Category: Story telling and stories

Essential Traits of Creative Writers

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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I’ve been on this creative writing journey for eight years. The more I write, the more I realize that there are certain traits most writers have that go beyond basic writing skills or understanding story structure.

From having a natural curiosity about the outside world to developing empathy for others, writers tap into a well of personal insights and experiences to create stories that readers will relate to. These traits provide the mental and emotional edge they need to be successful as a creative writer. You’re not likely to find these same traits in other professions.

Here are the most essential traits of creative writers and how they help shape their stories.

Curiosity. Writers are naturally curious about the outside world and enjoy exploring and learning about different experiences and ideas, places, cultures, cuisine, music. All this can inspire unique settings and characters. They enjoy doing research, asking questions about things they’re curious about, interview subject matter experts and search the web for answers. Google is their best friend, always at their fingertips. Without curiosity, writers would lack the depth of knowledge and understanding about the world around them that would typically enrich their stories. Curiosity is essential for continuously learning about the world and about themselves.

Patience and perseverance. As essential as these traits are, they’re often the most difficult to cultivate. Many writers may abandon a project after months or years of working on it because it’s not coming together fast enough or easily. That’s where a healthy dose of patience and perseverance are required. It’s like running a marathon. Writing a novel is not for the faint of heart; it takes effort every single day to see how your story comes to life on the page. Writers must also be patient with themselves because writing takes a lot of practice. Their development as professional creative writers is a slow, steady process. It doesn’t happen overnight. But with patience, they can persevere and make progress towards their writing goal.

Observation and awareness. Writers are notorious people watchers and eaves droppers. Being aware of the world around them is an essential trait for creating realistic settings, characters and dialogue. That’s why most writers carry a small notebook to jot down things they see and hear when they’re out and about. Those powers of observation are necessary to create true descriptive stories that make readers feel they are really there with the characters and with the author.

Imagination and originality. Writers have the ability to think outside the box, to always look at the world from different perspectives and to ask the question, “what if?” That simple question can lead to a myriad of situations and story scenes. “What if?” questions challenge you to look at situations differently. For example, what if a woman became president of the United States? What if men could live on the moon? What if we could travel five years into the future, spend one hour there, then return to the present time, which, by the way, is the basis for the novel In Five Years by Rebecca Serle. Reimagining our world is essential for creating original stories worth reading.

Empathy and emotion. What makes creative writers stand out from non-fiction writers or AI-generated content is emotion. Creative writers know how to bring emotion into their writer and appeal to readers’ empathy for their characters. That ability to feel and understand another person’s suffering makes it possible to share the depths of humanity on the page. Without this trait, stories would simply be words on a page, and writers wouldn’t be able to connect to their readers. Empathy and emotion are what connects us to each other.

Self-discipline and commitment. Dedication is the name of the game. Without commitment to the craft, most writers wouldn’t jot down a single word. Writing takes discipline to keep writing even when you don’t feel like it or when your heart isn’t in your story. Commitment shows you’re willing to work at your craft and to keep learning and growing. That’s why most experts advise writing a little every day to keep those skills fresh and to maintain momentum. It may not be your best work on that day, but it’s better than not writing at all. After all, you can’t edit a blank page.

A passionate belief in their story. One of the most overlooked traits of a writer is belief – belief in the story and belief in yourself. Belief is the foundation for your writing, much like the cement foundation that is laid when building a house. Without belief, you wouldn’t be willing to set aside time from your already busy lives to create stories. Not only must you believe in your talent and storytelling ability, you must believe in the story you want to tell. Without that belief, your story isn’t likely to come to life.

Risk taking. I’ve written about this before that writers are natural risk takers. They take risks with their writing, constantly experimenting with plot structures, story development, genre mashups, and characters. Every time they sit down to write, they’re taking a risk with their time and schedule too, hoping that the time they put in eventually pays off with a finished product they can be proud of.

