Rebuilding a ruined life
Dealing with change
How far will you go to survive?
A danger to others
From there, we craft our theme:
Redemption is always possible (rebuilding a ruined life)
Family doesn’t have to be blood (who can she trust)
Letting go of a tragic past to embrace a brighter future (rebuilding)
Important to love yourself whatever you are going through (rebuilding)
It’s looking like the most prominent theme is “rebuilding a ruined life,” huh? So, now we know our direction: helping the heroine survive the assassins in order to craft a new life for herself, and get rid of her parasite...if she can.
For your second week of pre-writing lessons, we’ll be expanding all of this, turning our attention to building your characters, the world, and the plot! Get ready, because we start tomorrow!
Day 8
Word Vomit
Word vomit isn’t as gross as it sounds. It’s a simple exercise where you type or write down everything that comes to mind about your story—scene ideas, character traits, anything and everything you’ve considered adding to your tale—without allowing your internal editor a chance to slow your progress.
You might find yourself writing things like “he likes to fish” “hats” “car crash” “eats a corndog, spits it out.” Don’t worry about formatting or even logic. Spew nonsense if necessary. The brain works in mysterious ways, and you might be surprised by the ideas you derive from these word vomit sessions.
JILL: Because inspiration can be a jerk, the idea for Fun & Games came to me when I was on a strict deadline, writing another book. An editor and formatter had been scheduled, and both were waiting on me to finish, so I had to word vomit out my idea as quickly as possible and then return to my work in progress. (I do not trust my mind when it tells me I’ll remember–I always write down my ideas.) The inkling of the concept was this: The heroine of a romance novel hears the back cover blurb. I also wrote down ideas for the kind of blurb she will hear, and moved on from there. Below is my word vomit. No judgement, please.
WORD VOMIT BLURB: On the outside, being a romance novel heroine looks like a lot of fun. Sure, you may get the sexy CEO billionaire or the hunky, shirtless single dad, but what if you wind up as a character being chased by a killer? What if you're paired with the undead? The zombie kind, not the hottie vampire.
What kind of person is the author? I mean really, who does this to someone? I’m not sure what I’m more irritated about. That my boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, is a complete tool who took all my money, but left me with years of student loan debt yet I was thoroughly oblivious. Or that I broke my arm and can’t work, so my life’s plans are on hold or that I’m back in Oklahoma LIVING WITH MY MOTHER (yes, I’m yelling). It’s the oblivious part. In real life, I’m a lot smarter than this author wrote me.
RANDOM WV: Thanks to book time, we can fast forward to the interesting part where Josie and I are at the restaurant. And the coolest thing about book time – the appetizer is already here.
How negotiable do you think this whole romance thing is? Because check this out. I just think something... and there it is. So I have free will.
Coffee is revolting. <– See that? Written.
Gerblerhbuchlsj. I just thought all those letters and now I see them on the page in my mind. (For you I’m assuming they’re on an actual page.)
JILL: Make sure you’re as detailed as you can be when you word vomit, because there are also things I'd written down that I later had no idea what I'd meant. Like this one. Match = rematch. What did I mean, dang it?
Your assignment: Word vomit for 10 minutes. Don’t censor yourself in any way, shape or form. If you think it, write it. Characters. Plot. Dialogue. Emotion. And as an added bonus, this could help get your mind in the writing groove.
Day 9
Building Your Main Characters
Don’t know anything about your main characters? Don’t worry! Character Design 101 is in session!
It’s important to know as much as you can about your characters, because their thoughts and actions depend on their previous life experiences, beliefs and current goals. If you do not know these things, you cannot know why the hero does what he does, so you might be unable to stay true to his character and the different aspects of his personality.
Note: While you might not utilize every detail in your book, this information will help you make decisions for your character, both small and large.
Also: You only need to make bullet points right now. You will elaborate tomorrow.
Appearance? Hair, eye and skin color? Height? Build? Any distinguishing marks? Gender? Age?
What is your character’s name? (We sometimes search for names with a specific meaning to fit a character’s personality.)
What are three major events that occurred in their past?
Past relationships? What kind of person draws and holds their gaze? Their attention?
Favorite food? Favorite drink?
Religious and political beliefs? Values?
Schooling? Hobbies?
Family and friends? Parents or parental figures alive? Siblings? Feeling about certain family members? Upbringing? Special bonds outside of family? Closest friends?
Socioeconomic status? What vehicles do they drive? What do they prefer to wear?
Special skill set, like sewing, knife throwing, navigating through space?
