Category: Creative writing

Retelling Classic Novels and Fairytales

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Once upon a time, many years ago I watched a performance of Beauty and the Beast in a small theater-in-the-round. I was about nine or ten years old at the time, and I remember how I fell in love with Belle, her love of books and how she was first captured as a prisoner then fell in love with the Beast who was her captor. I didn’t know it then, but that portrayal of Beauty and the Beast was a modern retelling, and in fact, has been retold countless times over the years.

I had a similar experience when I read Wicked when the book was published. I remember being so intrigued by the premise, which retells the story of The Wizard of Oz from the witch’s perspective. I thought the reimagined premise was unique and compelling, and the story did not disappoint.  

There have been many retellings since, either in published book form, on the big screen, even on stage. And the retellings aren’t just based on fairy tales and folk tales. Classic novels have also been retold in countless ways, such Little Women and Pride and Prejudice. Here are a few I’ve come across:

*While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell, part historical fiction and part retelling of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty;

* Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, based on Cinderella. (And if you really want to be entertained, check out the silent film Ella Cinders, also a retelling starring Colleen Moore);

* The Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, which adapts parts of Beauty and the Beast, the Norwegian folktale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and the Scottish legend of Tam Lin.

* On stage, Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet performs a reimagined version of The Nutcracker set in Chicago in the late 1880s in the home of a migrant family that has come to work on the construction for the 1893 World’s Fair.

What makes these retellings so popular and compelling is in the way they bring familiar characters, settings and themes together with unique twists and turns that move the original story in directions we never imagined. It shows once again how one story can be told in different ways.  

How does one go about retelling a classic novel, fairy tale or folk tale without damaging the original intent of the story? How do you create something that’s unique and compelling without borrowing too heavily from the original text?

Annie Cardi, author of Red (based on The Scarlet Letter), writes in Writers Digest suggests that you begin by finding key aspects of the original story that call to you. Is there a character that is memorable? Is there a scene that stays with you? Use that aspect as the central piece to create an entirely new story. You don’t have to use every single element of the original either. If there’s part of the plot or a character that doesn’t work for you, leave it out.

Consider, too, how and why your version of the story needs to be told. Are you telling the story from a different character’s point of view, one that readers may not have considered, such as was done in Wicked? Or are you changing the setting to draw on different themes or to describe current social and cultural issues, such as the reimagined choreography for The Nutcracker?

The retelling should be somewhat recognizable to the original, either through a loose retelling or a close retelling, writes Hannah Kate Kelley on the Jane Friedman blog. In a loose retelling, the main plot diverts from the original story, but keeps many of the characters, events and themes. A good example of this is While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell, which describes what really happens within the kingdom when Beauty is put to sleep — and why. On the other hand, a close retelling sticks close to the plot but changes out characters, events and even points of view.

Kelley also says that while retellings aren’t considered theft, they should be legally created. Make sure the work you are adapting isn’t violating copyright or intellectual property laws. Check the public domain (or Commons as it is called) to see if the creative work is listed, which means it is no longer protected under intellectual copyright laws. As long as no one owns the copyright, writers and creatives are free to adapt the piece and reproduce it in any way. That’s why folk tales and fairy tales are often used for retellings because no one owns the copyright to them.

Rules differ from country to country, however, so you’ll have to do your due diligence. In fact, before doing any writing, check the Commons to see if the work you want to retell is listed there.

If you do decide to tackle a retelling, Kelley offers several approaches to reimagining the story.

  • Tell the same story from a different existing character, or create a new character to tell the story.
  • Tell the story from the antagonist’s perspective and turn them into your new protagonist.
  • Provide a cultural lens to the retelling by exploring issues of race, class and gender.
  • Put the main characters in a new setting or era.
  • Switch up genres, like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is retold as a horror story.

    Whether bringing a classic novel into the modern era or rewriting a fairy tale from a different character’s point of view, modern retellings and adaptations can open up creative new ways to tell your stories and entertain your readers.

For another look at how to craft a modern retelling, check out this interview with fantasy authors Sarah J. Maas and Heather Lyons.

Writing the Hidden Identity Trope

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Last week, I posted this story about writing fish-out-of-water stories—stories about people who find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings and circumstances and struggle to fit in. Another trope I enjoy reading is the hidden identity, in which the protagonist hides some aspect of themselves to achieve a certain goal. I’ve always liked the suspense that builds as the character strives to keep their secret self hidden from others.

These characters lead double lives, with one foot in one setting and the other foot in another. They choose to conceal their true identities to protect themselves or the ones they love.

You probably recognize the secret identity trope from popular culture.