Book editor Tiffany Yates Martin said it best when she compared writing to buying a lottery ticket. “Think of your stories as lottery tickets – with each one, you’re creating the chance to hit the jackpot, but there are no guarantees and the odds aren’t in your favor.”

Still writers persist because they love what they do – to craft stories that they hope people will read.

What do you think? Do you have all these traits, or only a few of them? Are there other traits you think are essential for successful writers? 

Where to Find Fresh Story Ideas in Your Own Neighborhood

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Many years ago, I was enjoying a late lunch in a food court across the street from where I worked at the time. As I sat down to eat, my attention was drawn to a young couple sitting at a nearby table who were in the midst of a spat. I wasn’t close enough to hear what they were saying, but I could tell from the woman’s raised voice, her harsh tone of voice and her gesturing that they were arguing about something. Oh, to be a fly at that table to hear what she was saying to her male friend, who was trying in vain to calm her down. Even better to be a writer to capture the essence of their argument and re-write the exchange as part of a current work-in-progress.

Sometimes the best ideas come from your immediate surroundings or your neighborhood. This is especially helpful for those times when you feel stuck in your writing. You can find story inspiration anywhere, of course, but your neighborhood is chock full of unique settings and individuals that can spark your imagination. The key is being aware of your environment and making note of what you see and hear.

Here’s how to find story ideas in your own neighborhood:

* Sit alone with nature.

If you’re lucky to have a porch or patio, sit out there first thing in the morning or in the evening. (If you don’t have a porch, patio or backyard, the nearest garden or park will suffice.) In the quietness of the morning especially, watch the world around you. What do you notice? Watch the sky as the sun rises higher and notice how the colors change. Observe the way the trees and shrubs move as the breeze blows. Watch as the birds flutter past and the squirrels chase each other.

Also notice the sounds – dogs barking, the buzz of insects, the whoosh of the wind. Do these sights and sounds inspire you or help you recall a memory? Jot down your observations and note how they make you feel. Use these observations to create memorable descriptions in your prose. While this exercise may not generate any story ideas per se, they can help tune into the tiniest of details and bring them to life on the page.

* Notice your physical surroundings.

The next step beyond sitting alone with nature is to notice your physical surroundings. Check out the buildings in your neighborhood, streetscapes, sculptures and murals. Is a neighbor’s house freshly painted or is the paint chipping and falling off? Is their lawn taken care of or is it overgrown with weeds? A house with a wraparound porch might exude a different mood than one with a few stone steps and a broken window. What kind of building is the central library located in? The mayor’s office? The hospital? Are there any notable public art like sculptures or murals? What is the story behind them? The physical surroundings might conjure up a unique story idea or simply provide an intriguing backdrop to a scene.

* Become a people watcher.

You can learn a lot about a person just by watching them from a distance. Head to the local park, an outdoor cafe or some other public place, then make yourself invisible and watch people as they stroll past you. Note how they dress – casual, business, formal or eclectic. Where do you think they might be headed dressed as they are?

Are they carrying anything with them, like a backpack or a laundry basket? Imagine what their story might be. What’s inside their backpack? Are they carrying books for school or a change of clothes because they’re sleeping over at a friend’s house – or something more sinister like a stolen artifact from a historical site? An elderly woman carrying a shopping bag, for example, might have finished her grocery shopping or she might be transporting contraband. (Hey, you never know). Watching people can inspire all sorts of crazy ideas about characters and their mysterious comings and goings.

* Eavesdrop on conversations.

While watching people can be fun, so can eavesdropping, whether intentional or not. You can pick up some fascinating tidbits about people’s lives when you overhear two people talking. It can be fun to pretend that you’re busy doing one thing, like reading a book or gardening, when what you’re really doing is listening to an old married couple squabble over their breakfast. Note not only what people say but how they say it. The tone of voice can say as much, maybe more, than the words they use. Eavesdropping can be a useful skill when trying to write dialogue too.

* Explore interesting places of significance.

