post (here’s a video on how to do it); I’ll include a link to your piece in the next Inspiration Monday post. No blog? Email your piece to me at bekindrewrite (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Plus, get the InMon badge for your site here.

Happy writing!

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