“If you’re going to have a character appear in a story long enough to sell a newspaper, he’d better be real enough that you can smell his breath.” ~ Ford Madox Ford
She might has well been talking to three empty chairs…
You see, it’s impossible to write fiction without understanding its underpinnings such as conflict, scene structure, and character development. Without this understanding , you might write two or three or four hundred pages, but you won’t end up with a story; instead you’ll produce a lot of words on a lot of pages or a haphazard pile of scenes loosely clustered around characters who never quite come to life.
The best fiction touches the deep layers in us. A writer achieves this effect by embedding dozens of techniques into his or her story.
Do your characters sound like this?
We hope that you have found these encore posts to be useful reminders and prompts for your work-in-progress!
And in cased you missed it, here is the link to our New Year’s Eve post with the first five articles. Click here.
NOW for Kiffer’s Number One Tip for Writers in 2022!
RULE # 1
WRITE FAST! EDIT SLOW!
Don’t edit your first draft as you write it!
Writing your first draft should be a mad dash to get your story out of your brain. Don’t hinder it by worrying about each little detail. There will be time for that later.
Try to unspool the “mind-film” in your brain before reworking every sentence. Get your story out. Let the characters introduce themselves to you. Create the Atmosphere.
There will be plenty of time to craft and hone sentences later. Meanwhile, fall in love with your story. Experience the rush and the thrill of creativity!
We wish you joy and peace in the New Year from all of us at Chanticleer!
We hope to see you at the 2022 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2021 CIBA Banquet and Ceremony
Our 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22) will be April 7-10, 2022, where our 2021 CIBA winners will be announced. Space is limited and seats are already filling up, so sign up today! CAC22 and the CIBA Ceremonies will be hosted at the Hotel Bellwether in Beautiful Bellingham, Wash. Sign up and see the latest updates here!
Secondary Characters. They can drive their co-stars crazy and they can also drive the plot. They can star in their own subplots and often support the protagonist’s goals. Or thwart the protagonist’s goals.
Benny, the unforgettable secondary character in “The Queen’s Gambit” by Walter Tevis
Using characters’ eyes to reveal emotion and meaning. If you’re serious about writing, you must notice subtext and how to convey it. And that often begins with the eyes.
Beth Harmon knows she will win several moves out in this scene of Queen’s Gambit
A look at more advanced ways of considering writing from some of the best craft books to come out in the last decade. Consider the narrator in your story, structure, proportion, and, most importantly, the heart of your work.
How-To tips and examples for adding fuel your characters’ fires. Your character should always have a lot to prove and master, so he or she can get off on the wrong foot and things can go downhill from there. Naturally.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy protagonist, the last known Earthling – Arthur Dent
Learn how to edit ruthlessly with these top tips with handy links! Make sure you get the most out of your next round of editing for your work-in-progress.
The Editor – going over the ms with an MOV.
We hope that you have found these encore posts to be useful reminders and prompts for your work-in-progress!
We wish you joy and peace in the New Year from all of us at Chanticleer!
January 1st, 2022, we will post five more of the The Top Ten Writing Posts for 2021 along with Kiffer’s Number One Tip for Writers in 2022!
When you’re ready,did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services?We do and have been doing so since 2011.
Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).
If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.
We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top editors on an on-going basis.Contact us today!
Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.
A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information availablehere.
And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn morehere.
If you’re confident in your book, consider submitting it for a Editorial Book Reviewhereor to one of our Chanticleer International Awardshere.
Our 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22) will be June 23-26, 2022, where our 2021 CIBA winners will be announced. Space is limited and seats are already filling up, so sign up today! CAC22 and the CIBA Ceremonies will be hosted at the Hotel Bellwether in Beautiful Bellingham, Wash. Sign up and see the latest updates here!
There is a beautiful Icelander holiday tradition that we are growing quite fond of here at Chanticleer.
The small Nordic island, with a population of only 329,000 people, is extraordinarily literary. They love to read and write. According to Rosie Goldsmith of the BBC, “The country has more writers, more books published and more books read, per head, than anywhere else in the world.”
Many Icelanders give books as Christmas gifts as part of Jolabokaflod, and from Christmas Eve until New Years there is an unspoken reading frenzy.
Iceland’s National Treasures And High Literacy Rate
Icelanders are obsessed with preserving their language. You will find that the bestselling teen novels –Twilight, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, etc. – have all been translated to Icelandic.
