Understanding Plot and Story Structure

Stories (novels, movies, television shows, and plays) are comprised of three key elements: Characters, Setting, and Conflict.

All three elements work together to create the journey. That journey is the story your audience will  immerse themselves in.

Setting and Characters with no Conflict is boring.
Characters cannot act out or experience their Conflict without a Setting to do it in.
All three elements must be developed fully.

START BY BUILDING A BELIEVABLE WORLD FOR YOUR CHARACTERS TO LIVE IN.

You must have a sense of your world as a physical place if you want your characters to exist within it.
A character’s world plays a huge part in forming who they are. Characters are products of their environment.
Take inspiration from the world you live in, and decide how similar or different you want your fictional world to be.

• Geography
• Environment
• Society
• Religion
• Politics
• History

CHARACTERS DO NOT HAVE TO BE LIKE-ABLE BUT THEY DO NEED TO BE REAL!

As their creator you must understand what makes your characters tick, so you know how they'll react to the conflict you throw at them.
Know your characters. Create a character bible or rule book to establish their individual personalities. Understand their likes and dislikes. What motivates them? What are their goals and aspirations? Know what role they are meant to fill within your story.
If you write a character who does terrible things without any reason, readers will not connect with those characters..
Get your reader to understand why your character is doing something —good or bad — and they'll be more likely to support and root for your character. (Even if that character is morally ambiguous.)

REAL CHARACTERS RELY ON READER EMPATHY

A character is endearing when they mirror us in some way. 

They have “Like Me” Qualities. 

▪ Have Flaws / Quirks

▪ Bad Days / React Poorly to Their Situation

▪ Have Fears and Phobias

▪ Have Dreams and Aspirations 

CONFLICT IS THE KEY TO DEVELOPING CHARACTERS

▪Choose a conflict that matters to the characters.
A relationship between two people breaking down can be just as important as the fate of the entire universe. 
▪Employ internal and external conflict to create tension.
Tension is strongest when it attacks from within as well as outside of your character.
▪Create multiple sources of tension.
We all deal with conflict and tension from multiple sources, and your characters shouldn’t be different.
▪Keep raising the stakes.
Your characters need a challenge. They should try and fail a number of times. No easy wins.

SETTING + CHARACTERS + CONFLICT = PLOT

PLOT THEME
The combination of the three key elements with a primary theme (one large conflict) that sets the story in motion.

Overcoming The Monster (rebellion)
Defeat an antagonistic force (often evil) which threatens the protagonist and/or protagonist's homeland.

Rags To Riches
The poor protagonist acquires power, wealth, and/or a mate, loses it all and gains it back, growing as a person as a result.

Hero’s Journey
The protagonist goes to a strange land and, after defeating the villain, returns with experience.

Rebirth
An event forces the main character to change their ways and become a better person.

Underdog (sports / heist / contest)
A loner or outcast with a special talent. Joins a group who needs their special talent. Group conflict threatens to break them up, but they come together in the end to win the day.
The Quest
The protagonist and companions set out to acquire an important object or to get to a location. They face temptations and other obstacles along the way.

Comedy
Light and humorous, conflict becoming more confusing and ridiculous until characters triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion.

Tragedy
The protagonist's character flaw or great mistake leads to their undoing.

PLOT STRUCTURE

The order of plot elements as they play off each other during the course of the story.

THREE-ACT STRUCTURE

ACT I

EXPOSITION
OPENING IMAGE
        Snapshot of the Main Characters Normal life.
STORY THEME REVEALED
        What is the theme of the story? What expectations can we set up?
        SET UP THE JOURNEY
        What will the Main Character need to do to reach the goal of the story?

RISING ACTION
DEBATE
        The journey will be scary. Will the Main Character go?
CATALYST
        Something forces the Main Character to go on the journey.

ACT 2

RISING ACTION (CONTINUED)

THE CHOICE

        The Main Character chooses to go on the journey.

PROMISE OF PREMISE

        The journey is not what was expected. Harder.  

B STORY

        Side quest or strength given to Main Character to continue on the journey through Secondary Character interaction or support. 

CLIMAX

       TWIST. KINK IN THE PLAN.

       False victory or early defeat.

       BAD GUYS CLOSE IN 

       Enemies are everywhere. Infighting happening with Main Character and Allies. 

ACT 3

FALLING ACTION
All seems lost. Huge Defeat. Rock Bottom. Can the MC recover and get back on track?

RESOLUTION

DIG DEEP 

        Find a new, better plan. Choose to continue fighting.

REASSEMBLE THE TROOPS

        Set up the final confrontation.

FINALE

        The big win! Reward. Celebration. Character reflection on what happened.

For the full Seminar on StoryCraft and Understanding Plot and Story Structure, please visit my YouTube Channel. 

Does Your Character have a Resume?

Character Bio's are important.

You have to know your character before you can write them. If you don't you'll end up writing a flat, cookie-cutter, person.

You don't want that, do you?

Of course not!

So, how do we get to know these fictional characters we just pulled out of thin air?

We give them a life and history all their own.

The simplest way to do this is to give them a resume. Pretend they're sitting down in front of you, applying to be part of your story.

Start with the basics. (beyond the image stuff, which I assume you have already come up with; hair color, eye color, skin color, height, etc...)

What is their full name?
How old are they?
Where do they live?
How long have they lived there?
Did they ever attend school? If so, where? (I write vampires, so school could mean listening to the great Socrates, discuss philosophy back in the A.D. days)
Any specialized degrees or skills?
Previous work history? (the jobs we do help to shape us as much as our education. Did your character have to work some menial job they hated? Were they some high-powered executive? For fantasy stories, rulers of Kingdoms and peasants count as well)

Now, once you have the basics out of the way. Ask your "applicant", what qualifies them to be a character in your story?

Are they applying for a main character or a secondary character position?
What special powers and/or abilities do they have?
Ask them to list one good and one bad quality about themselves.

And finally, your character needs to provide references! What kind of friends do they have? What is their family like? Do they have any enemies that they wouldn't want listed on a resume? List a few of those people in their life, both good and bad.

