LDSPMA

Empowering Latter-day Saints to spread light and truth by connecting them at the intersection of faith, creativity, and professional skill

Writing

Four Steps to a Page-Turner

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Forget the old adages you’ve heard. In a real race between a tortoise and a hare, the hare would win every time. It’s biology. And what applies to biology applies to writing as well: no one wants to write at tortoise speed or produce a book that would make a tortoise yawn—especially when all the hares out there are rushing to compete for today’s readers (and their short attention spans). Here are a few steps to transfigure your fictional tortoise into a hare.

Step 1. Offer your tortoise a carrot. Every character needs a reason to press forward with increased purpose. Without a goal, we flounder then wallow in the comfortable couch of laziness. Long-term goals are vital to a plot, but short-term goals are the steps to get there. Without them, your story will lag and your audience will drift off to sleep. If you want a title to study, Robison Wells offers lots of carrots in his book Variant. First, he establishes an environment that makes his character uncomfortable. Because the character is not the type to ignore an itch, he feels compelled to set short-term goals along the way—to find out more about what makes his environment tick. The more he discovers, the more unsettled he becomes.

Step 2. Remove distractions. If you’re going to offer your tortoise a carrot, you’d better make sure he doesn’t already have lettuce to nosh on. There are times when distractions are appropriate and interesting, but if your story is dragging and you need to speed things up, your character needs to focus. Remember the importance of short-term goals: write less thought and more action. If your character is focused on beating that rival, delivering that package, or sending that life-changing letter, the inherent conflict is more immediate and important, and your character has to fight harder to accomplish his goal. Without pesky thoughts to distract him, your character is free to follow his gut, which inevitably leads to mistakes, loss, and increased tension—all things that speed up your prose and force your reader to pay attention. In Divergent, Tris’s survival frequently depends on her ability to focus on the task at hand.

Step 3. Turn your tortoise on its back. It may be difficult to watch him struggle with his legs flailing in the air, but this struggle springs from his primal desire to survive, and it ultimately strengthens him. The writhing tortoise is in danger and may lose everything. This vulnerability is something with which every reader empathizes. Empathy ties your reader to your character’s fate, making every kick of every limb more important. If your readers cheer for your character, they won’t want to walk away in the middle of the race. In most contemporary novels, the inciting incident that puts your character’s physical, emotional, social, or spiritual world in danger usually happens in the first chapter of the book. The resulting vulnerability and struggle carry the reader to the novel’s end. Any time your character discovers the reality he has long believed is riddled with lies or half-truths or realizes the depth of his personal flaws or challenges, your character has essentially been turned on his back and is forced to set his life—or his understanding of it—aright.

Step 4. Use magic words. Active verbs and descriptive nouns illustrate everything your reader needs to witness without wasting time or crowding the page with heavy blocks of text. Experienced authors not only know which words to include, but which words to cut. Remove the words that slow your prose to a clunky, awkward creature carrying its house on its back. Twist passive phrases into active voice. Precision wordsmithing sculpts a lithe, muscular machine built for speed. One of the best wordsmiths I’ve ever read is Jerry Spinelli. He magically tells an emotional, intricate story with a few precise words. Maniac Magee is still one of my favorite novels, and it is practically poetry—every word in this book counts.

Do This Now

  • If you haven’t read Jack M. Bickham’s Scene and Structure, read it, mark it up, and memorize as much as your brain can hold. Bickham’s amazing explanation of the importance of goals and how to create believable conflict will change the way you approach fiction writing and will give a nice backbone to your creative content.
  • Read through your manuscript and break it down into goals. Do this either through highlighting or by writing a few words in the margin describing each goal. If you go a page or two without making any marks, odds are you’ve hit a lull in your story.
  • Play the what-if game. This little game is one of my favorite plot/character developing techniques, and it’s a game that Orson Scott Card recommends in his book Characters and Viewpoint.  Let your imagination run wild, asking what-if questions that put your character in different situations, have him come from different backgrounds, or challenge him with different types of conflict. Follow through on these questions and imagine where the changes would lead your character. This process has revealed some fantastic plot twists for many authors.

What techniques have you developed to keep your novel moving?

