Writing Novels: the story that grabs you (continued)
How do you write a good fiction story that somebody else wants to read? What are the ingredients? How do you adapt your true life story to fiction?
Character
Developing a story’s plot first often leads to weak and inconsistent characters. But if you know your characters, then the plot will fall into place and you won’t write something your character cannot or would not do. In this discussion, not only do we talk about the hero or protagonist, we also focus on the villain, for without a strong villain, you have a hero with little to do and a boring story.
Plot
Sometimes the most unlikely plot is plausible because you have developed your characters well. In discussing plot, we focus on what makes a good, interesting, page turner.
Research
Why do I have to do research if I’m writing fiction? I’ve heard that comment too many times. Research brings your characters to life and gives your reader a picture of where, why and how things happen. We discuss what needs research and how to go about it.
Action, Description, Setting, Atmosphere
Describing what happens, where it happens, and under what conditions make a story real to the reader. You must write your fiction piece as if it is a true story. We discuss examples of good action, description, setting and atmosphere. In particular, writers are often weakest in describing the setting, where something happens. Think of the setting as a character in the story.
Dialogue
Dialogue is not conversation. It has a purpose and a beginning, middle and an end. However, dialogue has the appearance of conversation. That’s what makes it tricky to write. And to further complicate matters, the purpose of dialogue is not so much to transmit information as it is to convey misinformation, and a character’s prejudice or manipulation. We discuss how to write good dialogue and to create an undercurrent of tension.
Scenes
Think movies and you will master novels the way they are written today and fulfill the expectations of the readers. Good novels are written in scenes that build on each other.
Crisis, Conflict
Novels are written with scenes that build on each other with ever increasing tension, conflict and crisis. We discuss how to turn up the heat in our scenes and reach a final crisis that satisfies the reader.
Drafts
How many drafts do you write to make a novel work? What is the purpose of each draft?
Morning session
The morning session will be spent on discussing story elements and techniques.
Afternoon session
During the afternoon, we will focus on examples from both literature and from your own writing, if you wish to share.
Writing skill level: Beginner to Advanced
Prerequisite: None
Time: 9 AM-12 noon. Lunch break. 1 PM–4 PM
Cost: Free workshop
Sign up to reserve your seat!
Important Note: If you sign up, but cannot attend, please call at least two days before.
Instructor: Allen R. Kates, MFAW
Contact Information: Tucson, AZ. (520) 616-7643. allen@writingpublishing.com www.writingpublishing.com.
“As a veteran of many literary conferences and workshops, I can say that this one has given me more useful advice than all the others combined. Your sense of humor keeps it from becoming a chore.”
—Jeanne Elliott, Green Valley, AZ
About the Instructor
Allen R. Kates, MFAW, is a professional book editor, writing coach, ghostwriter, and author. He has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFAW) degree, an Arizona Community College Teaching Certificate, is Board Certified in Emergency Crisis Response (BCECR) by the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and has conducted many writing workshops. He is author of the bestseller, CopShock, Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); among other books, he was ghostwriter for Just Plain Dorothy, by Dorothy H. Finley, and Gifts My Father Gave Me, by Sharon Knutson-Felix.
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