Job? Salary? Savings?
Level of happiness and ambition? Ultimate goal(s) for the future?
How do they treat other people? Are they a good communicator? Do they tell jokes? Are they confrontational? Peacemaker?
What is something others can see about this character that he/she cannot see for themselves?
How do they move through the world? Are they impulsive? Are they wise? Are they dumb? Do they hold onto regrets?
Your assignment: Give short and sweet answers to all of the above questions.
Pro-tip: Always save character questionnaires and interviews. Once you’ve published your novel, you can use these as teasers or as promotional materials later!
Day 10
Character Range
Yesterday, we focused (and magnified) the here and now. Today, we’ll expand the backstory for each of your main characters.
Knowing and understanding the backstory of your characters is extremely important for you as the author. Their past, whether tragic, angst-ridden or joyous, will affect their thoughts and actions throughout the story. History, both recent and from childhood, explains their hopes and fears, and provides a solid foundation for their opinions and behavior.
As important as consistency is to your writing voice and genre, your readers will notice if a character is being inconsistent with their behavior or personality. Their past experiences shape the decisions they make today.
RANGE is a simple formula that can help you shape your characters.
Reasons
Ambitions
Needs
Growth
Emotion.
R - Reasons they do what they do. (If they wake up every morning sad, tell us why.)
A - Ambitions (What do they want more than anything else in the world?)
N - Needs (What do they need to be happy? What can’t they live without?)
G - Growth (How will they grow throughout the book? If they start off sad, what must happen to make them happy by the end of the book—if happiness is your goal?)
E - Emotion and effect (What drives them wild? What makes them mad? What do they hate? Love?)
Your assignment: Answer the above questions to determine your character’s RANGE and figure out why those events helped shape them into the person they are.
Bonus assignment: List other childhood memories your characters have, what school they attended, their best friends, jobs they’ve loved and lost or hated and shed, past lovers, and friends. You never know what detail will need to pop u
p later in the story.
Day 11
What Will My Characters Do? Plotting Basics Through SEARCH!
Is your story driven by people and their goals and relationships (character driven), or by external forces in the story world (plot driven)?
For All Write Already, we have developed a 6 point plot structure. This structure can be a useful tool, whether the plot or characters drive the story. The system gives you the flexibility to expand each point as little or as much as you choose. We like to call it SEARCH.
Symmetry
Encounter
Adversity
Reflection
Climax
Harmony
S – Symmetry - The point where both your main characters begin the story. Their life is in balance, or at least they think it is. They may be working toward a goal, living large or feeling as though they’re barely keeping their head above water. Balance isn’t always necessarily good, but it’s what your character is used to experiencing on a daily basis. This is their reality.
E – Encounter - The encounter that sparks the action and begins the story. In a romance, it’s where your romantic leads meet. Hollywood gave us the phrase “meet cute”. To writers of other genres, that definition might be too narrow, which is why we refer to it as the “memorable meet” instead. In the first released Star Wars movie, George Lucas placed the encounter in the spot where Luke Skywalker activates R2D2 to play the message from Princess Leia. They didn’t meet in person, but he did get to learn about her, propelling him into action. The first encounter can be anything—awful, funny or scary. Just make sure it’s memorable.
A – Adversity - The difficulties you put into the paths of your characters in the external or visible plot. Each new problem should raise the stakes a little bit more. So, give your characters a problem. Then make it worse.
R – Reflection - The emotional dilemmas you toss at your characters and their thoughts, feelings and gut level reactions. Think about the ways and reasons your characters will fight for what they want. As soon as they solve one problem, it’s time to think up another. Events happen to us every day, some things we expect and others come as a surprise. The moment your characters feel comfortable with their plans and feelings, consider introducing an element to make them think/choose/fear/doubt, something to put a wrench in their plans. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
What are their gut level reactions to these events?
What happens when your character gets what they wanted, only to realize that nothing has changed. Or that everything has gotten worse!
C – Climax - This is the turning point for your plot, main characters and villain. Every scene you’ve written has been leading to this moment. For example, in 1984 by George Orwell, the climax occurs when Winston must choose between the love he has discovered and the Party he has devoted his life to serving. In romance novels, the climax is the point where the characters realize they’re in love, or recognize that they have a major grovel—aka major apology—to present to their significant other.
H - Harmony - Your characters have faced down their foes in the climax. They’ve made their decisions and are now on the path that leads to a bright future. Show what your characters have learned and how they’ll move on from here. Let the reader believe they’ve earned their happy ending.