A headshot of Amy Maida Wadsworth.

Amy Maida Wadsworth

Amy Maida Wadsworth published three novels with Covenant Communications, which are available for Kindle and Nook. Amy started teaching fiction writing in 2006 and has been a writing coach ever since. She works as a freelance editor and blogger for Eschler Editing and is pursuing her master’s in human development and social policy. This article appears courtesy of Eschler Editing.

    How “Save the Cat” Can Save Your Story—Part Two

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    In Part One of our article series, we introduced “Save the Cat” (STC) Acts as a guide to help you understand the purpose of each part of your story. Each act is broken down into “beats”—essential story parts. It’s entirely up to you how detailed you plan out each beat prior to writing, making STC completely customizable. As a rebel myself, I thoroughly enjoy things I can make entirely my own—and I suspect many of you feel the same too.

    The Transformation Machine

    Consider your hero’s transformation before outlining, and especially before you write. Knowing the hero’s wound (flaw or problem), their want (what they think will solve their problem or make them feel better), and their need (what you as the creator of their story know they truly need) will inform how your hero behaves at each beat. The Transformation Machine is about creating resonance between your reader and your hero by making the hero relatable. The more your readers can see themselves in the hero’s problem or flaw, the more readers will want to read about them.

    Enough chatting. Let’s get plotting!

    Thesis—or the World as It Currently Is

    Where we show our readers who the main character is, what’s lacking in the character’s life, and create that resonant bond between the reader and the hero.

    You need to establish a resonant connection to deliver on your story’s promises. The first three beats of Act 1—Opening Image, Theme, and Setup—are particularly      designed to do just that.

    Beat 1: Opening Image

    Beat 1 is a snapshot of the hero’s current life. You’ve heard the advice to start with action. A conflict reveals what’s wrong in their life, which captures the reader’s attention and builds resonant bonds. However, avoid so much action that the hero’s plight is lost beneath the action.

    Pro Tip: Imagine the ending and make your beginning the mirror opposite. If it ends with a happily ever after, then start the story with a breakup or with a character who can’t get a date.

    Plantser Tip: If you know the beginning and ending, you can happily draft knowing you’re heading in the right direction.

    Beat 2: Theme

    Beat 2 is “scheduled” for the 5% mark in a novel, but it’s very flexible. I like it during the first 10% of a book because it sets the tone for the character arc, but you can place it wherever makes sense to you—even at the beginning of Act 2. Later than that, however, and it loses its power.

    Imagine this beat as a conversation with your mom in which she says something wise and meaningful, but you brush it off because “she doesn’t understand.” The thing about moms, though, is that they usually do understand. You can substitute any kind of mentor/authority figure here. Deliver this advice or warning any way you see fit—a prayer, a song, a poem, an old wives’ tale. However it’s delivered, the hero needs to reject it, creating that resistance humans are so familiar with. By the end of the book, they’ll embrace the theme and grow—and perhaps inspire some positive change in your reader as well.

    Pro Tip: The theme is directly related to your character’s need. Knowing this need will help you craft the best rewards and punishments for your hero.

    Beat 3: Setup

    Beat 3 encapsulates up to 10% of the novel. Its purpose is to introduce the hero, the world, and hint at what’s wrong with the hero’s life. It reveals how the hero behaves at home, at work, and at play, which increases your opportunities to create resonance with your readers.

    Pro Tip: Don’t get hung up on “at home, at work, at play.” What’s important is to show how the hero’s problem affects their family relationships, their success at work (or school), and their friendships.

    Failing to establish these early beats is like trying to change a light bulb while standing on a cardboard box. You’re more likely to crash through the box than brighten your room.    

    -Ali Cross

    Examples of the Beats    

    In the opening scenes of The Hunger Games, Katniss struggles to do all the things under the worst circumstances. Poverty, oppression, and hopelessness are familiar conditions everyone fears. No wonder the book was so universally loved.

    In The Lion King, young Simba wants his father to teach him how to be a leader and a warrior, but his father never has time—another relatable problem. None of us have ever been lion cubs, but we’ve all experienced the sting of an absent or distracted parent.