Books and literacy are huge in Icelandic culture. To properly understand it, you have to realize that our national treasures are not really beautiful buildings or famous art pieces or collections like so many other countries have. They are manuscripts, preserved on sheepskin, for hundreds and hundreds of years.
Reading is very important for us, both in schools and in society in general. The literacy rate is somewhere around 99%. I don’t believe there is anyone in Iceland that doesn’t know how to read unless there are some specific challenges or disabilities involved. – The Uncorked Librarian .com
And, of course, knitting also goes along with this beloved tradition and so does hot chocolate!
Jolabokaflod or Yule Book Flood happens once a year on Christmas Eve in Iceland. The flood begins with the release of a catalog of new publications from the Icelandic Publishers Association. And it is distributed FREE to each and every Icelandic home. The majority of books sold in Iceland are sold from September to early November. Of course, these books are in print. E-pubs are not given. This tradition started in 1944.
The Icelanders even have a popular TV show,Kiljan,that is entirely devoted to books. Authors appear on prime TV shows.Book readings and author events are treated like rock star events.
“In Iceland book lives matter in every sense of that phrase: The shelf-life of the book, the lives in the book, the life of the writer and the life of the reader. God bless the Jolabokaflod.”~Hallgrimur Helgason
To an Icelander, the very best Christmas present is a book! This tradition hails from WWII when many items and food were rationed. These sentiments may always have existed, in one way or another, since Icelanders have been saga-nerds for thousand of years.
Loved ones gather – perhaps virtually this year – and gift one another books. What happens next? They spend the night reading together. What a delightful holiday tradition!
Jolabokaflod – Christmas is the time where you snuggle up and read your presents.
We thought you might like to see some of our top holiday-themed books – just in case you would like to have your own Jolabokaflod…
So, snuggle in and preview some of our favorite books for the season. Let’s share some book love!
From the riveting opening that takes place in NYC’s Lower East Side’s sweatshops until its gripping conclusion, this enthralling novel vividly portrays the desperate times of German immigrants landing at Ellis Island in 1905 in search of a better life. Love of Finished Years by Gregory Erich Phillips is one of Kiffer Brown’s favorites for the holidays. She cites the novel’s heartwarming WWI Christmas Eve scene that takes place in the trenches in the heat of battle as unforgettable.
Since it’s Christmas time, clever Oscar decides to write a letter to Santa and ask for the spots he so desperately wants. Fearing his request won’t reach the North Pole in time, Oscar decides to take it there himself. He meets many a character en route and learns some new lessons. A beautifully illustrated and wonderfully told children’s Christmas story of the importance of being yourself. Highly recommended.
With the loveliest prose and sharp humor, Slade offers the best Christmas gift for her readers with this gem of a book. Whether it’s 1390, 1543, 1825, or the present day, there’s a mystical sisterhood at Ladywell that bridges time, a linking of strong women who tend home and hearth and pass on the secrets of the land. The past re-emerges into the blissful bustle of Freya’s current life as she learns of a family connection with King Richard III. Is this connection tied to a future event? Will the secrets of the past travel to the future?
An exquisitely written English tale set for Yuletide cheer. A book to curl up with during the holidays. Highly recommended.
For anyone who’s ever fought a battle and held onto the promise of hope, here is a heartfelt story of a boy whose endless desire for Christmas changes not only him but his entire world. This story has the makings to be a seasonal classic! Plausible fantasy with a clear connection to our national past composed by a practiced wordsmith, My Christmas Attic can be appreciated as a classic seasonal saga with a cinematic quality that speaks of broader possibilities.
Cleopatra’s lustful affair with young Jake Regan becomes more complex as she discovers his presence in Hawaii is due to a Christmas holiday vacation with his (Norman Rockwellesque) family. Mother and his two brothers have arrived. Jake’s dad is expected to arrive at any moment from yet another far-flung business trip. But the coup d’état is that Jake’s longtime girlfriend, who also is en route, is expecting wedding bells to be announced at the gathering. It becomes obvious that Cleo and Jake’s unrelenting passion will have an impact on the Regan family.
A steamy, fast-paced suspense novel that will take you on a get-away armchair vacation to Hawai’i!
Combining a romance novel with a thriller is not easy, but Chasing Cleopatradelivers the goods with plotting as intricate as a silver spider’s web.
