Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Writing Craft

  • Supporting Cast – Taking Risks with Your Secondary Characters – From the Editor’s Desk of Jessica Morrell – A Chanticleer Writers Toolbox Post

    Supporting Cast – Taking Risks with Your Secondary Characters – From the Editor’s Desk of Jessica Morrell – A Chanticleer Writers Toolbox Post

    Character, not plot, is what chiefly interests the reader because he translates and feels the character’s actions, desires, and passions from his own data bank of experiences and emotions. – Jessica Morrell

    Long after the intricacies of a fictional plot fade from a reader’s memory, the characters linger with an almost physical presence, a twinkle of personality, unforgettable actions, and their happy or sad fates. Fictional characters whisper their secrets, allow us to witness their most intimate moments and sorrows, and trust us with their messy emotions, bad decisions, and longings. They penetrate our aloneness, populate our imagination by starring in our inner cinema, and slip their hands in ours and transport us to another place, another time. And while all this is going on, often they teach us what it means to be human complete with all the troubles, heartaches, and mysteries.

    Benny, the unforgettable secondary character in “The Queen’s Gambit” by Walter Tevis

    Characters that leave a lasting footprint in our memory range the gamut from stuck-on-themselves divas and difficult drama queens, to aging Italian billionaires and lonely singletons, along with knights and spies and waifs and dwarfs. It’s simple really: Character, not plot, is what chiefly interests the reader because he translates and feels the character’s actions, desires, and passions from his own data bank of experiences and emotions.

    This is the opening to my book Bullies, Bastards & Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys in Fiction. 

    However, the book isn’t only about ‘bad guys’. It covers character roles and types including protagonists, heroes, unlikable protagonists, unreliable narrators, and a slew of information to add to your understanding.

    I’ve been thinking about my book and all I’ve learned since I wrote it, because I’m creating a presentation on secondary characters for a virtual workshop I’m teaching  at the Chanticleer Author’s Conference.  Before I delve into techniques for creating secondary characters, I’m explaining the roles, hierarchy, development, and purposes of fictional players. Because the more you know about the many uses for characters –the enormous scope and weight they can bring to a story–the more tools you wield when playing God.

    When I wrote my Bullies book as I sometimes call it, my main objective was to urge writers to take risks with their characters. To use shills and scapegoats and flamboyant loudmouths. Demon lovers, homicidal stalkers, criminal politicians. Stir in trolls, punks, bad asses, weirder-than-weird nerds, smarter-than-smart geeks, callous grifters, hard-to-believe they’re so foul-mouthed not-so-sweet old ladies.

    A not-so-sweet old lady – Chrisjen Avasarla, UN Secretary – General of The EXPANSE SciFi series. She is always full of surprises.

    Bring it on.

    The same is true for your supporting cast. Sure you’ll add bit players, stock players, and archetypal players. Royals, innocents, mentors, warriors, and confidants. Burned-out cops, cranks, frenemies, crappy stepparents, and obnoxious neighbors. Familiar types with many valid, solid uses in storytelling.

    And who could forget SPIKE from Notting Hill (1999) 

    It is said that the screenplay by Richard Curtis is funnier than the movie and more charming — if that is possible. -kb

    Creating co-stars can be one of the great joys of storytelling. They can be outrageous, hilarious, freaky, maddening, sex-driven, drug-addled, and vapid. They can lie, steal, betray, enchant, and embolden. They sometimes get the best lines, spout the best snark. Give the best shade. 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. Or lie about supporting the protagonist while actually backstabbing the poor sod.

    Boomer of “Dash and Lily’s Book Dares” – as acted by Dante Brown in the Christmas Mini-Series DASH and LILY BOOK of DARES

    But like protagonists and antagonists, they can never be dull or commonplace. Never a pale footnote. Never thinly sketched unless the character has a walk-on part. But even bit players can possess physical characteristics. A lisp. A limp. An arresting voice. Inappropriate wardrobe choices and whisky breath.

    I’m having a lot of fun thinking about this topic. Does it show?

    Keep writing, keep dreaming, have heart. Jessica

    Jessica Page Morrell
    Jessica Page Morrell

    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. 

    Chanticleer Editorial Services – when you are ready

    Did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

    Tools of the Editing Trade

    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. Here are some handy links about this tried and true service: https://www.chantireviews.com/manuscript-reviews/

    And we do editorial consultations. for $75.  https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Editorial-Services-p85337185

    Writer’s Toolbox

    Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox article.

    Writers Toolbox Helpful Links: 

    The INCITING INCIDENT: STORY, SETBACKS and SURPRISES for the PROTAGONIST – A Writer’s Toolbox Series from Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk

    ESSENCE of CHARACTERS – Part One – From the Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk – Writer’s Toolbox Series  

  • You’ve Finished Your Work In Progress or NaNoWriMo or Perhaps Not – That is Okay by David Beaumier

    You’ve Finished Your Work In Progress or NaNoWriMo or Perhaps Not – That is Okay by David Beaumier

    You’ve finished NaNoWriMo!

    Or perhaps not — that is okay! 

    You have more words than you did at the beginning of November. Congratulations!

    Or perhaps you are one of the ones who will do February or June Writing Month. If so, bookmark this post for future use.

    Or, you are creating your work-in-progress? This post may be of particular interest to you.

    The first thing to do is to take a deep breath, maybe take an Epsom salt bath, massage your wrists, roll out those shoulders, and maybe let out a primordial scream into the darkness. You know, whatever helps you relax.

    Finish, Celebrate, Plan

    Now, let’s say you haven’t quite finished— Give yourself some time to relax, and brainstorm the ways you’re going to now fit writing into your life. For me, having a daily word goal of 1667 is great for short periods, but really what I need is time boxes to get the work down. I usually tell myself that I can shut myself away for at least twenty minutes a day writing until I finish, with the only rule being I write. Even if I need to struggle through something and get really meta in the writing process, I know that will come out later. Don’t forget to reward yourself, maybe with a day off, that fancy mocha you never spring for, or chocolate.

    So, whether you NaNoWriMo or not, if you are writing, be sure to reward yourself!

    Treat Yourself!

    Edit, Space, Edit

    Once you’ve finished your novel on your new schedule (or maybe you skipped that last paragraph because you’re so gosh darn prolific), the next stage will be editing. You know yourself better than I do, so if you need space from your writing, take that space.

    Before you hide it away though, consider taking the time to write what you know to be true about it now. Note down what parts mean a lot to you that you don’t want to change later, explain to yourself where you know you’ve decided you want to expand things, and then make a quick list of items that you know will need to be fixed (for me, I always need to fix the fact that my characters have very little interiority, so the reader doesn’t know why they do what they do.

    My other big struggle is setting, (everyone just exists in an empty void where their heads can talk). Leave yourself these notes and then get some space by taking Stephen King’s advice and hiding your work in a drawer or somewhere out of sight for at least six weeks.

    Meanwhile, start conjuring your next writing creation.

    Allowing your work to “rise” in a drawer while you start your next project.

    David’s Self-Editing “Trick” — He shares it with you, dear Chanticleerians.

    When the six-plus-weeks of letting your work “rise or proof” in a drawer somewhere is up, David offers this advice:

    For the next editing step, I treat myself like I would any other editorial client. I take the first ten pages of my work, and then skip ahead to the middle and grab ten pages from there. For many of us, the start and end of the book already appear clearly in our mind, and for something like NaNoWriMo, we start out fresh and excited to get the job done. So you can notice what you do well in your first ten pages, and if anything pops up that you know you need to fix, write those down as well. Then, in the section from the middle of your book, look at what parts that worked well in the beginning are still there, and what maybe fell out as the story weighed itself down in the middle of the month, heavy from the expectations and reaching that week three or week four point of exhaustion.

    We imagine this is David

    Having taken notes one what worked and didn’t work at the beginning and middle, I write myself a letter explaining what I should watch out for as I move through my own work, and how I recommend shoring up the strengths and how I can correct any weak points. For me, again, this usually means taking time to give every setting and character a unique description, and then to make sure that I use my strengths, like dialogue, especially if I notice there’s a section where I skipped over dialogue in favor of narrative description.