    As we move into Beat 4, Catalyst, and Beat 5, Debate, we’ll be grateful we put hard work into those first three beats. I promise it’ll be worth it, whether you’re a Plotter or Pantser or something in between.

    See you next time as we explore “Fireballs, House Fires, and Other Disasters That Move You”—otherwise known as Catalyst, Debate, and Break into Act 2.

        

    A headshot of Ali Cross.

    Ali Cross

    Ali Cross is a USA Today bestselling author, motivational speaker, and story development coach who loves to help writers level up both professionally and personally. A happiness enthusiast and believer in hope and magic, Ali’s a sucker for underdogs, redemption stories, and happily-ever-afters. She explores the concept of joy and where it can be found in her YouTube show and podcast, Write4Joy. She lives in Utah with her hacker husband where they collaborate on stories, artificial intelligence, and their plan for virtual world domination.
    Find Ali at her website or @thealicross online.

      Tomorrow I Will Write a Book

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      I’m forming a club for people who feel like frauds when they call themselves writers. Prospective members are those who write on occasion, but don’t write often, haven’t finished anything in a while, and although they want to publish something, are working at such a slow pace that it looks like it’s never going to happen. This club would also be open to those interested in painting, drawing, sculpting, animating, etc. I know I’m not alone. Care to join me?

      Wait. I don’t want to be a part of this club. I want to write, but I’ve been saying that for so long. Am I supposed to give in and accept that I will never reach my goals?

      No. I refuse to give up, and you shouldn’t give up either. I’ve been trying to stop procrastinating for years. In this article, I will detail the steps I’ve taken to become a more productive writer.

      Step 1. Realize When You Are Making Hollow Excuses

      I don’t know about you, but my excuse for not writing was always, “I don’t have time.” My justification never changed because I never had time.

      Well, I had time to watch over seven seasons of The Walking Dead with my fiancé this year, and I don’t even like that show. Plus, I wrote and published three books while I was a pregnant stay-at-home mom with a toddler and later a newborn. I realized if I could be productive at that busy stage of my life, my excuse of “not having enough time” was really a way to rationalize my procrastination.

      How do we turn these bad habits around? We need to face reality and admit when we are choosing to procrastinate.

      Step 2. Confront Imposter Syndrome

      Maybe you tell yourself you’re not a “real” author because you’re self-published, you don’t have a critique group, or you stopped marketing the books you already have out. Or you’re not a “real” writer because you don’t write every day, go to writing conferences, or fraternize with other writers.

      Here’s a beautiful fact—having a desire to write makes you a writer.

      However, being a writer does not only mean you are someone who writes. To be a writer, you have to assume so many other roles. You must be a researcher, an observer, a comedian, a romanticist, an adventurer, and a storyteller. You read books, watch movies and shows, and listen to songs. You absorb other people’s stories in the media and the world and learn from them. Writing? Ha. That’s the easiest part of the process, where you get to sit and create stories on your own. Everything else you do as a writer, you are doing constantly. To be a writer is to see the world differently.

      And isn’t that part of why we write? To make sense of our observations?

      You don’t have to write a specific number of words a day or even write on a regular basis. Being a writer means you have the potential to change people’s lives with your words, even if you haven’t written them yet. Practice mindfulness. Talk to people. As you go through your day, notice the things you observe and what makes your perspective on the world unique. So, stop feeling like you aren’t a writer, an artist, or anything else. Accept that you already are.

      Step 3. Create Goals

      What exactly do you want out of your artistic career?

      There are so many subjects in different genres that I enjoy and want to write about. I have more story ideas than I may ever be able to write. I decided that if I was going to dedicate so much time to writing, I should make the most of that time and choose the path that would have the most positive impact on my career.

      Narrow down what you want to accomplish with your writing. Will you write books? Screenplays? Hire an illustrator and do web comics? Do you want your writing endeavors to be lucrative, or would you rather write for enjoyment?

      It’s easy to get caught up in thinking in terms of our materialistic world, but I find this mindset can severely limit my point of view and the options I’m willing to consider.

      Step 4. Pray for Help

      Pray about what to write. Pray for opportunities to write. Pray for alignment in your life, heart, and soul. Pray about what needs to change for you to be able to make your work a part of your life. Pray about how to use your gifts. Carefully consider what is going on and what needs to happen for you to be able to spend more time doing what you love.