Merry Christmas and a Happy PTSD by Chris Oelerich is highly recommended for those who suffer from PTSD, for the family members and friends of those who suffer, and for those who are simply interested in having a greater understanding beyond what is reported in the popular press about this debilitating disorder. Oelerich’s methods to overcome PTSD are plain-spoken and practical, with an overall message of optimism for those with PTSD.
This is a very personal, no-holds-barred, yet ultimately, empowering discussion of PTSD and its effects on those who suffer from it. The author hopes thatMerry Christmas and a Happy PTSDwill be used as a tool to reduce PTSD symptoms in others who suffer from it so that they, too, can live healthier and happier lives.
We wish you a very merry and warm Holiday Season!
If you would like to read more book reviews to discern the perfect selections for your own Jolabokaflod click here to read more Chanticleer Book Reviews!
If you think we should include your book (must have been reviewed by Chanticleer Reviews) in this article, please email us with the title, your pen name, and the pages that have the holiday scenes and email us at AuthorOutreach@ChantiReviews.com
I want to talk about the thresholds and milestones that happen in storytelling, including films. These milestones are given different names by various experts. Most commonly they’re called turning points or plot points.
Turning Point or Plot Point Development
Crucial Scenes
I was recently working on a client’s manuscript and an important scene was taking place in an early chapter creating the first major turning point. It features two main characters about to make love for the first time. It’s a crucial scenebecause everything in the story will change after this, the stakes will rise, serious repercussions will shape their futures. It’s an especially important scene because it’s the tale of forbidden love and once they’ve crossed this line they’ve admitted censure and danger into their lives. My job is to help the writer make the scene more momentous and intense, making sure the scenes contain enough emotional clout. Because these essential moments need to create major ramifications.
Turning points are irrevocable changes staged as events or scenes, and are where the story shifts in a new direction. They’re also thresholds so characters pass through into a new situation. These moments, always shown via action, usually have an emotional change that comes with them. –Jessica Morrell
Before this event, things might return back to normal; afterward, it’s a whole new game.
One Way Gates
As I’ve mentioned here before, effective fiction takes your main characters into new physical and emotional territory. Turning points are the thresholds to the other side. They signal the reader that danger and shifting tides lie ahead. I like to think of them as one way gates.
The new territory can also be new spiritual territory, where principles, beliefs, and hearts are tested. Also, they are often tests and reveal what your protagonist is made of.
And while turning points shift the direction of the story, keep in mind is that they’re also emotional turning points. I was thinking about them yesterday and how they snatch a protagonist from his or her comfort zone and thrust him or her into a threatening situation.
Let’s look at The Hunger Games to help identify these crucial moments. It’s the first book in Suzanne Collins dystopian series that takes place in Panem, a country that’s formed after the collapse of North American governments.
Inciting Incidents
The inciting incident or catalyst happens on Reaping Day, an annual lottery where each of Panem’s 12 Districts must send two ‘tributes’ to participate in the state-sponsored, fight-to-the-death Hunger Games while the whole country watches the gruesome contest. Because the underlying brutality of the governing regime is an omnipresent threat. The winning district receives food.
Reaping Day in The Hunger Games – Gale and Prim (Katniss’ little sister).
The story reprises the virgin sacrifices that existed in many cultures along with nods to mythical happenings. But then Collins has borrowed liberally from mythology and gory human history including a mashup of Dust Bowl imagery, a Nazi-like regime including the architecture, symbolism, and vicious stormtroopers, along with a hideous disparity between the classes.
Complications
At the Reaping, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to replace her 12-year-old sister Primrose in the deadly Games.
Central Dramatic Question
This creates the central dramatic question: Will Katniss survive? Then Peeta Mellark is chosen from District 12 too, and wouldn’t you know it, they have some history together because one of the rules of storytelling is Complicate, Complicate, Complicate.
Katniss and Peeta leave home for the Capital (a threshold) and that’s when readers and movie-goers find out just how twisted and corrupt the Panem leadership is.
Katniss and Peeta see just how wealthy the governing body is and how poor they are on the deluxe train ride.
Plot Points Pushing Ahead the Plot’s Trajectory
It turns out that Peeta is secretly in love with Katniss. Because Katniss needs to win to save her family, this is another complication in an already ghastly competition. Does she care about him too? Will she be forced to turn into a soulless killer to survive? The turning points that follow keep changing and pushing ahead the plot’s trajectory, but all affect her goal to survive.