Every town and city has its landmarks and points of interest that can serve as an interesting backdrop for stories. City skylines can provide breathtaking views, perfect for a romantic rendezvous on a rooftop deck or conversely, that same deck can be the scene of a grisly murder or a VIP’s kidnapping.

Consider a popular ball park, a cemetery where numerous historic figures are buried, or  a famous art museum can all provide intriguing settings, whether that story is a mystery, a psychological thriller, historical fiction or modern romance. So the next time you walk around your neighborhood, visit the most significant places that you know of. It just might spark an idea for enhancing your work.

* Explore your town’s history.

Where there’s a town, there’s history. Chicago has plenty of that – the great Chicago fire, the World’s Fair of 1893, the blizzard of 1967. History supplies numerous story ideas, but sometimes it’s the side stories, the subplots and secondary characters that’s worth writing about. Learn more about your town’s history. Check out your local library for research or visit the historical society. You’re bound to come across someone from your town’s history no one knows about, or an event that went largely unnoticed. Whatever piques your interest is likely to have storytelling value.

The next time you feel stuck with your writing, take a walk in your neighborhood. You may just come across an idea that’s worth writing about.

Writing a Novel Summary

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Last week, I wrote about drafting a novel synopsis as a means of working out plot issues. A synopsis is a detailed account of your novel complete with inciting incident, plot development, climax, resolution. Yes, it also includes all the spoilers. Most agents and editors require a synopsis when you pitch your manuscript. You can check out that post here.

A lot of folks confuse the synopsis with the plot summary, which is a shorter description of the plot. While a synopsis can be anywhere from two to five pages in length, a summary is usually several paragraphs and it doesn’t give away the ending. There are no spoilers with a summary. Check out this video presentation from Reedsy, which provides a clear explanation of each.

If you’re still confused, check out the book descriptions on Amazon and Goodreads or browse the back of books in a bookstore or library. You’ll find the plot summary there. In three paragraphs, the summary describes the main plot and primary characters, the problem they’re trying to solve and the stakes they face. The summary’s purpose is to pique the interest of readers without giving away the ending.

The plot summary has several common elements, described below. I’ve also included a couple of examples:

* The first paragraph introduces the protagonist, showcases their world and what they desire. The inciting incident sets the story into motion and hints at the conflict that the protagonist faces.

From The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick:

“Mother of two Live Green barely scrapes by as a maid to make ends meet, often finding escape in a good book while daydreaming of becoming a writer herself. So she can’t believe her luck when she lands a job housekeeping for her personal hero, mega bestselling author Essie  Starling, a mysterious and intimidating recluse. The last thing Live expected was to be the only person Essie talks to, which leads to a tenuous friendship.”

From The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi:

“Escaping from an arranged and an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way from her 1950s rural village to the vibrant pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the henna artist–and confidante–most in demand by the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own.”

* The second paragraph describes the core plot and conflict without giving away the ending.

From The Messy Lives of Book People:

“When Essie passes away suddenly, Liv is astonished to learn that Essie’s dying wish is for Liv to complete her final novel. But to do so, Liv will have to step into Essie’s shoes.”

From The Henna Artist:

“Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow–a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that Lakshmi has carefully cultivated is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those who surround her as she does.”

* The third paragraph, which may only be one sentence, hints at the resolution and how it might impact the protagonist’s future.

“As Liv begins to write, she uncovers secrets from the past that reveal a surprising connection between the two women – one that will change Liv’s own story forever.”

“Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern, The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel.”

With each of these examples, you can see the progression of the plot summary, the description of the character, their desire, and what gets in the way of their achieving that desire. But also note how the summaries don’t give away the resolution, but only hints at its potential impact on the protagonist.

Try this exercise: As you work on your current manuscript, draft a summary using the three-step formula above. Preparing a plot summary can not only help you refine your plot, it can be used to pitch to potential editors and agents. 

