In today's world, no matter what you read...or write...people want to know the facts, the real truth, the unknowns, and the absurd. And they're not too particular about which is which. But as writers, we should be...particular, that is. No matter what we are writing in terms of fiction...contemporary, science fiction, steampunk, whatever...we should be concerned with realism. Even in Science Fiction, isn't what makes it fascinating to readers is that what is on the printed page could actually happen? If it is an idea, isn't it true that the only thing stopping that idea from becoming reality is the technology to put it into action?
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is where research comes in. So here are some more interesting, and perhaps unusual, websites to spark your interest in doing research!
Food Reference:
http://www.foodreference.com/
Did you know that "gnocchi" is also called "strangolapreti" in Italy, because supposedly an Italian priest loved the dumplings so much he ate them too fast and choked to death? An old wives' tale? Hmm...well, maybe. Did you know that the Visigoths demanded 3,000 pounds of pepper ( pepper ?? ) as a ransom for Rome, or that the first Olympic champion was a cook in 776 B.C. ? Here you will find all kinds of fun facts ( the start of a NF article, perhaps? ), as well as recipes, food trivia, culinary quotes, and a timeline that dates back to 10,000 B.C.
The Household Cyclopedia:
www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/The_Household_Cyclopedia_of_General_Information
A 19th Century treasure trove of miscellania ! How did people in this age run their homes? If they had had this information, they could know how to tell the age of their cattle ( always nice to know so you won't breed an old cow to a young bull ! ), or how to avoid drowning...in the event they lived near water they could swim in, of course; or even how to make ink...in case they had a quill handy but nothing to write with. Who knows? Some trivia like this could make a mediocre story the next best seller!
The Costume Gallery Research Library:
www.costumegallery.com/research.htm
Everything you ever wanted to know about shoes, hats, fashion, textiles, needlework, paperdolls, film costumes, designers, and even etiquette is right here. It covers a time span from the Byzantine,Medieval, and Renaissance up to later centuries, and even has information about the Titanic and German fashion.
Surfing for Slang:
http://www.slanglinks.cjb.net/
A comprehensive slang database which covers common colloquialisms from the US, UK, Australia, Scandinavia, South Africa, the Caribbean, and many other countries. There are colorful insults, and specialized jargon relating to the military, journalism, sports, chess, technology, and even truckers. What more could you want?
The Phobia List:
http://phobialist.com/
Sometimes our MCs have phobias that they have to overcome in order to gain what they want. So how about some of these: alliumphobia ( fear of garlic); consecotaleophobia ( fear of chopsticks); lutraphobia ( fear of otters); or even...a fear of big words ( hippopotomonstrosequippedaliophobia). I think if a character had to tell a psychiatrist the name of her phobia, she'd get over it pretty darn quick !
Finally, for the time travelers among us:
Andy's Anachronisms:
http://www.timetravelerreviews.com/
This extensive website covers just about everything on time travel you would want to know about alternative universes, time travel, and temporal anomalies found in novels, movies, short stories, TV, and plays. It also includes links to scientific theories so you can check out your methodology from getting from here to there, and compare it to other theories.
And one more:
The TV Crime Libary:
http://www.crimelibrary.com/
Maybe not for you if you write for younger readers. But this site covers everything you ever wanted to know about horrific murders, gangsters, spies, conspiracy theories, and the workings of the criminal mind.
These websites, and the ones in the last post, were put together by Christina Hamlett, and are found in the Children's Writer Guide, 2009 edition. Thanks, Christina!
Until later,
That's a wrap.
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Monday, February 14, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Madam Curie, Beethovan, and Riders of the Purple Sage
Did I catch your eye? Spark your curiousity? I hope so, because that's what research is all about. Oh, I know...you HATE research! Hmm...really? Did you know that Madam Curie valued her privacy so much that she once pretended to be her own maid, so she could rant at an overly-aggressive (to her mind) reporter about respecting people's privacy? Did you know that Beethovan was out to dinner one night, and promptly threw his dinner of roast beef at the waiter because it wasn't what he ordered? Did you know that the Riders of the Purple Sage, Zane Grey's best known novel, is NOT primarily a Western, even though it set the stage for future Westerns, but is mostly about a young Mormon woman who is persecuted by her own people because she refuses to marry a polygamous Mormon elder, and instead befriends a young Western Gentile outrider?