  • In adventure and superhero stories, our hero often poses as a regular guy or gal on the street. Think of Superman’s Clark Kent who works for the local newspaper and meets his love interest, Lois Lane.
  • In mystery novels and spy thrillers, the hero goes undercover to investigate a crime. This might be especially true for amateur sleuths who often disguise themselves to get close to their target.
  • In fantasy and science fiction, the hero must often hide an aspect of themselves to protect themselves from a terrible, untimely demise. Harry Potter, for instance, must hide his magic powers when he returns home to his muggle parents, though they make it difficult for him to do so.
  • In romance, the protagonist hides some aspect of themselves that they perceive interferes with their ability to find true love. For example, a prince or princess lives among commoners to escape their royal duties, or an heiress who hides her wealthy upbringing to seem more normal and attract someone who will love her for who she is not for her money.    
  • In literary fiction, a character may adopt a new persona to hide from danger. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah comes to mind. Protagonist Isabelle becomes an underground messenger known by her code name The Nightingale to support the Allies during World War II.

According to First Draft Pro blog, the hidden identity trope explores themes of privacy, nature of self, duality and the consequences of leading a double life. There is often the conflict between the public face presented to others versus the personal self that those closest to you know best.

Like fish-out-of-water stories, hidden identity tropes resonate with the human experience. After all, who hasn’t presented a different persona in public settings while keeping their personal identity hidden? Why else would Halloween be such a popular holiday? Because it allows people to disguise their true selves and adopt a new persona that may be truly different from who they really are.

So how should you write these hidden identity stories? There are different approaches you can take that can build suspense while making your character relatable.

Approach 1: The Surprise Reveal
In this scenario, when the character’s true identity is revealed toward the end of the story, it usually surprises other characters and readers. It makes for a great plot twist. Jodi Picoult’s Leaving Time has one of the best and most surprising plot twists when readers discover the true identity of one of the main characters. It moves the story in an entirely new direction.

Approach 2:  Going Along for the Ride
Readers know the true identity of the protagonist early on, even though other characters haven’t learned about it yet. Readers are taken along for the ride as the protagonist fights to keep his identity hidden. Superhero stories are constructed this way. In Superman, we know who Clark Kent is long before Lois Lane does.  

Approach 3: Everybody’s in the Act
In this scenario, each of the main characters is hiding some aspect of themselves or guarding a secret. One by one, each of their secret identities is revealed. In Hallmark Channel’s The Christmas Train, for example, during a long cross country train ride, we learn about the cast of characters which include several actors hired by a scheming director to push the two romantic leads together. Other characters not involved in the plot have their own secret identities, including one woman who is actually a private investigator trying to uncover a string of thefts on the train.

When done well, the hidden identity trope can create suspense and keep your readers guessing about what secret the character is hiding and who your character really is.

To learn more about the hidden identity trope in romance stories, check out this post by Seacrow Books.

Entertain Readers with “Fish out of Water” Stories

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One of the most commonly used tropes in story telling is the “fish out of water.” When written well, it can produce some laughs and high entertainment value for your readers. 

A “fish out of water” entails a person who is suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar world and faces numerous challenges when they try to fit in. They have to learn new rules of behavior, sometimes adopt a new dress code, and learn the language of the locals. Sometimes they can be at such a loss about what they’re supposed to do that they make things up as they go along. It can present some uncomfortable and hilarious moments.

You likely will recognize the trope from numerous movies, TV series and fiction. Think of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz who wakes up after a tornado in Munchkin Land. Or Harry Potter who is transported to Hogwarts and is introduced to the world of magic. Or Mork, the extraterrestrial in the 70s sitcom Mork and Mindy whose errant spaceship lands on Earth.

The “fish out of water” story isn’t just for fantastical stories like Harry Potter and The Wizard of Oz. There are numerous examples you’ll find in everyday life.

  • In Hallmark Channel’s Summer in the City, a young woman with her own fashion business in a small Ohio town gets a job offer in New York City. How does she navigate life in the big city?
  • In The Beach at Painter’s Cove by Shelley Noble (which I just finished reading), a wealthy family suddenly loses their fortune and must figure out ways to earn a living.
  • In Open House by Elizabeth Berg, a middle-aged woman whose 20-year marriage ends in divorce. How does she navigate life as a divorcee?
  • A young pianist who loses a hand in a freak accident and must re-learn how to play using a prosthetic hand. (I made this one up.)

You get the idea.

Funny thing is, we’ve all been in situations ourselves where we felt like the fish out of water—starting a new job, getting married, getting divorced, having a baby, moving to a big city or a small town, winning the lottery, etc. In each of these scenarios, we experience that feeling of not knowing what we’re doing and needing guidance to simply survive. We want so much to fit in that we inadvertently stumble over our efforts, sometimes with embarrassing, if not humorous results.

That’s what makes these stories so relatable. Because we’ve all been there. We all know those moments of embarrassment of being found out, the secret fears of not fitting in. Of stumbling over new rules of behavior, like not understanding why you can’t utter the name of Lord Voldemort or how a modest Midwestern girl should hail a cab in Manhattan.

It’s also what makes these stories so fun to read and write. There are so many scenarios to show how complicated and challenging life becomes when your protagonist is thrown in the deep end of the pool and they must fend for themselves. Learning to live in this new world is the basis for your story, and how your protagonist deals with the trials and triumphs of adjusting is the basis of their character arc. It’s how we see them grow and adapt over time.

(Test yourself. Check out my latest writing prompt on my website, or create your own fish-out-of-water story.)

