Sunday's Links to Writing & Marketing Blog Posts

OH, WOE IS ME: GIVING YOUR CHARACTERS A GOAL

By: Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

This week's Refresher Friday takes an updated look at the importance of character goals and how to find the right ones for your characters. 

I've talked before about a few key elements in plotting, and one of them was characters. Characters drive plot, because they want something badly enough to act to get it.

What they choose to do is going to create the plot. Why they choose to do it will create the stakes. Together, characters, stakes, and plot make readers want to read on. I've found understanding the why make it's a whole lot easier to figure out the what.

At the start of a scene, the character will be facing a problem. It might be the core of the story idea, or the first in a long line of things planned to resolve that conflict. They'll be facing a choice about that problem, because what they do needs to advance the plot, and choices are a great way to do that.

Look at your problem and your character and ask, "How would they react to this problem?" Gut instinct reaction.

What do they do?

They'll what to do based on how you designed them as a character (who they are and what their worldview is). Flaws and emotional baggage will make them act in a certain way. They'll have motivating factors and reasons to want what they want. All these things will determine what that action is.

Then it's another character's turn to act, based on what the first character does (action and reaction). Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

How do you decide what that character does in the first place? 

Whatever will advance the story and raise the stakes.

And this is why talking about plot is hard. Because I can't tell you what that is. Every story and every character will be different. The best I can do is suggest things you can look for to help you determine what will advance the story and raise the stakes. 

Can you make the character do something they don't want to do?

. . .

Read the full article HERE!

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If you missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets on Friday, here they are again:

• What to Ask a Freelance Editor - Write Divas http://ow.ly/P8mvt
• 3 Tips for Plotting with a Pantser - Learn How To Write A Novel http://ow.ly/P8n1A
• What It Means to Write Realistic Dialogue | Jane Friedman http://ow.ly/P8nqx
• Story: Four Key Elements - The Script Lab http://ow.ly/P8nyb
• Revising without Tears — Guest: Rachel Funk Heller | Jami Gold, Paranormal Author http://ow.ly/P8o5T
• Change Your Mindset http://ow.ly/P8obz  "Why does your mindset matter?"
• Are You Writing with a Fear Filter? http://ow.ly/P8oqM  "Why you should confront what scares you most."
• Formatting Dialogue http://ow.ly/P8oz4 Daily Writing Tips
• One of The Big Cs of #Writing - commit to finishing strong - @BDBrady007 on @EdieMelson http://bit.ly/1R8uE7s  #inspiration
• YouTube Community Development: How to Build a Following With YouTube Social Media Examiner http://ow.ly/P8pWm
• Fiction University: Oh, Woe Is Me: Giving Your Characters a Goal http://ow.ly/PcrBZ
• Writability: The Prologue War http://ow.ly/P8qLR

Happy writing and running, Kathy