We will explore all 6 elements of SEARCH in more detail later.
Your assignment: Come up with at least two ideas for each of the 6 points.
There are many great plotting books and tools to help you if you wish to delve more deeply into these areas of your writing. Here are just a few:
The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne
Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes
Story by Robert McKee
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers
Day 12
Setting
You’ve heard the phrase, right place at the right time? The setting of your novel boils down to two simple things, time and place, but those two things can make or break your character. These two elements will affect your character’s vernacular, the sights and scents they encounter, the food they eat, and even financial status. Will you let your character be in their element, or a fish out of water?
When you imagine the setting in which your characters live, what do you see? Take note of all details, big and small. Do they inhabit a small town or a big city? Are they on Earth or another planet? Is there overcrowding? Are families fleeing? Is a main character part of a secret immortal society and only they can see the true world? Are they too afraid to leave their bedroom, so they watch the world from a screen?
Whatever the answers, your readers will see the world through your characters’ eyes. You can use what they see to set the scene and breathe life into your world. But first, let’s start with the basics: descriptive words.
GENA: My book, The Glass Queen, is set in the magical land of Enchantia. This world is imaginary, so I began with a list of words to describe the Enchantia I saw inside my head. My top ten:
Creepy
Mythical
Mysterious
Eerie
Elegant
Violent
Peaceful
Opulent
Elaborate
Dilapidated
A fictional world can be many things at once, it just depends on what part of the world you’re focusing on, or through which character’s eyes you’re looking.
Your assignment: Make a list of all the places your main characters might visit in the course of your novel. Note if you will need to research those areas. Travel articles and online maps provide great resources. Now, write snippets to describe each place your characters will visit.
Side Note: Every genre has its challenges. When writing about a real location, there’s a chance someone has visited or researched the place you are describing. What if you get something wrong? We recommend interviewing professionals, finding an expert in what you are writing about and having them proof the details. Or, you can make up the town/country, history, language—anything you want—just make sure you remain consistent, and that there’s a logical reason for anything out of the ordinary.
Day 13
Your Character’s Many Different Worlds
Wait. Did we say “worlds,” plural? We sure did! These mini-worlds differ from your setting–but they work within your setting. They are the individual compartments of your characters’ lives. For clarity, we’ll call them realms. Their work realm. Home realm. Family and friend realms. The possibilities are endless. Each of these realms comes with a different emotional undertone.
GENA: In my book, The Evil Queen, the heroine narrates the entire story. She has a home—a big city with a small-town feel that makes her feel unloved. A school—it’s basically a battleground, so she’s always on guard. A family—loving and necessary for her peace of mind. Her safe space. A fairy tale—magical, dark, eerie, fantastical. A mystery for her to solve. And a boyfriend—electric, consuming. Once I knew the vibe I wanted for each individual world, I had a much easier time building that world around her.
JILL: In 2016, the wonderful Roxanne St. Claire invited me to write for Barefoot Bay. The loyal fans of the series love the stories and the vibe, so I made sure to honor the already established rules in Roxanne’s beloved series. Always respect the reader.
Creating a fictional place within an already established world gave me more flexibility as a writer, so I gave Molly her own special places. The orange grove world–decimated from the ravages of a hurricane, filled with broken trees and mangled limbs—roots Molly to her past and gives her a sense of purpose as she attempts to return the orchard to its former glory. The world of the ocean–with its predictable tides and soothing waves—gives Molly a refuge from her job and the responsibilities of supporting her grandmother.
Your assignment: Determine how many worlds your character will inhabit in your story and figure out how each one makes them feel.
Day 14
Patchwork Quilt: Tying It All Together Again!
For the story we’re crafting in this book, let’s refer back to our plot–A woman has no real memory of her abduction; she only knows she’s lost a chunk of time. As assassins chase her, she tries to piece together her past.
Now let’s focus on getting to know her better, using the assignments provided in the past week.
First, we build her up.
Appearance: dark hair, dark eyes. 5’7. A runner. Toned. Has a scar on her calf and a tattoo of some sort on her arm. Female. Twenty-eight years old.
Possible Name: Calypso means “she who conceals.” Andy means brave. Rashana means a creation. Annabeth means curious. Emily means hard working.
Past relationships: Has always struggled to bond with others, so has never had a serious relationship. But she is attracted to strength.
Favorite food and drinks: Loves anything spicy. Hates sugary desserts.
Religious and political and values: Believes there is a higher power, wants justice for all. Values truth, knows it’s rare.
All Write Already: Year Of Your Book Page 3
