Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Congratulations
 | ||
| Randy Austin's Award | It was a pleasure to edit this wonderful book, entitled "Wizards Refrain." |
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Color your Writing with Foreign Languages
What is Your Favorite Color?
Hello everyone. I have spent some time traveling and making good use of time and the languages I've learned over the years, including spanish. I would like to share what I hope is a thought provoking experience that might inspire you to write.
An effective means of demonstrating character development resides in a character's response to a unique situation. What if your character finds herself in a rush to catch a train, but no one around her speaks her language, and all the street signs, brochures and schedules are written in a foreign language. How would she handle it?
I am spending some time enjoying Mexico and Costa Rica. ( By the way, I speak six languages, therefore, should you need help, contact me) . During an excursion to an island called Las Mujeres, I noticed a few Americans, staring at a sign in Spanish, puzzled. One man started to aboard the boat, changed his mind and returned to the same sign, uncertain that he had the right boat.
What would your protagonist have done in that situation? Would he/she have brought a dictionary, or consulted a tudor, or perhaps, attended a spanish class prior to the trip?
I've found this to be a thought provoking exercise toward tremendous character development without the need of narrative and explanation.
It presents an opportunity to show rather than tell. You know the drill.
Furthermore, the act of providing street signs (in a foreign language) also help create scene development. For example, a man is about to step off the curb into the street where there is no street light, yet there is a sign that he does not understand. A car is coming fast, but a good samaritan grabs him by the hand to prevent an imminent accident. Which part of this scene would your protagonist/antagonist have played?
Another example may be that of a gentleman and lady who recently met. Let's put them in a coffee shop chatting. Let's say they enjoyed one anothers company and the gentleman is about to leave.
" Encantado que concerte," he said, meaning it has been a pleasure to know you, however, since he used the verb encantar, he has made a warm, almost personal greeting expressing feeling.
What if she smiled, turned to leave, stopped, turned around and smiled, again. What if he walks up to her and gives her a big warm hug? Next, looking over her shoulders as he embraced her, he noticed a sign on the wall.
What did it read? Did she help him to understand or was he to shy to ask?
Explorative scenes such as those above can help stimulate very colorful writing because it immediately, takes the reader abroad, vicariously.
During your next trip abroad, take more photos of people and foreign street signs to jog your memory when you return home. You might be suprised how it will help spruce up an existing story and stimulate a new story idea.
Well, what are you waiting for? Pull out those old photographs and see what happens.
Hello everyone. I have spent some time traveling and making good use of time and the languages I've learned over the years, including spanish. I would like to share what I hope is a thought provoking experience that might inspire you to write.
An effective means of demonstrating character development resides in a character's response to a unique situation. What if your character finds herself in a rush to catch a train, but no one around her speaks her language, and all the street signs, brochures and schedules are written in a foreign language. How would she handle it?
I am spending some time enjoying Mexico and Costa Rica. ( By the way, I speak six languages, therefore, should you need help, contact me) . During an excursion to an island called Las Mujeres, I noticed a few Americans, staring at a sign in Spanish, puzzled. One man started to aboard the boat, changed his mind and returned to the same sign, uncertain that he had the right boat.
What would your protagonist have done in that situation? Would he/she have brought a dictionary, or consulted a tudor, or perhaps, attended a spanish class prior to the trip?
I've found this to be a thought provoking exercise toward tremendous character development without the need of narrative and explanation.
It presents an opportunity to show rather than tell. You know the drill.
Furthermore, the act of providing street signs (in a foreign language) also help create scene development. For example, a man is about to step off the curb into the street where there is no street light, yet there is a sign that he does not understand. A car is coming fast, but a good samaritan grabs him by the hand to prevent an imminent accident. Which part of this scene would your protagonist/antagonist have played?
Another example may be that of a gentleman and lady who recently met. Let's put them in a coffee shop chatting. Let's say they enjoyed one anothers company and the gentleman is about to leave.
" Encantado que concerte," he said, meaning it has been a pleasure to know you, however, since he used the verb encantar, he has made a warm, almost personal greeting expressing feeling.
What if she smiled, turned to leave, stopped, turned around and smiled, again. What if he walks up to her and gives her a big warm hug? Next, looking over her shoulders as he embraced her, he noticed a sign on the wall.
What did it read? Did she help him to understand or was he to shy to ask?
Explorative scenes such as those above can help stimulate very colorful writing because it immediately, takes the reader abroad, vicariously.
During your next trip abroad, take more photos of people and foreign street signs to jog your memory when you return home. You might be suprised how it will help spruce up an existing story and stimulate a new story idea.
Well, what are you waiting for? Pull out those old photographs and see what happens.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Creating Evil Characters
The key to creating an effective evil character involves a two prone perspective. The character must be believable, and, the reader must empathize with the evil character - at some point in the book. There are a few thriller writers who can effectively skirt around the latter notion of making an evil character likeable. However, these great writers tend to present drama, tragedy and suspense in the opening chapter revealing very little characterization of the bad guy.
The Doctor's Vice has a complex plot, so I found it necessary to develop a character the reader could follow and understand.
The process of creating an evil character starts with good research. I had to know what makes a person pathological. And then I researched the actions and symptons of the character's pathology. Next, research professional profiles of particular pathological behavior to create suspense when your character is acting out the behavior.
For example, my upcoming novel, The Doctor's Vice, draws upon research of a child's traumatic experiences at an early age. In this case, a young boy has a terrible experience that lingers with him, gnawing upon his psyche. His undirected anger grows and he begins to interpet the world of adults based on his own inner fears and self-hatred. The reader will understand that the character does not trust....anyone.