Being a fish out of water pertains to our writing careers too. Think about the situations you’ve found yourself in where you felt out of your element:
 
* Writing in a new genre that you’ve never written before.
* Attending a writer’s conference for the first time (in person, not on Zoom), surrounded by strangers.
* Approaching an editor about your latest project when you’ve never dealt with an editor before
* When you attempt to write in the first place
* Self-publishing your first novel

Being a “fish out of water” means trying new things, experimenting with different ideas. Visit places you’ve never seen, take a class, start a hobby, join a club. Don’t be afraid of embarrassing yourself when you find yourself in unfamiliar territory.

Feeling like a “fish out of water” is as common as breathing. Embrace the feelings of newness, of being the odd man out. Sure, it feels uncomfortable at first, but it can inspire stories of new adventures to entertain your readers.

Protagonists Behaving Badly

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Remember to check out the latest writing prompt on my website!

I’ve noticed an interesting trend in the books I’ve been reading lately. More and more, I’m reading stories with protagonists who aren’t the most likeable people on earth.

I’m not sure if it’s the types of books I’m reading, or that my self-study of writing has made me more aware of characters behaving badly. Perhaps I’m letting my moral compass dictate which characters I should and should not like. In any case, over the past year and a half, I’ve come across numerous protagonists with questionable habits and decision-making capabilities. Some of them I wouldn’t want to hang out with, let alone share a glass of wine.

I don’t necessarily like the term “unlikeable” in this sense. It implies that the character has no redeeming qualities, which is often not true. In you’re familiar with the Save the Cat storytelling method, writers are encouraged to give even the most awful villains some positive trait to balance out their personality. For example, after your character robs a bank and stabs a bank teller, he might come home and play with his two German Shepherds, a scene that shows his softer side.

Writing an unlikeable or unreliable protagonist isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Their flawed personalities might create chaos for the people around them and for themselves. Without their flaws, you wouldn’t have a story arc, an interesting, well-founded protagonist or conflict and tension that can keep readers reading.

Unlikeable protagonists can still be people we root for in the end. They can still earn our respect, even our compassion. It’s not always easy, but it can be done.

By my count, there are at least seven types of unlikeable protagonists (known in publishing as the anti-hero, which conjures up the song by Taylor Swift.) These characters simply get in their own way. I’ve listed them below along with a corresponding example.

1. Protagonists who don’t act their own age. These Immature characters act more like bratty teenagers than the mature adult they should be. Their behavior and decision making sets them up for trouble.

Example: The Girl I Was by Geneva Rose

2. A clingy protagonist or one involved in a co-dependent relationship. These individuals are so closely intertwined with another person that they lose sight of who they are and who the other person is. They’re so afraid of the future that they cling to the other person. Yet, they don’t recognize how the relationship has stifled their own existence.

Example: One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle.

3. Protagonists with an addiction. Characters with an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol can find themselves in all sorts of trouble because their addition often clouds their perceptions and judgment. At their harshest moments, it can be difficult to feel anything for them. But of course, that is the basis of their conflict. Can they begin to resolve their conflicts despite the impact of their addictions?

Example: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware.

4. Protagonists who are unwilling to change their ways despite the truths they have faced. In a typical character arc, the character should experience some growth from point A to point F. But sometimes, the character doesn’t change much, no matter what they have learned or experienced in the story. Rather than embrace the changes that the plot begs them to accept, there is some aspect that scares them so much that they run and return to their old way of life.  

Example: Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

5. A protagonist with an obsessive personality. After tragedy strikes or a personal crisis, the protagonist focuses all their time and attention on fighting a cause or in caring for another person. But when that character becomes so obsessed with that they lose sight of their own needs or the needs of other people in their lives, it can create unbreakable bonds. Only when a crisis occurs with other characters do they realize that their life is out of balance.

Example: Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

6. A protagonist who treats others with disdain and arrogance. It’s hard to like someone who treats others like they’re dirt. At first glance, they may not have any redeeming qualities. Yet, if you look more closely, they usually do, and it’s usually buried under a veneer of anger or sadness or loneliness. Take, for example, Carrie Soto might be standoffish and arrogant around her competitors, but you have to admire her work ethic, her single-minded determination to win every tournament, and most important, her devotion to her father.

Example: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins-Reid

7. A character who takes advantage of the good, kind nature of a friend or loved one. These individuals have learned to live off of others, whether it’s because they grew up in poverty and never had enough growing up, or they believe they’re entitled to other people’s possessions. In other cases, they are starved for love and affection and believe they can get it by needing the help of others. Their neediness and manipulation can cause a lot of strife between characters. Sometimes the friendship survives.

Example: Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

By observing these characters’ struggles, we learn to empathize with these flawed characters. After all, we all have our own demons to slay. Why shouldn’t your own protagonists have them too? Let them reflect the people you meet in the real world, people who have their own private struggles, whether it’s dealing with grief, an addiction, job loss, a divorce, or a health crisis. That’s what makes these unlikeable characters a little more likeable—their relatability.

Writing experts offer a few suggestions for making these characters work well in your stories, despite their flaws.

