Posted on by Alexie Linn

Plots Rule

Plots Rule!

A story, fact or fiction, is mush without action at every corner. But too much action only makes thicker glop.

Too much action is so much thick Glop…

Whether I’m writing a How-to or a tale, it’s characters and their antics (the plot) that make the read get read.

Say you’re writing a family history. Even Uncle George, twice removed, has a personality. He had an occupation. He had physical and emotional dimension. Turn Uncle George into a character and let him write his own story. But be careful. You’re not remaking Uncle George in your own image. Help him be himself. Here’s how:

  • If he’s short for his age, let him figure out how to reach the paint can on the top shelf; but include the words that identify your imagination at work. Such as:
    • I, being short, can see him sticking a stack of books on a chair to reach the paint can some impish tall person stuck on the top shelf.
    • Short people, especially men, are taunted for their minimal stature. Uncle George was probably teased all his life about being height compromised. His brother, Uncle Jim, could have intentionally placed tools on the top shelf just to make him mad.
    • At 5’4”, Uncle George could fit into tiny places where others could not go.
  • If he was sickly, imagine the frustration he must have lived daily when he couldn’t run out and play with others.
  • If Uncle George was an ornery sort; was married several times; or was never married, use your best guesses as to why he was the way he was. But label it as your best guess. A could be. Unless you want to destroy your credibility, never state fiction – your imagination at work – as fact. Be clear, but make it fun.

Use scenery if it forwards the story. Dense forest, albeit beautiful, is boring unless it slams at least one character with a wall so thick he/she/ or they cannot escape through. Or if a character can use it for cover from their antagonist. OR if the heady, soothing aroma of the pine forest tells the blind person where they are… Get the picture?

Detail the weather if it requires the characters to slog through or hide from. A monsoon storm is just a noisy, dusty, wet storm – until it maroons my children and I with no way out and darkness racing in on us.

Lucky for us, there are several books available to goose the writer’s imagination to build plot. They don’t write the book for you, but they smash through the block when it’s time for action.

Start with search engines for plot generators.

But search engines aren’t your only option.

For those of us who don’t always have Google and other search engines at their fingertips, here’s where you can grab books – even a deck of cards (an affiliate link)– to bust through writer’s block and get more meat into your story. Snag the book or cards now, before you head out to your mountain top retreat with no internet.

On that note…

Happy Trails and Tales,

Alexie Linn

P.S. Since this finely focused blog is just getting started, the easiest way to get updates is to follow this blog and  follow me on Facebook.  New posts should appear on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my mouth right… 😊

If you only want updates and pre-order deals of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon. When you get an email notice of a new book release, simply ask for it by the title – or for all the Alexie Linn authored titles at your favorite retailer.

And just one more thing. Here’s where to find and follow me on Goodreads. Please do to get in on all that Goodreads has to offer. Goodreads is always at the very best price. It’s FREE!

Posted on by Alexie Linn

Dialogue. Who Gives a…?

Dialogue. Who gives a …?

What’s most important to satisfy when you’re writing dialogue?

  • The Story
  • The Audience
  • The Character
  • The Scene

It’s all the above. But one item in particular is critical to reader success. Did you choose the second item on the list? The audience?

Dialogue is what drives the story forward.

If the reader can’t pronounce the words or has to read with an open dictionary at their side, the story gets lost. It won’t get read. People who read encyclopedias for entertainment exist but are far and few between.

The big book is the dictionary. You can’t see the book she’s trying to read.

If you’re writing to stretch the reader’s vocabulary, there’s a quick and easy fix for that. Include a scholarly character that other characters tolerate because they’re so brainy. But throw in another character who can translate.

Stretch their vocabulary…

For example. Mary Linn, the young gravestone hunter, is interviewing a psychologist (the scholar). The interview is for the bully smashing videos she and Valinda are producing.

Psychologist: “Drawcansirs are narcissists on steroids. They subdue others to make themselves feel exceptional.”

Mary Linn: “Drawcansir? What’s a drawcansir? You lost me. Is there a simpler way to say that to first graders?”

Psychologist, chuckling: “Sorry. Big words come with the territory. Drawcansir is another word for a bully or a tyrant. Narcissists are selfish people who are in love with themselves. They’re egomaniacs.

Mary Linn: “So, if we are explaining bully’s behavior, we can tell them that ‘Bullies don’t say ‘One for all and all for one’. They say ‘All for me and me for me’. And that bullies are show-offs on Tony-the-Tiger fuel. They scare you to make themselves feel superior or smarter than you. They’re not.”

Psychologist: “Yes.”

To double-check the readability of the dialogue, I use a fast and easy editing software called Hemingway. Hemingway analyzes a block of text and gives the grade level of the text as well as other faux pas you need to be aware of. It was a free download if you don’t need all the bells and whistles. But it’s less than $20 if you choose to buy it. This article is at a 4th grade level, according to Hemingway.