You see? Research can give you all kinds of valuable, interesting, mysterious, and often quirky facts to write about, or to incorporate into another kind of story. In keeping with the above statement, for the next couple of posts, I'm going to give you some research sites, which I hope will add to the originality and creativity of your writing.
Medieval and Ancient Names: www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/medievalnames.htm
Writing a medieval fantasy? You're not likely to find a Kevin or a Melissa, but you can look up Arabic, Babylonian, Jewish, Chinese, Aztec, or even Mongolian names ( just to name a few!). This is in addition to hundreds of medieval names, too.
ePodunk City Profiles:
http://www.epodunk.com/
Want to know something about a particular city in the US to make your story more realistic? This site offers comprehensive county and community profiles, maps, calendars, weather, history, demographics, and just about anything else you might want to know to make your story settings more interesting and accurate.
World Time Server:
http://www.worldtimeserver.com/
If your young MC in San Franciso decides at noon on Friday to check up on her boyfriend who's supposedly with his parents in Sri Lanka, unless he's out two-timing her, he's most likely asleep...it's 12:30am the following day in that part of the world. This site not only calculates time zones anywhere on the plante, but also gives you the local news and weather.
dMarie Time Capsule:
www.dmarie.com/timecap
If you put in any date back to the 1800s, this site will usher in a list of newspaper headlines, top songs, movies, books, toys and the prices people paid for milk, bread, houses and transportation. A great place to go if your character lives in a different era, and you want to know what movies they went to, or what books they read, or how much their parents paid for their home.
History in Song:
www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/atoz.html
If your characters live in a different era, and you want them to know certain song lyrics, this is the place for you. It will bring up an alphabetical listing of songs with dates, as well as catagorize them by topics and artists.
This is all for today. Don't forget to drop by again on Monday (Valentine's Day), when I'll have more great sites for you to look at.
Until then,
That's a wrap.
You see? Research can give you all kinds of valuable, interesting, mysterious, and often quirky facts to write about, or to incorporate into another kind of story. In keeping with the above statement, for the next couple of posts, I'm going to give you some research sites, which I hope will add to the originality and creativity of your writing.
Medieval and Ancient Names: www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/medievalnames.htm
Writing a medieval fantasy? You're not likely to find a Kevin or a Melissa, but you can look up Arabic, Babylonian, Jewish, Chinese, Aztec, or even Mongolian names ( just to name a few!). This is in addition to hundreds of medieval names, too.
ePodunk City Profiles:
http://www.epodunk.com/
Want to know something about a particular city in the US to make your story more realistic? This site offers comprehensive county and community profiles, maps, calendars, weather, history, demographics, and just about anything else you might want to know to make your story settings more interesting and accurate.
World Time Server:
http://www.worldtimeserver.com/
If your young MC in San Franciso decides at noon on Friday to check up on her boyfriend who's supposedly with his parents in Sri Lanka, unless he's out two-timing her, he's most likely asleep...it's 12:30am the following day in that part of the world. This site not only calculates time zones anywhere on the plante, but also gives you the local news and weather.
dMarie Time Capsule:
www.dmarie.com/timecap
If you put in any date back to the 1800s, this site will usher in a list of newspaper headlines, top songs, movies, books, toys and the prices people paid for milk, bread, houses and transportation. A great place to go if your character lives in a different era, and you want to know what movies they went to, or what books they read, or how much their parents paid for their home.
History in Song:
www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/atoz.html
If your characters live in a different era, and you want them to know certain song lyrics, this is the place for you. It will bring up an alphabetical listing of songs with dates, as well as catagorize them by topics and artists.
This is all for today. Don't forget to drop by again on Monday (Valentine's Day), when I'll have more great sites for you to look at.
