Author: Terry Connelly

Terry Connelly is a retired high school English teacher. She earned her BA and Single Subject Teaching credential from California State University of the East Bay, in Hayward, California. Her short story "The Visitor" was published in the Noyo River Review after winning first place at the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference in 2019. Another short story, "Swept Sway" is in the CWC Literary Review. She taught for 18 years at Newark Memorial High School in Newark, California. She was gifted to work with both College Prep students and those with learning disabilities.

Fill in the Details

On By Terry ConnellyIn Writing promptLeave a comment

Characters do not walk around in a void, naked, in empty rooms. You must clothe them, feed them and have them interact with objects.

When you create a character, one thing you might consider doing is looking at images online, finding people in the same age group, same size, same coloring. Look for clothing styles that fit the character’s profile. For example, you might not see a 60 year old woman baring her midriff and wearing skin-tight jeans, but she might wear a track suit with t-shirt, a cashmere sweater over a loose cotton top and black flats.

Print up a selection of clothes and put them min an album. Refer to them often, but don’t spend time in your story describing everything that the character wears. Occasional references keep the reader grounded.

Think about the houses or apartments in which your character lives or visits. It must have furnishings, right? Considering your character’s level of income and lifestyle, place chairs, tables, desks, curtains, bed and so on. To get ideas, once again, look online and print up what you see.

When your character enters these places, what does she see? Chrome and leather modernist chairs? Glass-topped coffee table? Mahogany end tables? Describe them once, but not necessarily as a line-by-line listing. Instead, infuse the story with little details throughout, sharing something new and refreshing each time.

Your task is to create a series of scenes in which your character walks into a room, looks around, and takes in the view. Describe what he sees, giving detail sufficient enough to paint the picture for the reader.

Do this over and over. Dress her in different outfits. Have her walk into a doctor’s office or a IT company for a job interview.

Have him sit down to a meal, and when it is presented, actually look at the food before him. Describe it, thinking of colors, textures, arrangement, taste.

Have fun with this.

Good luck.

The Importance of the Ending

On By Terry ConnellyIn Writing promptLeave a comment

Did you ever finish a story and then scratch your head, thinking, what the heck? The characters were compelling, the setting beautifully described, the plot intriguing, but the end did not resolve a thing.

You wonder what’s going on with the characters, whether or not they get married and live happily ever after. Or if the kingdom has been saved or the fugitive captured.

It’s a frustrating experience for a reader, to get to the last word on the final page of a book and be left with more questions than she had when she opened the book.

You’ve got to give as much attention to the end as you do to the opening lines.
A good ending offers resolution of some kind. Yes, the character can die, but it isn’t a good idea to kill off all of your characters in every story. A cathartic experience that alters a character’s perspective brings closure, even if the character does not change in a positive way. Likewise, capturing the killer(s) and seeing them go to jail leaves a pleasant taste.

Your task is to look at one of your stories from beginning to end. Better yet, ask a friend to read it for you. When he is finished, ask about how he feels, about whether or not he is satisfied and fulfilled. If he is, then great. If not, ask what he would like to see happen to bring resolution.

If you don’t have a reader, pretend that you are seeing the words for the first time. When you get to the final paragraphs, look for conclusions. The action is complete, the character has solved whatever issues was at hand, and there is nothing more to be said.

One other thing that you can do is to write multiple endings. Try them all out and see which one brings the greater sense of relief.

Have fun with this one.

Good luck.

Passage of Time

On By Terry ConnellyIn Writing promptLeave a comment

Time is one of the important elements in setting. It is important that the reader know and understand the period in which a story takes place so as to process the events.

For example, historical fiction is grounded in the past. The author must be a researcher prior to writing, to ensure that vocabulary, clothing, foods and relationships are appropriate for that period of time.

Fantasy can be in the past, present or future, depending upon how the author phrases the action. When grounded in the past, there might be druids, mages and shaman. In the present, we might encounter modern-day herbalists, mind-readers or magicians. In the future, well, who knows what we might find.

There is more to time than setting. Time also controls the speed or flow or the action. There are reasons to slow down event, such as an in-depth study of what a character is seeing or doing.

Imagine standing on a ledge looking down at the traffic below. In this scenario action slows down. We want to feel the heartbeat, listen to the shallow breathing and process, in detail, what is taking place below.

On the other hand, there are times when action speeds up. Picture a car chase, robbers leading the way followed by an army of police cars, lights and sirens blazing.

How does the author control pace? By sentence length. When you want to slow things down, sentences become more complex. Language is filled with metaphors and similes, beautiful descriptions and flowery vocabulary.

To speed things up, shorten sentences to simple phrases, often beginning with verbs. Quick thoughts. Sharp movements. Crisp action.

Your task is to create a scene and play with time. Decide whether to delve into details or to have fast-paced action. Write. Read. Does the pace seem appropriate for the story? If not, rewrite, this time choosing the alternate.

Good luck with this one.