    Then, I connect this letter with the note I left for myself when the story was still fresh in my mind, and I buckle down and do my first read through and selection of edits.

    Manuscript Overview or Peer Review, Rewrite, Repeat

    Now it’s time to get some other eyes on your work. This may be the time to have a manuscript overview if you are serious about publishing your work. Do this before you get into editing (line or copy editing). Click here if you would like to read more about this process:

    https://www.chantireviews.com/manuscript-reviews/

    If you are undecided about whether or not to publish your work-in-progress, this might be a good time to bring in a few Beta Readers for their general impressions—how do they see the structure of the story? What do they think of my character development? And what do they see as the heart of the story? That last question nets me some really interesting answers that help me better understand the themes of the story that maybe weren’t clear to me initially. Then I compile these notes into another letter of sorts to myself, and go through the entire book again. I would recommend doing this one more time, and this time asking for more specific feedback on theme, plot, characterization, dialogue, structure, world building (as applicable), and then just anything that just stands out as a hold up for the reader.

    Remember, when receiving peer review or manuscript overview, you are the author and no one else can force you to make changes. Even if a suggestion really bothers you and gets under your skin, reframing it as a question of why the reviewer gave you that feedback can always help. For example if someone hates your character, Beth, because “she just doesn’t seem real.” Ask yourself what you’ve done to develop Beth as a character. Read her dialogue aloud. Figure out why you love Beth (even if she’s actually awful—which is often a reason we back away from loving our bad characters), and put that love into her character. She can still be unsympathetic, but at least now she’ll draw your reader in.

    What should you do if you are not wanting to proceed with your w-i-p. Our suggestion here at Chanticleer is to print it and file it away. Also, save it digitally in at least two other places such as your computer or a USB stick plus some place off premise such as in the “cloud.” Never throw any writing away…just squirrel it away because you never know…

    Squirrel away your cuts and works that you are not moving forward on. Don’t toss them away.

    Let’s get Professional – You’ve Decided that You Want to Publish Your Work-In-Progress 

    At this point, if you still want to move forward with your story, which I’m imaging is quite good, it’s time to bring in a professional. Chanticleer can provide you with a Manuscript Overview, which is a great first step, and then you can work on finding an editor who understands your vision and whose style matches with the way you respond to feedback. Go through it with your editor, and then proceed with the editorial and cover design process. Remember, your cover has the greatest influence on whether or not a potential reader will choose your book to to consider.

    Line editing, copy editing (you can save $$ by creating and developing your own Style Guide and Story Bible).

    Here is a link about creating your Story Bible/ Story Guide by Continuity Editor Diane Garland.

    SERIES or Not to Series 

    In the process that you’ve been going through with your Work-In-Progress (w-i-p), are you considering turning it into a series? Indie Booksellers, Entertainment Producers, Literary Agents, etc. and especially READERS, enjoy book series.

    Do you need to reconsider your story structure in order to sustain a book series? 

    You may want to read this blogpost by mystery series award-winning author Wendy Delaney. https://www.chantireviews.com/2020/02/29/writing-a-series-primer-by-award-winning-author-wendy-delaney-a-chanticleer-writers-toolbox-article/

    To Series or Not to Series– What is Your Strategy?

    Publication? 

    This, for many people is seen as the big goal, and it deserves an article all on its own for the different facets of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, how to market, what to do about cover design, contests, book reviews, and so much more. At this point, the important thing to realize is that you are entering a period of extraordinary fine-tuning and a different kind of work with your book, from making it come to life to putting it in people’s hands. Good luck!

    On a final note, don’t forget about the COVER!

    THE COVER – The Number One Marketing Tool to Sell More Books – Don’t Sell Yourself Short. Start on your cover design as soon as you are serious that you want to publish your story then start working on the cover and the brand (Stories are products!)

    Here is link for you to take a look at on Five Essential Book Cover Elements by Kiffer Brown

  • First Draft in Thirty Days? No Tricks! Award-Winning Author Michelle Rene Shares How She Does It!

    First Draft in Thirty Days? No Tricks! Award-Winning Author Michelle Rene Shares How She Does It!

    Strangely, there is a raw emotion that comes from writing something so fast you don’t have time to noodle it to death.

    How excited are you when you first start fleshing out a story? How amazing does it feel to start naming your characters and setting up their scenes in your mind? Fan-freaking-tastic!

    This is because you are in the beginning of a book affair.

    Writing a book is like having a relationship. In the beginning, it’s like a honeymoon! You feel all the emotions. Love and pain and excitement and lust. Well, okay. Maybe not lust. Paper cuts hurt, so let’s not go there.

    “Writing a book is like starting a new relationship.” Michelle Rene

    The point is the first draft should be all elation and honeymoon.

    Leave the nitty-gritty for your fifteenth edited draft. You don’t want to be sitting in a rocking chair with your first draft complaining about how much he snores before you even get to edit.

    The Thrill is Gone… Do not let this happen to your story!

    Taking years to write that first draft can land you in complacency town before you cross the finish line. Pour your heart and soul into the rough draft with reckless abandon.

    “Pour your heart and soul into the rough draft with reckless abandon.” – Michelle Rene

    “But nothing good can come from my sloppy first draft if I write it in a few weeks,” says the nebulous reader voice in my head that’s starting to sound whiny.

    The PROOF 

    Please refer to the infographic below. It lists some of the most popular books and how long it took the writer to finish them. While Lord of The Rings took a whopping sixteen years to complete (no shocker there), I’d like to direct your attention to roughly a quarter of the chart that indicates books written under three months. If the Boy in the Striped Pajamas was written in two and a half days, you can write something of quality in four weeks.

    Editor’s Note:  This is an awesome chart. I’d say awesome enough to print it and display it in your writer’s lair to spur you on. Michelle’s post continues after the graphic below.

    Why Write This Fast?

    Nothing kills a book faster than never finishing that initial draft. A malaise sets in, often slowing a writer down to a crawl while they chip away over a long time and often give up entirely.

    “Will I ever finish this book?” the writer asks, (fists raised to the sky for dramatic effect).

    Maybe. Maybe not. That first draft is possible if you pick yourself up by your metaphorical bootstraps and do the work every day, but a large percentage of writers never cross the finish line. What a shame that is!

    To reiterate: Strangely, there is a raw emotion that comes from writing something so fast you don’t have time to noodle it to death.

    How Do I Start?

    Let’s begin with talking about the snarky, three-hundred-pound elephant in the back of your mind.

    Your inner editor.

    We are going to bind and gag that jerk, and it may take fifty shades worth of rope because it’s three-hundred pounds and takes up a lot of headspace.

    Sarah Bale, an extremely prolific romance writer, has similar advice for your would-be-elephant editor.

    “I think the biggest mistake an author makes when writing a rough draft is stopping and rereading/editing their work. The key is to keep moving forward and get the whole story out. Know the beginning and the ending. If you have those elements, the rest is easy.”

    Sarah Bale

     

    “The key is to keep moving forward and get the whole story out.”  Sarah Bale

     

    The passionate ideas come when the critic in our mind is silenced. Allow yourself to fall head over heels in love with your story.

    Fall Head Over Heels in Love with YOUR STORY!

    Build your characters. Plot the story fast and loose. Fall in love with your story. Get down and dirty in that honeymoon phase…but not literally because remember the paper cuts. We talked about that. If not, we will.

    And finally, outline!

    For the love of all that is holy, outline your story! Do not do this flying by the seat of your pants. That is a sure-fire way to crash and burn. It doesn’t need to be an in-depth outline. On the contrary, keep that pretty loosey-goosey, too.

    My outlines are often little more than a few sentences for each chapter.

    The Middle Stick

    It’s right around the 30,000-word mark that this happens. The Middle Stick is what I call the point where your initial enthusiasm begins to wane, and your progress gets sluggish. What began as “yay, I’m writing a book” turns into “I don’t know if I can do this.” It happens to everyone.

    This is where participating in programs like NaNoWriMo can be helpful. Having other writers in the same place can be encouraging, and they can hold you accountable. If you aren’t doing NaNoWriMo, I suggest getting a group of like-minded author friends to do this together. This is also where writing ahead of your minimum word count helps because The Middle Stick will almost certainly slow you down.

