People are defined by their choices. This applies to poker players and politicians, world leaders and criminals, parents and coaches. Fictional characters are also defined by the choices they make. Choices start off a story because a character needs to respond to the inciting incident and first plot point. In Act two when the protagonist’s […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Jessica Page Morrell' Category
NaNoWriMo Hacks & a Bit of Tough Love
Thirty days has November and for thousands of writers around the globe, that means NaNoWriMo or National Writing Month, a giddy, exhausting yet exhilarating, marathon and communal activity where writers jam on the page, producing a 50,000-word novel in a month. It teaches writers discipline, commitment, and how to survive on not much sleep. A […]
Read the rest of this entry »Poets & Writers on indie publishing
Happy to announce that I’m in the latest issue of Poets & Writers in The Savvy Self-Publisher column by Debra Englander. It features the fabulous successes of Portland local William Hertling with me and Jessica Glenn of Mind Buck Media weighing in. A caveat, however, there are several typos or misquotes in my piece. The […]
Read the rest of this entry »Quick take: Take a cue from film directors
Fiction and memoir writers take a cue from film directors: In each moment and scene understand where you want to focus your reader’s attention. The director, and later the editors, have a distinct purpose for every shot, along with every detail, sound, color, tone, lighting, motif, subtext, and symbol. Without knowing it, the audience is […]
Read the rest of this entry »Just say no
Most of us could not hack the lives of fictional protagonists because everything they do and everywhere they turn, events are designed to shriek denials, thwart desire, and erect roadblocks. Plots and scenes are built on forces and characters that stand in their way, blocking something they desperately wants or needs, delaying gratification. The results […]
Read the rest of this entry »Quick take: Turn down the lights
Setting is a powerful device for creating tension in fiction. When you’re planning scenes where danger lurks, here’s the trick: turn down the lights. Link moonless skies, gray curtains of rain, or gloomy weather to a deathbed vigil, a battle scene, or harrowing journey. Force characters to travel down lonely, lawless stretches of road. If […]
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