If you (or your character) can answer all of these questions, you will be off to a great start. The goal is to have a character that not only feels real to you, but reads as a real person to your audience.

A background and history help to create that "real" feeling that can make your character jump off the page and become someone your readers will want to follow on their journey.

Lessons Writers can learn from the 11th Season of Doctor Who: Balance Strange and Familiar.

As the 11^th season of Doctor Who comes to a close I feel I can safely discuss it without fear of giving away too many spoilers.

Being a fan of the series for some time now I’ve learned to love the brilliance of a story that has an ever-changing main character. The Doctor remains so in name with each incarnation but there is no doubt that each new actor filling those extremely large shoes brings a new element to the story, revitalizing it.

It’s not just the actor(s) though that bring the iconic character to life. A whole team of writers are behind them, working to balance a foreign element (new actor, new situations) with the familiar elements viewers know and love.

That struggle is never more prevalent than in the first season of a newly regenerated Doctor.

I, like many other avid fans, rabidly awaited the reveal of Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor while hoping to see elements of her predecessors to help ground her with the fanbase. To that end, I felt a bit let down. Not at the actress’s portrayal. I felt she did a fantastic job of giving the Doctor plenty of quirk and animation. My disappointment came from the apparent desire of the writers to blaze a whole new trail in the Doctor Who universe without first grounding the new Doctor in our minds.

As a writer, specifically in the modern/urban fantasy genre, I know that the best way to connect my readers with the world I’m writing in is to give them a balance of familiar and strange. Sci-Fi works similarly employing this theory. It must be believable as well as being fantastical enough to really pique interests and hold attention. You need your readers and viewers to feel they can connect with the world. And once established that world must continue to follow the same rules the audience has been taught.

With Doctor Who, especially during a first season after regeneration there has always been some overlap. And rightly so. This helps the audience connect the new elements (new face, new quirks, new catchphrases…) with the world and creatures they have become familiar with.

Admittedly, the first season of any new Doctor is a clunky one. Writers not used to the new actor, often come off as if they are still writing what they know from the old one. The new actor trying to pay homage to the old Doctor hamming it up a little to remind the viewers that their old favorite is still in there, somewhere. It’s a bit disjointed at times, but the story flow still moves forward and we have enough familiar to go on to really settle in for a season as we get to see the true Doctor emerge.

All through the season we saw Jodie Whittaker give her Doctor life, and I like her portrayal of the first female Doctor, but something felt off. A situation would present itself for the Doctor to do or say something very Doctor-y and it would never come.

Episode 4 Arachnids in the U.K. left me with my jaw gaping when Jack Robertson’s character shot a dying creature at point blank range, and the Doctor did little to reprimand him. Where was the ability to make a simple an effective threat, as previous Doctor, David Tennant did to Harriet Jones when she ordered Torchwood to fire on the retreating Sycorax ship?

“Don’t you think she looks tired?” ~ 10^th Doctor

The Doctor always knew the power of words, and each incarnation has had their way with them. Better than weapons. In fact, another notable quote from that same Doctor comes to mind.

“You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!” ~ 10^th Doctor

If the Doctor is nothing else, the Doctor is brilliant. Always having a plan or at least part of a plan, and that’s why the Doctor is able to save the day. I felt like with this new Doctor, they forgot just how ancient and wizened the character was supposed to be. There were times during this season where it felt like the Doctor was a bit clueless. Did the regeneration kill some brain cells? Still, far from dumb, but I got the feeling that the writers did not want to let Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor come across as brilliant or in control of every situation as previous Doctors. I hope next season they let her shine a bit more.

There were positives to this new incarnation too (it’s not all negative), this Doctor was much more empathic than previous incarnations. She felt more in tune with her pack of companions and invested in their emotions. A wise choice, I think. We’ve seen the aloof alien repeated many times, the one who, though they love earth and spend so much time with humans, can’t grasp the range of emotions of the companions they travel with. It was time for an incarnation who “gets it.” Still, that change was drastic, and further highlighted the difference in her character.

And that was really the crux of the problem with this season. It was the bombardment of so much newness that really undermined the integrity of the series. I understand they were working from the ground up with so many changes from the previous season, but the executive decision to wipe the slate clean left me feeling unsatisfied. And that is why I feel like the 11th season of Doctor Who really missed the mark.

We had new everything. New companions. New Doctor. New TARDIS. New writers. New monsters. It felt, at times, as if I was watching an adaptation rather than the real thing.

The number one reason for that feeling was the lack of the familiar.

That epiphany did not strike me until I watched the season-ender, New Year’s (Another new change. Where was my Christmas Special?) episode: Resolution.

I knew from the preview that the dangerous monster had to be a Dalek and squealed with delight when I finally saw the ugly little squiddy thing (sans boob-skirted trash can armor). And at that moment when I was fist pumping the air with triumph at accurately guessing the baddy, it struck me.

Familiarity. That’s what had been missing. Now this feels like Doctor Who!

To me, it was the best episode of the season. It felt like a true Doctor Who episode. I enjoyed every moment of it.

All season long I had been searching for my Doctor. She was right there in front of me, but swimming among so many new and shiny things I couldn’t see it. All it took was that hint of familiarity to really bring me in.

And that, I pray, is what the writers will do next season. Remember the roots of the show. Keep the campy don’t-take-yourself-too-seriously Sci-Fi feel, with monsters we know and love, and we will be able to relax into this new age of the Doctor.

11 Tips for Marketing Your Book Series

How to maximize your marketing impact with multiple books.

1. Make your first book free or discounted!

Yes, you spent months perfecting your first novel, and it deserves to be priced to earn you something for your time, but when you have two or three books trailing it, consider the investment opportunity of utilizing the first book as a reader magnet. Allowing readers to try some of your first book (or all) before they spend any money can give you the opportunity to hook them early and guarantee sales on the remaining books in your novel series. Utilize sites like Story Origin to share samples or full-length reader magnets with newsletter swaps and group promotions. This step is only for those authors who already have more than one book in a series available for readers. 