Katniss and Peeta decide to become allies and feign love in order to increase their chances of survival. Because the heartless denizens of the Capital love a love story in the midst of their killing field. Back in District 12 Katniss had learned to hunt to feed her family since her father had died in a mining accident. During the exhibition before the Games she gains notice for her archery skills.
Atmosphere and Landscape
Another turning point happens when the tributes enter the Arena – a nightmarish landscape where the rules keep changing, monsters and walls of flames appear out of nowhere. And can we just reiterate that these are children and teens operating in this whole blood-soaked nightmare?
The children and teens from the 12 districts that must fight to the death until there is one survivor. Then, his or her district will receive food. The Hunger Games.
Secondary Characters: Reflections of the Protagonist and Antagonist
The youngest tribute from District 11 is Rue and she represents innocence and all that’s wrong with the government and Games. Though agile and wily, she seems doomed or at least underestimated.
Once the Games begin in the mad scramble to secure weapons and supplies Peeta and Katniss become separated.
Katniss has been chased up a tree for safety and that’s when she hears a bird-like call. Rue is nearby in a tree. She warns Katniss of a nearby nest of deadly tracker-jackers (genetically-modified bee monsters). Katniss saws off the branch and the tracker jackers swarm on their adversaries. The girls become allies and readers, and viewers recognize that Rue is surrogate for her sister Prim.
Rue warning Katniss about the deadly nest of robot yellowjackets.
As allies they concoct a plan to destroy the Cornucopia, a huge stash of weapons and supplies.
Reversals and Ramifications
Returning to Rue after Katniss succeeds, she witnesses her being murdered by another tribute. It is a major turning point in the story.
The fallout cannot be overstated:
Katniss changes from a hunter to a killer, first taking out Rue’s murderer.
The story slows down briefly so Katniss can process her grief and feelings.
The slave-like conditions the citizens of Pandem live under is emphasized by Rue’s senseless death.
It reinforces Katniss’ desire to survive – she will win for Rue.
Katniss openly defies the Capital when she rings flowers around Rue’s corpse, showing her affection and respect.
Katniss uses her weapon for good when cutting flowers to honor Rue.
Then with the Games’ cameras rolling, and honor and respect has been shown to Rue’s corpse, Katniss stands and salutes (as tribute) the other district’s people who are watching via he Games’ cameras, marking her defiance and the beginning of a rebellion. We’re talking major ramifications.
Katniss’ symbol of defiance and respect is televised to all the districts in the Hunger Games. This simple gesture starts a movement.
Later, Katniss’ compassion toward Rue saves her own life because Rue’s district sends her food – once again breaking the rules of the Games.
Before:Rue and Katniss are allies and sisters in the struggle for survival.
After: Katniss would rather die than let the government regime win or steal her humanity.
Question for Writers: What are the before and after statuses in your turning points for your work-in-progress?
Another excellent example of plot points and turning points is The Toy Story series. It has terrific examples of thresholds that are easily identified because the characters often land in a new setting as they pass through each threshold.
*Still photos copyright Lion’s Gate Entertainment
Keep writing, keep dreaming, have heart. Jessica
Jessica Morrell is a top-tier developmental editor and a contributor to Chanticleer Reviews Media and to the Writer’s Digest magazine. She teaches Master Writing Craft Classes at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that is held annually along with teaching at Chanticleer writing workshops that are held throughout the year. We suggest visiting her website for more articles on writing and the writing life.
When you’re ready,did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services?We do and have been doing so since 2011.
Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).
If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.
We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top editors on an on-going basis.Contact us today!
Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.
A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information availablehere.
And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn morehere.
If you’re confident in your book, consider submitting it for a Editorial Book Reviewhereor to one of our Chanticleer International Awardshere.
Our 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22) will be April 7-10, 2022, where our 2021 CIBA winners will be announced. Space is limited and seats are already filling up, so sign up today! CAC22 and the CIBA Ceremonies will be hosted at the Hotel Bellwether in Beautiful Bellingham, Wash. Sign up and see the latest updates here!
Robert Dugoni is one of our most popular speakers at the Chanticleer Author Conference.
Writer’s Toolbox
Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox article.
Today we wanted to honor and recognize Toni Ann Johnson, actress and novelist, for receiving the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, University of Georgia Press.