Until then,
That's a wrap.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Partly Cloudy With a Chance of Rain: Weather and Fiction
Have you ever thought about what weather adds to your story, or if it adds anything? Do you ever ask yourself it using weather is an effective way to influence a scene or a character's actions or reactions? The answer is, you should.
Think about how many times in a movie or on TV, you've seen a character get some really bad news, while outside the sky is filled with thunder and lightning, and rain is slamming the windows. A scene filled with drama and tension on the inside, and outside, the dark and stormy night ( or day) creates the proper mood in order to strengthen the emotional impact. Isn't that what you want to do with your story? Strengthen the emotional impact upon the reader?
Think about the other ways you can use weather to add excitement to your story. How about irony? Janie has just found out that her boyfriend has ditched her for her best friend. She has been crying for hours. Her face is red and patchy, her eyes are swollen, her throat is hoarse. She feels alone and deserted by two of the most important people in her life. But outside, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, her younger brother and sister are screaming and laughing with their friends. Even the weather is against her. In a scene like this, a bright, beautiful day can add more to the feeling of isolation and despair for your MC than any rainstorm could possibly do.
Weather can create a life-threatening situation for your characters, also. Suppose the MC and her boyfriend have gone sailing. It's a cool, crisp, sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, just a mild enough breeze to make sailing great. But before they realize what is happening, a terrible squall comes up. The waves are huge, the wind is high, the kids don't know how to get the boat back into the bay, and even if they did, the weather wouldn't allow it. What will happen? Will the sailboat capsize? Will they drown?
Weather can raise the stakes for your characters, and increase the tension for your readers. Your MC has had a bad fight with her boyfriend, and she walks out of the high school dance alone. She's crying, so she doesn't realize that what is known as "tulle fog" ( a real phenomenon in California) has come up. She can't see two feet in front of her face. She can't see the street lights or the cars as they come past her. But she CAN hear the footsteps behind her, footsteps that slow down when she slows, speed up when she speeds up. And she know there is a rapist/killer loose in town, who stalks and kidnaps girls her age. Is this her boyfriend coming after her, or the killer, ready to pounce at any moment? How can she tell, when the fog is so thick she not only can't see behind her, but her voice is silenced as though a heavy veil has been thrown over her face?
There are many ways to use weather to enrich your story. It makes a scene become three-dimensional, rather than two. It gives your characters the ability to feel the impact of what they are dealing with...and it surely gives you, the author, a fantastic chance to show what's happening, rather than tell what's happening. Weather is important to any story, important in creating imagery for the reader, and important in exacting the thoughts and emotions of your characters. Try it, you'll like it !
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Think about how many times in a movie or on TV, you've seen a character get some really bad news, while outside the sky is filled with thunder and lightning, and rain is slamming the windows. A scene filled with drama and tension on the inside, and outside, the dark and stormy night ( or day) creates the proper mood in order to strengthen the emotional impact. Isn't that what you want to do with your story? Strengthen the emotional impact upon the reader?
Think about the other ways you can use weather to add excitement to your story. How about irony? Janie has just found out that her boyfriend has ditched her for her best friend. She has been crying for hours. Her face is red and patchy, her eyes are swollen, her throat is hoarse. She feels alone and deserted by two of the most important people in her life. But outside, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, her younger brother and sister are screaming and laughing with their friends. Even the weather is against her. In a scene like this, a bright, beautiful day can add more to the feeling of isolation and despair for your MC than any rainstorm could possibly do.
Weather can create a life-threatening situation for your characters, also. Suppose the MC and her boyfriend have gone sailing. It's a cool, crisp, sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, just a mild enough breeze to make sailing great. But before they realize what is happening, a terrible squall comes up. The waves are huge, the wind is high, the kids don't know how to get the boat back into the bay, and even if they did, the weather wouldn't allow it. What will happen? Will the sailboat capsize? Will they drown?
Weather can raise the stakes for your characters, and increase the tension for your readers. Your MC has had a bad fight with her boyfriend, and she walks out of the high school dance alone. She's crying, so she doesn't realize that what is known as "tulle fog" ( a real phenomenon in California) has come up. She can't see two feet in front of her face. She can't see the street lights or the cars as they come past her. But she CAN hear the footsteps behind her, footsteps that slow down when she slows, speed up when she speeds up. And she know there is a rapist/killer loose in town, who stalks and kidnaps girls her age. Is this her boyfriend coming after her, or the killer, ready to pounce at any moment? How can she tell, when the fog is so thick she not only can't see behind her, but her voice is silenced as though a heavy veil has been thrown over her face?