Have fun.

Keep your Character Busy

On By Terry ConnellyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Sometimes we find ourselves in a bind. We over-commit, scheduling too many activities in too short of a time period. What to do?

This is a serious dilemma, especially for busy professionals and parents. There are only so many hours available to us, so we have to make sure that we elect to complete those tasks that are either necessary or so compelling that we dare not push them aside.

One common mistake is not giving our characters choices. Their days are boring, filled with blank spaces waiting to be filled. Perhaps this is intentional, depending upon what type of story you are writing.

Think about your reader. How compelling is it to read about someone who sits in front of the TV for hours, doing nothing, day after day? Or the one who goes to work, sits in front of a computer, comes home, and then repeats the next day.

Something needs to happen to liven up the story. There has to be tension, and tension is created by conflict with an antagonist. Tension rises and falls throughout the story.

Each time the character finds herself in a bind, she makes choices. Those choices control whether or not the tension is relieved. These are the hooks that draw the reader on into the story.

Your task is to give your character a number of things to do. Think about his personality. Make a list of at least 5 things that he would like to do. Think of a variety of things. For example play softball, go see a movie, take a hike, travel to Europe and find a place where she can meet new friends.

Next write a scene in which your character gets up in the morning and prioritizes activities. Put her in action. As she moves from one task to the next, throw in complications. A car accident. An electrical line falls, blocking the road. Pounding rain. Slick roads. Anything that impedes her ability to complete her task. This forces her to make decision, to come up with alternatives.

Reread. Do you sense tension building? If not, rewrite, adding in elements that make his life even more complicated.

Good luck with this one.

What Upsets Your Character?

On By Terry ConnellyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Everyone has a boiling point. We can remain calm as the pressure heats up, but eventually something pushed us over the edge and we explode.

You can feel it coming. It’s almost as if you can see the color red and your head pounds. You begin to lose the ability to reason and logic disappears.

No amount of cajoling brings you down. Reassuring pats on the arm are meaningless. Sometimes all you can do is walk far, far away and let time heal.

What about your character? How does he act under stress? Does he lash out verbally? Send nasty emails? Punch a wall? Or even the person who is causing the pain?

Does she sulk and hide in her bedroom? Take a walk around the block? Call a friend or trusted family member?

You have to decide and then write it down. Add this to the list of personality traits that you have built for that character.

Your task is to write a scene in which your character experiences undo stress. First create the setting and people it with at least one adversary. Next come up with the trigger, that issue that sends her reeling. Let him explode or lash out. What happens next? That’s what you have to decide.

Have fun with this one.

Good luck!

Invisibility

On By Terry ConnellyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

There is a time when it is important to blend in. To be nearly invisible. Just another unremarkable face in the crowd.

Your character will have days like this. Imagine that he’s been invited to a 21st birthday party for a friend who only wears jeans and t-shirts. So that’s what your character wears to the part. When he arrives, he discovers that the guests are dressed in sport coats and slacks, with the intention of going to a fancy restaurant for dinner. There is no way to blend in, and so the character can go home and change or simply say goodbye and leave.

Think of the student who failed to complete the assigned readings. Sitting in class the next day she keeps her eyes averted so as to not attract the teacher’s attention. She slouches in her desk, blending in with the furniture.

There has been a bank robbery. It was well-planned, with the perpetrators wearing ski masts and gloves and escaping into a white van with no license plates. As soon as the van pulls away, the robbers remove the masks and blend in.

It is your task to write a scene in which your character makes a choice that either allows him to blend in or in which she stands out. Come up with a scenario that fits the character’s personality. A shy person might choose hiding in plain sight, while a more socially outgoing person might prefer fitting in.

Your scene can be criminal in nature or a social setting. You decide.

When you are finished, reread. Does it make sense? Is your character invisible or a standout?

Have fun with this one.

Good luck.

Fear as a Motivator

On By Terry ConnellyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

What are you scared of? What gives you chills at night? Do snakes terrify you? Bees? Burglars? Gang members?

What do you do when you’re scared? Imagine being in bed, the room is dark and you hear a sound. You listen intently and think it’s coming from the front room. Your purse/wallet is lying on the counter. Your laptop/phone/iPad is on the table. You make your breathing as shallow and quiet as possible. You think about reaching for the phone on the nightstand next to the bed and calling for help, but don’t. What if the phone makes a noise that alerts the intruder? What if there is no intruder? That it’s only a figment of your imagination?

Everyone experiences fear. It could be while watching a movie that keeps you perched on the edge of your seat. It could be thoughts that run rampant when an unexpected call comes at night. It’s how we react to that fear that tells something about our personality.

So it is with your characters. To be human means to carry a wide range of emotions, fear being one of them.

Make a list of five things that your character fears. Beside each, write the reason why.
Choose the most powerful fear. The one that causes the most anxiety.

