Author, Lissette. E. Manning, Review, Short Story, Writing

“Broken” by Lissette E. Manning

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“Broken” by Lissette E. Manning

“Broken” is a short story based on a woman who is going through turmoil. Readers dive into this story learning about her troubles early on. The words this author uses makes us envision what is going on, an excellent example of show and not tell. It being a short story one has to compact a beginning, middle and ending quickly and effectively. This author succeeded. We learn of the main character that is broken in so many ways with a miscarriage, failed marriage and so on. But we also learn she is a strong woman who can recover and can make it. A short but powerful read.

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Character Development, Class, Creative Writing, Plot, Setting, Theme

Characters Make The Plot- Part 2

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Part 2

1-Character vs Character- protagonist vs another character

2-Character vs Nature- A hiker vs the cold Yukon

3-Character vs Society- Jonas vs the norm of his community( popular in YA books)

4-Character vs Self-The character over our own fears, guilt, self-esteem etc.

5-Character vs Fate-Using the example of Stanley in the book “ Holes”. Stanley vs the family curse

One plot will take center stage and become the main plot.

Subplot- A secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance. Subplots often involve supporting characters, those besides the hero and villain.

Situation irony- This is where the ending is the opposite of what the reader thought it would be.

One needs plot, setting and characters all threaded together to give substance to one’s story.  Some authors use multiple themes. Themes add meaning and depth to a story in fiction

There are four elements to make one’s writings complete: setting, character, plot, theme.

Put equal attention to one’s antagonist for you may flip and he soon becomes the good guy or the one that readers attach to Try to give as many problems as possible to make one’s character more developed.

A plot needs to have three elements:

1-Character Emotions-These should be seen in the first five or six sentences of the story. This creates fascination.

2-Dramatic action-This is the action that happens in a novel, screenplay, memoir, short story, or any other kind of writing that causes a character to react and thus be affected by and changed at depth over the duration of the story. This provides excitement.

3-Thematic significance-This is the deliberate step-by-step development of the underlying meaning of the overall project. This portrays the overall story meaning. When the dramatic action changes the character at depth over time, the story becomes thematically significance.

If a writer does not have all three you will lose your audience. The story will falter or get stuck.

This class is moving along pretty well. We are halfway done

Character Development, Characters, Class, Creative Writing, Writing, Writing class

Characters Make The Plot- Part 1

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These are the notes from my Character Development class. This is week 4.

The setting tells you where and when a story line is occurring. It has to be believable for it gives you the opportunity to deliver a backdrop for your book.

For example:

If you are in the tundra or jungle odds are the book is an adventure.

If the dust bowl in the Midwest is where you are at the character might experience tough times in the story line.

Mood and setting can change through the book one just has to make it believable for the reader.

Location and weather also hints where the reader will find themselves. The setting gives us the physical boundaries, it develops the plot and characters.

The protagonist is the central figure that readers can identify with but they must go through changes through the book or else they will fall flat and one dimensional. The antagonist is working against our hero, the protagonist You want your characters to be well rounded. They should have positive features and still be flawed making them dynamic as they change with the experiences they encounter.

Static characters- Static characters are minor characters in a work of fiction who do not undergo substantial change or growth in the course of a story. Also referred to as “two-dimensional characters” or “flat” they play a supporting role to the main character, who as a rule should be round or complex.

Flat characters- A flat character is a minor character in a work of fiction who does not undergo substantial change or growth in the course of a story. Also referred to as “two-dimensional characters” or “static characters,” flat characters play a supporting role to the main character, who as a rule should be round.

Characterization-Ways to develop characters directly or indirectly. Directly we state what the character looks like, what they say, do or feel. Indirectly we let the readers draw the conclusions by the words written.

Plot- An arrangement of sequence of the story including conflict and obstacles.

There were a lot of notes to put in one post. So will make this a two parter.

Next post will be on the different type of plots.

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