How to Stop Overthinking Your Story

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By nature, most writers are overthinkers. We’re wired to question every aspect of our story. We look at the plot from every angle, figure out character goals and motivations, and then create an ending that ties up all the loose ends in a reasonable and satisfying way. Overthinking, you could say, is part of the creation process.

Problems occur when overthinking interferes with your ability to produce meaningful work. Or as one person recently suggested: “I’m not overthinking; I’m pre-solving problems that don’t exist yet.”

You know you’re overthinking your story when one of the following situations occur:

* You review and edit sections of your manuscript to make it “Just right” before you can finish the story.
* You abandon a project because it didn’t live up to your initial vision.
* You spend too much time researching and planning your story before actually writing it.
* You plotted the story down to the tiniest details, and after writing it, it sounds stiff and boring
* You plotted yourself into a corner and now can’t figure out how to fix it
* You’re more focused on the language of the story rather than the storytelling aspect
* You’re constantly comparing yourself to other writers and feeling that you fall short

Overthinking occurs when you’re “swimming in circles of self-criticism or perfectionism,” writes fantasy author K.M. Weiland. “[But] if you’re asking good questions, you’re not overthinking.”

She adds that overthinking is caused by two possible factors: lack of knowledge about storytelling and perfectionism.

The lack of knowledge can be rectified by reviewing the basics of story structure and character development so when you review your own work, you can notice what’s not working and fix it.

Perfectionism is a little tougher to overcome. Overthinking born out of perfectionism can be tiring and exhausting as you go over the same ground over and over. Questions you ask yourself may be more generic and focused on your performance as a writer than the performance of the story. For example, “does this paragraph sound right?”, “Is this the right word to use in this scene?” Or “What was I thinking when I wrote this section?” More often than not, these thoughts only trigger your insecurities and do nothing to improve your writing, Weiland says.

Fortunately, there are ways to halt the overthinking cycle, or at least minimize it, so you don’t get stuck in wasteful activity. Try one of these methods to see if you can stop overthinking your story.

1. Use word sprints. Author and book coach Janice Hardy says word sprints are designed to ignore the internal editor or critic. All you do is write without stopping to think. Just pick a length of time, say 20 minutes, then write as fast as you can without lifting your pen off the page (if handwriting) or stopping from typing to read what you wrote. Don’t worry about typos or misspelled words or how it sounds. Sure, it will be messy, but Hardy says “it’s a way to train yourself to ignore editing as you go.”

2. Use alternative methods of drafting. Many writers draft on the computer, but that can also lead to constant revision and deletion because it’s easy to backtrack to correct your ideas or start over. I usually draft my stories by handwriting. It might seem like a waste of time to some, but I find I’m more focused and the words flow more freely from my brain to the page. I’m also less apt to fix a word or question what I wrote.

Another option is dictation. Some mobile devices have a built-in feature that allows you to record words making it easy to draft a story wherever you go. If you don’t have that recording feature, check out apps that you can download that will let you do the same thing. 

3. Keep learning about your craft. When you understand more about plotting, character arcs and story structure, you’ll analyze your writing with sharper instincts about what to look for. You’ll be able to identify the problem areas without getting stuck in pointless “what if” cycles of overthinking. You’ll move forward with your story with greater confidence and ease.

4. Turn off your screen as you type. If you’re drafting on your computer and you’re easily distracted by pop-up alerts, emails, and other tech stuff, it might be a good idea to turn off the screen, suggests Hardy. Sure, you’re typing blindly, but you won’t have the temptation to stop what you’re writing to re-read something which can lead to editing or deleting it. That’s how the cycle of overthinking begins.

5. Set aside your story for a few days. That time and distance will give your brain a rest.  Instead, read a favorite author, take a mini-vacation or engage in a hobby. Sometimes shifting gears allows your brain to become more relaxed so a solution to your story problem can show up. Plus reading a favorite author can re-ignite your passion for writing.