      When we’re struggling with what path to take and everything we choose feels wrong, it’s important to remember to seek God’s counsel, and to give Him room to answer us. He knows how we can best use our talents to bless the lives of others, and He knows what’s best for us and all our needs, as well. For me, sometimes what feels right isn’t necessarily what I’d choose for myself. For example, when I got the prompting that I needed to publish a book as quickly as possible, the timing didn’t make sense. The book I wrote and published was not one that I would have thought to write at that time.

      I haven’t regretted changing my mind about something that felt wrong, and I’ve always been grateful for doing what feels right. I know I want to follow God’s path for me. As long as I feel like I have that going for me, I’m usually happy with where I am and what I’ve accomplished. And I know this path includes writing.

      Step 5. Take Responsibility for Time Management

      My last leg of this journey has come down to establishing priorities and being responsible with my time. I’ve had to get to know myself better to learn what practices help me feel the most accomplished.

      Discover what times of the day you’re most productive and get better at forming habits and routines. Self-discipline is not easy. I’d rather be editing my work than writing. But I’m telling you, navigating through this part is going to make all the hard work worth it.

      Step 6: Do the Hard Things

      Learn to accept and enjoy every leg of the journey. Learn to be true to yourself and validate yourself by celebrating your successes. Change takes time. Self-improvement requires healing. Sometimes other things need to take priority for a while, and that’s okay. That doesn’t make my desire to create any less valuable. Everyone loves the process of baking bread, but it takes time for wheat to grow. When you make your art a priority in every sense, you will find yourself able to stop procrastinating and become more productive.

      A headshot of Mariah Porter.

      Mariah K. Porter

      Mariah K. Porter is a member of the LDSPMA and the author of Tomorrow I Will Make a List: Managing the Depressive Habit of Procrastination. In addition to her nonfiction, she has also written That Prince Guy, This Glass Heart, and These Extraordinary Thorns, which are fairy tale retellings. You can learn more about her here.

        How “Save the Cat” Can Save Your Story – Part One

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        If you’re a Plotter—a writer who habitually outlines and pre-plans your books—you’ve likely heard of something called “Save the Cat.” But if you’re a Pantser—a writer who prefers to write intuitively and without a plan—I hope you will stop and take a look at this article because I believe “Save the Cat” method, or STC, is the perfect tool for every writer, even if you’re a Plantser—a writer who does a little of both.

        Origin of the “Save the Cat” Method

        Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by screenwriter Blake Snyder came out in 2005. The term “save the cat” relates to the moment when the unlikeable main character does something heroic, like saving a cat from a tree. This signals to movie-goers that there is a good side to him, so it’s okay to root for him.

        When we refer to “Save the Cat,” though, we’re most often speaking about the 15-point “beat sheet” Snyder presents in the book. The method caught on for novelists because Snyder’s analysis of a 150-page screenplay can also be applied to writing a novel of 250 pages or more. You can compare the novel-writing process to a road trip. The method breaks the process down into manageable parts like pausing at rest stops along the way as opposed to traveling on a never-ending highway where you have no idea where the next rest stop will be.

        With more readers these days wanting a movie-like experience when they read, the proven blockbuster movie formula is hard to ignore. It’s worked for hundreds of thousands of authors in the nearly two decades since the book’s release, and it’s a staple in many writers’ toolboxes—including my own.

        Road Trips and “Save the Cat”

        The STC Beat Sheet consists of fifteen “beats,” or story points. You can think of them as guideposts on a mapped road trip. You know where you’re starting, you know your destination, and you’ve planned some specific stops along the way. That’s the Beat Sheet. You wouldn’t want to go on a road trip without some sort of plan. Otherwise, you wouldn’t know how much time to take off work or where to stop for gas.

        But what if you prefer go-with-the-flow road trips where you’re free to wander from the main highway when something catches your interest? You still know how to get back to the main road, and you still know where you need to turn back—you just get to enjoy a little adventure on your way there.

        That’s “Save the Cat” too.