There are many ways to use weather to enrich your story. It makes a scene become three-dimensional, rather than two. It gives your characters the ability to feel the impact of what they are dealing with...and it surely gives you, the author, a fantastic chance to show what's happening, rather than tell what's happening. Weather is important to any story, important in creating imagery for the reader, and important in exacting the thoughts and emotions of your characters. Try it, you'll like it !
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Sports, Awards, and Self-Image
I heard something on TV this morning that got me to thinking. It was all about the awards that are given out in the sports arena, especially for kids up to about high school age.
The discussion was about giving awards out to all the members of a winning team vs giving one for Best Player or Most Valuable Player, etc., as well as giving awards to every kid who participates in a sporting event of any kind, even if it is a one-on-one event. The whole idea is involved with the self-image of the kid.
When my kids were young, they were never involved in anything but Boy and Girl Scouts...no Little League or Softball, etc. But some of their respective friends were, and we often went as a family to watch the boys' Little League games or the Girls Softball League. We saw pats on the head and great praises given to all members of the winning team, with the Captain usually given a trophy, and certain players, both boys and girls, being given trophies or ribbons for Most Valuable Player and so on.
Those kids on the winning teams who didn't get trophies never cried or complained. They crowded around their captains and ohed and ahed about his trophy, which would soon have ALL of their names on it; they admired the MVP awards, and stoutly maintained that next season it would go to them. They they all whooped and hollered, and went gleefully off to the local pizza parlor to celebrate. Ego? What was that? Self-image? Wasn't that what you saw in the mirror?
Today, it seems that things are different. In order to ensure a good self-image, EVERYONE on the winning team must have a trophy...each exactly the same. Who determined that? The kids? No, I don't think so. From what I've been hearing and reading lately, the whimpy kids who didn't get a trophy decided to throw a bunch of tantrums, so the parents got together, stormed the fortress of the coaches, and demanded a change. Instead of sitting the kids down, and explaining why some get trophies and others don't, instead of teaching the kids good sportsmanship, and what it takes to make a winning team, the parents give in to bad manners and spoiled actions, and take issue with time-honored traditions.
What does it teach a child about doing his best when his best is never treated any differently from someone who just "gets along?" Doesn't it teach that mediocrity is all you need to get "the spoils of war?" Doesn't it teach that there is really no point in working hard and putting more effort into "being the best", because you are going to get the exact same kind of recognition that every other child gets, no matter what?
"They" say that giving the same award to all the kids, in any kind of competition today, not just solely for sports, is "improving" their self-image, but that giving recognition to ONLY those who win, or get the best grade in an essay contest, or whatever kind of competition is going on, is going to deflate the ego and damage the self-image of the child.
Yet...we are a society of people who strive daily to do their best...to succeed, to achieve goals. Our nation is built upon the premise that we are the strongest because we are the best...we are composed of people who have always put forth their best. Mediocrity has never had its place in the building and prosperity of America.
So if we are now teaching our children that everyone wins, that there is no "best effort" needed to win the prize, whatever it may be, what does that bode for this country and this society? Will we become, in future generations, a society of mediocrity, a nation no longer the strongest and the best? If we teach our children that everyone wins, that there is no clearly defined "winner," that "their best" is just not necessary, what does that mean?
Self-image should not be based upon a group mentality, whether it is one of superiority or of medocrity. It should be an independent collection of one's unique talents, abilities, and feelings of worth to others in his/her family, friends and community. But if kids grow up to believe that everything they do, learn, know, and show to others is the same, that no one does better or worse, knows more or less, learns more easily or with more difficulty, and so on, doesn't that mean that individuality is lost, and that "self-image" becomes a mere reflection of a group mentality?
What do you think?
