A beat, a beat, what the bubble is a beat in a story? My imagination, when I first heard this term, was a beating, but no. A beat is a moment in time in a story where discoveries or actions cause forward momentum. Discoveries – things we learn – are changes in knowledge. Decisions – … Continue reading A Beat in A Beat
writing tips
How to Make the Most of a Beta Reader
They're going to offer feedback, but if they don't know what you want, it may not be as useful as you'd like. Make it easy on them. Give a list of questions at the end, or at the end of chapters/scenes. Some things are going to be specific about the story, but a lot will … Continue reading How to Make the Most of a Beta Reader
Who Writes History?
Another question first: Why are there so many stories with the same cultural background? That's the question that relates to the main question. It may not appear to make sense, but think about it. As an example: The Romans travelled the world, conquering and spreading their stories, adapting the local cultural stories to include Roman … Continue reading Who Writes History?
Suspense
The difference between the three main blocks of story lumps and bumps (Conflict, Tension, and Suspense) are subtle. Sort of. Conflict is the external, Tension is the internal, but Suspense is anticipation. In effect, Tension and Suspense are related, but more like third cousins than siblings. What does that mean? It means the reader is … Continue reading Suspense
Conflict –> Tension
It's an expectation that a story will be filled with conflict and tension, but what does it mean? What is the difference? How to outline it in a plan? Let's start with the big player in the game: Conflict Conflict is the trouble caused by the things that get in the way of a goal. … Continue reading Conflict –> Tension
FFF — the Answer!
The dilemma of how to use Freeze, Flight, Fight responses with Motivation, Response Units has an answer (yes, it’s also part of cause and effect). There is something that happens onstage, in the now of the story. It’s called an event, a motivation, a cause. Something happens and it can be seen, heard, felt. That’s … Continue reading FFF — the Answer!
What’s in a Name?
For a writer, the answer is simple. Quite a lot. A name means so much more than a label to indicate who's talking. The name part of the writing process takes me longer than the pre-planning. Okay, a bit misleading. I write a few beat sheets that may or may not have characters with names … Continue reading What’s in a Name?
The Story Process Posts – Again
The original posts are still in place, but I'm replacing the full output here (sans the final try at a first scene). This new version is slightly better laid out, in my view, but if you'd like to see it done another way, let me know. Cheers. First, an intro: This is what I do … Continue reading The Story Process Posts – Again
Conflict, suspense, and tension
(Okay, let's just pretend it's Friday and I'm doing my weekly update on the subject that came up several weeks ago) (The pic comes from Fandango and his Flash Fiction Challenge, except I'm not writing fiction -- or am I?) photo from Nicolae_Balt at Pixabay.com. Conflict: See that balloon? The conflict comes from the character … Continue reading Conflict, suspense, and tension
How to get to the Starting Point
And it's not because I forgot it was Friday again. It's about stories. Where the open lies, where the build happens, how it all crashes together to form an ending. I use a couple of methods to get the shape of the story. The first thing I do is a paragraph about the idea. A … Continue reading How to get to the Starting Point
Cage Dunn - Fibber, Fabricator, Teller-of-Tall-Tales 