“Toni Ann Johnson’s Light Skin Gone to Waste is one of the most engrossing short story collections I’ve read in recent memory. These interconnected stories about a black family living in a predominantly white suburb of New York City are impeccably written, incisive, often infuriating and unforgettable. At the center of many of these stories is Philip Arrington, a psychologist who tries to reshape the world to his liking as he moves through it, regardless of the ways his actions affect the people in his intimate orbit. With a deft eye for detail, crisp writing, and an uncanny understanding of human frailties, Toni Ann Johnson has created an endlessly interesting American family portrait.”
Ms. Johnson recently contacted us (2015) about the nomination and credited Chanticleer’s review for its helpful role in getting the work noticed and nominated. We are proud and honored to play a small part in her nomination for this coveted award.
Here’s what Chanticleer had to say about Johnson’s book:
Remedy for a Broken Angel by Toni Ann Johnson is an intense examination of the troubled personal histories of two beautiful and talented women of color.
Their stories are told in alternating chapters which reveal the mother’s and her daughter’s attempts to reclaim and understand their broken pasts. Each chapter is a revelation into the pain and damage caused by unknown family secrets. Both women struggle with a legacy of shame and self-blame for the price they’re paying for never hearing the truth. Each must learn the lessons found in past years of failure to communicate.
Have a Book that deserves to be discovered? See our 24 Chanticleer Intl’l Book Awards Divisions here and Editorial Book Reviews here!
The 2020 Overall Grand Prize Winner was Rebecca Dwight Bruff for her book Trouble the Water
When you’re ready,did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services?We do and have been doing so since 2011.
Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).
If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.
We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis.Contact us today!
Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.
A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information availablehere.
And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn morehere.
Our 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22) will be June 23-26, 2022, where our 2021 CIBA winners will be announced. Space is limited and seats are already filling up, so sign up today! CAC22 and the CIBA Ceremonies will be hosted at the Hotel Bellwether in Beautiful Bellingham, Wash. Sign up and see the latest updates here!
Congratulations to Elizabeth on the grant she received from the City Artist Corps, a New York City group sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Elizabeth used the proceeds of the grant to publish NEW YORK: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst. The grant recognize the contributions of New York based artists. We couldn’t be happier for her!
You can see some of her Award Winning photography in her book Give Me Your Best or Your Worst: an Anthology and Celebration of the Big Apple, which is currently entered for competition in the Shorts Award (deadline 12/31/21).
Give Me Your Best or Your Worst features photos of and stories and writing from people such as Reed Farrel Coleman, Richie Narvaez, Barbara Krasnoff, Tom Straw, Steven Van Patten, Charles Salzberg, Marco Conelli, Randee Dawn, R.J. Koreto, Triss Stein, and, of course, Elizabeth Crowens. It’s a truly incredible portrait of Crowens’ vision of New York told in photos, fiction, and the perfect amount of poetry. You can find it here.
Crowens with Chanticleer
When not working on art photography books, Crowens writes Hollywood suspense and speculative Fiction, and her book, Silent Meridian, won first place in the Chanticleer Goethe Awards.
You can see her books reviewed by Chanticleer right here:
In addition to being a First Place Winner for the Goethe Awards, Crowens also took home a First Place Blue Ribbon for the 2020 Mark Twain Awards for her book Dear Bernie, I’m Glad You’re Dead.
Currently, she’s on the following Long Lists for the 2021 CIBAs:
Join our Newsletter and keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter as all authors continue to advance, and stay tuned to hear more about our Shorts Awards!
Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Spotlight Article on Elizabeth Crowens.
Have a Book that deserves to be discovered? See our 24 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards Divisions here and Editorial Book Reviews here!
The 2020 Overall Grand Prize Winner was Rebecca Dwight Bruff for her book Trouble the Water
When you’re ready,did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services?We do and have been doing so since 2011.
Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).
If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.
We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis.Contact us today!
Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.
A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information availablehere.
And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn morehere.
Our 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22) will be June 23-26, 2022, where our 2021 CIBA winners will be announced. Space is limited and seats are already filling up, so sign up today! CAC22 and the CIBA Ceremonies will be hosted at the Hotel Bellwether in Beautiful Bellingham, Wash. Sign up and see the latest updates here!
Sometimes knowing what not to do is helpful in writing your work-in-progress.
Jessica Morrell, top-tiered developmental editor, and Kiffer Brown share with us on what to keep in mind as you create your work with this handy list.
Not knowing your ending as you write.
This lack of direction not only makes the process more difficult, but results in missed opportunities to insert foreshadowing and clues.
Hooks: The opening hook does not raise a compelling question and relate to the whole.