1. Make them relatable. Give them problems to overcome, with their flaws acting as barriers to their resolution.

2. Give them redeemable qualities. Allow their humanity to show through. Give them a quality people will respect. For example, the playground bully who goes home every day and plays with his dog.

3. Show how they became flawed. Whether it’s through backstory or it’s a part of the novel’s set up, show how your protagonist became the person they are.

4. Sometimes, it’ not about the character’s personality but about their decision making process. It may be that you don’t agree with the decisions they make, whether they’re right or wrong.

Writing and reading about an unlikeable character can be both fun and enlightening. Just don’t take them too seriously; they are only fictionalized people, after all. Remember that all characters are flawed in one sense or another. As readers, we can learn to empathize with their struggles, no matter how likeable they may be.

Finding Your Creative Writing Niche

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Editor’s note: I’m tied up with assignments this week, so please enjoy this reposted article from 2021.

When I first embarked on my writing journey, it was a challenge to shift from writing magazine features and website content to creative writing. It was a far cry from the business world, where the criteria was set by employers and clients. I had to shift from writing for business to creating whole new worlds in fiction.

Part of the challenge of being a creative writer is finding a niche. It’s deciding what kind of creative writing I wanted to do and what I was best suited for. Did I want to focus only on novels, or were short stories more my thing? Maybe I was drawn to the soul-baring essence of creative non-fiction, or the challenge of tackling a 100,000-word novel. Or would I be better suited for flash fiction where stories rarely exceed 1000 words? When I first dove into the creative writing pool, I thought I knew what I was doing. After all, I’d already had magazine features published and had received positive feedback about my writing from teachers and editors.

But I quickly realized there was a lot I didn’t understand. It was necessary for me to start from the beginning – to take classes, read up on story telling technique, and most important, to practice, practice, practice. I experimented with different writing styles. I attempted several novels as well as short stories and, more recently, novellas. I’ve submitted essays to competitions and sought feedback from writer’s groups. It’s all been part of a learning, growing process.

I’m still working toward finishing my current novel in the hopes it will one day be published. But I also understand that it takes more than talent to get there. It takes grit and determination and perseverance. It takes a consistent writing practice.

Here’s how you can find your own creative writing niche.

1. It’s important to read a lot, and to read a variety. In his book, On Writing, Stephen King says the best way to learn about writing is to read and to read widely. That’s how you learn how to craft stories, develop plot and character, create suspense and satisfy readers. By reading, you naturally absorb authors’ writing styles and adapt to your own. By reading, you also notice what works well in storytelling, and what doesn’t. Reading other authors’ works is a must to advance your own writing aspirations.

2. Know who you are as a writer and what you stand for. Julie Anne England of the Self-Publishing School says it’s important to assess yourself – your interests, your strengths and weaknesses, and your writing goals. That means understanding what you can tolerate in the world at large and what you can’t. Maybe writing critique groups aren’t your thing. Not everyone is cut out for them. Maybe you feel more inspired by writing in a semi-public place where there are other people nearby so you don’t feel so alone while you write. Or maybe you prefer to write at home alone. England advises writers to “be true to who you are. Trying to be someone you’re not will only impede your progress.”

3. Pay attention to the feedback you receive. Whether you get feedback from a writing buddy, a coach, a boss, or your website audience, pay attention to what they tell you. Do they like the way you describe a scene or the way you draw your characters? Conversely, are they confused by your plot structure or is your protagonist flat, lacking in emotion and personality? Then use their feedback to improve your work.

4. Learn as much as you can about the writing craft. Whether you’re just beginning your writing journey or you’ve traveled this road for some time, it’s important to keep learning. Readers’ tastes and publishers’ needs constantly change, so what was popular a year ago may be obsolete in another year or two. You need to stay on top of the publishing trends. Further, by keeping up with your professional development, you keep your skills fresh and learn new story telling techniques. You show agents and editors that you are willing to do whatever it takes to produce the best story possible.

5. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different genres and writing styles. Maybe you’ve been writing narrative non-fiction, but you’d like to experiment with writing short stories. Don’t be shy about taking a workshop about short story writing. You may decide after completing one or two stories that it just isn’t right for you. That’s okay. At least you tried, and there may be some things you learned about the writing process that can be carried over to your essays. Don’t be afraid to experiment to see what works best for you.

6. Be flexible and open-minded. Don’t get locked into your niche or specialty because it will likely change over time, writes Shaunta Grimes at The Write Brain blog. For example, when I started my blog in 2016, I wrote about a variety of writing and communications topics because that was my professional background. As time went on and I gravitated toward more personal writing and less business communications, my blog reflected that shift. Now I focus almost exclusively on essays about the writing life with some posts about fiction writing thrown in. Allow your personal interests to dictate your path.

If you want to know more about what kind of writer archetype you are, check out this quiz at The Write Brain blog. (Note: You will need to create an account to read the article on Medium.) Find out if you are a Hesitater, a Skipper, a Spiller, a Teacher or an Artist. It will help you learn what you write and why. (Btw, I’m a teacher, which should be obvious from my blog.)