    Here are two  helpful tips for when you are in the “saggy middle”

    • Go out of your comfort zone and experience something related to your book. For example, if you are writing a western, go see a rodeo. Get away from your computer.  (Or in Covid days, watch YouTube videos specific to your story or go for a walk or take a hike or try a new recipe that your protagonist would enjoy. – Kiffer)

      Multi-award winning author, Janet Shawgo, has this to say about immersing yourself in your research outside the page when she was researching her book, Look For Me, set in the Civil War. “What helped me was putting feet on the ground at Gettysburg to get a feel of the area, what my characters saw, what they heard. To try on costumes true to that era. I walked some of the roads soldiers did in Virginia. If at all possible, put yourself there.”

    • Switch up your chapters. This is where outlining really helps you. If you are hitting a wall writing chapter thirteen, jump forward and write chapter twenty. Sure, you’ll have to go back to that chapter eventually, but this helps you jump over that block and continue to get your word count in.

    I wrote Tattoo entirely this way. It’s made of seven parts of a story told chronologically backward. I didn’t write any of those parts in order. Not one. Yet, I still managed to piece them together in the end.

    Just keep moving. The momentum will pick back up. You can do this.

    PICTURE SELF in the FUTURE with a Completed First Draft! 

    Hurray! You Did It!

    Go celebrate. Treat yourself to a fancy dinner. Toast your deed with some friends. Eat a whole chocolate cake. I don’t care. Party it up because you managed to do what the vast majority of humans on this planet cannot do. Most people never dream about writing a book. Fewer attempt it. Only a small fraction actually finish a draft.

    You are spectacular.

    WHAT NEXT?

    Now, put the book aside for at least a month (more like two). You will eventually go back and edit. You will fill in those empty brackets.

    You will allow that annoying three-hundred-pound editor elephant back into your life. But not right now. That’s for another day.

    STAY TUNED for Michelle’s Next Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox blog post on:

    • Time Management
    • From Snail to Sprint
    • 90 second exercise to keep you on track
    • How to Not Fall into the Black Hole of the Internet While Writing Your First Draft
    Michelle Rene and her Chanticleer Grand Prize Ribbons

    Michelle Rene, the author of this blog post,  is a creative advocate and the author of a number of published works of science fiction, historical fiction, humor, and everything in-between.

    She has won indie awards for her historical fiction novel, I Once Knew Vincent. Her latest historical novel, Hour Glass, won the Chanticleer International Book Awards Grand Prize for Best Book. It was released on February 20th to rave reviews from Chanticleer,  Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. Her experimental novella, Tattoo, was released on March 7th.

    When not writing, she is a professional artist and self-described an all-around odd person. She lives as the only female, writing in her little closet, with her husband, son, and ungrateful cat in Dallas, Texas.

    A special thanks go out to the authors Sarah Bale and Janet Shawgo for contributing their writing expertise to help others.

    Chanticleer Editorial Services – when you are ready

    Did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

    Tools of the Editing Trade

    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. Here are some handy links about this tried and true service: https://www.chantireviews.com/manuscript-reviews/

    Writer’s Toolbox

    Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox article.

     

  • RULE #1 of Writing a Novel – Unspooling the Story in Your Brain Onto the Page – Links included-Chanticleer Writers Tool Kit

    RULE #1 of Writing a Novel – Unspooling the Story in Your Brain Onto the Page – Links included-Chanticleer Writers Tool Kit

    The FIRST RULE of Writing Your Next Book

    (From top editor Jessica Morrell and Chanticleer’s own Kiffer Brown along with advice from Stephen King, Chelsea Cain, Ernest Hemingway, Robert Dugoni, J.D. Barker,  and many more bestselling authors).

    The Secret to Successful Publishing

    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. Jessica calls it “unspooling your story thread.”

    Don’t hinder it by worrying about each little detail. There will be time for that later. NaNoWriMo or not.

    Not taking our word for that piece of advice?

    Chelsea Cain, a bestselling thriller author (with a TV series to her credit),  gives this piece of advice:

    Write the bare-bones version of the scene first using mostly dialogue, and then move on and in the second draft flesh out the scenes with description and action.

    Action is dialogue. Dialogue is action. – Robert Dugoni, Amazon Bestselling Author

    What is YOUR STORY?

    Story is essentially a problem that needs solving for the protagonist. – Jessica Morrell

    • What is your protagonist’s problem that must be solved—or else?
    • What is the worst thing that can happen next to your protagonist?
    • Remember that it is not your problem. It is your protagonist’s problem, obstacle, impossible dream.
    • Start at least one subplot. This subplot(s) should also complicate the protagonist’s goals.

    No matter when the problem begins (it’s always in Act One) the problem is weighty and vexing, perhaps insurmountable. If the problem is not immediately personal, it should become so that it will create a bond (connection) between the protagonist and antagonist. (A classic example is the connection between Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty).

    Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty

    What is the inciting event or threat? 

    The inciting incident might lead to the problem. This event will disrupt the status quo, demand response, and set actions in motion. It’s a threat that unbalances the story world and creates dilemmas that must be dealt with.

     These excerpts above are from The Inciting Incident blogpost

    Environment (internal and external)

    • Remember you want to send your protagonist into new emotional territory with new challenges and pressures.
    • And at the same time, she will need to deal with new physical territories such as a new school (Footloose) or a different culture (Dances with Wolves) or a different legal society with different norms (Handmaid’s Tale) or a new environment (Deadwood)  or a different time (Outlander) or galaxy (Farscape).
    • Don’t be afraid to stage danger in benign or lovely settings or conversely gentle scenes in dangerous and gruesome settings.

    Atmosphere

    • Allow the overall atmosphere and mood to imbue your writing from the get-go.
    • The atmosphere lends itself to the overall tone and mood of a work. Allow it to permeate your work as you write.

    Why use atmosphere in your first draft? (or during NaNoWriMo)? 

    • Because it will affect your mood and approach to your story.
    • It will make you focus on creating unease–a necessary ingredient not always considered in early drafts.
    • Unease contributes to writing a page-turner.
    • Atmosphere underlines themes–even if you don’t have your themes nailed down yet.

    Here is the link to our Writer’s Toolbox article on Atmosphere

    Emotional Baggage

    • Know your protagonist’s main emotional wound, sometimes called baggage in real life. How is it going to affect his or her ability to solve the story problem? (See the questions below to jumpstart creativity.)

    Remember that Writers (that is you) should carry a notebook everywhere you go. You never know when a brilliant solution is going to appear. Jessica Morrell

      If I could offer a single piece of advice about creating characters it would be this (Jessica Morrell):

      • Take risks with your main characters.
      • Make them stand out from the myriads of fiction published each year.
      • And don’t be afraid to allow eccentricities, quirks, and oddball ways of seeing reality.

      More questions for your protagonist from Jessica Morrell—these are guaranteed to get your creative wheels turning:

      First, ask yourself these questions and then “ask” your protagonist. Have your protagonist go into depth. Find out what your protagonist’s iceberg under the waterline is all about.

                                                                                      Photo taken in Greenland’s waters.

      Kiffer suggests that you take a walk when you are considering these questions. Be sure to either take notes or record your thoughts on your smartphone while you explore your protagonist’s emotional baggage. Walk a mile in your protagonist’s shoes. 

      J.D. Barker stated at the Chanticleer Authors Conference 2019 that he knows which rides his main characters would go on at Disney Land, the type of beer that he/she would order, and favorite toys that he/she played with as a child. He may not use this info in his manuscript but knowing  this information gives his characters subtext and undercurrents that make his novels international bestsellers.

      Jessica Morrell suggests that you ask your protagonist these questions?

      • What’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?
      • What is your biggest regret?
      • What is your superpower?
      • Who do you cherish most in the world?
      • If you could change one thing about your world, what would it be?
      • What is your average day or schedule?
      • What 5-6 words sum up your values?
      • What do you do after a really bad day?
      • How do you celebrate?
      • The secret you’d never tell your significant other? Your mother? Your sibling?
      • What reminds you of home?
      • What item must you always take along when traveling?
      • Favorite drink?
      • Secret vice?
      • Pizza or tacos? Cookies or tequila?
      • Favorite climate?
      • Reading or television to unwind?
      • Breakfast or coffee only?