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
The discussion was about giving awards out to all the members of a winning team vs giving one for Best Player or Most Valuable Player, etc., as well as giving awards to every kid who participates in a sporting event of any kind, even if it is a one-on-one event. The whole idea is involved with the self-image of the kid.
When my kids were young, they were never involved in anything but Boy and Girl Scouts...no Little League or Softball, etc. But some of their respective friends were, and we often went as a family to watch the boys' Little League games or the Girls Softball League. We saw pats on the head and great praises given to all members of the winning team, with the Captain usually given a trophy, and certain players, both boys and girls, being given trophies or ribbons for Most Valuable Player and so on.
Those kids on the winning teams who didn't get trophies never cried or complained. They crowded around their captains and ohed and ahed about his trophy, which would soon have ALL of their names on it; they admired the MVP awards, and stoutly maintained that next season it would go to them. They they all whooped and hollered, and went gleefully off to the local pizza parlor to celebrate. Ego? What was that? Self-image? Wasn't that what you saw in the mirror?
Today, it seems that things are different. In order to ensure a good self-image, EVERYONE on the winning team must have a trophy...each exactly the same. Who determined that? The kids? No, I don't think so. From what I've been hearing and reading lately, the whimpy kids who didn't get a trophy decided to throw a bunch of tantrums, so the parents got together, stormed the fortress of the coaches, and demanded a change. Instead of sitting the kids down, and explaining why some get trophies and others don't, instead of teaching the kids good sportsmanship, and what it takes to make a winning team, the parents give in to bad manners and spoiled actions, and take issue with time-honored traditions.
What does it teach a child about doing his best when his best is never treated any differently from someone who just "gets along?" Doesn't it teach that mediocrity is all you need to get "the spoils of war?" Doesn't it teach that there is really no point in working hard and putting more effort into "being the best", because you are going to get the exact same kind of recognition that every other child gets, no matter what?
"They" say that giving the same award to all the kids, in any kind of competition today, not just solely for sports, is "improving" their self-image, but that giving recognition to ONLY those who win, or get the best grade in an essay contest, or whatever kind of competition is going on, is going to deflate the ego and damage the self-image of the child.
Yet...we are a society of people who strive daily to do their best...to succeed, to achieve goals. Our nation is built upon the premise that we are the strongest because we are the best...we are composed of people who have always put forth their best. Mediocrity has never had its place in the building and prosperity of America.
So if we are now teaching our children that everyone wins, that there is no "best effort" needed to win the prize, whatever it may be, what does that bode for this country and this society? Will we become, in future generations, a society of mediocrity, a nation no longer the strongest and the best? If we teach our children that everyone wins, that there is no clearly defined "winner," that "their best" is just not necessary, what does that mean?
Self-image should not be based upon a group mentality, whether it is one of superiority or of medocrity. It should be an independent collection of one's unique talents, abilities, and feelings of worth to others in his/her family, friends and community. But if kids grow up to believe that everything they do, learn, know, and show to others is the same, that no one does better or worse, knows more or less, learns more easily or with more difficulty, and so on, doesn't that mean that individuality is lost, and that "self-image" becomes a mere reflection of a group mentality?
What do you think?
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Creating Tension
Tension is one of the most important parts of the novel. The goals, motivations and conflicts that the main character finds herself in the middle of mean nothing if they don't also create tension. Donald Maass, who wrote The Breakout Novel, says this about tension: In dialogue, tension means disagreement. In action, it means not physical business bu the inner anxiety of the point-of-view character. In exposition, it means ideas in conflict and emotions at war.
To simplify it more than it should be, it is basically opposition of one kind or another. For example:
a) Your main character has an external goal which somehow conflicts with an internal goal;
b) Perhaps she has two external goals, but can only even attempt to accomplish one, so she has to choose between the two but she wants both of them equally;
c) Someone she loves, or is close to ( best friends) wants the same thing she wants; along with this idea rests
d) Achieving her goal ( winning the boy) would hurt someone else ( her BFF), or would be doing something that her conscience or her own sense of values would not allow;
e) Your MC starts the novel out wrestling with some kind of dilemma, which could be either internal or external, but which leads to the question of how, when, or if she is going to resolve the problem.