Do the individual chapters contain their own hooks to compel the reader to turn the page?
Inciting Incident. Not having a catalyst for your story. What is yours?
Your readers waiting for the inciting incident.
Flat Characters. Not understanding your main character, especially how he or she is shaped by the past, and using these factors from the past along with motivations as the basis for the plot. Causality.
Not giving your main character tangible goals and motivations.
Are your characters introduce
Lack of Tension. Not making the stakes high enough.
Without high stakes, the reader won’t care.
Smooth Sailing—does not make for great storytelling. Not creating obstacles for the character to struggle against.
Without obstacles, the story will not have enough tension or suspense—even it is a light-hearted romance or a humorous piece.
Whatever. Not involving your readers emotionally.
It’s important that the reader take on the character’s goals while entertaining them with the events of the story.
Use flashbacks only if they add drama and reveal information that cannot be told through present action.
Are the first 40 pages for your benefit and not the reader’s?
Dialogue: Do your characters all sound alike?
Dialogue is generally too long, mundane or stilted. Do your characters tend to give speeches? Don’t let this happen.
Remember, most dialogue exchanges should contain conflict. As Robert Dugoni states: “Dialogue is Action. Action is Dialogue.”
Development: Not understanding that fiction requires introducing change throughout the story.
Insert enough complications, surprises, reversals, and new elements to create tension, suspense, and to force the reader to discover how these complications turn out.
Saggy Middle? Not inserting a major complication or reversal in the middle of the story to push the plot into a fresh direction and increase the reader’s interest. Just when you your reader thinks she knows what happens next, the unthinkable happens.
White Room Syndrome. Not writing enough setting details to create a vivid, real world.
Lack of Atmosphere. Not realizing that setting can interact with plot and character and affect the mood and tone.
Dearth of Causality. (Yes, again) Do not forget that causality is a prime factor in plotting.
A plot is not a series of random scenes, but connected through a chain of causal, interrelated events.
Unsatisfactory ending. Does your conclusion fail to offer a big pay off.
As the plot concludes, tensions are unbearable, and a point of no return is reached. The conflicting forces should meet in a face-to-face contest that resolves the issues, reveals a winner, or at least changes how things look. The ending does not have to be happy, but it does need to be satisfying—even if there is more story to come and more plot questions to answer.
The best fiction touches the deep layers in us. A writer achieves this effect by embedding dozens of techniques into his or her story. An intimate story takes us to a specific place and coaxes us to remain there. An intimate story is lifelike and feels as real and complicated as the world the reader inhabits. When he finishes the final pages, and leaves the story world, he should feel the satisfaction of the ending, but also a huge sense of loss. Like a friend has moved to another town just when the friendship had reached a level of closeness and trust. — Jessica P. Morrell
Jessica Page Morrell
Keep writing, keep dreaming, have heart. Jessica
Jessica Morrell is a top-tier developmental editor and a contributor to Chanticleer Reviews Media and to the Writer’s Digest magazine. She teaches Master Writing Craft Classes at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that is held annually along with teaching at Chanticleer writing workshops that are held throughout the year.
Kiffer Brown
Keep creating magic! Kiffer
Kathryn (Kiffer) Brown is CEO and co-founder of Chanticleer Reviews and Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards (The CIBAs) thatDiscover Today’s Best Books. She founded Chanticleer Reviews in 2010 to help authors to unlock the secrets of successful publishing and to enhance book discoverability. She is also a scout for select literary agencies, publishing houses, and entertainment producers.
When you’re ready, did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.
Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).
If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.
We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top editors on an on-going basis. Contact us today!
Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.
A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information available here.
And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn more here.
If you’re confident in your book, consider submitting it for a Editorial Book Review here or to one of our Chanticleer International Awards here.
Our 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22) will be April 7-10, 2022, where our 2021 CIBA winners will be announced. Space is limited and seats are already filling up, so sign up today! CAC22 and the CIBA Ceremonies will be hosted at the Hotel Bellwether in Beautiful Bellingham, Wash. Sign up and see the latest updates here!
Robert Dugoni is one of our most popular speakers
Writer’s Toolbox
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The First in a Series of Articles on Writing a Book Series
Writing a series of books and writing a novel are similar processes, though of course the series, as you may expect, is on a much grander scale.
A series is an excellent choice for a writer because you keep your readers! It’s always easier to maintain a connection with people who have already decided to read, not only your book, but a book in the same world!
