Tag: Ideas to improve writing

Story Pacing Affects Plot Development

On By Terry ConnellyIn prompt, Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

            How fast a story unfolds is controlled by pacing. It is what determines the appeal of a story to its varied audience. For example, some readers want lots of events taking place right at the beginning, and to continue throughout the story. Other readers like the intrigue when obstacles and reactions take place over time. Because pacing affects atmosphere and tone, there are times when a period of concentrated action is needed to provide the conflict and tension that makes a story interesting.

            An adventure novel should revolve around a series of action-packed events while a psychological thriller should be gripping as clues arise as characters react to what’s happening.

            How do you control pacing? The length of a given scene is one way. A long scene will slow down how often something important occurs, while a short scene that includes dialogue and action speeds things up. The period of time that elapses within a scene also impacts pace. If the story is long, the characters will age. This is what differentiates an epic from a short story.

            Your task is to write a story employing a fast pace. Make things happen, keep the characters moving, include tension and conflict. Then rewrite the story slowing down the pace. Use lots of narrative sentences. Allow time to pass, second by second, at a measured pace.

            When finished, reread each version, looking to see which pacing technique works best.

            Have fun with this one.

Developing a Strong Female Lead

On By Terry ConnellyIn prompt, Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

            Cast aside the notion of the female warrior who is perfect in all ways. Your female protagonist might be athletically gifted, amazingly beautiful and displaying a lovely personality, but then she’s boring. You also don’t want to cast her as only important because she’s dating a man. Female characters, in order to speak to today’s readers, must have the characteristics of real-life women.

            What are the cultural norms in the world you have created? Are the same as the real world in which women are often seen as second-class citizens? Perhaps you’ve given the women emotional, interpersonal, intellectual and creative strengths that allow her to have goals of her own?

            Do you have only one woman in the story or several? What purpose do they serve? If they are only sidekicks to the male protagonist, rethink your story.

            Your task is to write a story in which the female protagonist has agency. She has strengths and weaknesses, she is not the fairy-tale raving beauty and she is strong in terms of how she approaches life. She does not have to be violent, but she could be if needed to advance the plot.

            If there are two female characters, try not to pit them against each other unless there is a reason to do so in order to add tension that advances the plot.

            Have fun with this one.

Stereotypical Characters with a Twist

On By Terry ConnellyIn prompt, Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

            Picture the butler who answers the door. What is he wearing? What does he say and do? We probably all have the same image: he’s an older gentleman with a British accent dressed in a tux with tails. He instructs the visitor to go into the drawing room, and then heads off to summon his master.

            In mysteries the butler is often the top suspect in a murder. Despite the reserved image he portrays, underneath that calm lays an angry, vengeful man.

These are stereotypical characters because they are flat people that fill out the cast. They generally appear in quick bursts then drop into the background. Throughout the telling, these characters exhibit little or no growth and have limited impact on the story arc.

            Now picture the lowly farm boy toiling in the heat of the afternoon dredging soiled hay from the horses’ stalls. What is he wearing? What does he say and do?

            What if the butler gets fired and has to become the lowly farm boy? What if the farm boy is actually the son of a prince in a faraway land? Because the farm boy and the butler experience life-changing events, their impact on the story has gone from being minimal to critical.

            Your task is to write a scene in which what first appears to be a stereotypical, flat character and offer a twist in the plot that belies what the reader thinks to be true. You can use the characters mentioned or introduce a different one. For example, what if the wise old woman lacks skills to be a mentor or the orphan who is thought to be the descendant of royalty really is just a street kid?

            Have fun with this one.

Tips to Improve your Storytelling

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

We are writers. We write because we are compelled to get words on pages. We write whether or not anyone will ever read a single word that we’ve put down.

That being so, when we write, we want to do the best possible job.

Following are some tips how to do precisely that:

  1. Be specific in your choice of words, making sure that you’ve provided clarity.
  2. Make sure that the events you’ve included are relevant and add interest and depth.
  3. Stick to the story that you are telling. Don’t diverge into tangents unless those bits add details that can’t be included in any other way.
  4. Remember that a good story must have good characters that play a role in the plot development.
  5. Choose themes to explore that are universal in nature, such as love, death, bromance, friendships because you want readers to relate to the story plot.
  6. And, of course, bring readers into the scenes by using as many of the five senses as possible, but do so without lumping them all into the first few paragraphs.

Your task is to write a short story incorporating as many of these tips as possible, almost like using a checklist. This might not be the best story, so treat it as practice for future excellent stories.

Have fun with this one.