Before I get on to today's lesson, I am going to do a little survey in honor of National Novel Writing Month. "Ugh! Surveys! I hate those!" I can hear you all saying that, but this one will be fun and you get a prize just for participating! "What? A prize? Okay, tell me more." Is that what I'm hearing now? Anyone who participates, and all questions must be answered, gets to read a short synopsis of my next novel before it's out! In the Name of Revenge is in the hands of my agent, looking for a home. I'm willing to give all participants a leg-up on what's to come. You will be among the first to read what it's all about!
Now that I have your attention, I'm going to get on with the survey:
Q1. Are you published?
Q2. If the answer to Q1 is no, are you working on a novel? If not, do you have any desire to write?
Q3. If the answer to Q1 is yes, what genre do you write in and what is the name of your novel?
Q4. If you have a published novel or if you are working on one, what inspired you to write it?
Q5. If you are published, are you POD, self-published or with a traditional publisher?
Q6. If you are published, did you go directly through a publisher or did you use an agent?
Q7. Give me your thoughts on a writing process. It can be about anything to do with one or more lessons I've already given in my blog, including the one included in this blog.However, your answer to this question can not be substituted for your blog comments. I still want to see your comments! You can click on the Archives to see the lessons to refresh your memory or read those you haven't yet.
Characters - Believability
•When writing, you can tell your reader that a character is irritable and mean, but if you do not show why that is so, the reader will not just accept it as true and will actually feel put off because he or she feels cheated; the reader has not been shown why the character is the way he or she is. Author Rick DeMarinis in The Art & Craft of the Short Story says, “…the main objective of dialogue are to reveal character, to bring relationships into sharp focus, and to advance the story.” (159-160).¹
•DeMarinis points out, “Scenes…put the characters on stage where we can see them. We hear them talk, watch them move, experience their milieu. When the characters are on stage, they reveal themselves in ways a narrator cannot.” (159).² These characters then become believable.
1,2 DeMarinis, Rick. The Art & Craft of the Short Story. Ohio: Story Press, 2000.
Okay, give me some believable characters. I'm waiting to see what you can all do!
By the way, are you anticipating the guest blogger that will be coming up? Don't forget to join me in welcoming a literary agent. No, I'm not revealing his or her name yet. You'll have to wait!
Starr Reina