      We hope that we helping you, Dear Writer, to arm and prep yourself to get down to the writing of your next work—the reckoning.

       

       

      Ernest Hemingway:  There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.

      Unspooling the Thread of Your Story

      Stay tuned for more Writing and NaNoWriMo Tips

      Link to Part One of our Annual NaNoWriMo Writing Tips Series

      Chanticleer Editorial Services – when you are ready

      Did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

      Tools of the Editing Trade

      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. Here are some handy links about this tried and true service: https://www.chantireviews.com/manuscript-reviews/

      And we do editorial consultations. for $75.  https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Editorial-Services-p85337185

      Writer’s Toolbox

      Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox article.

      Writers Toolbox Helpful Links: 

      The INCITING INCIDENT: STORY, SETBACKS and SURPRISES for the PROTAGONIST – A Writer’s Toolbox Series from Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk

      ESSENCE of CHARACTERS – Part One – From the Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk – Writer’s Toolbox Series  

      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. 

       

      Keep creating magic! Kiffer 

      Kathryn (Kiffer) Brown is CEO and co-founder of Chanticleer Reviews and Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards (The CIBAs) that Discover 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.

       

       

    • NaNoWriMo or Not – Great TIPS for WRITING Your Next Work by Jessica Morrell and Kiffer Brown

      NaNoWriMo or Not – Great TIPS for WRITING Your Next Work by Jessica Morrell and Kiffer Brown

      Whether or not you are participating in NaNoWriMo, these BRAINSTORMING TIPS from Jessica Morrell with help jump start your next work of fiction.

      NaNoWriMo what?  NaNoWriMo is short for National November Writing Month. There is a tradition in the writing community around the world that writers hunker down and promise to write 50,000 words for one work during the month of November. Some writers flourish under the deadline. Others, well let’s just say there is much gnashing of teeth and fretting to meet the deadline. Some writers believe that NaNoWriMo has forced them to bang out their best work. Others look back on their month of NaNo-ing and see gibberish.

      As for me and others, November just isn’t the month to join in annual since Thanksgiving and the winter holidays are just around the corner. A few of us speak almost treasonously about doing it at a different time such as February. NaFebWriMo.

      But whatever your take on NaNoWriMo is, I believe that you will find Jessica’s suggestions and tips on How to Your Brainstorm Next Work will be useful additions to your writer’s toolbox. Kiffer Brown

      UnSpooling the Story Thread in Your Brain – Jessica Morrell

      With the end of October here that has NaNoWriMo looming just around the corner, I recommend that you get acquainted with your protagonist before you plunge into writing a new novel.

      It’s simple really; if you get acquainted with him or her beforehand, the story will unspool with more ease and speed. Because what the protagonist wants/desires and fears the most (the dreaded alternative) will be at stake in the story.

      Now, it’s likely that the protagonist’s needs and goals will shift and grow throughout the story, but you need a starting point of need and imbalance. If you begin with basic dynamics of storytelling now, then by the time the conflict heats up and things are really hairy, you’ll understand your protag’s reactions and next steps.

      In fiction, needs and motivations create goals.

      The protagonist’s goals will meet with opposition from the antagonist or another force. The protagonist will struggle to overcome the obstacles. These struggles create conflict and conflict fuels the whole shebang.

      Goals matter. Goals define fictional characters from Woody from Toy Story to Dorothy Gale in the Wizard of Oz to Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.

      Goals are tied to dramatic structure and prevent your characters from being merely reactive.

      Fictional characters don’t give up even though goals are hard to achieve.

      Goals provide action, drive stories.

      CHARACTERS

      HUNGER GAMES by Susanne Collins

      Katniss Everdeen: Her path to greatness began the day of the Reaping when she steps in to save/protect her sister Primrose from taking part in the annual and deadly Hunger Games. Leaving home with Peeta, the other Tribute from District 12, she plans to somehow stay alive because if she dies her mother and sister will not be able to survive without her. Along the way, she trains, forms an alliance with Peeta, collects allies and enemies, and ultimately fights to protect Peeta’s life too. By story’s end, their examples show how remaining true to your principles is most important of all.

      The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

      Hazel Lancaster in The Fault in Our Stars: Teenaged Hazel has been dealt a lousy hand, thyroid cancer that has metastasized into lung cancer. Her first goal, to please her mother, is accomplished when she attends a support group for kids with cancer. At this meeting, she makes friends with Augustus Waters who becomes her first love. She introduces Augustus to her favorite novel about a girl with terminal cancer and explains she wants to meet the author and understand what really happened to his family. You see, the motivation that drives Hazel is that she needs to believe her parents will be okay after she dies. (spoiler alert) Along the way Hazel and Augustus travel to Amsterdam and meet the author, lose their virginity, and Hazel realizes how much she wants to live. But Augustus has been hiding a horrible truth: his cancer has returned and he has little time left. Quite a plot twist, isn’t it? Now Hazel needs to somehow support him, cherish their last days together, then handle her grief all the while coping with her own terminal diagnosis. She comes to understand what being a survivor means and that life has meaning no matter what stage you’re at. And she comes to feel more peace about her parents, especially after she learns her mother has been getting a degree in social work.

      Star Wars by George Lucas

      Luke Skywalker: Skywalker is a freedom fighter from humble beginnings. His path (and character arc) begins with a restless need to escape his dead-end existence on his uncle’s barren farm. He learns that Princess Leia is leading a rebellion against the Empire and wants to join. He longs to become a Jedi Knight, or fighter pilot especially after Obi-Wan Ben Kenobi, a desert hermit, informs him that his father was a Jedi fighter and he has the ability to harness the Force. Still reluctant to leave his family, his mind is made up for him when Imperial stormtroopers savagely murder his aunt and uncle. He’s all in now. Skywalker begins training with Hans Solo, then learns the princess has been captured. His next goal is to rescue the princess, which he accomplishes with more than a few swashbuckling moves. This sets up his final, seemingly hopeless goal of taking out the Death Star and ultimately saving the Rebel alliance.

      TAKEAWAYS

      Notice how the protagonists’ goals powered the story?

      Getting to know you….getting to know all about you…

      So how are you going to get acquainted with your protagonist? There are lots of questionnaires available online to create a physical presence and backstory.

      Walk a mile in their shoes…

      However, it seems to me that walking along or imagining characters as if they’re with you, their creator, can be one of these best methods of getting to know someone. Especially if you want to learn what makes them tick. Or in fiction speak, their motivations. Motivations stem from a character’s past, basic nature and personality, and compelling circumstances.

      Let’s repeat: Motivations create needs which create goals which fuel conflict = story.

      Just try it. Step outdoors and plan to walk for at least a mile with your invisible pal at your side.

      • What would your character notice or remark on?
      • How does he/she hold his/her body?
      • Fast walker? Ambler? Quiet?
      • Hates exercise? Feels most alive when moving?
      • What’s on his or her mind? Distracted? Preoccupied? Impatient?

      Do you remember those moments in life when you’re walking along with a friend and a profound truth slips into the conversation? Maybe it’s a tidbit or a bombshell or sharing a long-ago memory. We all have wounds and they’re often twined to a character’s internal goals and secrets. Those are the moments, the gold you’re searching for.

      And although time is short with November looming, how about a short road trip with your character riding shotgun? Or can he or she tag along when you’re running errands or chauffeuring the kids? Have you ever noticed how some people are a delight to travel with and some people are a nightmare? Which one is your protagonist? A nervous, watchful traveler? Open to adventure? Afraid of the unknown? Chatty? Reticent?

      Shaping your protagonist’s goals

      What’s wrong or not working in his/her current situation?

      What about emotional needs from the past? In other words, what’s screwing up your character?

      What first, clear-cut action step can the protagonist take toward his/her goal?

      Remember, a protagonist’s goals work best if they’re relatable, visible, and barely achievable. Side note: some of a character’s goals will remain ‘invisible’ since they are inner, emotional, personal growth goals.

      INCITING INCIDENTS

      What is the impetus to push your protagonist toward that goal?