The beauty of creative writing is that there are multiple paths to choose from, and it’s not uncommon for writers to specialize in more than one genre or writing style. Finding that niche, however, depends on knowing who you are and what you have to offer readers. 

Reading What You Write: Tips for Presenting Your Written Work

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There may be times when you may be invited to read your work to an audience. Whether it’s reading to visitors at a local bookstore or presenting it in class to fellow aspiring writers, the thought of reading your work aloud can be unnerving if you’re not used to it. Writers, especially, can feel uncomfortable. Because they’re used to working alone and don’t have many opportunities to read to an audience.

However, reading for an audience offers several advantages. For starters, it can help you get used to facing an audience. It takes practice to feel comfortable speaking out loud. The more you do it, the better you will sound and the more confident you’ll feel.

Reading aloud can show you the rough spots in your writing. According to the University of North Carolina Writing Center, when reading aloud your work, your brain receives information in a new way so you tend to notice details you didn’t see when you read it silently. While most of their advice pertains to research papers, I think it’s relevant for fiction writing as well.

When reading aloud, the sequence of ideas in a research paper (or scenes in a story) should make sense to readers. You might notice gaps in explanations or narratives. Words might be left out. You might see awkward sentence structure, or sentences that are too long, confusing, repetitive or convoluted. You might find that the tone isn’t quite right for your piece. For example, the humor may not be appropriate or the jokes simply fall flat.  

Conversely, reading aloud can help you notice where your writing is strongest. You can tell when the story flows the way it should, and the dialogue is lively.  

Conquering your fear of reading out loud

There are two types of fears when reading out loud. One is the fear of facing an audience, whether they’re strangers or people you know. (Sometimes reading for people who know can be scarier than reading to a room full of strangers.)

The second fear is the fear of sharing your work. You fear people won’t like your work. We all have an inherent desire to be liked, so any semblance of negativity can make us lose confidence in our abilities even when those abilities are topnotch. No one likes receiving negative feedback or getting criticized. But to be stronger writers, sometimes we have to take the risk of reading our work to others. How else will we know if people will enjoy what we write?  

Writing experts offer a few tips for presenting your work.

* Read from a printed copy. Print out your manuscript rather than read from a computer. Seeing your work on a printed page might help you noticed errors you didn’t notice on the screen.

* Practice, practice, practice. Take a day or two to practice your reading. Note if there are any rough spots that you have difficulty getting past. Keep practicing, no matter how tired you get of reading it, so that the words flow easily. It might help to read in front of a mirror, a friend, even your pet dog.

* Pretend you’re someone else reading your work. This might seem tough to do, but some writers swear by this technique. Imagine you are someone else who is given the task of reading your work out loud, like a news anchor or your favorite actor. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes can make you feel less self-conscious about facing an audience.

Tips for reading to a group

When it comes time to read for your audience, remember to do the following:

*Project your voice so everyone in the room can hear you. This is especially true if there is no microphone available. Speak clearly and enunciate your words. Avoid mumbling.

* Don’t rush through to the end. When you’re nervous about speaking to strangers, it’s easy to fall into the habit of speeding up when you need to slow down. People need and want to hear you, and they can’t do that if you’re racing ahead like you’re running in the Kentucky Derby.

* When you’re reading from your manuscript, be sure to look up often and make eye contact with your audience. It might help to focus on two or three friendlier faces, those who give nonverbal cues like smiling and nodding, so you know they’re paying attention.

Reading aloud is an often overlooked skill, but one that you can master and add to your skill set early in your writing career. When you finally publish your work, you’ll have the confidence to read your work with pride.  

Fiction in a Flash: The Basics of Writing Flash Fiction

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There seems to be two types of writers in this world. One enjoys taking their time telling their story, introducing characters, unveiling the plot, creating tension until they arrive at a (hopefully) satisfying ending. The second takes the shorter route, where there are minimal characters and backstory, words used thoughtfully and expediently, and an ending that is often unexpected and profound..

As you may have guessed, the first type is a novelist, while the second excels at flash fiction. While their approaches to storytelling are wildly different, they both try to accomplish the same thing—entertain readers.

According to Writers.com, flash fiction “delivers a complete narrative with plot, characters and setting, in fewer than 1,500 words. It relies on efficient use of language and storytelling without inhibiting the story’s flow and impact.”

Writing flash fiction is the equivalent of writing one scene from a novel. But even that one scene must be complete with an inciting incident, conflict and resolution.

There are several types of flash fiction, depending on the length of the story. Traditional flash fiction is a maximum of 1,500 words while the shortest type is a six-word story. There are other types and lengths in between.  

Some writers might be put off by the idea of writing a story in less than 1500 words, believing that it can’t possibly be done—or be done well. Much like other writers are overwhelmed by the idea of writing a 90,000-word novel. If you have a short attention span or dread the thought of spending weeks or months writing a full-length novel, flash fiction might be worth experimenting with. It can also provide another creative outlet to complement your other writing projects.