There are many ways to create tension, but no matter how you do it, it has to be something that follows in the footsteps, so to speak, of your GMC. It must be believable, it must be something that occurs naturally to or with your MC, and it must have some kind of compelling reason for the circumstances to occur which lead to the tension.
One example that I've read over and over about "tension" is that of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is in love with Juliet but knows that if continues to pursue her, he is going against his family, whom he also loves. But his love for her is too great for him to ignore and to give her up. So no matter which course of action he decides upon, someone, including him, is going to be hurt. Now that is Tension!
As your story goes along, you can create more tension by having your MC solve one problem, or overcome one obstacle standing in the way of her achieving her goal, only to have another problem or obstacle pop up in front of her. Perhaps this one is not only different, but more difficult for her to overcome. Each succeeding problem she solves should lead to just one more obstacle, until finally your climax occurs, the resolution follows, and both MC and reader can take a deep breath. The more opposing factors there are in a novel, the more tension is created; the more tension created, the more the story is moved forward, and the more compelling the story becomes for the reader.
Along with this tension/obstacle/problem solving, don't forget that your MC needs to show a change in her feelings and her attitudes. Another word for this is Growth. As she goes along, she needs to show growth in her character. If she doesn't feel or show any kind of change in her makeup, then the whole work has been for nothing, because nothing has impacted the MC.
In closing, remember that your GMC must lead to T or Tension. The MC's goals must be realistic and achievable, her motivation must be strong enough to overcome obstacles, the conflicts must also be believable and must arise, hopefully, from both external AND internal choices, and all of this must lead to realistic circumstances that create tension.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
To simplify it more than it should be, it is basically opposition of one kind or another. For example:
a) Your main character has an external goal which somehow conflicts with an internal goal;
b) Perhaps she has two external goals, but can only even attempt to accomplish one, so she has to choose between the two but she wants both of them equally;
c) Someone she loves, or is close to ( best friends) wants the same thing she wants; along with this idea rests
d) Achieving her goal ( winning the boy) would hurt someone else ( her BFF), or would be doing something that her conscience or her own sense of values would not allow;
e) Your MC starts the novel out wrestling with some kind of dilemma, which could be either internal or external, but which leads to the question of how, when, or if she is going to resolve the problem.
There are many ways to create tension, but no matter how you do it, it has to be something that follows in the footsteps, so to speak, of your GMC. It must be believable, it must be something that occurs naturally to or with your MC, and it must have some kind of compelling reason for the circumstances to occur which lead to the tension.
One example that I've read over and over about "tension" is that of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is in love with Juliet but knows that if continues to pursue her, he is going against his family, whom he also loves. But his love for her is too great for him to ignore and to give her up. So no matter which course of action he decides upon, someone, including him, is going to be hurt. Now that is Tension!
As your story goes along, you can create more tension by having your MC solve one problem, or overcome one obstacle standing in the way of her achieving her goal, only to have another problem or obstacle pop up in front of her. Perhaps this one is not only different, but more difficult for her to overcome. Each succeeding problem she solves should lead to just one more obstacle, until finally your climax occurs, the resolution follows, and both MC and reader can take a deep breath. The more opposing factors there are in a novel, the more tension is created; the more tension created, the more the story is moved forward, and the more compelling the story becomes for the reader.
Along with this tension/obstacle/problem solving, don't forget that your MC needs to show a change in her feelings and her attitudes. Another word for this is Growth. As she goes along, she needs to show growth in her character. If she doesn't feel or show any kind of change in her makeup, then the whole work has been for nothing, because nothing has impacted the MC.
In closing, remember that your GMC must lead to T or Tension. The MC's goals must be realistic and achievable, her motivation must be strong enough to overcome obstacles, the conflicts must also be believable and must arise, hopefully, from both external AND internal choices, and all of this must lead to realistic circumstances that create tension.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
A New Year, A New Novel?
Does a new year bring with it new ideas for stories, novels, non-fiction articles? Or does it just bring a new resolve to finish what you had started last year? Wit me, it's a little of both...and that's probably how it is with most writers.
