Much Ado about March

Hello everyone!

Did you know that Dr. Seuss, Albert Einstein, Harry Houdini, Big Bird, and Barbie were all born in March?

Both Coca-Cola and the rubber band were invented in March.

Uranus was discovered in March, and the first spacewalk happened in March.

From a holiday standpoint, March hosts St. Patrick’s Day, Purim, and sometimes Easter.

And best of all, March is the month in which spring returns to the northern hemisphere.

March is a pretty exciting month.

You’re writing challenge for the next two weeks is to take one or more March related people, things, or events and write a story.

Happy writing!

Katie

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How do your characters grieve?

Hello everyone!

My grandmother recently passed away, and one thing that really stood out to me in the aftermath of her death was how differently everyone in my family grieved the loss.

I’ve learned that there’s no right way to grieve.  The grieving process varies from person to person based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, personality, the relationship between the deceased and the surviving person, and the circumstances surrounding the death.

Some people want to pack everything up and move on.  Other people need time to look at photos and objects that belonged to the deceased.  Some people talk about the loss, while others joke about ironic parts of the situation.  Some people cry buckets, and others don’t shed a tear.  Some people focus all their energy on taking care of others’ needs, and other people curl up in bed or in front of the TV.  Some people want to do something to honor the deceased’s memory, and others don’t want to think about the loss.  Working through grief is incredibly individualized, and everyone grieves at their own pace.

Your writing prompt for the next two weeks is to write a scene in which your protagonist loses someone close to him/her and/or to write a series of scenes covering the week after the death.  Below are some things to consider when writing.

1. What was the protagonist’s relationship with the deceased?
2. How does the protagonist handle his/her grief?
3. Was anything left undone or unsaid between the protagonist and the deceased?
4. What else is happening in the protagonist’s life (e.g. finals, an upcoming move, layoffs at work, etc.)?
5. How are other people with whom the protagonist comes in contact grieving the loss?
6. Make sure some sort of conflict arises as a result of the death.  It could be as simple as two people’s grieving styles conflict (e.g. one needs to clean up and move on and the other needs time to process the death).  It could also be that a longstanding feud or slowly building irritation comes to a head or that deceased had a secret that now comes to light.

Happy writing!

Katie

P.S.

I would like to dedicate this post to my grandmother, Margaretha Betz.  Thanks for everything, Oma.  I love and miss you.

The Wonder of “Why?”: Getting to the Heart of the Matter

Hello everyone!

In my last post, I talked about how to ask your way though plot and character development.  In this post, I want to talk about my favorite question of all: Why?

The reason I like why so much is because the answer to that question provides the motivation or foundation for all of a character’s actions.  For example, think about your story’s antagonist.  It’s easy for the protagonist to observe or hear about the antagonist’s actions (what he/she does).  A smaller group of characters, which may or may not include the protagonist, knows the process or methods the antagonist uses to execute those actions (how the antagonist does it).  But why the antagonist does something can only be speculated about unless the antagonist himself/herself reveals the reason to another character.  The reader might never find out the antagonist’s motivation.  In some cases, even the antagonist might not even be able to explain why he/she does something, but you as the author should know.

In other words, Why? gets to the heart of an issue and reveals the true motivation of a character.  Check out the sample questions and answers below to see what I mean.

Why don’t two characters get along?

• Prejudice
• Bad or inaccurate first impression
• Personality clash
• Opposing ideologies
• Past history

The answer to this question determines how hard or easy it will be for those two characters to reconcile their differences or if reconciliation is even possible.

Why does a supporting character steal?

• He/She doesn’t have money for food or other necessities
• Revenge
• In his/her (country, family, or friend) culture, stealing is socially acceptable
• Attention seeking
• Boredom
• Sabotage – He/She deliberately steals what someone else needs for a plan to succeed

The answer to this question makes the supporting character likeable, pitiable, reprehensible, or daring.  The reason he/she steals is far more interesting than the fact that he/she steals.

Why is the protagonist having recurring nightmares?

• Past trauma
• He/She has been poisoned and hallucinations are a side effect
• Fear or anxiety about an upcoming event
• He/She watches scary movies before bed
• The dreams are divine warnings

Each potential answer gets to the root of the problem, revealing to you as the writer what the protagonist must change or overcome to resolve the conflict.

I hope you have a better idea of why Why? is so important and that the examples help you to apply this essential question to your own writing process.

Happy writing!

Katie