2. Keep your books at a reasonable length to publish quickly while still delivering a great story. 
Aim for 40k-60k length.

Longer books take a longer time to come to market (with all the prep involved in cover art, editing, formatting, etc…) so get the rest of your series out quickly to make sure you keep readers engaged and ready to pounce when that next new release comes out. Just be sure that while you are sacrificing word count, you're not sacrificing story quality. You must to tell a good story.

3. End your books with genuine cliffhangers

Cliffhangers make readers need, not want, NEED to continue on. Give them something to look forward to. Make them want to pounce on that next book when it hits the market.

4. Make sure the covers look uniform.

Your novels should look like they belong together. Make it easy for readers to see that they are part of a book series.

5. Make sure the books are available everywhere!

Amazon, Google, Apple, Kobo, BN, Smashwords, D2D, etc… The more channels you belong in, the more available your book series is for readers to find and read.

6. Advertise the first book in your series.

Spend most your advertising budget on the first novel in your series. This is your lead in. If they love your first book, they will look for the rest of your series.

7. Use your front and back matter to advertise follow-up books. 
Make sure the other books are listed in the front and back matter of each corresponding book in the series.

Make it easy for readers to find each available book in the series (in the right order). In the front matter of your books, list all titles available, in reading order. Do the same at the end of the book, so readers don’t have to go hunting for the information.

8. Include sample chapters of the next book at the end of the current book.

At the end of book 1, put the first “teaser” chapter of book 2. Same applies for book 2, 3, 4….

Give readers a taste of what's next.

9. Create audio editions

Use ACX or Findaway Voices to hire narrators and produce audio editions of your books. Royalty share is the easiest and lowest cost option here.

10. Create POD editions

KDP is the easiest and lowest cost method of getting your books in print, and you’ll have paper copies to bring to author events. If you're in it for the long haul, check out Ingram Spark for your POD printing. 

11. Create bundles

When your series is complete… Make a boxed set to sell separately. People love collections and offering the entire series in one boxed set will entice those particuar readers.  

3 Ways to Get Over a Bad Book Review

You can be a renowned Pulitzer prize winning author and still get a few bad reviews, so before you let yourself get too down when you see a low star rating appear on your book, take a step back and breathe.

Now, don’t read the review. Don’t do it. It’s never worth opening up that Pandora’s box. Trust me… Just. Don’t. Do. It!

You opened it, didn’t you? And you read it. Stings like the fires of a thousand Hells, doesn't it? 

See. Told you it wasn’t worth it.

Well, like ripping off a band-aid, the hardest part is over. Now it’s time for healing and doing something constructive with that negative review.

First. Let the pain subside. Then, ask yourself, was there anything of merit in the review?

Not all criticism is destructive. You could find some gems of wisdom to help you in making your writing that much stronger in the future.

Of course, a good majority of what you’ll see in reviews is pure opinion without much to clarify, so you have to take it all with a grain of salt, or two… maybe a margarita glass with salt rim… you know, whatever makes you feel better.

Whatever you do with the review in question, do not publicly call out the reviewer or post the review publicly online. That’s a major no-no. Bad reviews make you want to lash out. Of course they do. You poured your heart and soul into this work that someone shredded in a few paragraphs. Feel that pain, but do it in private, with your author friends, and that margarita. No good comes from highlighting that review.

Put it behind you and move on. There will be more good reviews in your future, best to focus on those when they come in, and ignore anything else. You don't need that negativity in your life. 

3 Ways to Overcome Author Envy

Admit it, the green-eyed monster hits every now and again. You’re scrolling through your Facebook status updates and you see another author friend announce a book deal with a major publisher, or maybe they’ve hit the NYT best seller list, maybe they have gotten a super five-star review, whatever the case, you’re now sitting there a mix of feelings. On the one hand, you are so happy for your friend. You know all the hard work that goes into book creation. And on the other hand, you’re thinking, “Hey… where’s my success?”

It’s a rough spot to be in when you feel like you deserve more and are not getting it. But, maybe you’re looking at things wrong.

It’s said that lucky people make their own luck. Hard to believe when you’re having the crappiest day possible, but I do think there is some truth to that statement. It’s not that they manufacture their own luck, but that they look for the good in things rather than focusing on the negative, and find ways to draw that good to themselves.

Instead of worrying about where your success is, why not take a look at what you have. Read through your book reviews. Have you had any new ones recently within the last month? I’ll bet you have. Especially if you’ve been promoting your book and making your presence known online. Why not share that review with your facebook friends (just like other authors are doing). That “sharing of your success” might just spark a new friend to read your book and could turn into another good review down the road. See, you just made your own luck.

Have a look at your sales ranking on Amazon. Have you hit any categories lately? Maybe you’re in the top 100 of something. Even if it is obscure (I’ve been in the top 100 in Plays for some unknown reason), share that with your friends and readers. That can also invite new people to buy. You’re book is “special.” If it hasn’t hit a category, why not try to make it hit one? Put the call out to readers stating that is a goal and if you can just reach X amount of clicks/sales/whatever, you might get there. People love to help you reach a goal or take on a challenge. It might just work for you. And again, you’ll have made your own luck.

None of those ideas working? Well, You can always drum up more interest by offering a contest. Why not offer up review copies of your book on your facebook or twitter pages. And the first ten people to send back confirmed reviews will win a prize. That prize could be more free books, could be an amazon gift card, etc… you make the rules. 

The point here is, to make yourself some success rather than feeling less than stellar about not having any.  The more you focus on your books, the less time you have to worry about anything else. 

Book Signings: Expectation vs. Reality

A book event is any opportunity for you to showcase your work to people who love to read.

The purpose of a book signing is to sell yourself as an amazing author of books people want to read.

You are there to entice readers and create fans!

When I mention the words “book signing,” you’re probably thinking about that last book signing you attended for a big-name author. There were probably people lined up around the corner to get their books signed.

Sounds pretty exciting, right? I bet you’re just imagining that happening to you someday. And maybe someday it will. Always keep a positive outlook.

However, for 95% of authors (indie or traditional) this isn’t the case.