6. Develop a healthier relationship with your inner critic. Sad to say, but our inner critic is here to stay. Look at the positive things it can do, such as warning you not to turn in your article until you’ve proofread your work one more time. But it can also wreak havoc when you’re in drafting mode and you’re trying to put words on the page. Somehow you have to make peace with the inner critic, acknowledge its presence but also set some ground rules for when it should appear, such as only during the revision stage when you need its sharp eye.

As Weiland reminds us: “A healthy inner critic guides us toward legitimate growth and improvement, while a toxic inner critic only tears us and our work down.”

Most importantly, trust the creative process, especially during the drafting phase when it’s more important to get your ideas down on the page or screen. No writing is ever perfect so don’t expect it to be. Aim for being good enough.

Overthinking in and of itself is not a bad thing, but it can hinder your progress as a writer. When you tone down the excessive cycling and useless questioning, you’ll get more writing done.

How to Connect with Readers in Four Simple Steps

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It’s often said that to be a successful writer, it’s important to connect with readers. That’s true, whether you’re writing nonfiction, memoir or fiction. Connecting with readers through social media and marketing newsletters is one thing, but connecting with them through story telling requires a different mindset and skills set.

Think of this connection another way, more like a partnership or collaboration. Each party brings certain skills and experiences to the table. That collaborative experience occurs during the actual reading of the book when the reader is consuming the author’s words. The two partners create the story together: readers with their imagination, and writers with their pen.

You can’t have the story without the reader in mind. Readers are always looking for good stories to consume. They want to love the stories you write, and they can’t wait to be your partner.

Think about your own reading experience. Which authors resonated with you? Which ones drew you into their stories, made you follow along on the protagonist’s journey, to feel their pain and joy? That is the value of the writer-reader connection. That is what it looks like and feels like, and that is what we, as writers, should strive to achieve.

In this collaborative relationship, writers contribute the following:

* Creativity and imagination, a spark of an idea for the story in the first place.
* Sweat equity and perseverance to get the story done
* Their heart to provide the emotional depth
* Life experience to tap into to make the story relatable for their readers

Readers provide the following:

* Time away from their daily tasks to immerse themselves in the author’s work
* A desire to be educated or entertained or to simply escape into a different world.
* Life experience that contributes, and sometimes enhances, their understanding of the stories they’re reading.

Fantasy author K.M. Weiland describes this partnership this way:

“Our job is to guide the readers’ imagination, but it’s their job to put their imagination to work in the first place. The story that their minds project will never be exactly the one we, not to mention their fellow readers, see.”

As writers, how do you connect with readers? There are four steps to achieve this.

1. Understand readers’ expectations of your genre. Each genre has certain required elements and story structure. Without them, most stories fail to appeal to readers. For example, in contemporary rom-coms, readers expect a light-hearted tone, playful banter between the love interests and a happy ending. Without those elements, you can’t truly call it a romance and readers will be disappointed. To connect with readers, make sure you live up to their expectations and give them what they want.

2. Create relatable characters. Or more specifically, a protagonist they can believe in and relate to, one they are willing to follow on their journey. Give characters a flaw or two, make them face problems on the way to achieving their goals, and give them talents that will help them overcome those obstacles. Make readers care about your characters.

Book coach Karyn Fischer suggests giving your protagonist a quirk or unique personality feature to make them stand out, such as an odd-looking tattoo that has a personal meaning to them or an ability to do magic tricks. Those features or talents make them memorable. 

3. Create emotional tension. Stories laden with emotion can leave a lasting impression on readers. That emotion can be created with conflict, opposing goals, secrets, danger, high stakes, even romantic tension. For example, the depth of emotion in The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is what makes that novel so memorable and why many readers name it as one of their favorites.

4. Consider readers’ life experience. As part of the collaboration between writers and readers, life experience plays a big role. Writers tap into their own life experience to create their stories, but so do readers, who use their life experience to acknowledge the experiences of the characters. Writers may not know what their readers have gone through in their personal lives, but they can create stories with common themes that most people have experienced, such as grief and loss, career achievement, friendship, self-doubt, community and hopefulness. It is this shared experience that can create the best connections with readers. 