      The inciting incident such as Prim begin chosen to participate in the Hunger Games? The first plot point when Hazel meets Augustus at the support group? Dorothy’s inciting incident? Luke Skywalkers’ inciting incident?

      What is your protagonist’s inciting incident? 

      Stay tuned for more NaNoWriMo Tips // Jump Start Your Novel Tips

      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. 

       

       

      Chanticleer Editorial Services

      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. Here are some handy links about this tried and true service:

      https://www.chantireviews.com/manuscript-reviews/

      Writer’s Toolbox

      Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox article.

      Writers Toolbox Helpful Links: 

      The INCITING INCIDENT: STORY, SETBACKS and SURPRISES for the PROTAGONIST – A Writer’s Toolbox Series from Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk

      ESSENCE of CHARACTERS – Part One – From the Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk – Writer’s Toolbox Series  

       

       

       

    • BETWEEN the LINES: Mastering the Subtle Techniques of Fiction – by Jessica Morrell, Top-Tiered Editor – a Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox post

      BETWEEN the LINES: Mastering the Subtle Techniques of Fiction – by Jessica Morrell, Top-Tiered Editor – a Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox post

      The best fiction touches the deep layers in us. A writer achieves this affect by embedding dozens of techniques into his story. The process is artful, and, I’m  to report, often sly. In fact, fiction writers employ the sort of sleight-of-hand used by a magician; he distracts with patter; whispers so that we lean in to hear his low, confiding tone; surprises us when we least expect to be surprised, produces flourishes that awe with their boldness. And somehow he makes it look easy, although we know that it has taken years for him to master.

      But of course, writing fiction is not easy or merely a matter of employing tricks.

      Fiction writing means applying craft and artifice, and, like a conjurer’s lightening-speed maneuvers, it can be learned. You’ll look beyond the magician’s charming grin and focus on his ever-moving fingers, on the devices tucked up his sleeves, and then peer into his bag of gadgets. You start by mastering a few card tricks and then move on to a more difficult step: disassembling the magician’s contraptions, applying them to your understanding, and finally adding them to your stories.

      Explore

      Let’s begin with this understanding: Stories explore how interesting people act while dealing with significant problems at an important time in their lives.

      Stories explore human vulnerabilities and strengths and are usually focused on a character’s goals and dilemmas.

      Photo by @alessandroerbetta

      Stories inquire into why people act, react, struggle and change as they do.

      Stories are shaped from techniques that make the narrative lifelike and involved, complicated, and tense. And these fundamentals saturate the story with meaning which result in a deep, multi-layered world.

      It seems that there are as many types of fiction configured into novels, novellas, and short stories, as there are stars in a shimmering summer sky. There are comedies, tragedies, happily-ever-after stories, horror stories, historical re-creations, fantasies, young adult stories and novels that roller-coaster along with pathos, black humor, and grim portrayals of humanity. Some novels track the affairs of the heart; others track a murderer to his hideout or a monster to his lair. Fiction can be of a serious or literary bent or can be as fluffy as cotton candy. Short stories come in all sizes, and novels weigh in at a mere 60,000 words or ramble on to 200,000 words, while most lie in between.

      So the first choice of a would-be fiction writer is to choose the type and scope of the story (short, novella, novel, series, or epic?); then comes the reality of crafting it. That’s when a word-slinger-to-be discovers that creating a compelling narrative is complex and difficult. Or, that the idea for a story that seemed so dazzling and original when he first imagined it becomes flat and predictable when translated onto the page.

      Adding to this reality, beginning writers are often daunted by rules and advice about how fiction is constructed. I’ve noticed that writers tackle fiction in several ways. Some writers simply ignore advice, preferring to wing it or write guided by instinct and intuition, claiming that guideline are a straight jacket to plotting and creativity. Then there are writers who take the opposite path and slavishly read every book written on the topic, outline obsessively, and work with archetypes and mythic structure. The writers in the second group often spend five, six, ten years on a manuscript, revising it so many times that it bears little resemblance to their original concept. Perhaps the healthiest approach to writing fiction lies somewhere in between.

      He may be on to something…

      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.

      A story of any length can never be haphazard or based on predictable characters. Readers want to be haunted by characters and specific scenes that linger in their memory. They want to carry their story within and as they go about daily activities. They want to be transported to another time and place. Let’s begin adding to our understanding, so that you too can create a haunting story.

      Ingredients for Success

      Writing fiction means you’ll be entering another realm because fiction writing requires an intense immersion into your character’s lives and your story world. And because a novel is the sum of many parts, you learn how these parts work together, then once mastered, you can add the delicate layers of techniques that are covered in these chapters.

      It’s difficult to find the perfect analogy for writing fiction, but you can compare it to another kind of artistry—an elaborate meal prepared with precision by a master chef. Every element of the meal will entice, from the aromas to the presentation to the last savored morsel. There will be an array of flavors, textures, and colors all meant to beguile and satisfy, a constellation of delights. The same with works of music or art that resonant.

      While a magician’s tricks happen at lighting speed and thus are difficult to discern, you can witness a chef at work, a composer hammering out her next piece, or an artist trying to capture the light or test for the perfect brushstroke, and learn from their practiced approach. For purpose of illustration, we will use the chef! You can take note of the ingredients he works with—extra-virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, fresh oregano, the finely minced garlic or ginger. You can witness how he sears the flank steak to seal in flavors and deglazes the pan to create a sauce. If you suspect that his seemingly effortless approach took years to acquire, you’d be right. But luckily, his recipe can be followed and his techniques emulated.

      When it comes to fiction, think of these elements as your ingredients, not formulas. Remember, too, that cooking is a physical activity and requires forethought and analysis, as does fiction writing. When you cook a dish such as paella, you use a whole list of ingredients, but if you don’t add the correct ingredients at the correct time and fail to allow the ingredients to simmer until the flavors have melded, the dish will fail. Or, if you omit a crucial ingredient like saffron, it won’t taste authentic. Similarly, ingredients in fiction are the raw materials that combine to create a finished product, but they don’t necessarily create an involving story.

      Good stories come from the vibrancy of your characters, along with the subtler aspects found between the lines. – Jessica Page Morrell

      LEARN FROM THE BEST at VCAC 20!

      Jessica will teach Master Writing Classes for Intermediate to Advanced Writers at VCAC20! 

      Jessica Page Morrell
      Jessica Page Morrell

      Jessica Page Morrell is a top-tier developmental editor for books and screenplays. Her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest and The Writer magazines. She is known for explaining the hows and whys of what makes for excellent writing and for sharing very clear examples that examine the technical aspects of writing that emphases layering and subtext. Her books on writing craft are considered “a must have” for any serious writer’s toolkit.

      Jessica will teach Master Craft Writing Classes at the Chanticleer Authors Conference VIRTUAL Conference that will be held from Tuesday, Sept 8 – Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. She will present sessions and Master Classes on September 17, & 18,  2020 in conjunction with the virtual conference. She and Kiffer will also host a fun kaffeeklatch for Word Nerds at VCAC20.

      Master Classes are discounted for VCAC20 attendees. Or you may register for only the Master Writing Classes.

      Did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

      And that 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, Macmillan, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, etc.) and award-winning independent presses. If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com.

      Click here to read more about our Editorial services: https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Editorial-Services-p85337185

      A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service. Here are some handy links about this tried and true service:

      https://www.chantireviews.com/manuscript-reviews/

      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!

      Writer’s Toolbox

      Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox encore edition article. 

      We encourage you to stay in contact with each other and with us  during this stint of practicing physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — especially at this time of re-opening.

      Let us know how you are doing, what is going on where you live, how are you progressing on your writing projects.

      I invite each of you to join us at The Roost – a private online Chanticleer Community for writers and authors and publishing professionals. You are welcome to email me for more info also.

      We are active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can find us by using our social media handle @ChantiReviews

      Minimize physical contact! Maximize social connecting!

      Be well. Stay safe. Keep writing! Keep Creating! Kiffer 

       

    • Putting More Character into Your Characters – by Skip Ferderber – a Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox Post

      Putting More Character into Your Characters – by Skip Ferderber – a Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox Post

      Maybe it’s just me, but I often find myself lost when it comes to keeping track of multiple characters in a book I’m reading.