What makes flash fiction unique and challenging is the restrictive nature of storytelling. Since you are limited by the length, you don’t have the luxury of expounding on details or characters. You really have to think carefully about how to develop your plot and the role of your characters. The key to writing flash fiction, suggest writing experts, is to plan your plot first to create the skeleton of your story, then fill in with the most critical descriptive details.  

Jericho Writers offers the following tips for writing flash fiction:

* Limit the number of characters to one or two people (sometimes three). Again, you don’t have the luxury of length and space to introduce a myriad of characters. If you’re used to writing novels, think of the flash fiction as the same length as a single scene that contains only a few characters.

* Deal with a single conflict. Focusing on one single conflict moves the story along at a brisker pace without going off on different tangents.

* Focus on one genre. Because you’re working with a limited word count, stick to one genre that will be easier to write a story that readers will be able to follow.

* Limit world building and scene setting. In a 1,500-word story, you may only have one or two scenes where the story takes place. Likewise, you won’t have time or space to have heavy descriptions of your world. You may have to limit the world-building to a couple of sentences.

* Make every word and sentence count. Avoid passive voice, which tends to add unnecessary words. Be succinct, and choose the best words that tell your story. Use descriptive, concise language.

* Start in the middle of the story. You won’t have the luxury of a long, introductory narrative filled with backstory, detailed setting and interior narration of your protagonist.

That seems like an awful lot to think about for a simple, 1500-word story, but as you can see, flash fiction is deceptively complex. Writers.com offers several more tips for writing flash fiction.

  1. Begin by plotting the story first. That creates the spine of the story. Then go back and fill in with description and figurative language to make the story more complete.
  2. End the story with a bang. Conclude with an unexpected and surprising ending that makes the reader think about the story long after they’ve finished reading it.
  3. Be a ruthless editor. Start with a draft, just as you would with any manuscript, then go back and cut, cut, and cut some more. Don’t be shy about axing entire paragraphs that read well but don’t move the story along.

Writing flash fiction can be more challenging with its numerous restrictions, but all that planning, plotting and editing you have to do can help you become a better writer when you’re ready to tackle larger projects.

For more information about flash fiction, check out these other sources:

Flash Fiction magazine
Flash Fiction Online
Writing flash fiction: a complete guide, Jericho Writers
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Six Strategies to Overcome Writing Anxiety

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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It doesn’t happen often, but every now and again, I suffer a bout of writer’s anxiety. I could be typing along at a pretty brisk pace, making progress on my novel, but in the back of my mind, I begin to wonder if my writing is good enough. Other times, the anxiety is brought on by a challenging client assignment. In those instances, I want so much to do well and impress the client that I worry myself to death over the details.

Fortunately, my cases of writer’s anxiety are usually short-lived and not so severe that I can’t continue writing. But it does give me pause about my capabilities.

According to the Writing with Anxiety blog, writing anxiety is the feeling of apprehension, tension and fear that occurs when you’re about to write or even in the middle of writing project. It can affect you physically, emotionally, mentally. Physically, anxiety can manifest as sweaty palms, a faster heart rate, rapid toe tapping, or excessive blinking. Emotionally, the anxiety might make you cry or pace the floor. Mentally, it could freeze you to the point where you can’t think straight, or you might relive an episode from your past when you were criticized for your writing.

It’s usually not the act of writing that causes the anxiety, but the outcome. There’s worry and fear about how your work will be received, and those feelings can galvanize you into inaction. Memory can also play a role. If you’ve been criticized too harshly in the past, or if people doubted your talent and commitment to writing, those memories can carry over into your current work.

Sometimes deadlines can set off a series of setbacks. With a looming deadline or something valuable at stake, such as a winning a scholarship or completing a MFA program, that can also bring on a sudden case of writer’s anxiety.

In an interview with Writers.com, writing instructor Giulietta Nardone believes writing anxiety starts in childhood. In school, she says, we are often taught that there is only one right answer to a problem. But writing isn’t about finding the right answer. Writing is about exploration. It’s a process of discovery—of ourselves, of the world around us, of life’s mysteries, etc.

When you stop searching for the one right answer and focus instead on exploring the infinite possibilities around you, your writing will flourish and you won’t worry so much about what other people think because it will no longer matter what they think.  

Every writer is different, of course. Some people have more severe cases of writer’s anxiety. They may stare at the blank page for hours, summoning up the courage to begin writing. But they are so beset by fear that they don’t write a single word.  

I believe a little bit of writing anxiety is normal. Even the most experienced writers and those with numerous published titles to their name experience some anxiety when starting to write a new story.
So it’s natural that you might suffer writing anxiety too at some point. When it happens, know that there are several things you can do to minimize the tension. While these strategies may not work for everyone, they can be a starting point to helping you feel more grounded and secure about the writing process.

Strategy 1: Talk to someone. When you begin to feel anxious, find a friend, your spouse, a writing buddy, teacher, or even your pet (who may not say much but make good listeners.)  Venting your emotions to someone close to you can help you feel better. Writing buddies, coaches and teachers can be especially helpful because as creatives themselves, they’ve likely experienced anxiety about their work and can provide meaningful insights.