Let’s begin by talking about different types of Book Series
Two Variations for Book Series
There are essentially two types of book series out there. One is the Finite Series, and the other is the Infinite Series.
Finite Series
These Series have a story arc that expands beyond one book, and each one relates directly to the one before or after it. Examples of this are N.K. Jemisin’s The Broken Earth Series or Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files. Series can be as short as two books or as many as twenty-three, but the main thing is that the order they come in is highly recommended to best understand the plot.
This is a group of books set in a universe, but where each book can stand alone and be read in any order. Examples are Anne McCaffery’s Dragonriders of Pern or Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. For the most part, these books will follow the same rules of the universe between volumes, just as a finite series would.
These also are called an anthologized series as I learned in a discussion about writing craft with Chanticleer Editorial Assistant Scott Taylor during our Roost book group meeting discussing Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. They happen often if someone just decides they enjoy continuing to write in an established world with established characters –David
Honorable Mention
Terry Brooks’ Shannara series is both finite and infinite! He has finite quartets and trilogies that all take place in an infinite series universe. You can read each finite mini-series in the universal infinite series in whatever order you want, and they all offer hints about the other books.
Did you know? Series don’t need to be italicized while writing them! Only book titles require it.
The Overlap
Obviously the key here is that both of these are series. A series will always have central themes that overlap across books, and what happens in one book will affect the world at large, even if the books can be read as stand alones. Even in an infinite series, characters will have cameos, such as the character of Death in Pratchett’s Discworld universe.
It’s recommended that in an infinite series each story has a strong, independent story to help it stand apart from the other books set in that universe, but even in a finite series, it’s important that each book avoids being too repetitive. The concern about repetition is important to keep in mind, though many successful series often rely heavily on repetition to help the reader orient themselves to a familiar landscape. For example, in The Dresden Files, almost every book follows this pattern:
Harry hears of a strange mystery that’s way beyond his ability to comprehend
Then he finds a simpler mystery, one he can manage, or so he thinks.
His team assembles slowly over the course of the book, Thomas the vampire, Murphy the cop, Michael the knight, and John the mobster.
The simple mystery turns out to be much bigger. Harry is defeated and ready to give up.
Suddenly Harry understands the bigger mystery by solving a key point in the smaller mystery.
Day is saved.
Hint about how the day wasn’t totally saved.
Paul Blackthorne as Harry Dresden holding Bob the Skull
Likewise, Terry Brooks often follows the character pattern of making sure there’s someone with the fabled Shannara bloodline, that person receives help from someone who is a bit of a nomad, a druid is introduced, and then we have a couple more magical characters who help out the heroes.
When you’re ready,did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services?We do and have been doing so since 2011.
Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).
If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.
We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis.Contact us today!
Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.
A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information availablehere.
And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn morehere.
If you’re confident in your book, consider submitting it for a Editorial Book Reviewhereor to one of our Chanticleer International Awardshere.
Our 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22) will be June 23-26, 2022, where our 2021 CIBA winners will be announced. Space is limited and seats are already filling up, so sign up today! CAC22 and the CIBA Ceremonies will be hosted at the Hotel Bellwether in Beautiful Bellingham, Wash. Sign up and see the latest updates here!
Writer’s Toolbox
Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox article.
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Chanticleer Editorial Book Review Package for $345
Purchase the book review package now and you can redeem it anytime in the future.
Use this code upon checkout to receive the discount the unprecedented discount of $100: BKRVWTGZANAT
***** There are a limited number of Book Review Packages available at this extremely discounted rate. *****
Our Book Review Package (Regularly $445) includes SEO, Meta-Data, Tagging, Social Media Promotion, and Publication in the Chanticleer Reviews Magazine. Don’t delay! Be one of the lucky few to get in on this incredible rate.
Receive a $100 discount off CAC22 registration, The Chanticleer Authors Conference package that will take place LIVE and IN-PERSON from the Hotel Bellwether (April 7 – 10, 2022).
Note: This is our 10th Anniversary Conference and you do not want to miss out! Seating is limited, so Register Today!
Learn from the Best at CAC22
Presenters are: Cathy Ace, Robert Dugoni, Chris Humphreys, Scott Steindorff, and other insightful and exciting presenters.
Multichannel Marketing
and the Business of Being a Writer
The New Era of Content Creation in All Its Forms
Take Your Writing Craft to the Next Level
Use this code upon check out to receive this $100 discount – our deepest discount for the conference. CACTGZANAT
