Dear Readers,
As Spring approaches, I'm elbow deep into my newest oeuvrewhile I wait to get elbow-deep in my garden. But this work is taking me a bit more time to work out the kinks in the story.
When I started, I knew I wanted to make a departure from my previous works (Dreams of the Eggplant, and others), but I wasn't sure how to begin. I found help at 4 Steps to Starting a Story.
Next, I needed to populate my story with interesting characters. I found dozens of sample character "questionnaires" online, such as this Character Profile Questionnaire, that are designed to help me get to know my characters. They were helpful, but I also found some good advice about using them at Don't Overkill Your Character Profile.
Then, as I started writing, I wondered if should write a prologue. For guidance, I viewed Jenna Moreci's interesting video, "How to Write a Prologue." (After viewing it, I think I'll leave it out!)
For a change, my main character is a human--not a vegetable--so I'm learning new things about character arcs. (They aren't called vegetables because they are deep thinkers, after all.) I found two good sources to help me understand what I need to do. One is What is a character arc, and the other is The Mirror Moment. Both really help me understand my characters' journeys.
To make the most of these new-found deeper characters, I want to make the story meaningful.I found some help at How to Create Meaning Through Story. And since I'm planning to include a bit of romance, I was happy to discover 8 Ways to Touch the Heart of Your Reader with Rose Scott.
But my readers can't be touched by my work unless they read it, so I need a strong hook. I found help at 6 Steps to Hooking Your Reader. Once they're hooked, I have to keep them interested. How better than to have a diverse cast of characters? To help me there, I consulted Diversity in Casting Your Characters.
Not only is my protagonist human, she has a difficult story to tell, but she's a survivor. I found inspiration for telling her story (and advice on how not to make mistakes) in a very interesting interview with Rachel Thompson
As I pursue this further, I realize that my current readers might not be the target audience for my new work. I thought perhaps I ought to use a nom de plume . . . . You know--a pen name.I found a good discussion of this at To Pen Name or Not: That Is the Question. I haven't answered it yet, but this gave me something to think about.
Once I have that figured out, I'll be ready to jump into social media to work on getting my name (or pen name) out. I found some good advice at 10 Pro Tips For Writers Using Social Media. I don't know if I'm prepared to follow them all yet, but at least I have a battle plan.
I hope your writing is going well. Happy Spring, everyone!
Betty Wryte-Goode