Sorry. Tough love. But better you hear it from me now than allow yourself to wallow in a false sense of crushing defeat after your first book event.

Your dreams may come true, but for now, let’s adjust your perspective and give you a more realistic outlook.

First, let's define what a book event is. 

A book event is any opportunity for you to showcase your work to people who love to read.

Now, let’s add the elements that make it a success.

• You showed up (early)
• You have plenty of space to showcase your work
• You have enough books to display and sell
• You have enough giveaway items like bookmarks or business cards to hand out
• You sell one book!

Truth be told, you can count it as a success if you show up. Book events are not for the faint of heart. It takes bravery to put yourself out there. You’re center stage, under the spotlight. That can be absolutely terrifying. What do you say? How do you approach people? Do you know how to sell your book to a stranger?

If your public speaking skills are somewhat shaky, you might take some time to practice your book pitches and a few easy conversation starters. You won't have lines out the door until you've hit the big-time, so until then, know how to answer the question, "What's your book about?"

Sum up your book in one-two sentences.

"Giselle has only ever wanted one thing in her life, to be accepted for what she is... a werewolf"
Pretty Little Werewolf.

"Becoming a vampire is easy, living with the condition is the hard part."
Immortalis Series.

"In the new world order, being supernatural is a crime.
Vampires once thought to be mythical, have been discovered, assimilated, and enslaved. Used for blood sport in the gladiatorial arena, their immortal lives are allowed to continue only for the entertainment of the human masses."
Chronicles of the Uprising.

"Sage Cynwrig knows her way around a pair of twenty-sided dice, and has forgotten more spells than you’ll ever know. But when her mother is killed by a weapon of magical destruction, fantasy merges into a strange new reality."
Agents of A.S.S.E.T. 

The more comfortable you are at rattling off that logline, the easier your interaction with potential readers will be.

If you're not sure how to sum up your book in a single sentence, try using two comparable titles of easy to recognize books or movies that match your specific story.

Underworld meets Interview with a vampire.
Chronicles of the Uprising.

Agents of SHIELD meets Supernatural.
Agents of A.S.S.E.T. 

You can do it!

Beyond that, your job at each book event you land, is to greet people with a smile and connect with them on some personal level, so you can speak to them about shared interests (hopefully your book) and create a reader who will eventually become a fan.

Places to sign and sell books

A book event is any opportunity for you to showcase your work to people who love to read.
While primarily held in book stores or libraries, book events can be held just about anywhere. Sometimes it’s better for you as an author to think outside of the box when looking to set up an event.

Brick and Mortar book stores
If you’re at a bookstore, this is an opportunity to put your book in front of potential new readers. They are there looking for a new book to read. And guess what, you just happen to have a new book!

Pros
*Signing books in a Big Box Store feels like hitting the big time. Ego Boost!
*In most cases, you are the spotlight author.
*High traffic location with people ready to buy books.
*Friendly and knowledgeable staff who can help you manage expectations.
*All genres can perform well here
*Networking opportunities with professionals in the book industry. Make friends with your booksellers! It can open doors to future events and more (like speaking engagements). This industry is all about connections. Professional connections are just as important as connections with readers.

Cons
*Your book is competing against every other book in the store for that reader’s dollar.
*You have limited time to capture reader attention. (2 hours on average)
*While all genres are represented not all genres are for all readers.
*Dealing with rejection in person can deflate that boosted ego.

Libraries

If you’re part of a “local authors” event put on by a library or any other book-related organization, this is an opportunity to reach out to your peers and maybe their readers as well. Everyone attending these events has a similar goal in mind to you, “sharing published work.” Writers are also readers. Share, share, share.

Pros
*High traffic location where you can be reasonably sure people attending like to read.
*Friendly and knowledgeable staff who can help you manage expectations.
*All genres can perform well here
*Often host multi-author events. Takes some of the pressure of the spotlight off you.
*Networking opportunities with professionals in the book industry. Make friends with your librarians!

Cons
*Not all people are not at a library to buy a book.
*You have limited time to capture reader attention. (2 hours on average)
*While all genres are represented not all genres are for all readers.
*Often host multi-author events. Creates more traffic. Takes some of the pressure of the spotlight off you. Can also affect your chances at sales.


Conventions

Pros
* Most genres can find a convention to match. This places your book in front of readers who can connect more specifically with it.
Comic Cons are an excellent place to sell Fantasy-genre books
Horror Conventions are an excellent place to sell horror and thriller genre books
Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Romance, etc… You can find a convention connected with almost any topic and genre.
*People attending conventions are generally more eager to talk to vendors and listen to product descriptions.
*Puts your books in front of a larger audience.
*Networking opportunities with others in the same or similar genre as your work.

Cons
*Can be cost-prohibitive. Purchasing vendor space, tavel, tax ID’s, and hotel cost.
Conventions are a pay to play event. You will need to factor the costs in to determine whether or not you want to attempt these.


Unconventional locations

Thinking outside of the box can really help your book gain some added attention.
Bars
Charity events
Schools
Swap Meets
Panels and Speaking engagements

Remember: 

A book event is any opportunity for you to showcase your work to people who love to read.

The Secret to Writing Realistic Characters is.... #WritingTips

REAL CHARACTERS RELY ON EMPATHY

Empathetic  = “like me.”
Reader Logic:
▪ This character is like me. Therefore, I want him to have whatever it is he wants, because if I were in those circumstances, I’d want the same thing for myself.”

READERS BECOME CHARACTERS THEY CONNECT WITH.
When characters cross the line readers see where their own lines are.
Would they do the same in their situation?
How did it feel to cross the line?

THE LIKABLE CHARACTER

Empathetic – “LIKE ME” QUALITIES.

▪ Loyal
▪ Caring
▪ Friendly
▪ Strong

CHARACTERS DO NOT HAVE TO BE LIKEABLE!

However, Readers need to understand their motivation! 

If you write a character who does terrible things without any reason, readers will abandon them.
Get your reader to understand why your character is doing something —good or bad — and they have a reason to support and root for your character.
Even if that character is morally ambiguous. 
When the reader understands a character’s reason for doing bad stuff, They’re more likely to put up with a lot of the character’s crap to see if and how they achieve their goals.