I hope the reader has sympathy for the boy and follow him through the opening chapter.
To pull it off, I had to make the reader see, feel and hate the child molester. I had to present the child as helpless, fearful and unable to understand his trauma. I had to make sure circumstances surrounding his childhood made him feel no one would believe him if he were to expose his molester.
To make the boy's fear believable to the reader, I, hopefully, created insight into his mother's greed (which the molester exploited). Greed made her vulnerable to the molester's advances toward her son. Her greed added salt to the boy's injury. Can you imagine what evil is created in the boy's soul?
One thing I've learned from great writers is to avoid the propensity to front load the story with back story information. In other words, show the action upfront and explain later.
When the boy grows up, he becomes an insatiable killer.
Enough of my rambling, let's get to the point.
Here is an excerpt from the Doctor's Vice. Hopefuly, I have created sympathy for the boy, Smitty, which will make his evil acts believable later on in the story.
{The boys are in the basement of the molester's home}
Mr. Boomer sat on the sofa next to the other boys and crossed one leg over the other so that one side of his hips was raised higher. He flipped off both sandals and dangled his legs like a woman.
"Okay, let's show you how to wrestle," said Mr. Boomer. He then fell to his knees. "Whose first?"
Mr. Boomer looked around the room. The boys looked at each other. All of them had heard the rumors. The man was said to be...funny. He touched boys in private places; however, none of the boys lost interest in wrestling.
Smitty spoke up. "Let's go swimming." He was immediately aware that he should have remained silent.
"You. Smitty." Mr Boomer said pointing toward him. He then pointed at the floor and patted the carpet with an open palm. He beckoned the young, intimidated boy. "Come on Smitty, let's show 'em. The man spanked the floor, again. "Let's do 'er."
"Don't wanna," Smitty responded.
"Whaddya say boys? Is Smitty chicken or what?"
"Noooooo," they yelled.
"Smitty can wrestle," said another.
"Show him Smitty."
"I'm waiting, Smitty." Mr. Bommer patted the floor with the palm of his hand.
"Let's go swimming, everyone!" Smitty shouted.
"I know why he doesn't wanna," Earl whispered to another boy.
The boys snickered among themselves, and then sat on the sofa, in preparation of a dramatic unfolding.
"Don't you wanna swim, guys?" Smitty asked no one in particular. He looked around the room for voter support.
There was unanimous silence.
After another nervous moment, the boys began to giggle. They knew Smitty was about to get the treatment.
I am attempting to sprinkle the story with background information on the character without boring the reader by stifling the action scenes.
The Doctor's Vice has a complex plot, so I found it necessary to develop a character the reader could follow and understand.
The process of creating an evil character starts with good research. I had to know what makes a person pathological. And then I researched the actions and symptons of the character's pathology. Next, research professional profiles of particular pathological behavior to create suspense when your character is acting out the behavior.
For example, my upcoming novel, The Doctor's Vice, draws upon research of a child's traumatic experiences at an early age. In this case, a young boy has a terrible experience that lingers with him, gnawing upon his psyche. His undirected anger grows and he begins to interpet the world of adults based on his own inner fears and self-hatred. The reader will understand that the character does not trust....anyone.
I hope the reader has sympathy for the boy and follow him through the opening chapter.
To pull it off, I had to make the reader see, feel and hate the child molester. I had to present the child as helpless, fearful and unable to understand his trauma. I had to make sure circumstances surrounding his childhood made him feel no one would believe him if he were to expose his molester.
To make the boy's fear believable to the reader, I, hopefully, created insight into his mother's greed (which the molester exploited). Greed made her vulnerable to the molester's advances toward her son. Her greed added salt to the boy's injury. Can you imagine what evil is created in the boy's soul?
One thing I've learned from great writers is to avoid the propensity to front load the story with back story information. In other words, show the action upfront and explain later.
When the boy grows up, he becomes an insatiable killer.
Enough of my rambling, let's get to the point.
Here is an excerpt from the Doctor's Vice. Hopefuly, I have created sympathy for the boy, Smitty, which will make his evil acts believable later on in the story.
{The boys are in the basement of the molester's home}
Mr. Boomer sat on the sofa next to the other boys and crossed one leg over the other so that one side of his hips was raised higher. He flipped off both sandals and dangled his legs like a woman.
"Okay, let's show you how to wrestle," said Mr. Boomer. He then fell to his knees. "Whose first?"
Mr. Boomer looked around the room. The boys looked at each other. All of them had heard the rumors. The man was said to be...funny. He touched boys in private places; however, none of the boys lost interest in wrestling.
Smitty spoke up. "Let's go swimming." He was immediately aware that he should have remained silent.
"You. Smitty." Mr Boomer said pointing toward him. He then pointed at the floor and patted the carpet with an open palm. He beckoned the young, intimidated boy. "Come on Smitty, let's show 'em. The man spanked the floor, again. "Let's do 'er."
"Don't wanna," Smitty responded.
"Whaddya say boys? Is Smitty chicken or what?"
"Noooooo," they yelled.
"Smitty can wrestle," said another.
"Show him Smitty."
"I'm waiting, Smitty." Mr. Bommer patted the floor with the palm of his hand.
"Let's go swimming, everyone!" Smitty shouted.
"I know why he doesn't wanna," Earl whispered to another boy.
The boys snickered among themselves, and then sat on the sofa, in preparation of a dramatic unfolding.
"Don't you wanna swim, guys?" Smitty asked no one in particular. He looked around the room for voter support.
There was unanimous silence.
After another nervous moment, the boys began to giggle. They knew Smitty was about to get the treatment.
I am attempting to sprinkle the story with background information on the character without boring the reader by stifling the action scenes.
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