What is Pace? Wikipedia defines pace or pacing as the speed at which a story is told — not necessarily the speed at which the story takes place. How does your story unfold? What is it’s rhythm and flow? Shouldn’t there be a rise and fall of plot points […]
Learning the Craft: The Villain Character
How to create a villain? Take a good look at your hero. What kind of villain would he have? What is your hero trying to accomplish, and what kind of bad guy (or gal) would fight the hero’s desired outcome? Not everyone can be good. And if everyone were always […]
Learning the Craft: The Adversary Character
What is an Adversary Character in Literature? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word adversary is from the Latin adversarius, which means “turned toward” or “antagonistic toward.” All villains are adversaries, but not all adversaries are villains. An adversary is not necessarily evil. He or she is a character who […]
Learning the Craft: The Teacher or Mentor Character
What is a Mentor in Literature? The classic mentor is a wise and learned older person who takes the protagonist under his wing. He or she has usually been in the place or situation the protagonist is now. The Mentor ‘knows the ropes.’ If the main character is in […]
Learning the Craft: The Best Friend Character
How do you create a Best Friend for your protagonist? It depends on what you want from that friend. Do you want the BF to be a reflection of your MC? That would be boring. Or do you want to showcase the qualities of your Main Character by giving his […]
Learning the Craft: Your Protagonist or Main Character
Who is your Protagonist? Your main character changes with whatever genre you write. It can be the hard-drinking detective in a crime mystery or the handsome rogue in your romance. However, this character needs to be your most developed character because he carries the plot. The author needs to fully […]
Learning the Craft: Character Creation
Why start with creating your characters? If you write fiction, you know that there are two kinds of fiction. There is action-driven fiction that is fast-paced and all about the plot. Then there is character-driven fiction which is what I write. While the plot is slower, the characters and the […]
The Perfect Blindside, by Leslea Wahl
At sixteen, Jake Taylor is an Olympic medalist, a snowboarding prodigy, and a big fish transplanted to a small pond. He annoys Sophie Metcalf with his arrogance. She plans to expose him for the thoughtless egotist she thinks he is, but she discovers Jake’s considerate and haunted side. A warm […]
Racing the Devil, by Charles Todd
Racing the Devil is the nineteenth book in the Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery Series and a tantalizing read. Like many previous Rutledge Mysteries, in Race with the Devil, the Inspector chases after a mass murderer who attacks anyone who obstructs his or her dark ambitions. Targets include Rutledge. THE PLOT Seven British Army officers pledge […]
Rock Star Retro
Whoop, here it is, Advent again! The end of the calendar year, the start of the Church year, all the familiar characters. In our Sunday liturgies, we hear about endings, beginnings, signs and those who remind us to stay awake and prepare. In particular, our attention is called to John […]