THE UNLIKABLE CHARACTER
A good character with personality flaws is more endearing because they mirror us. We may pretend to like a goody-two-shoes but secretly we hate them, right?
Empathetic– “LIKE ME” QUALITIES.
▪ Have Flaws
▪ Bad Days
▪ Say Things They Don’t Mean
▪ React Poorly To Their Situation

MAKING AN UNLIKABLE CHARACTER MORE PALATABLE.

• Surround unlikable characters with characters who love them.

If the other characters don’t mind them, readers accept that they must be all right deep down.

• Make them an expert at something.

A character’s unlike-ability is almost completely cancelled out if they are very good at what they do.

• Make them morally ambiguous, but not annoying.

A characters morality flaws can be accepted as long as the reader is interested in them.

#WritingTips Understanding Character Archetypes

What do we mean when we say, CHARACTER ARCHETYPES?

The simple explanation:
An archetype is the typical and traditional characters, plots, settings, themes, and symbols found in 99% of all stories. Character Archetypes are the “blueprints” for characters that we draw on to fill necessary roles within a story.

Who is the story’s Protagonist?
The Hero

Who helps the Protagonist get what they want?
The Sidekick

Who is trying to keep the Protagonist from their goal?
The Villain

Who is connected to the Protagonist’s emotional/physical growth?
The Mentor

Let's Look at the Most Common Types

HERO
THE WARRIOR, CRUSADER, RESCUER, DRAGON SLAYER, & WINNER.

▪ Lawful Good
▪ Strength of character is tested at each point of their journey.
▪ Thrive on challenges even when reluctant to tackle them.
▪ Sensitive to injustice.
▪ Protective of weaker characters.
▪ WEAKNESS = Hubris.

Examples: Harry Potter, Wonder Woman, Robin Hood

ANTI-HERO
VIGILANTES EMBRACING NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS.

▪ Chaotic Good
▪ Past trauma shapes their personality
▪ Selfish or self-serving motivations.
▪ Good and/or Evil is treated like a business transaction.
▪ WEAKNESS = Narcissism.

Examples: Wolverine, Maleficent, Deadpool


SIDEKICK
FAITHFUL SUPPORT OF THE HERO OR VILLAIN.

▪ Neutral Good
▪ True Loyalty - There at all times, even when things are tough.
▪ Voice of Reason (often ignored).
▪ Unsung Hero / Similar qualities to their leader but do not rise to the same level.
▪ WEAKNESS = Unwavering Devotion.

Examples: Tinker Bell, Samwise Gamgee, Little John

VILLAIN
THE EVIL HERO – ANTAGONIST

▪ Lawful Evil - Chaotic Evil
▪ Often motivated by fear.
▪ Traumatic past shapes their personality, but do not develop sense of morality to allow them to become an anti-hero.
▪ Moral foil of the hero. Their vice parallels the protagonists’ virtue. They create the need for a hero.
▪ WEAKNESS = Lust for Power/Control.

Examples: Voldemort, Cruella DeVil, Skeletor

MENTOR
GUIDANCE AND ASSISTANCE TO HELP THE HERO MATURE

▪ Neutral Good / Lawful Good
▪ Provide: motivation, inspiration, guidance, training, and gifts for the journey
▪ Was once in the Hero’s position. Speaks from experience.
▪ Assists when needed, but does not take the hero’s journey to completion.
▪ Moral Compass

Examples: Yoda, Dumbledore, Aslan

BACKGROUND / SECONDARY CHARACTERS
▪ The Innocent
▪ The Caregiver
▪ The Lover
▪ The Comic Relief
▪ The Messenger
▪ The Betrayer
▪ The Trickster
▪ The Ordinary Person

Examples: Merry and Pippin, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood

13 Things You Should Never Say to an Author!

Being a writer is a lot harder than most people think. The same holds true for most jobs that fall into the art world. We all love to admire art and the artist who create the things we enjoy, but there is a disconnect between that love and understanding of the work involved. That leads many people to wrongfully assume that the work is not as complicated as other forms of work.

You hear the word doctor, rocket scientist, or teacher, for example, and you instantly respect that individual for the hard work and dedication their job title demands. The same respect, however, is not given to those bearing the title of, actor, writer, musician, or painter.

The arts contribute so much to our society, and yet people forget that. What would our lives be like without music, television, paintings, books, statues, movies, poetry, etc? Imagine that world for just one moment. Look around your home. See how sterile and boring your life would be if you removed all art forms from your life.

Just because a type of work is difficult for you to comprehend, does not make it less valuable. Nor does it make a person, who’s passion drove them into that career, less valuable or deserving of your respect. Remember that. Hug an artist. They probably need it.

With that said, and being an author myself, I thought it might be fun to explore some of the things you should probably never say to an author.


“I want to write a book someday.”
That’s awesome. Here’s the difference between a writer and someone who wants to write. They…wait for it…..Write!
It’s like walking, in the fact that you must put one foot in front of the other, over and over again to get somewhere. People want to write, but they don’t want to do the work. Because it is actually work. Hours upon hours of work. Books take anywhere from 5-10 drafts before being ready for the public to read. And, at about 60-80k words per book, that’s a lot of writing and rewriting to do. Writing takes a lot more than just a desire to tell a story. It takes dedication to the craft of storytelling.

“I wish I had time to write.”
Do you live in some alternate universe where time moves differently? I’m a mom, from sun up to sun down I’m running interference for three kids, four if you count my husband. On top of that I run my own business, write three books a year, and still manage to carve out time for my Game of Thrones addiction. I have the same 24 hours in a day that everyone else does. It goes back to the point above, dedication. If you want to write, you do. Don’t make excuses. Just like any other job, you clock in and out for your shift. If you want to be a writer, you have to put in the time.

“I've got a great idea. You can write it.”
You’re cute. No!
You have an idea, you write it. There are no shortcuts in this job. Let me make that clear. This is my job. If you want to write, great, do it.

“I don’t read.”
I just can’t even. Sorry. No. Next!