      Sometimes I’ll find myself about two-thirds through a novel when someone named Betty or Steve pops up in a conversation with my protagonist with an important piece of detail about the plot or a character development. Instead of taking in that information and using it to hurtle further into my novel, I find myself wondering who that character was, whether I’d seen him or her before and feeling a bit inadequate and frustrated that I can’t remember anything at all about the character.

      What I should consider instead is getting annoyed at the writer for not making the character memorable enough.

      Not every character in a book carries the same weight. You have your protagonists, your supporting cast, and possibly a boatload of tertiary characters. When it comes to the first two groups, you probably labor hard at making them distinguishable. But what about those pesky extras, the ones who are roughly the equivalent of chair-fillers in a night club in a ‘30s movie? You can’t waste your precious words on giving everyone a character workup . . . or can you?

      Consider this a good rule of thumb when you write about any character, large or small: If they’re in your book, you’ve got to know them well enough to tell your readers about them.

      “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

      In an otherwise excellent novel I read recently, a career woman in her late 30s is talking at lunch to three girlfriends from her high school years. It was clearly meant as exposition about the woman, her struggles as a high-school non-entity to her present-day role as a prominent society all-star with three people from her past giving some much-needed context to that transition. But the author uses them as props. She might as well have been talking to three empty chairs.

      She might has well been talking to three empty chairs…

      If one of them had looked disbelieving at their friend, exchanged glances with each other, hastily taken a sip of wine, idly played with her silverware, etc., the scene would have had greater weight. If the central character had noted any physical differences from each or any of her friends, had an intense one-on-one exchange with any of them, turned that small discussion into a more personalized exchange, I would have known more about how the protagonist functioned.

      All I can recall in retrospect is that four women had lunch.

      So much can be done with characterization to make even the smallest “extra” memorable. One of my favorite examples comes from Daphne du Maurier’s “My Cousin Rachel.” As Philip travels to Tuscany to visit Ambrose, his troubled benefactor, he sees Italy not as a festive but as a sad, decaying land.

      He sees a young woman with a baby in her arms, apparently a beggar. Instead of using her clothes to show her situation, du Maurier writes,

      “She was young, not more than nineteen or so, but the expression on her face was ageless, haunting, as though she possessed in her lithe body an old soul that could not die; centuries in time looked out from those two eyes, she had contemplated life so long it had become indifferent to her.”

      Then she is gone. Poof!  But that brief moment on which she appears on du Maurier’s stage is a memorable detail in moving the story and its dark mood forward.

      One way to think about how you enhance your characters, large and small, is to consider the direct and indirect tools every writer has at hand.

      Direct tools are the most obvious: a person’s looks, clothes, their home, their family, their choice of music, books, the food they eat, etc. Indirect tools may include the way they look at someone (e.g., eyes narrow or open in pleasure or dismay), how they wipe their mouth after eating, a speech characteristic such as a small pause or a stutter. Their speech, how they approach their read, listen to music or watch movies, the way they sit, awkwardly gesture, lightly tighten their lips when they hear something they don’t like, a distracting memory . . .

      Your implementation of these tools will be important as you develop your story. It will help you elevate even the most mundane tale and make for a more enjoyable experience and hopefully increase your readership.

      It’s always worth your while to read the works of well known writers to see what characterization tricks they employ. But beware the trap of depending on them as a substitute for your own imagination. The maxim about writing itself being the only way to learn writing must be your truth. Try, fail and rise again. It’s the job, isn’t it.

      About Skip Ferderber 

      We are honored and proud that Skip is vital member of the Chanticleer Team of Professional Reviewers.  He has been a staff writer  for The Los Angeles Times, editor at Millimeter —a magazine that specialized in motion picture and television post-production, and has worked at several LA magazines during his career.  He is also a contributor to Geekwire, Puget Sound Business Journal, Sound Publications, and other Seattle-based media outlets.

      When not reviewing for Chanticleer Reviews & Media, Skip works on his second novel. He is an avid and intrepid traveler who has visited more than 20 countries including mainland China, Nepal, and Brazil with a journalistic eye for detail and subtext.

      HANDY LINKS to CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Articles in the Chanticleer Writers Toolbox Series:

      ESSENCE of CHARACTERS – Part One – From the Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk – Writer’s Toolbox Series

      CREATING UNFORGETTABLE SECONDARY CHARACTERS – Part Two of ESSENCE of CHARACTERS from Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk – Writer’s Toolbox Series

      MINOR CHARACTERS – the SPICE of FICTION – Part One – From Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk – Writers’ Toolbox Series

      MINOR CHARACTERS – the SPICE of FICTION – Part 2 From Jessica Morrell’s Editor’s Desk – Writers Toolbox Series

      CHARACTER NAMES are SIGNIFICANT in FICTION – Part Three: LANGUAGE and NAME-CRAFT in WRITING FICTION – a Chanticleer Writers Toolbox Blogpost by Jessica Morrell

      Did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

      And that 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, Macmillan, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, etc.) and award-winning independent presses. If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com.

      Click here to read more about our Editorial services: https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Editorial-Services-p85337185

      A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service. Here are some handy links about this tried and true service:

      https://www.chantireviews.com/manuscript-reviews/

      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!

      Writer’s Toolbox

      Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox article. 

      We encourage you to stay in contact with each other and with us  during this stint of practicing physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — especially at this time of re-opening.

      Let us know how you are doing, what is going on where you live, how are you progressing on your writing projects.

      I invite each of you to join us at The Roost – a private online Chanticleer Community for writers and authors and publishing professionals. You are welcome to email me for more info also.

      We are active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can find us by using our social media handle @ChantiReviews

      Minimize physical contact! Maximize social connecting!

      Be well. Stay safe. Keep writing! Keep Creating! 

    • COMPONENT LAYERS of SUCCESSFUL FICTION – A Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox blog post by Jessica Morrell

      COMPONENT LAYERS of SUCCESSFUL FICTION – A Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox blog post by Jessica Morrell

      Elements of successful fiction layer and fold back in on each other to create resonance, nuance, subtext, and undercurrents of great storytelling. – Kiffer Brown

      In this enlightening and instructional blog post by top-tiered editor and one of Chanticleer’s exceptional Master Writing Craft teachers, Jessica Morrell, will expand on the following components of exceptional fiction.

      Elements of Successful Fiction

      • The Dramatic Question
      • An Intimate Simmering World
      • Characters Built from Dominant Traits
      • Emotional Needs
      • Significance
      • Motivation Entwined with Backstory
      • Desire
      • Threat
      • Causality
      • Inner Conflict
      • Midpoint Reversal
      • Satisfying Ending

      Dramatic Question 

      Compelling fiction is based on a single, powerful question that must be answered by the story climax. This question will be dramatized chiefly via action in a series of events or scenes. If you are writing a romance, the question always involves whether the couple will resolve their differences and declare their love. In a mystery the dramatic question might be will Detective Smith find the serial killer in time to prevent another senseless death? In The Old Man and Sea, the dramatic question is will Santiago catch the big fish and thus restore his pride and reputation?

      An Intimate, Simmering World 

      An intimate world isn’t created by merely piling on details. It means your story world has the resonance of childhood memories, the vividness of a dream, and the power of a movie. It’s filled in with shadows and corners and dogs and ice cubes and the sounds and smells of a dryer humming on wash day and a car blaring past, rock and roll music shaking the windows. Details lend your story authority, potency, and a palpable physical existence.

      Downton Abbey by Julian Fellowes — definitely an “intimate simmering world”

      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 a reader finishes the final pages and leaves the story world, the reader should feel the satisfaction of the ending, but also a huge sense of loss. Much like a friend has moved to another town just when the friendship had reached a level of closeness and trust.

      Characters Built from Dominant Traits

      Create main characters with dominant and unforgettable traits as a foundation of personality. These traits will be showcased in the story events, will help him achieve or fail at goals, and will make the story person consistent. For example, Sherlock Holmes’ dominant traits are that he is analytical, Bohemian, opinionated, and intelligent. These traits are showcased in every story he appears in along with secondary and contrasting traits. When the character first appears in the first scene, the character should arrive in the story with dominant traits intact.

      Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriaty – enduring characters since 1892.

      Emotional Needs

      Protagonists and the main characters are people with baggage and emotional needs stemming from their pasts. These needs, coupled with motivation, cause characters to act as they do. For example, in Silence of the Lambs Clarisse  Starling is propelled by childhood traumas to both succeed and heal the wounds caused by the death of her father.

      The EXPANSE by James S.A. Corey went from a Sci-Fi book series to one of Amazon’s top video series. One reason is that the characters have some major emotional baggage.

      Significance 

      The storyline focuses on the most significant events in the protagonist’s life.

      Kiffer’s Note: As we were taught in journalism school, this is the “So what?” that our professors would continuously ask us. What were, are, and will be the significant events? Your story will show the “why and how.” Make your readers care. Make your readers interested and keep them caring.

      Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan  –  3 Perspectives Cubed makes for a complex story.

      Motivation Entwined with Backstory 

      Motivation, the why? of fiction, is at the heart of every scene, fueling your character’s desires and driving him to accomplish goals. It provides a solid foundation for the often complicated reasons for your character’s behaviors choices, actions,  and blunders.  Motivating factors provide trajectories for character development, as a character’s past inevitably intersects with his present. Your character’s motivations must be in sync with his core personality traits and realistically linked to goals so that readers can take on these goals as their own.

      See The Expanse SciFi series above. It said to be the current Game of Thrones of TV series streaming.

      Names convey emotional baggage and foreshadowing

      Desire 

      Desire is the lifeblood of fictional characters. Not only do your characters want something, but they also want something badly. Santiago, in The Old Man and the Sea desperately wants to restore his reputation and also wants his friendship and partnership with the boy to resume. And in the lonely hours when he is far out at sea, desperately struggling to hang on to the fish and fighting off sharks, we see his fierce desire acted out and the price he pays for it.

      The classic A League of Their Own – to be rebooted on Amazon 2021

      Here is a fun link to: 25 Things You Might Not Know About A League of Their Own 

      You can bestow on your character flaming red hair, an endearing, crooked grin, and a penchant for chocolate and noir movies, but if she doesn’t want something badly, she’s merely a prop in your story, not a driving force. But if she wants to win the Miss Florida contest, take over her boss’ job, or become the first female shortstop for the Atlanta Braves, then you’ve got a character who will make things happen and a story that will be propelled by desire.

      Threat

      Fiction is based on a series of threatening changes inflicted on the protagonist. In many stories, these threats force him or her to change or act in ways he or she needs to change or act. Often too, what the protagonist fears most is what is showcased in a novel or short story. It can be fear of losing his family, job, or health with this dreaded outcome providing interest, action, and conflict.

      The Martian by Andy Weir – one big ticking clock on so many different levels.

      Causality 

      Events in fiction are never random or unconnected. They are always linked by causality with one event causing more events later in the story, which in turn causes complications, which cause more events, which cause bad decisions, etc.

      Causality – the physics of writing

      Inner Conflict 

      A fictional character doesn’t arrive at easy decisions or choices. Instead, he is burdened by difficult or impossible choices, particularly moral choices, that often make him doubt himself and question his actions. Inner conflict works in tandem with outer conflict—a physical obstacle, villain, or antagonist–to make the story more involving, dramatic, and events more meaningful.

       Complications   A story builds and deepens by adding complications, twists, reversals, and surprises that add tension and forward motion. Plots don’t follow a straight path, instead, there are zigzags, dead ends, and sidetracks. Complications create obstacles and conflict, cause decisions to be made, paths to be chosen.

      12 Years A Slave – based on the memoir of Solomon Northrup, published in 1854

       Midpoint Reversal 

      The middle of a novel comprises more than half its length. At about the midpoint of most novels, a dramatic reversal occurs. The hunter becomes the hunted; a second murder occurs proving the detective has been wrong in his suspicions; a former lover arrives in town to complicate a budding romance. This reversal keeps the middle from bogging down and becoming predictable and also breathes new life and often a new direction into the story.

      Mid-point Reversal of Bride and Prejudice, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Published in 1813, it is still relevant.

      Satisfying Ending 

      Every story needs an ending that satisfies the reader while concluding the plot. The final scenes, when the tensions are red hot and the character has reached a point of no return, must deliver drama, emotion, yet a logical conclusion. This is not to suggest that every plot ends with a shoot-out or physical confrontation because some endings are quieter, more thoughtful. Some endings are ambivalent, some a dramatic or a violent clash of wills. But there is always a sense that all the forces that have been operating in your story world have finally come to a head and the protagonist’s world is forever changed.

      Below is a scene from The Martian that heralds that maybe—just maybe—our protagonist may make it home—alive. It is a fun and creatively acted scene.  What a scene stealer! – Kiffer Brown

      A reversal of fortune in The Martian by Andy Weir

      The end is just the beginning…

      A Note from the Editor: A satisfying ending is one of the top, if not the top, reasons why books go viral and what will make your reader want to read your next work. Make sure that the you put as much effort in to a satisfying ending as you do into your opening hook. Kiffer Brown

      I hope that you found the visual examples enlightening. Determining and then searching for my favorite ones was fun! – Kiffer

       

      Jessica Page Morrell

      Jessica Page Morrell is a top-tier developmental editor for books and screenplays. Her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest and The Writer magazines. She is known for explaining the hows and whys of what makes for excellent writing and for sharing very clear examples that examine the technical aspects of writing that emphasizes layering and subtext. Her books on writing craft are considered “a must have” for any serious writer’s toolkit.

      Jessica will teach Master Craft Writing Classes at the Chanticleer Authors Conference VIRTUAL Conference that will be held from Tuesday, Sept 8 – Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. She will present sessions and Master Classes on September 17, & 18,  2020 in conjunction with the virtual conference. She and Kiffer will also host a fun kaffeeklatch for Word Nerds at VCAC20.

      Did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

      And that 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, Macmillan, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, etc.) and award-winning independent presses. If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com.

      Click here to read more about our Editorial services: https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Editorial-Services-p85337185

      A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service. Here are some handy links about this tried and true service:

      https://www.chantireviews.com/manuscript-reviews/

      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!

      Writer’s Toolbox

      Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox encore edition article. 

      We encourage you to stay in contact with each other and with us  during this stint of practicing physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — especially at this time of re-opening.

      Let us know how you are doing, what is going on where you live, how are you progressing on your writing projects.

      I invite each of you to join us at The Roost – a private online Chanticleer Community for writers and authors and publishing professionals. You are welcome to email me for more info also.

      We are active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can find us by using our social media handle @ChantiReviews

      Minimize physical contact! Maximize social connecting!

      Be well. Stay safe. Keep writing! Keep Creating! Kiffer 

    • CHARACTER NAMES are SIGNIFICANT in FICTION – Part Three: LANGUAGE and NAME-CRAFT in WRITING FICTION – a Chanticleer Writers Toolbox Blogpost by Jessica Morrell

      CHARACTER NAMES are SIGNIFICANT in FICTION – Part Three: LANGUAGE and NAME-CRAFT in WRITING FICTION – a Chanticleer Writers Toolbox Blogpost by Jessica Morrell

      I once taught a workshop when a writer proudly announced that he’d written an entire novel where none of the characters had names. It’s a story I never want to read. All plants, animals, objects, places and people have names that identify them.

      Naming people and things in fiction has a practical purpose because it appeals to the reader’s logic, imagination, and memory. We name characters to differentiate them, to suggest their age, social standing and personality, to make them solid and distinctive, and signal readers that the story person is worth noting.

      Jessica Page Morrell
      Jessica Page Morrell

      Since the reader will encounter your characters’ names again and again, bestow names  with care, and add subtle layers of meaning to a story via their names. Generally, the more complicated your character, the more distinct his or her name should be, (think Ebenezer Scrooge or Hannibal Lector) keeping in mind that names, like characters evoke a response in readers.

      Toolbox Tip:

      • All fiction writes need to collect names in a writer’s notebook or story bible, starting with the standard methods of gathering names by perusing phone books, obituaries, and baby name books.