        Over a series of six articles, we’ll explore the meaning and purpose of the STC Beat Sheet and discover how it’s the best tool for all writers—Plotters, Pantsers, and Plantsers alike.

        Acts and Beats in “Save the Cat”

        The STC Beat Sheet is comprised of three acts and the following beats:

        Act 1: Opening Image, Theme, Setup, Catalyst, Debate, Break into Act Two    
        Act 2: B-Story, Fun & Games, Midpoint, Bad Guys Close In, All Is Lost, Dark Night of the Soul, Break into Act Three
        Act 3: Finale, Closing Image 

        Each act has a purpose, which helps us understand the beats within it. 

        Act 1 is your “thesis” world. It’s a statement of how things are. Each beat within Act 1 is a study of your protagonist’s regular life and how they interact with it. Even the Catalyst and Debate—the “invitation”—deal more with the life that is rather than the one beyond the horizon. Knowing you’re in the thesis world helps you focus your story and avoid rushing your reader.

        Act 2 is your “antithesis” world or the upside-down world. Just as the phrase “upside-down world” implies, nothing should feel commonplace or “normal” in this act. When you’re unsure what to write, write about what’s uncomfortable because it’s only when life pushes us out of our comfort zone that we truly learn and grow.

        Act 3 is your “synthesis” world. If Act 1 was one slice of bread and Act 2 was all the yummy stuff you put on a sandwich, Act 3 is the second slice of bread. Without it, you don’t have a complete story. Act 3 brings the hero from Act 1, who is a changed person due to everything they learned in Act 2, into a new world where they can save the day, get the girl, live happily ever after, etc.

        Examples of the Method in Action

        What “Save the Cat” does, above all else, is craft a story of transformation. It’s still about the plot, or story, but it guides you to create flawed, fallible characters who are challenged by the plot until they become changed people. Take Luke in Star Wars as an example. Anxious for adventure, he leaves the only world he’s ever known without a second glance (Act 1). Despite being told he has a gift for the Force, he can’t control it. He struggles with authority, eventually choosing technology over the Force (Act 2). But in the end, tools fail him, and he must trust the Force to accomplish what must be done (Act 3).

        In Iron Man, Tony Stark is unwilling to acknowledge any responsibility for the damage done by the weapons he sells to the enemy (Act 1). But through his humbling experience at the hands of those enemies (Act 2), he begins the arc that will transform him into a hero (Act 3).

        Gracie Hart from Miss Congeniality is a tough-as-nails cop who purposefully downplays her feminine side because she believes she can’t be both a successful cop and a beautiful woman (Act 1). But as she works undercover in a beauty pageant, she discovers she’s been wrong all along (Act 2). She learns to embrace who she is and what she is—woman, cop, friend—and in doing so, she finds she’s a happier version of herself (Act 3).

        Plotters, Pantsers, Plantsers, and “Save the Cat”

        A Plotter can take Act 1’s purpose and flesh out all the scenes that will demonstrate a character’s flaw.

        A Pantser can take Act 1’s purpose and let it guide them as they write.

        And a Plantser can do whatever they please—plotting when it’s helpful, and free writing when it’s not.

        As long as you keep the purpose in mind, any of these modalities will help you write your best novel yet.

        I hope this brief overview has been helpful. Stay tuned for the next article, where we’ll dive into the beats!

        A headshot of Ali Cross.

        Ali Cross

        Ali Cross is a USA Today bestselling author, motivational speaker, and story development coach who loves to help writers level up both professionally and personally. A happiness enthusiast and believer in hope and magic, Ali’s a sucker for underdogs, redemption stories, and happily-ever-afters. She explores the concept of joy and where it can be found in her YouTube show and podcast, Write4Joy. She lives in Utah with her hacker husband where they collaborate on stories, artificial intelligence, and their plan for virtual world domination.
        Find Ali at her website or @thealicross online.

            

          Combining Art and Writing

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          Art and writing are separate disciplines, each creative in its own way. While art can enhance the way we look at the world, writing helps us process words and ideas. Both subjects boost our creativity, help us learn to solve problems, and act as stress relievers. For me, adding art to writing is like putting a dill pickle on a burger.