“You must be rich.”
Ha ha ha ha.. *dies laughing*

So you’ve only heard of a few big name authors in your life? Well let me tell you something. Behind those very few people are literally hundreds of thousands of authors who grind out book after book who’s royalties earn them less than minimum wage.
That ebook you bought for $3.99 and complained about last week. The author of that book (if they were indie) probably spent about $1000 of their own money to produce (not including time spent writing it). Often more than that. And they don’t get that entire $3.99 per sale. Most are lucky to get 60-70% of that if there are no additional digital fees. And they still have to pay for their production costs before they can use any of those earnings to pay for things like… I don’t know… electricity, water, food, etc…
If they were a traditionally published author, that ebook was probably $7.99 and the author might only see about 10% of that in their quarterly royalty check.
Most authors, indie and traditional, have to cover their own marketing cost to make sure people like you know that their book exists. That usually eats away the author’s royalties.
Bottom line, you have to sell a shit ton of books just to earn enough to feed yourself. As I said above, passion drives us toward this career. You really have to love storytelling to be a writer. It’s not a job one does to get rich. Most authors have other jobs so they can pay their bills.

“How many books have you sold?”
Honey, you don’t want to go there. Unless you do, and we can both pull out our financial records and compare. How much to do you make? What tax bracket are you in? How many deductions do you qualify for? See how rude that question is? Don’t be that person.

“Are you real published or fake published?”
Are you a real person or a fake person? See how rude that is? Ten years ago, independent publishing was looked on as vanity publishing by the elitists in the Big 5. With the introduction of ebooks, kindle in particular, publishing became more accessible to a larger portion of the writer community. But that does not mean project managing and funding the production of your book makes you any less of an author. To bring a book to market via the indie model, an author has to be so much more than just a writer. And as I have said above, either model is not a direct path to riches or fame. It is just another method of getting your stories in reader’s hands.

“Where have you been published?” 
Where do you buy books? You’ll find me there. Go ahead and look.

“Have you written anything I’ve heard of?”
I’m a writer, not a mind reader, dear. I have no clue what books you’ve heard of.

“You should write a best seller!”
Hey, great idea! *Cries every night into my pillow* Working on it.

“You write romance, right?”
Look, just because I’m a girl does not mean I write romance. Yes, there are romantic elements to many stories I write, but I’m not a Romance writer. Take a peek at my booklist and read the backs of the books. The summary is there. You can tell straight away what genre you’ve just wandered into.

“You should turn your book into a movie!”
Let me just pull out my magic wand and make that dream come true. Hey, I share your thought here. I believe more book to movie adaptations should be done. But Hollywood is a machine all its own. So, until that happens, go ahead and enjoy the movie in your mind while reading my book, m’kay?”

 “Can I have a free copy?”
While I do occasionally send out review copies, I make my living from book sales. That would be like me asking you to perform whatever job function you do for free. You’re a carpenter? How about you build me a house for free? Doctor? Hey can you fix my broken leg for free? Teacher? How about you teach my child for free? See how that sounds? Most of my books cost $10 in print and my ebooks are cheaper than a cup of coffee. 

Humor, a spoon-full of sugar to help the drama go down!

Humor is often an underappreciate element in entertainment. Whether it be movies, television, or books, all entertainment that’s labeled as humor is taken less seriously.

In Fantasy, the focus is on creating deep worlds filled with curses and creatures facing the ultimate doom. It’s all about the drama, and cheapening it with slapstick makes your story little more than fluff.

In Sci-Fi, you’re expected to nail the technology, get that part right or it isn’t worth reading.

And yet huge fandoms have developed around those very genres where humor has been employed with panache. Diskworld, Princess Bride, Harry Potter, The Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Doctor Who, just to name a few.

Humor in its own genre is used to induce the most laughs possible at any expense. And it can feel cheap and lacking of substance when done to excess. But even then, we all have our guilty pleasures; entertainment we turn to when we need that laugh.

The ability to induce laughter is a tool like any other in our arsenal. Too much horror, drama, or sappy love, etc…can sink a story as quickly as humor. An author’s goal is to entertain. To do so means striking a delicate balance between the ranges of emotions you want readers to feel. Humor, employed purposefully can create elegant emotional beats. It’s all about the timing.

Look at Guardians of the Galaxy. James Gunn employed seemingly cheap laughs with precision to break up the tension. This created emotional pauses that allowed the audience a breath of fresh air, before the next wave of mounting tension. We can’t all have a dance-off to save the universe, and as absurd as it sounds, you have to admit that level of well-timed humor punctuated the scene perfectly. Following that palate cleansing chuckle, you were emotionally ready for what came next.

Firefly, a Space Opera series – that deserved more time than it got – captured viewers with its perfect blend of science, fantasy, and absurdity. That series’ fandom grew rapidly and – despite not being on the air for more than a decade – still dream of a reboot. Joss Whedon’s mastery of sarcasm and wit made the characters feel real. Natural speech is filled with multiple levels of humor. Sarcasm, dry wit, ironic one-liners, snarky comebacks. All those punctuating points are essential to capture. People connected with those characters and overlooked any technological discrepancies. A huge feat in the Sci-Fi world. When those characters were faced with impossible odds, and had do whatever it takes to stay alive, they did, but not without all that delicious snarky commentary that had viewers laughing along with the characters. How many of you out there know the words to the Hero of Canton? The man they call Jayne!

There are so many instances of humor adding just the right flair, but let’s not overlook stories that sit heavily inside the genre of humor. Princess Bride is my absolute favorite. It had everything you could want combining elements of comedy, adventure, fantasy, romance, and fairy tale. This laugh-a-minute tale delivered everything with such precisions that despite its age, it remains a beloved classic. To devalue its entertainment value because of is comical base is simply Inconceivable! It has stood the test of time, because the humor was weaved tightly into the plot.

As powerful as it is, humor must be handled with care. It can easily become cheap and slap sticky. That’s when humor loses its appeal. However, if done right, I believe it amplifies the entertainment value of any story.
 