If you are going to begin a new story line, for a novel or otherwise, is it something you've had brewing in your mind for awhile, or has it come as a flash of inspiration from your muse? Either is good, but sometimes that little muse can get in the way of a well-thought out plan before you begin. I don't necessarily mean outlining before you begin, because that's something I don't do. But have you thought out the GMCT of your story before beginning?
Okay, you ask, just what is GMCT? I thought you'd never ask! GMCT stands for Goal, Motivation, Conflict, and Tension. The first three should always be in any story of any length, and to make it better, you should be able to add Tension.
GMC is the heart and soul of any good story, and the concept has to apply to the MC, but to make the story more interesting, and surely more believable, you need to apply them to at least one of your main secondary characters. To make the story even more exciting, the GMC of the major secondary characters should clash with that of the MC. Perhaps they both have the same goal...say, of attracting the handsome high school sports hero, but their motivations are different, even opposing. This brings up much external conflict, but suppose the MC and the major SC are best friends...what happens then to the internal conflict of each one? And at the climax, what has the MC had to go through, give up, or change in her own behavior and attitudes ( growth) to achieve...or not...her goal?
To recap:
(G)oal is what the MC wants in order for the story to move forward. It must be difficult or seemingly impossible for her to achieve, because of the problems and obstacles that get in her way.
(M)otivation is what drives the MC forward to get what she wants. The reason or reasons for her to be willing to do just about anything must be logical and believable in terms of her being physically, emotionally, or mentally capable.
(C)onflict arises when she comes face to face with the obstacles which stand in the way of her achieving her goal. These obstacles could be physical, in terms of a person, place or a situation; they could be emotional, in terms of her feelings about something, or her conscience; they could be mental, in terms of her not having, at the moment, the intellectual ability or knowledge she needs; or these obstacles could be any combination of the above.
Using the example above, what kinds of external and internal conflict could be more believable than that of two friends fighting over the same boy? And with teens especially, the conflict is going to be elevated to great heights, as all problems with teens are exaggerated. That in turn leads to the T in the GMCT formula...Tension.
Tomorrow, I'll talk more about Tension and what it means to a novel.
Until then,
That's a wrap.
If you are going to begin a new story line, for a novel or otherwise, is it something you've had brewing in your mind for awhile, or has it come as a flash of inspiration from your muse? Either is good, but sometimes that little muse can get in the way of a well-thought out plan before you begin. I don't necessarily mean outlining before you begin, because that's something I don't do. But have you thought out the GMCT of your story before beginning?
Okay, you ask, just what is GMCT? I thought you'd never ask! GMCT stands for Goal, Motivation, Conflict, and Tension. The first three should always be in any story of any length, and to make it better, you should be able to add Tension.
GMC is the heart and soul of any good story, and the concept has to apply to the MC, but to make the story more interesting, and surely more believable, you need to apply them to at least one of your main secondary characters. To make the story even more exciting, the GMC of the major secondary characters should clash with that of the MC. Perhaps they both have the same goal...say, of attracting the handsome high school sports hero, but their motivations are different, even opposing. This brings up much external conflict, but suppose the MC and the major SC are best friends...what happens then to the internal conflict of each one? And at the climax, what has the MC had to go through, give up, or change in her own behavior and attitudes ( growth) to achieve...or not...her goal?
To recap:
(G)oal is what the MC wants in order for the story to move forward. It must be difficult or seemingly impossible for her to achieve, because of the problems and obstacles that get in her way.
(M)otivation is what drives the MC forward to get what she wants. The reason or reasons for her to be willing to do just about anything must be logical and believable in terms of her being physically, emotionally, or mentally capable.
(C)onflict arises when she comes face to face with the obstacles which stand in the way of her achieving her goal. These obstacles could be physical, in terms of a person, place or a situation; they could be emotional, in terms of her feelings about something, or her conscience; they could be mental, in terms of her not having, at the moment, the intellectual ability or knowledge she needs; or these obstacles could be any combination of the above.