          It occurred to me that writing is like painting with words. Can the reverse be true? Can creating a piece of artwork be like writing a message? I think it can. Here are some ways you can combine art with writing.

          The cover of Pysansky Promise by Cathy Witbeck.
          1. Create a picture book—Ironically, my first picture book, Pysanky Promise, was about an art form, the art of pysanky, or Ukrainian Easter egg “writing.” The word “pysanky” derives from the Ukrainian word “pysaty,” which means “to write.” Messages are written using a process that involves drawing letters and designs on the eggs with beeswax and dipping them in dye. The art of pysanky is a very literal way of writing a message with art.
          2. Make a graphic novel—This format is like a picture book that grew up or a comic book on steroids. Hats off to people with this talent.
          3. Keep a doodle or art journal—I found an opportunity to combine art and writing when I started a Book of Mormon sketch journal. I realized that I learn and retain more information when I express my thoughts with visual images. This study journal is the kind of record I’d like to leave to my family as a legacy of my spiritual insights.
          4. Write and draw in a nature sketchbook—You can jot down simple sketches that you label and date, or include complex observations and facts about the illustration. Sketching allows you to notice small details you may have missed at first or second glance.
          5. Design a greeting card—When a card is displayed in a grocery store rack, usually only the top third is visible. Make that section of the card distinctive to catch the browser’s eye, and that the artwork matches the theme of the card. Avoid pictures of people, as a card should appeal to any ethnicity.
          6. Create a website—Design your own logo and curate a portfolio page. If these suggestions add way too many dill pickles to your burger, find someone who is experienced in web and graphic design.
          7. Offer free printables on your website—These resources provide a good way to draw in traffic while giving your reader documents to enjoy. You could also offer a bonus information link related to your printable topic, i.e., “Collecting Shells.”
          8. Add your art to a PowerPoint—As a JustServe specialist, I made a PowerPoint using my art to emphasize important information in my presentation. I drew an illustration of a woman with a pile of responsibilities to contrast with an illustration of kids in a hot air balloon. My point was to demonstrate that JustServe is not a program to weigh you down, but an opportunity to lift you in service to others.
          9. Use your art to enhance a newsletter, program cover, or bulletin.
          10. Create your own hand lettering or make your own font.
          11. Make a board game—Design the board and write the rules.
          12. If you really want to go nuts, create your own world map. You could even write a study guide to share details about the images you choose to include.
          13. Design a business card—A business card is a multi-purpose tool. When properly designed, it can advertise your services, showcase your brand, invite people to act, and provide contact information.

           Items to consider when designing a business card include:

          a) Shape—traditional rectangle vs. something creative that reflects your brand.

          b) Size—you don’t want it to be so small that it gets lost, or so large that people use it as a fan on hot days.

          c) Graphics—a popular trend is to include a wordless visual with a QR code on one side and text on the other.

          I find that writing and making art build off each other. A story I’m working on will often give me an idea for an image I want to create and vice versa. Combining writing and art means I rarely run out of ideas. I keep track of them in a file and remind myself to be selective. A notepad sits beside my bed for brilliant concepts that wake me in the night. One morning I found the words “dill pickle” scrawled down on the paper. Maybe it was a reminder to combine art and writing? It’s a dill-ema!

          A headshot of Cathy Witbeck

          Cathy Witbeck

          Cathy Witbeck is a Canadian-born author-illustrator transplanted to the USA. She remembers writing and drawing ever since she could pick up a pencil. She did an especially lovely piece of artwork on the side of the septic tank with house paint at a very young age. Perhaps that’s when it was discovered that she was gifted, or maybe it’s why she was sent to the USA.

          She has five grown kids and one grown husband. When she isn’t writing and illustrating, she is chasing after grandkids intent on making their own artwork.

            Writing Meaningful Struggles: Using Different Character Arcs

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            A “character arc” is how a character grows throughout a story. While your protagonist may have a fun personality, a cool skill, or a striking appearance, his arc is arguably his most important feature. But not all arcs are the same, and not all writing advice will apply to every arc. When you have a clear idea of your protagonist’s type of arc, you will have a clearer idea of how to shape their story.