Write a scene in which the character’s fear dominates the action. This means that you have to know the setting that triggers the fear. For some, it is the dark of night. For others it is walking down an unfamiliar street and seeing loiterers leaning against building walls.

In your piece, the character must experience the fear and then react to it. Reactions do not have to be rational, but they can be.

When you are finished, reread. Is the scene intense enough? Does the reader identify with the character? Is the fear palpable? If not, rewrite.

Have fun with this one.

Good luck.

Different Personas

On By Terry ConnellyIn Writing promptLeave a comment

We think we walk around, looking and acting the same, day in and day out, unless, of course, it is Halloween. But this is not true. We change, sometimes hourly, depending upon where we are, what we are doing and who we are with.
Some might not consider this wearing a disguise, but, in essence, it is.

When I go to the gym I wear a t-shirt and shorts. To church, dress slacks and a nice top, combined with earrings and a necklace. I dress in a similar manner when I go to the theater, but when I eat lunch at the senior center, I wear jeans and a sweatshirt. To go for a walk, I put on a hat and my glasses get dark. In other words, I look different depending upon what I am doing.

So must the characters in your stories. Every time the character does something, you would not want to go into detailed descriptions of what he is wearing, for that would soon be tiresome. But it is something you would bring up if it made a difference.

Let’s say your character is running from the law. She will probably cut and style her hair differently, maybe change its color, and purchase clothing that she would normally not wear. She might wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and avert her eyes whenever meeting someone at a store.

What if your character is a famous singer? Perhaps he will also wear a hat pulled down low to cover his eyes. Instead of his designer jeans, he might put on his most ragged ones with well-worn tennis shoes.

Your task is to reread something you have recently written. Look for scenes in which it would feel natural to mention some form of clothing or description. Write it in, then sit back and think. Does it add to the scene? Make the character come alive? It should. If not, why? Did you simply add a list of details or blend them into the scene?

This is a fine line that authors walk. Too much detail in one place slows down the story. Too little detail and the reader can’t picture the character.

Have fun with this one.

Good luck!

Feeling Sorry

On By Terry ConnellyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

We’d like to feel that even the most hardened criminals feel remorse for crimes committed. That they would look back at what they had done and think, for just a moment, that there were better options that they wish they had taken. Instead of killing/robbing/brutalizing their victims, they had walked away.

But is this true? Could it be that there are those among us who never regret a single thing that they have done? Such people are often classified as sociopaths.

This is the dilemma for every writer. All humans do things for which they have the potential to regret. It might be harsh words spoken to a family member in anger. Criticism handed out to a boss that ended in disciplinary action. Slipping a two dollar candy bar into a coat pocket. Forgetting to send a card in thanks for an act of kindness.

Some of us apologize immediately, while others of us internalize the problem and think it through, analyzing it from every angle.

Your task is to look at one of your characters and decide what type of person she is. She has done something that has caused pain, either emotionally or physically. How does she react? Is this just one of many such actions? Does she feel any qualms about what she has done, or not?

You have to decide.

Write a scene in which an offense against another is committed. It could be a slight, such as not inviting someone out to lunch, or it could be a criminal act. Once the act is completed, then have your character think about what he has done, and then react.

How your character handles the situation gives the reader insight into the character’s personality.

When you are finished, reread. Are you satisfied? Does the reaction fit the crime? If not, was this intentional on your part?

Good luck. Have fun with this one.

Part of Something Bigger

On By Terry ConnellyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

 

We are not solitary figures. From the day of our birth until the day we die, we belong to one kind of group or another. Family comes first, and in many cases, last.
School, which occupies many years, depending upon how far we go. While at school, we might join the choir, learn to play an instrument as part of an orchestra, or be a part of an athletic team, all in elementary and middle school.

Once in high school, our options blossom. We can act, advocate, dance, collect and motivate. We can play chess or video games, cheer for our teams, and act out a court of law. We can debate hot issues, build and compete with rockets and robots, save the planet and work in the science labs as docents.

Even if we don’t join an organized group, we are still part of a family of students. We have our cliques, no matter the name, to which we cling for support and encouragement.

Beyond high school, we spread out our options. There are junior colleges, four-year colleges, trade schools, and specialty institutions of learning. Once there, we are again presented with a variety of group choices.

My point is that we tend to congregate with those who share a common interest.
Your characters must also be a part of something bigger in order to be complex beings.

When you develop your characters, think about what they might like to do. Perhaps they join a mystery readers book club, participate in Zumba classes or work with scouting groups. Maybe they volunteer at a local food kitchen, build houses for the homeless, or repair benches at an inner-city church.

Your task is to make a list of those things that interest your character. From that list choose a few that you can work into a story. Be careful, though. Too few groups and your character falls flat. Too many and your character is overwhelmed. Unless, of course, that is what you want to happen.

Put on your thinking caps. Remember that each character is unique and so has interests that are different from other characters. There may be some overlap. For example, maybe they come together once a month to play poker, but the rest of the time they pursue their individual interests.

Good luck!