Strategy 2: Write in a journal. Even if you don’t keep a journal, writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you understand where your anxiety is coming from. Knowing the source of your anxiety is the first step to overcoming it.

Strategy 3: Practice yoga and meditation. Both of these practices can help you develop mindfulness and help you stay focused on the present moment, which can counteract the mind spinning we do when we worry about the future.

Strategy 4: Go for a walk or do some form of exercise. Tension can build up in your body, especially if you have no outlet to release it. Make sure you’re getting some exercise every day. When anxiety hits, going for a walk can release that pent-up energy. By the time you get back to your desk, you might feel more energized to start writing again.

Strategy 5: Focus on what you can control. Realize that you can’t control people’s feelings, and you can’t control what happens in the future. What you can control is how you feel and what you do. What you can control is your writing—when you write, how much you write, the types of stories you write, etc. When you focus on yourself and not on how others perceive you, you empower yourself to do your best work.

Strategy 6: Feel the fear and keep writing anyway. Sometimes the best way to keep the anxiety away is simply to acknowledge that it’s there and keep writing in spite of it. Use the fear and tension you feel to your advantage. Let those feelings propel you, not paralyze you. Feel the fear (about writing) and do it anyway.

Conducting Research for Your Novel

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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One of my favorite types of novels to read is historical fiction. I’m certainly not a history buff, but I do enjoy the mix of history and storytelling that transport me to a different time and place.

What impresses me most about these novels is the amount of thought and preparation that must have gone into it before publication, and the amount of research the author had to do before writing a single word.

If you read historical novels, or any kind of fiction for that matter, I encourage you to read the author’s notes and acknowledgments pages. The notes will tell you a little about the author’s thought process in the writing of the book and share the various sources they used in their research. That might include interviews with experts, places they visited, and specific books that they read. The acknowledgments page includes names of people who helped the author in the writing of the book, such as beta readers or experts in a certain field of study, like a police detective with knowledge of police procedure, for example.

Why Is Research Important?

Research is critical to get the story details right, or as close to right as they can possibly be. Research makes the story more authentic and believable and helps bring readers into the story as if they are there with the narrator.

But what kind of research is needed? How much should you do before writing your story? How much of your research should make its way into your story? You don’t want to overload the story with non-essential details that could bore readers, but you do want to include just enough to make sure they understand the context of the story.

When you’re thinking about your next story concept, take a moment to brainstorm key details you might need to know. For example, if you’re writing a novel that takes place in the Florida Keys and you’ve never actually been there, you might need to know the region’s history, the types of shops one would find when visiting the Florida Keys or how to fly fish. If there are scenes that take place on a yacht or sailboat, you might need to research the various parts of the boat. Remember you want to provide an authentic picture of the region to build context for your story.

Even if you’ve never visited the location of your story, there are other sources you can use for your research. Other sources of research are newspaper and magazine feature articles, YouTube videos, and tourism sites. Don’t overlook local libraries and history museums whose staff may know more about a locale than you ever thought possible.

The Power of Interviews

Interviewing experts can also boost your knowledge and give you ample background for your story. Begin by compiling a list of experts you might need to interview. Do a Google search for sample questions, if you can’t think of any of your own, or use AI if you’re more inclined to go that route. For example, you can give AI the following command: Give me a list of questions I should ask someone who is a professional fly fisherman.

Don’t be shy about doing in-person interviews. You’ll likely get more detailed and relevant responses that way. People are usually flattered to be asked to participate in an interview. I find that most people love talking about the work they do or their hobbies—whatever they’re most passionate about.

When you think you have enough basic research to understand the setting and background for your story, start writing. When you’ve finished the first draft, review the manuscript and note where you might need to include more historical information or other details you didn’t think of before.

More Tips about Research

  • When writing your draft, avoid information dumps. Too much information can bore readers while insufficient information might confuse them.
  • Use primary resources whenever possible over secondary. Primary is first-hand knowledge, like a subject matter expert. Primary knowledge will make your story more credible.
  • Don’t use research as a means to avoid writing. It’s easy to get lost in your research. You can spend weeks immersed in history. Experts suggest giving yourself a time limit, say two weeks or one month, to use exclusively for researching and preparing to write your story. Once the draft is complete, then you can go back to see where you might need to do more research. Avoid the urge to pause writing to look up a topic.
  • Before you start your project, make a list of all the places, topics and details you need to research. That way you won’t forget what you need to find out for your story and you won’t pause in the middle of your writing to look it up.
  • Conduct interviews with experts either in person, by phone or in an online chat. You’ll get the best detailed information that way. Leave emails for follow up questions

    Research may either seem like grunt work to you, or a trip down the rabbit hole. When you make a list of what you need to know, and the sources that can help you find it, you’ll be able to craft a story that is authentic and believable.

Tips for Creating a Compelling Opening Chapter

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment

I had planned to write a post about what makes a great opening chapter or first 10 pages, then I realized I had already written a post about it several years ago.. I couldn’t think of any way to improve it, so I am repeating it here. The information is especially helpful for those participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

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If you’ve ever read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, you probably remember this opening line:

“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: In love, we find out who we want to be; in war, we find out who we are.”