            Types of Character Arcs

            Many writers approach this differently, but the most useful way is to view an arc as the character’s internal journey. At the most basic level, there are only two ways a character can internally grow:

            • By changing
            • By increasing his resolve (remaining steadfast)

            There are two types of each:

            • Positive
            • Negative

            Innately, any internal journey taps into or demonstrates a belief system. That’s what internal growth is about—beliefs, values, and worldviews.

            For example, in A Christmas Carol, Scrooge starts out valuing wealth above all else. Throughout the story, he changes so he values charity over wealth. His belief system flipped.

            In a positive arc, the character will end with what we may consider a true or moral worldview (like Scrooge). In a negative arc, the character will end with what we may consider an untrue or immoral worldview.

            There are four types of character arcs—positive change, negative change, positive resolve, and negative resolve.

            Now, consider your protagonist. What worldview does he or she believe in, or at least demonstrate, at the beginning of the story? What about the end of the story?

            If your character has a 180-degree flip in belief systems, they are having a change arc.

            If your character ultimately keeps the same belief system, they are having a steadfast arc.

            Is their ending worldview true or moral? If so, it’s likely positive. If not, it’s likely negative.

            What does this mean for your writing? Let’s go over each type in more detail so you can gain insight on how to shape your story.

            Positive Change

            This protagonist usually starts the story with an improper worldview. This is sometimes called the “weakness,” “flaw,” or “misbelief.” Often, this flaw came from a traumatic—or at least significant—past event. As the protagonist engages in the main conflict, obstacles will steadily reveal to him that this weakness is holding him back. Antagonistic forces should push the character to confront his flaw until ultimately, he must forsake it and embrace a better worldview.

            For example, in The Greatest Showman, P. T. Barnum believes he needs the world to accept him—a misbelief that stems from how he was treated as a child, particularly by Charity’s father. As he strives to make a name for himself, he encounters obstacles. His obsession with becoming someone important leads to major setbacks in his personal and professional life. To make everything right again, P. T. must let go of his old worldview and embrace a better one—that you don’t need everyone to accept you, only those closest to you. This paves his way to success.

            More examples: Joy in Inside Out, Scrooge in A Christmas Carol

            Quick tip: When your protagonist acts on his misbelief, it should increase his problems through the story’s middle.

            Negative Change

            This protagonist starts the story with a true or moral worldview. As she engages in the main conflict, obstacles will lead her to question the validity of her original beliefs. Antagonistic forces will tempt or pressure her to go astray. There is something she greatly wants, and she thinks she needs to give up her original values to get it. In the end, she will reject what she first believed and embrace, then use, an improper worldview to try to claim victory. This ultimately leads to self-damnation.

            For example, in Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker starts the story believing in and upholding the light side of the Force, but his thirst for greatness, and above all, his fear of loss leads him toward the dark side. To be a true Jedi, he must be humble and accept loss, but instead he is so driven to save Padme that he turns his back on the Jedi ways and ultimately becomes morally corrupt.

            More examples: Light in Death Note, Winston in 1984

            Quick tip: As your protagonist pursues what she wants at all costs, show how this creates destruction to the environment and people around her.

            Positive Resolve

            This protagonist already has a true or moral worldview. During the rising action, obstacles will test her dedication to her beliefs. Antagonistic forces will try to weaken her resolve, confuse her, or lead her astray. She may or may not question her beliefs through the middle of the story, but at the end, she ultimately holds true to who she is and what she believed in the beginning. She may suffer a high cost, but it will be worth the internal victory of standing up for what is right.

            In Wonder Woman, Diana says we should fight for the world we believe in. Even though the atrocities of war test her worldview and Ares tempts her to embrace a different one, she ultimately upholds her initial belief. While she struggles and wavers through the middle, at the end, she holds fast to who she was in the beginning.

            More examples: Mulder in The X-Files, Elle Woods in Legally Blonde

            Quick tip: Follow the adage “No good deed goes unpunished”—make it difficult, painful, and costly for the protagonist to uphold what’s right.

            Negative Resolve

            This protagonist has an improper worldview. During the rising action, obstacles may highlight his flaw while opportunities will offer him a “high road.” He will have his resolve tested as he is encouraged to change for the better. He may or may not attempt to change through the middle, but at the end, he ultimately holds stubbornly to his initial ways. He will reject the high road and sink deeper into his misbeliefs.