Writing might be a solo endeavor, but readers are also part of the journey. When you think of story telling as a shared experience between writer and reader, you won’t feel so alone when you write your next story.

Books to Read for Hispanic Heritage Month

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Every so often, I like to share a list of reading recommendations–books I’ve either read or would like to read. Usually, they’re focused on a specific genre or location.

For example, in August 2024, to go along with the Summer Olympics in Paris, I shared a list of books by French authors or stories that took place in France. Earlier that same year in March 2024, I posted a list of books by Irish authors or with settings in Ireland to go along with St. Patrick’s Day..

As Hispanic Heritage Month gets underway, I thought it would be fun to compile a list of books by Hispanic authors or set in Spanish-speaking countries. The list covers a range of genres from literary and historical fiction to magic realism and romance. What I appreciate most about these stories are the unique characters and colorful settings. The true magic is in the storytelling, which brings the Hispanic heritage to life on the page.

I’ve broken the list into two sections: books I’ve read and books I’d like to read. Perhaps you’ve read these books yourself or have your own favorites to share. I welcome them in your comments.

Books I’ve Read

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya.  I first heard about this book when it landed on PBS’ The Great American Read list of must-read books several years ago. It’s a coming-of-age story about a young boy’s spiritual transformation, guided by his mentor, an elderly medicine woman. I found the story fascinating. As with many stories written by Latino authors, there’s plenty of magic and surrealism. The book has been banned in some locations because of its Spanish profanity and occult themes.

Like Water, For Chocolate by Laura Esquival. I remember seeing this as a movie so I wanted to read the novel too. It has romance, magic and tragedy featuring an all-female family. Youngest daughter Tita has fallen in love with Pedro, but cannot marry him because Mexican tradition requires that she must stay and care for her mother until she dies. To stay close to Tita, Pedro marries her older sister. Meanwhile, Tita pours all her unresolved emotions into her cooking, which makes for some interesting results. 

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It’s been a long time since I’ve read this book, which is considered a modern classic. It’s the story of a shepherd boy named Santiago who yearns to travel the world and the treasures he finds along the way. It’s a story about longing, the wisdom of listening to our hearts and learning to follow our dreams. I may have to re-read this one.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra (Esperanza) Cisneros. Written by Chicagoan Sandra Cisneros and structured as a series of vignettes, this novel appeared on The Great American Read list and is considered a modern classic. It follows 12-year-old Esperanza, a Chicano girl growing up in a Hispanic neighborhood of Chicago over the course of one year where she enters adolescence and faces the realities of living in a poor and patriarchal community.

In The Time of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. I loved this historical fiction novel about the four Mirabel sisters who fought back against the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. Written from their four different perspectives, their bond as sisters and family grew even as the world they once knew fell apart.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez. This Young Adult novel features a young girl Julia dealing with the loss of her older sister and the pressures and expectations of her family, particularly her overprotective mother. Instead, Julia has dreams of her own, including moving out of her neighborhood to explore the world.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I’ve had this book on my shelf for the past year, and I’m finally getting around to reading it. Though I’m only a couple of chapters in, I am enjoying it so far. The book is described as a blend of creepy horror and classic gothic tropes, set in a crumbling mansion in the mountains of Mexico in the 1950s. It’s earned high praise from critics and readers alike, so naturally I want to read what the excitement is about.

Books to Read on My TBR Shelf

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez. This title lands at the top of almost every must-read list. It’s been sitting on my shelf for several years and I haven’t opened it yet because I find the size (more than 500 pages) is rather daunting.