I’d be hard pressed to find any opening more poignant than this one. From the very start, readers are taken on an emotional journey that doesn’t end until the final sentence.

Writers are tasked with the challenge to create a similar experience with their readers. The start of any  novel should accomplish several things: create the tone of the story, provide the point of view, reveal character, and show tension and conflict, among other things. Certainly, the opening line from The Nightingale accomplishes most of these objectives. Does your story do the same?

Why is the opening so critical? Because if it doesn’t grab the reader’s interest and keep it for the first few pages, the reader will likely close the book and set it aside, never getting to the end of it. Ask any published author, editor or agent what makes a strong opening, and you’ll hear a number of answers, which are summarized below. And these suggestions don’t just pertain to fiction, but to short stories, memoir and non-fiction works too. Without a compelling start, readers will dismiss your effort.

If you are participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), keep the following suggestions in mind as you write the opening of your novel.

1. Skip the prologue. There is ongoing debate about the merits of a prologue. Many editors and agents feel they aren’t necessary. I tend to agree with them. I’ve rarely read a prologue that made a difference in my understanding of the plot. The one exception is Caught by Harlan Coben, which provided sufficient background on one of the main characters to make you second guess the outcome. But if you plan your story well and write the opening pages right, there shouldn’t be a need for a prologue.

2. Create a protagonist that readers will care about. The opening is your opportunity to reveal your protagonist’s character. Is he/she rebellious, angry, ambitious or curious? In the above opening from The Nightingale, the character speaking is introspective and perhaps has gained wisdom from life experience. It makes me care about who she is and what else she (and it is a she, btw) might have to say.

3. Ground your reader in the story’s setting. According to the Write Practice blog, let readers see where the story takes place. Establish early on what the setting is for the story – the time period, the location, the season of the year, etc. When the reader feels grounded in the setting, they feel mentally prepared to experience the events as the characters do.

4. Create conflict and tension. Identify what the inciting incident is – that starting point to your story that changes the status quo. Where is the conflict? Is that conflict with another character, with a situation or within themselves? That conflict is needed to create tension, which helps draw readers in and keep them reading to see how the conflict is resolved.  

5. Don’t frontload with dialogue or action. According to Fuse Literary, too much action or dialogue can confuse readers. Sure, you want to start with some sort of action, but an opening chapter heavy on action and dialogue and not enough narrative or backstory can be confusing to readers who may need a point of reference to understand what is happening on the page. You need some action, of course, but balance it with some narrative so you don’t lose readers’ interest.

6. Don’t overload the opening with backstory either. According to recent Reedsy webinar, Crafting a Novel Opening, writers should focus on what the reader needs to know at that moment. There’s plenty of time to reveal backstory and world building as the story progresses, says Shaelin Bishop who led the discussion. Weave in backstory throughout the length of the manuscript, and allow details to breathe between scenes. This approach will help with the pacing too. If readers are overloaded with details up front, they may feel overwhelmed.

7. Hook the reader with an interesting twist. Start where the story gets interesting, which is usually at the point where there’s a change in the status quo. For example, the protagonist gets a letter with good news or bad news, a new person enters the protagonist’s life, or they get into an accident that alters the course of their life.  “Show what is interesting rather than focusing on the mundane. It’s okay to show less of the status quo than you think you need to,” says Shaelin Bishop with Reedsy. This approach avoids overloading your opening chapter with too many details that can bore your reader.

8. Every scene should serve several purposes. For example, one scene can establish the tone of the story, reveal something about the character and hint at future conflict. This sounds complex, but it’s necessary to keep the story moving forward and keep readers interested. Don’t waste your first sentence, or any sentence for that matter. Write every scene with a purpose in mind. If it doesn’t serve  purpose, and if a character doesn’t serve a purpose, cut them out.

To get into the habit of writing stronger openings, try these two exercises.

Exercise 1: Take 10 minutes and create as many opening sentences as you can think of. It could be for a current work in progress or any other story. Experiment with different perspectives. Here are a couple of examples of intriguing openings that made me keep reading:

“You would think it would be impossible to find anything new in the world, creatures no man has ever seen before, one-of-a-kind oddities in which nature has taken a backseat to the coursing pulse of the fantastical and the marvelous. I can tell you with certainty that such things exists ….”
The Museum of Extraordinary Things, Alice Hoffman

“My name is Serena Frome (rhymes with plume) and almost forty years ago I was sent on a secret mission for the British Security Service. I didn’t return safely. Within eighteen months of joining, I was sacked, having disgraced myself and ruined my lover, though he certainly had a hand in his own undoing.”
Sweet Tooth, Ian McEwan

Exercise 2: Select five novels from your collection that you enjoyed reading. Go back and read the first page from each one. What made you turn the page? Why did it grab your interest? Did it reveal anything about the setting, tone or character? Did it create tension and conflict? What can you learn from these first pages that you can adapt to your own work?

Follow these tips to make your opening chapter compelling enough to keep readers engaged to the very end.