      Be especially careful with a villain’s name, and don’t choose a name that works against type. You wouldn’t select a name for an arch villain that suggests a softie, nor would you give a good guy a name that has dark connotation.

      Kiffer’s Note:  Although, one of my favorite Firefly characters is named Jayne. He is a bad-ass, no-neck, muscular guy who named his favorite weapon in his arsenal Vera. No one would dare make fun of his name to his face and live to tell about it. Also he wore (proudly) an absurd orange knit cap  with ear flaps, that his mother made for him. And speaking of names, the ship he served on was named Serenity. Life was anything but serene on Serenity.

      Jayne’s favorite hat
      Jayne was good to have on your side in a fight.

      If your story has a true villain, his name should reflect menace, coldness, and/or strength. You might consider using hard consonants and sounds to suggest menace or other characteristics. For example in Stephen King’s The Dark Half, a writer’s villainous alter ego is named George Stark.  Then there is Tolkien’s Gollum and Ian Fleming’s Auric Goldfinger.  Conversely, good guys will have names that suggest goodness, or perhaps strength, such as Tolkein’s characters Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin.

      The best names reflect the genre and suggest the character’s traits such as Voldemort in the Harry Potter series.  On the other hand, the head master is Albus Dumbledore. Albus is from the Latin word alba, white, and his last name is Old English for bumblebee. So the headmaster’s name suggests honor and a hard-working nature. Sirius Black is Harry’s godfather. His first name is the dog star, appropriate for a wizard who can transform into a black dog.

      George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire is replete with terrific and memorable names: Mance Rayder, Tywin Lannister, Walder Frey and Jon  Snow. In fact, the series has such a crowded cast it comes with an appendix cataloging names. One royal family is also named Stark. The family is from a kingdom of the north, Winterfell and the Starks are tough and cunning and hardened, with a lower hall filled with the bones of their ancestors.

      It often works best to give tough, plain spoken, or unsentimental types, equally unsentimental names. Thus, your straight-shooting, beer-loving cop likely wouldn’t be named Julian or Florian, (no offense to the Julians and Florians of the world) but instead might be Jake or Jesse or Max. An alpha type needs an alpha-sounding name as does James (Jamie) Fraser in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series.  Of course this works for women too as shown in Ma Joad of The Grapes of Wrath. Many writers use names that are suggestive such as Romeo suggesting romance, Holly Golightly suggesting a light hearted nature, and Scarlett O’Hara a beautiful flirt.

      In Dean Koontz’s Forever Odd he gets the names just right and the villainess is called Datura which reflects her kinkiness, coldness, and cruelty. However, Koontz cleverly has chosen a name with layers of meaning, something fiction writers are always striving for. Datura is a flowering plant that is also called Devil’s Trumpets and Angel’s Trumpet. The Datura species, which has beautiful trumpet-like flowers exudes a narcotic-like scent, especially at night and is considered a sacred visionary plant. Datura plants have been used in many regions and by many cultures for medicinal and spiritual reasons, especially by shamans who use it for its clairvoyant powers. It is also interesting to note that all the Datura species contain potent alkoids which when taken in sufficient quantity have the power to kill.

      Of course, like all parts of fiction sometimes writers go awry when naming characters. One problem is that they take this technique too far. Examples are naming a macho private eye Rod Magnum or Sam Blaster or naming a seductress Jezebel Flower.

      Choose a character name that is age-appropriate and don’t make the mistake of choosing a name that is popular now for an adult character but wasn’t popular at the time of the character’s birth. To research the etymology and history of first names go to www.behindthename.com. If you’re writing historical fiction, it’s crucial that your names are historically accurate. Thus you wouldn’t name a 16th century character Tiffany or Shawna. But Geoffrey, Humphrey, and Giles have an authentic ring as do Eleanor, Phillipa, and Thomasina. And while Hester Prynne works for moniker of the scarlet woman of seventeenth century, her name wouldn’t work for a contemporary woman.

      Kiffer’s Note: In The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, naming characters had its own special conundrums. The characters exist in contemporary U.S.A. but may be from the 1918 such as Edward Cullen or Carlisle Cullen who was born in the 1640s. Meyer wanted the names to appropriate for the time period when they were born and that would not seem weird in contemporary America. Cullen is the name that Carlisle gave his Olympic coven.

      Edward Cullen, born 1901
      Carlisle Cullen, born 1640

      What to avoid in naming

      Another problem is featuring a story with too many names that sound alike—Jana, Jen, Jed, and Janine. Or names that rhyme like Ted and Ned. Or names that share the same vowels sounds like Sean and Dawn.  So you want your cast names to have contrast and variety. Other problems are naming a character after a real person as in William Washington Clinton, Prime Minister of the Federated Territories.

      Avoid also cutesy spellings or the alphabet soup syndrome most often found in science fiction or fantasy where the reader is left wondering how to pronounce oddball names like Aarghe or Zyyxr or T’muhra.   You might try combining two contemporary names or twisting a contemporary name to change it somewhat, or use mythological names or simply ones that are easy to pronounce like Bilbo Baggins from Lord of the Rings.

      Other TIPS:

      • Avoid androgynous names (unless that is part of your story)
      • Do pair unusual first names with simpler last names (Clark Bartholomew)
      • Or simple last names with complex first names (Reginald Clark)
      • Don’t use a name where the last letter of the first name is the first letter of the last name (Thomas Sinclair)
      • The more populated the story, the more the names should differ. (GOT examples – Jon Snow, Daeneys, Arya Stark, Cersei Lannister, Tormund Giantsbane…)
      • Avoid pairing characters with obvious names such as a bad guy named Damon or Rafe and a sweet heroine named Angela.

      Names are a terrific way to anchor a story with authenticity as Mario Puzo did in The Godfather with the Sicilian immigrant Don Vito Corleone and his sons, the tough quick-tempered one is Santino, Frederico is the weaker son, and Michael, the good son. Well, at least he starts out the story as the good son. Then there was Lucca Brazi who ended up sleeping with the fishes and Johnny Fontane, the singer whose name suggests the era.

      It’s also helpful to know how your character feels about his name. Many people don’t like their names, don’t believe their names suit them, or shorten or change their names—James is called Jim, Margaret shorten end to Meg, Jerome to Jerry. And that in itself can lend sub-context to your story.

      TITLES — that is an entirely different subject… Just imagine if the Twilight Saga kept its working title Forks. So stay tuned. If you haven’t subscribed, we invite you to do so! 

      Keep writing, keep dreaming, have heart. Jessica

      Keep creating magic! Kiffer 

      HANDY LINKS to Other Chanticleer Writers Toolbox blog-posts on Character Names and Language in Fiction. 

      Language and Names in Writing Fiction Part 1

      Language and Name Craft in Writing Fiction Part 2

       

       

       

      Jessica Page Morrell

      Jessica Page Morrell is a top-tier developmental editor for books and screenplays. Her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest and The Writer magazines. She is known for explaining the hows and whys of what makes for excellent writing and for sharing very clear examples that examine the technical aspects of writing that emphases layering and subtext. Her books on writing craft are considered “a must have” for any serious writer’s toolkit.

      Jessica will teach the Master Craft Writing Classes at the Chanticleer Authors Conference VIRTUAL Conference that will be held from Tuesday, Sept 8 – Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. She will present sessions and Master Classes during the conference. She and Kiffer will also host a fun kaffeeklatch for Word Nerds at CAC20.

      Did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.

      And that 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, Macmillan, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, etc.) and award-winning independent presses. If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com.

      Click here to read more about our Editorial services: https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Editorial-Services-p85337185

      A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service. Here are some handy links about this tried and true service:

      https://www.chantireviews.com/manuscript-reviews/

      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!

      Writer’s Toolbox

      Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox article. 

      We encourage you to stay in contact with each other and with us  during this stint of practicing physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — especially at this time of re-opening.

      Let us know how you are doing, what is going on where you live, how are you progressing on your writing projects.

      I invite each of you to join us at The Roost – a private online Chanticleer Community for writers and authors and publishing professionals. You are welcome to email me for more info also.

      We are active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can find us by using our social media handle @ChantiReviews

      Minimize physical contact! Maximize social connecting!

      Be well. Stay safe. Keep writing! Keep Creating!