In The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez. This one is also on my shelf. I tried to read it once, but it was at the start of the pandemic. The plot was too much like what we were all going through at the time.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent by Julia Alvarez. The follow up to In The Time of the Butterflies, this story spans 30 years in the lives of four sisters, told from their different perspectives, as they begin their adult lives in the United States. The cool thing about this novel is that the story is told in reverse chronological order with the story concluding in their native Dominican Republic as children.

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas. For a change of pace from the somber tones and serious themes of previous works, here comes a rom-com I’m looking forward to reading. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be invited to a wedding in Spain?

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. This novel has been on my wish list for several years. Combining elements of romance and magic realism, this title appears on many must-read book lists and has received praise from readers and critics alike.

Of Love and Shadows by Isabel Allende. Of Allende’s many other published works, this is next in line to read behind The House of the Spirits.

Romance, mystery and magic are hallmarks of these stories, which makes them more fun to read.

Neither a Plotter Nor a Pantser? Try Becoming a Puzzler

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Writers usually fall into one of two categories: the plotter or the pantser.

Plotters prefer to plan out every aspect of their stories ahead of time, from the setting, character, theme, structure. They will plot out every scene from the opening paragraph to the final resolution. They have to know every detail in advance before starting to write. Plotting allows writers to view their story from all detailed angles. They know exactly what they want to write before writing it.

I’ve tried this plotting approach once before early in my fiction writing. It was the first story I attempted to write. I quickly gave up on it because I found it limiting. My plotting didn’t allow for new characters to show up, and I struggled to find the right place in the story for new scenes as I thought of them.

Still there are plenty of authors who have plotted their way to success. Fantasy author K.M. Weiland is a big proponent of outlining and story structure, and goes into a deep dive on these subjects on her blog. She’s also written several books about plotting if you want to learn more.

One disadvantage I see is the extra time it takes to get the details “just right.” It can take the wind out of your creative sails too. By the time you’re done plotting, you could lose interest in your story because you feel you’ve already written it in plotting form.

But not every writer works that way.

Then there are the pantsers . . .
I always believed I was a pantser, also known as a discovery writer, because I enjoyed discovering my story as I wrote. With only a vague sense of main characters and a few scene ideas, pantsers tend to begin writing if only to see where the story takes them, or whether there’s a story at all.

The advantage of writing by the “seat of your pants” is that it gives the imagination free rein. The story, without the limits of plotting, can go in a multitude of directions, and it can be fun to discover new characters and settings that you didn’t think of initially. Writers feel free to explore their story world without the limitations of a set of rules or structure.

The downside, however, is that by the end of the drafting phase, what writers have is a ton of material with no cohesiveness between scenes, characters or plot. That only makes the editing phase much harder because there’s so much material to dig through, and much of it will land on the cutting room floor anyway. As I quickly learned, pantsers usually have to do several rewrites to get the story to where you want it to be, which can be a drain on time and energy, not to mention patience.

What if you’re neither a pantser nor a plotter – or you’re a little of both?
While I’ve experimented with both of these approaches, I realized that I don’t fit neatly in either one. While I love exploring plots and characters organically, I also recognize that I need to plot my story to some extent so I know where it’s going. Otherwise, I’m only spinning my wheels, editing and rewriting sections until they feel right.

Enter Puzzling.

The Novel Smithy Lewis Jorstad explains that puzzling works by bringing elements of plotting and pantsing together.  For example, perhaps you have a brilliant story concept and can visualize several scenes in your mind, have a rough idea of characters and an inkling of how it will end. Using index cards or post-it notes, jot down each individual scene – one idea per card. You may not think of every scene right off the bat. You may only have three or four scenes to start. But that’s okay. What you are doing is creating a puzzle with various pieces that will eventually fit together. This is the discovery part.

Once you have a collection of scenes on index cards (or post-it notes), spread them all out on a table or tape to the wall so you can see them all at a glance. Then rearrange them in the order you think they should go. This is the plotting aspect.

Once the cards are in some story order, review them again. Note if there are any gaps in the sequence. Wherever there is a gap, insert a card indicating a scene to come.