In the case of my Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series, humor is the tool I employ to soften the blows as Sage (the main character) is thrown to the wolves in the new magical world she finds herself in. It’s terrifying and deadly; all the while being utterly fascinating. There are many emotions to work through as the plot becomes darker. But, as I’ve said above, a well-timed dose of humor, if you’ll indulge me, can be the spoon-full of sugar to help the drama go down. In the hopes of capturing just that, during Sage’s journey, I called upon the lessons I’ve learned from the greats:

“Never ignore coincidence. Unless, of course, you’re busy. In which case, always ignore coincidence.” ~ The Doctor (Doctor Who)

“The name is the important thing for inspiring the necessary fear. You see, no one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Westley.” ~ Westley (Princess Bride)

“Have fun stormin' da castle.” ~ Miracle Max (Princess Bride)

“I just want you to feel you’re doing well. I hate for people to die embarrassed.” ~ Fezzik (Princess Bride)

“Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!” ~ Wash (Firefly)

“You want weapons? We're in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself!” ~ The Doctor (Doctor Who)

“Aim to misbehave.” ~ Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Firefly)

“There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes.” ~ The Doctor (Doctor Who)

3 Sanity Savers for Work Life Balance - Author Edition

I’ve got three awesome kids, and since they were all very little, mommy has been an author. My oldest, now in her teens, has grown up with mommy clacking away at the keyboard as I’ve penned more than twenty novels. I’ve always written stories, but I haven’t always been a published author.

It’s a different sort of writing when you know there are deadlines and readers waiting for you to finish that next work. And kids, no matter how many times you try to make them understand that mommy is working, will always demand mom’s attention. Especially my two littles.

I wish I could say that in the eight years since I transitioned into being a published author, I’ve got this time management thing figured out. I don’t. I still scramble for quiet space and stay up well beyond my bedtime to work on these books.

But, all that said, I do have 3 TIPS to share today, that I use, to make the process feel like it is going smoother.

1.    The kids are day shift. Writing is night shift.

When you work out of the home you have defined times to clock in and out. The same applies to writing as work. You have to have dedicated time for it, like a job.

Do I always clock in and out on time? No. But the act of setting myself that schedule helps me to remember where the balance should be.

During the day, I’m mom. That’s a full-time job already. It starts, despite all my protests, at sunrise, so in a perfect world, bedtime is 8pm. Once the kids are washed, read to, and tucked in, I clock in for work. Because I look at this as work, I’m pretty militant about clocking in on time. During the normal school week my writing hours begin at 8pm (kids bedtime), and I block out a four hour shift for this work. That means a midnight bedtime if all goes well. Weekends are my off days (but I still write then too.)

In a perfect world I could count on a guaranteed 4 hours of daily writing time. More often than not however, my two shifts bleed into each other. That’s life. I’m lucky that, right now, I’m able to be here with the kids, and write. When life gets too hectic I remind myself of this.

Hectic as it may be, using this scheduling template, I’ve been able to write at least 3 books a year.

2.    It’s okay to write bad…sometimes.

I know what you’re thinking. Hold on. Why the hell am I going to read an author’s work when they just said they are okay, and even admitting to writing bad?

Let me explain. First drafts are where most people get stopped up during the writing process. They want to write perfectly. Well that ain’t how this writing business works. Perfect writing is the result of revisions, editing, and final proofing. Multiple eyes have looked at the book by the time it reaches readers.

But we’re jumping ahead of ourselves here. The first draft should be the easiest thing to write. It’s where creativity gives birth to new characters and worlds. It is the place where an author can play with ideas. It’s often the place where would-be writers give up, because they demand perfection from something that cannot possibly be.

Allowing yourself to write a bad first draft is a simple way of saying, “Just get the story out of your brain.” You have the freedom to create during this phase.

You can’t edit what hasn’t been written, and you can’t find a plot hole in a story that doesn’t exist. Trying too hard on round one to be perfect is impossible. By accepting imperfection, and allowing yourself to put pen to paper, ensures you can complete a draft. Once that story is written the real work begins.

When I block out a 4 hour shift for my writing work, I don’t have time to stare at a computer screen all day. I have a limited amount of time to work. By letting myself free write I maximize my creative time so I can get the words in to meet story goals.

3.    Set easy to reach word count goals.

When I’m in story writing mode, especially at the beginning of a new book, the 80k word count goal can sometimes feel like staring up at a mountain I know I’ll have to climb. Most novels in my genre Urban Fantasy range between 70-90k words. That’s a lot of words, and looking at it from that vantage point feels impossible. But, a change of perspective can make all the difference. If I set myself smaller goals the pressure disappears. My regular word count goal, during the story writing phase, is 1k words per night. I set different goals for the revisions and final editing phase, but for the purpose of this tip, let’s just stick with the words.

One thousand words is easy to accomplish (I usually write more than that.) By setting the smaller goal I no longer have to look at the huge 80k word target; reducing that initial pressure. It also has another effect. By reaching daily goals, I can feel accomplished each time I sit down at the computer, and I can also pat myself on the back for going over it. Everyone like to feel like a winner. That small perk can motivate you more than you realize.

So there it is, the three sanity savers that help me through the crazy that is trying to make a career of writing while being mommy at the same time.

How do you manage work/life balance as a WAHM? Post your tips in the comments below. 

I’d love to learn a few new tricks myself.

And if you'd like to check out my work, be sure to click the series links above, or check out my Amazon Author Page!

The Business Side of Independent Publishing

If you missed the seminar in April at the Paseo Verde Library, you can still catch up on all the topics that were discussed.

The video is available on my Spilling Ink channel or you can watch it below.



Independent Publishing is not for everyone.
It’s a business venture!
Your business is the creation, distribution, and sales of your product: Your book!
Writing the book was the easy part.
To wear the publisher hat, you must step out of your role as an author, look objectively at your book, assess its value and marketability, and create a strategy to bring it to market.

This seminar is going to break down the key elements to transforming your manuscript into a book that can be sold on multiple channels and platforms.