One note to be aware of: Copy the text to Hemingway to check for readability. But make corrections on your original. If you copy and paste from the app, you’ll lose formatting, like spacing and bullets. And you’ll have a strange background to remove.

And… at this writing, Hemingway is not an affiliate of mine. But it might be someday.

To summarize, write dialogue and dialects to fit the audience first, then the story, the character, and the scene. In that order.

Happy dialoguing,

Alexie Linn

P.S. Since this new, finely focused blog is just getting started, the easiest way to get updates is to follow me on Facebook. New posts should post on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my chin right… 😊

If you only want updates of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon. Then you’ll know to check with your favorite retailer.

Posted on by Alexie Linn

Shapeshifting Characters Rule

Shapeshifting Characters Rule

As a reader, how do you connect with characters in a story? What pulls you into the chat, the treasure hunt, or the car careening down the mountain with no brakes?

Characters are shapeshifters

For me, character description plays a part. But less is more.  Too much detail all at once will prevent me from participating in the story because I’m trying to picture the character instead of holding the ladder for his or her escape.

Here are the rules I use.

Add physical description details if:

  • It will further the story – You’re making a police report on a culprit or missing person
  • It emphasizes a quirk of the character – the empty space where there should have been a finger had to have been a challenge when he shaved his head daily to keep it shiny.
  • It sets the mood – I focused on the moon reflecting from his shiny head, not the black circles around his demonic eyes. That’s how I played dead.

Work the shapeshifting details in when it’s appropriate to give your characters dimension.

A private eye might list the height, weight, hair color (or none), clothing, and stature. But have you ever met someone on the street and walked away with a detailed physical description? If you do, that’s your quirk. Write yourself into a story!

Physical description can be worked in with memories.

 ‘I pictured the limp, the flowered cotton dress that swayed and flounced with every step. It drags the ground on her short body. I shivered at the cleaning nightmare for that dress. When I saw the dress dragging the ground, it blanked out the hairdo that looked like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket.’

Flesh out the character’s physical description through the actions – the limp, the dragging dress, and the unruly hair. The physical description, detailed relevantly, adds to the rounding out of a character’s personality.

And there you have the next crucial step to building a character readers can connect with.

Happy tales and trails,

Alexie Linn, the Author

P.S. Since this new, finely focused blog is just getting started, the easiest way to get updates is to follow me on Facebook. New posts should post on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my chin right… 😊

Posted on by Alexie Linn

How to Plant a Captivating, Quirky Character Garden to Prompt Your Writing Process

How to Plant a Captivating, Quirky Character Garden to Prompt Your Writing Process

Captivating characters are cultivated…

Captivating characters aren’t born. They’re cultivated. You, the writer, plant the seed, water it, fertilize it (with the good stuff or manure), and get out of its way. You’ll need to prune it now and again, but a character will take on a fascinating life of its own if you let it.

Captivating characters start with a quirk…

Start with a quirk

When I’m out and about in the world, I pay attention to people. And, yes, at times, I compare an individual to a garden fruit or vegetable. What makes them memorable?

An individual’s head (or hair) style could be a fruitful starting point.

When I see a person with a shaved bare head, they might become a melonhead. Are they a cantaloupe (rough skinned and lightly veined), a honeydew (smooth and Martian-like), or an oblong shaped watermelon? Why do they choose to shave their head? They’re not lazy. It’s a lot of work to keep one’s head as polished as a bowling ball.

Ask them (or yourself) ‘Why shave their head?’ Is it for:

  • Cleanliness
  • As a clique ritual
  • To be closer to their god
  • They thrive on tempting melanoma fate
  • They’re rebelling against hair stylists or comb manufacturers
  • He or she wants to be loved for their personality – not their good looks
  • They’re in the depths of chemotherapy and prefer shiny bald to patchy clumps of hair

The answer to this question could be the quirk you need in the writing process to plant an enchanting character like Joan Freed.

Joan Freed — In the Beginning…

Joan Freed started out as a Hubbard squash. Hard-shelled, soft inside, imperfect shape, nourishing, and is there for the long haul. She has many quirks. They grew from the previous life she lived. Joan would never take the time or attention to shave or maintain a shaved head. Mirrors are far and few between… is she a covert vampire?

An excellent writing prompt in the writing process is to: 1) Find the quirk. 2)Listen to it. 3)Water it. 4)Fertilize it. 5)And prune it only as necessary. But let he or she mature into a robust, entertaining, and steadfast character that readers will love.

And that’s the Voila! A star is born.

Happy Character Gardening…

P.S. Since this new, finely focused blog is just getting started, the easiest way to get updates is to follow me on Facebook. New posts should show up on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my chin right… and linked the correct address…😊