The advantage to puzzling is that it allows you to generate scenes on the go. You don’t have to think of every scene before writing. You can write the scenes you do know, knowing the rest will come eventually. You don’t have to follow any structural rules.

Even while drafting, you may still come up with new scenes. When that happens, jot them down on a card and insert them where you think they might fit in the story. You can add or delete scenes and change the order of them as you go along. It gives you more control and flexibility than a straight plotting structure, which can be limiting to those who want to give their imagination free rein.

Another benefit is the ability to review your story at a glance scene-by-scene and make adjustments to the timeline. You can also identify which scenes are the key plot points of your novel.  I suspect this approach results in fewer rewrites.

Are there any downsides? So far, I haven’t found any, though I just started working with it for my current work in progress. In the short time I’ve been using this puzzler approach, I’ve learned a few things:

  1. It has helped me maintain my interest in the story. With previous approaches, I’ve invariably lost interest in my manuscript and given up on it, or got lost in the muddling middle.
  2. It allows me to assess my scene sequence and rearrange them as I see fit, without  having to rewrite anything.
  3. It helps me stay focused on one scene at a time. With one scene per card, I know what I’m writing next and I’m not left staring at a blank screen. The cards give me a clue and keep me on track.

    If you’ve tried plotting or pantsing, and they haven’t provided the results you want, give puzzling a try. You may find that being a puzzler makes you a more productive writer.  

Story Telling with a French Twist

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment

(Image generated by AI).

Ever since I took French in high school, I’ve been in love with the French culture. During those four years under two different teachers, I learned about France through its music, art, literature and food. I learned to love the French Impressionists artists, like Renoir, Cezanne and Monet. We listened to classic ballads by Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour.  As a class, we read The Little Prince (or should I say Le Petit Prince) by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. En francais, of course.

My high school experience culminated in a trip to Paris my senior year with my French teacher and classmates. We visited Montmarte, where a young artist drew my portrait. We toured Notre Dame and the Louvre, and we visited several chateaus outside Paris. And of course, there was always the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomph in the background wherever we went. It was a memorable time.

That French influence is still with me several decades later. As an adult, I gravitate toward stories that take place in Paris or have a French theme. Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George are among my favorites. Some of the classics like Gustav Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (this time in English) aren’t so bad either.

With the Summer Olympics well underway in Paris, it seems fitting to devote this week’s post to the novels that have been inspired by that beautiful city. My lists only scratch the surface, however. There are hundreds of novels set in France, which you can find on Goodreads or at your local bookstore or library.

Without further ado, here are my book lists featuring the City of Lights.

Contemporary novels that I’ve read and recommend to my fellow readers::
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
The Little French Bistro by Nina George
The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Marais
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

I’m currently reading Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky, a French Jew who was captured by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz, where she later died. This novel was hidden and unknown for 64 years.

Contemporary novels set in France that are either currently on my shelf or on my wish list:
All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
The Paris Apartment – Lucy Foley
The Paris Orphan – Natasha Lester
A Caribbean Princess in Paris – Adriana Herrera

Of course, we cannot forget the classics:

Victor Hugo, Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables
Alexander Dumas, The Three Muskateers, The Count of Monte Cristo.
Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Charles Perrault. You may not have heard his name, but you know his fairy tales—Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots and Little Red Riding Hood.
Gustav Flaubert. Madame Bovary
Beauty & the Beast originally written by Gabrielle Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve.

(Forget the Disney version. In the original version, Belle has three brothers and two sisters. There’s no Gaston, no magic and no curses on the palace staff.  Still it is an enduring story. Check out this film version released in 2014.)

While France resonates so much with me, you might have your own city or country that you gravitate toward with your reading choices. London? Greece? Italy? Asia? What is your favorite city or country to read about?

Entertain Readers with “Fish out of Water” Stories

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment

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

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
Photo by Mihai Stefan Photography on Pexels.com

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.