• Budgeting
• Project Management
• Production
• Printing and Distribution
• Ebook
• Pricing

For inquiries on associated materials, panels, and booking future seminars please contact me at

  KatieSalidas gmail.com

The Writer's Edge: Writing Keys from Book Reviewers

The Author's Guide to Patreon and Social Media

Spilling Ink S3E5
Armand Rosamilia & LM Preston are spilling all the secrets to building an author platform through social media.

Indie Authors, What are Your Goals?

Indie Authors, What are Your Goals?

I saw a post yesterday on facebook that really made me smile. There are a lot of dreams that go along with making the leap into self-publishing.  Admit it, we all want J K Rowling level of popularity, but the reality of it is, most of us will not find that.

The post I saw was from a new author who had just put out their first book. They said simply that they know authors that make $12 a month and authors that make 12k a month in sales, but they don’t expect any of that. They were just happy to know someone, that is not related to them, is reading their work.

It made me smile because that author has a goal in mind. They know what they want from their books and are happy with reaching that.

Not everyone will have the same goal. Some authors want to write for the enjoyment of it and sharing their stories makes them happy. Some authors want to be career authors and their goal is to pay the bills with their writing. Some authors wish to use indie publishing as a stepping stool for traditional publishing. Still, other authors want to see their books turned into movies and TV series. There are so many paths to take.

The point is, you should have a goal in mind. Going into self/indie publishing is hard enough as it is without having a goal in mind of where you want to go.

Have a heart to heart with yourself. Think about what you want from your books, and make a plan on how to achieve it. 

4 tips on Using Keywords to Reach the Best Seller list.

Back in the day… Sounds so long ago, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not. About 4ish years ago we had tags which were handy little words we could apply to our books on kindle and readers could check mark them if they applied to a specific book. That would help increase visibility on said book when it was searched for by those particular words. But, as all things go, the system was corrupted by people fishing for clicks and overwhelming the system. So, amazon nixed that idea and now we are left with 

only a few ways to categorize our books.

Keywords – Handy little searchable words to help readers find your book. You add these when you are publishing your book on KDP. 

Not to be confused with the categories you place your book in (e.g. Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Paranormal, etc…)

So how do you select the right keywords? 

Here are a few tips I've used to help get my book on various category best seller lists. 

1 List words you think fit your book.

What kind of words fit your book and how would a reader, looking for your type of book, search for it? What words would you put into a search engine to look for your book?

Other than the general Dystopian, does your book fit into any smaller boxes? How about Freedom, Social issues, government, etc…

2 Once you have your list, road test it.

Search Amazon for your specific keywords and see what comes up. Are these books the same type of book as yours? Would yours fit in with them? Is there a better word you could search by to find a good fit for your book?

3 Some words need to work with other words.

Did you know Amazon has a secret list of words that have to go together to allow you to reach a specific category? I didn’t either until just recently. 

Have a look here:

https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A19G4ONBAU6NO3 – Romance

https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A1XEN0SRCO1KPB – Young Adult

https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A2G3ZMYDPB9VRM – Sci-Fi Fantasy Keywords

https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A3NTX9NCJD3D5X – Mystery Thriller Suspense

Make sure you’re paring words together that should be for maximum efficiency.

4 Trial and Error

The nice thing about Keywords is they can be changed as often as you like. Test a few out. If they don’t work, try something else. You’re bound to find the right fit at some point. 

Authors, Do You Have A Newsletter?

Do you have a Newsletter?

It’s one of the must-have items in any authors marketing platform. A way to reach out to your dedicated readers/fans. But how do you create one and does it cost anything?

In the effort to keep that marketing budget in check, free is always preferred when it comes to outside help. And when you want the most bang for no buck, you can’t go wrong with Mail Chimp.

Simple to use. Point and click. Full of templates. It makes creating a nice newsletter a snap. And with list features, signup forms, and tracking reports, it really does give you quite a bang. For the startup author with a small list and maybe only one to two newsletters a month, you can’t beat FREE! That’s right, free.

From their website:  Up to 2,000 subscribers

Send 12,000 emails to 2,000 subscribers for free. No contracts, and no credit card required. It’s free forever.

I’ve used MailChimp now for about an year and find it to be super user friendly. The list managing has some great automatic features. For example: If you are a new subscriber to my newsletter you will automatically be emailed a code to download a free copy of my book, Dissension.

It’s fully automated. I don’t have to do a thing. Set it and forget it. That is truly a blessing as it helps me keep readers happy (by offering a good value) and also takes one more task off my to-do list so I can keep up with writing and have more books to publish.

There is a lot more you can do with auto-features (like send birthday wishes to subscribers, and thank you emails for being a loyal follower, etc…) but I’ll let you play with those.

Having a newsletter does not have to be a huge time consuming task, but it is a necessary evil in the arsenal that all indie authors must have. So, consider this a good option and start yours today.

Writing Sprints and Deadlines

Ever noticed how much work you can magically get done when you’re down to the wire?

No one wants to admit to being a procrastinator but we’re all guilty.

Hi! I’m Katie, and I’m a procrastinator. I meant to get my work done, but….

Now, your turn. I’ll wait.

All joking aside,  my Pen name’s writing partner emailed me to remind me we have a story due to our publisher this week. THIS WEEK!!!

Immediately I went into panic mode. I must have forgotten to put it into my calendar. I’d forget my own head if there wasn’t a reminder on my calendar to screw it on every morning. Seriously, I’m a scatterbrain on the best of days.

So, that means we (My writing partner and I) will have to scramble and do sprints.

What are sprints you ask?

Just like a runner, powering through a short set of track, a writing sprint is the same concept. Great for writing first drafts and word dumping.  When you really need to push yourself to get the story written, this is a great way to do it. Set a goal. Set a timer, and try to meet or reach that goal in the allotted time. This works really well when you can get a partner or group to do it with you. You not only race against the clock, you secretly want to beat your partners best word count goal too.

Before you know it, a few writing sprints can turn into a novella or maybe even a novel. Then comes the daunting task of revising. No before you ask, there is no such thing as revising sprints. That should be handled more slowly and with a keen eye for detail. But hey, at least you’ll have something to work with after all those sprints.