Using the example above, what kinds of external and internal conflict could be more believable than that of two friends fighting over the same boy? And with teens especially, the conflict is going to be elevated to great heights, as all problems with teens are exaggerated. That in turn leads to the T in the GMCT formula...Tension.
Tomorrow, I'll talk more about Tension and what it means to a novel.
Until then,
That's a wrap.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Looking Forward
It is now January 3rd, and the New Year's resolutions should be well in place. Oh! You didn't make any resolutions this year? Hmm...what about goals? Or even...objectives? No? Ooookay...so what now...you're just going to go with the flow for the year? That could be pretty interesting...or disasterous.
All kidding aside, do you make resolutions for the coming year? I stopped many years ago when I finally realized I wasn't keeping them at all, so why bother making them? But I do have goals, not all of which get met, but some do, and sometimes the objectives leading to the goal get met. At least that keeps me satisfied, if not happy.
So this year I've set 8 goals for myself:
1. Finish my last novel course and the historical novel I've been researching and writing for the last 3 years. ( Only about 11 months in the novel course.)
2. Get back on track in sending out queries to both agents and publishers.
3. Become consistent again in writing my blog. I was very good about it when I first started, but then let both the course and life's not always amusing twists get in the way.
4. Begin editing and revising Lily Leticia Langford and The Book of Practical Magic.
5. Finish Celine's story ( the antagonist in my first novel is now the protagonist in her own novel.)
6. Outline ( ugh) or write down good notes for the 4 new ideas for novels I have: a) girl has disability, poses as a "freak" in the carnival show run by her parents, goes to new small town and uncovers a murder mystery that the whole town is involved in; b) girls in a private school have a "hate book," girl is murdered, her name is in the book; c) girl starts bullying her best friend in order to start high school as part of the "Snob Mob."; and d) a rewrite of Beauty and the Beast...this is one that's been on my mind for a long time, and it definitely has a twist to it.
7. Begin sending out the short stories I have languishing in my computer, and get busy with all the NF ideas I have.
8. Possibly set up a website, but that won't be until the end of the year, and is totally dependent upon how well I meet my goal of being consistent with this blog.
So, these are my goals for the new year, 2011. My husband tells me I'm very ambitious, but I honestly believe these are all within my capability. If I fail to meet them, or any one of them, it's all on my head.
What are the goals you've set for yourself for 2011?
Let me know.
Until later,
That's a wrap.
All kidding aside, do you make resolutions for the coming year? I stopped many years ago when I finally realized I wasn't keeping them at all, so why bother making them? But I do have goals, not all of which get met, but some do, and sometimes the objectives leading to the goal get met. At least that keeps me satisfied, if not happy.
So this year I've set 8 goals for myself:
1. Finish my last novel course and the historical novel I've been researching and writing for the last 3 years. ( Only about 11 months in the novel course.)
2. Get back on track in sending out queries to both agents and publishers.
3. Become consistent again in writing my blog. I was very good about it when I first started, but then let both the course and life's not always amusing twists get in the way.
4. Begin editing and revising Lily Leticia Langford and The Book of Practical Magic.
5. Finish Celine's story ( the antagonist in my first novel is now the protagonist in her own novel.)
6. Outline ( ugh) or write down good notes for the 4 new ideas for novels I have: a) girl has disability, poses as a "freak" in the carnival show run by her parents, goes to new small town and uncovers a murder mystery that the whole town is involved in; b) girls in a private school have a "hate book," girl is murdered, her name is in the book; c) girl starts bullying her best friend in order to start high school as part of the "Snob Mob."; and d) a rewrite of Beauty and the Beast...this is one that's been on my mind for a long time, and it definitely has a twist to it.
7. Begin sending out the short stories I have languishing in my computer, and get busy with all the NF ideas I have.
8. Possibly set up a website, but that won't be until the end of the year, and is totally dependent upon how well I meet my goal of being consistent with this blog.
So, these are my goals for the new year, 2011. My husband tells me I'm very ambitious, but I honestly believe these are all within my capability. If I fail to meet them, or any one of them, it's all on my head.
What are the goals you've set for yourself for 2011?
Let me know.
Until later,
That's a wrap.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)