            In Cruella, Estella starts as misbehaved and vengeful. She may “try” to be “good,” but inside, she wants to be bad. She befriends two orphans who later give her the opportunity to work an honest job in the fashion industry, but instead, she embraces her cruel ways. Despite Jasper trying to convince her to change, Estella chooses to become even more immoral as Cruella.

            More examples: Coriolanus in A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

            Quick tip: Emphasize how the character refuses to change by showing him reject a promising opportunity for something better.

            With these four basic arcs in mind, you’ll have a good foundation for shaping your protagonist’s story.

            A headshot of September Fawkes.

            September C. Fawkes

            Sometimes September C. Fawkes scares people with her enthusiasm for writing. She has worked in the fiction-writing industry for over ten years and has edited for both award-winning and best-selling authors, as well as beginning writers. She runs a writing tip blog at SeptemberCFawkes.com (subscribe to get a free copy of her booklet Core Principles of Crafting Protagonists) and has served as a writing coach on Writers Helping Writers. When not editing and instructing, she’s penning her own stories. Some may say she needs to get a social life. It’d be easier if her fictional one wasn’t so interesting.

              The Importance of a Good Book Cover

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              When I decided to self-publish my Legends of Muirwood trilogy, I didn’t know a lot about book cover design. Actually, I didn’t know anything. It probably shows.

              My goal at the time was to get the trilogy out in the world without spending a lot of money. I bought a package that included cover design through a self-publishing platform for a bargain price, and I gave some suggestions about abbeys, forests, and fonts. They delivered what they promised: three book covers. But they were all missing what really mattered—a way to help potential readers judge whether they might like the book.

              The original covers of Jeff Wheeler's first three books.

              As a hybrid author with over thirty published novels, I’ve gained an unusual perspective about the process of designing cover art. I want to give you three BKMs, or “best-known methods” about book cover design so you can see what an author—indie, traditional, or hybrid—needs to keep in mind when designing or choosing a cover.

              BKM #1: It’s the Wrapper

              Imagine standing in line at the grocery store and seeing a king-sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup on sale. You buy it with your groceries, get in the car, unwrap it, and prepare to sink your teeth into that chocolatey-peanut-buttery nirvana . . . but it’s a York Peppermint Patty. You might feel frustrated because you were expecting one thing and got another. Book covers, like candy wrappers, set expectations with the reader up front. The cover clearly shows the genre of the story.      

              It’s very easy to check on Amazon what the bestselling books are by category and see what design elements are common to the genre. You can look at the size of the fonts, the placement of the author’s name, any bestselling tags, and the color schemes. It’s not a coincidence that a Reese’s candy wrapper looks the way it does or that stores shelve similar items next to each other. Authors are brands too, so if you want a reader to anticipate a certain genre or style of book, it helps if your cover looks similar to others in the same genre.

              BKM #2: It’s Professional

              Long gone are the days when mediocre-to-cringeworthy book covers (like my original Muirwood ones) would be tolerated. If I tried that now, I can’t imagine what would happen. Readers do judge a book by the cover, so it’s important to hire a professional cover designer because you don’t get a second chance to make that first impression. In fact, especially in the indie space, even the New York Times bestselling authors I know will redesign the cover of a book when they feel it isn’t connecting with the proper audience. Even if the first cover looks amazing, it’ll hurt sales if it doesn’t resonate with the right audience. Many authors have created new covers and found that the second one worked better.    

              This year marks the 10th anniversary release of my Legends of Muirwood trilogy. We redesigned the covers to strengthen the brand for the series and tie the series in with other books written in the same world. There’s quite a difference from the originals.

              The redesigned covers for Jeff Wheeler's first three books.

              I highly recommend Bryan Cohen’s Five-day Author Ad Profit Challenge. Even if you haven’t written a book yet or have one to sell, you can still join his Facebook page and watch the videos when he runs the challenge. You’ll learn a ton (for free) about how Amazon algorithms work, how to design a cover, and how to write killer ad copy for your books. I wish this existed back when I first self-published.

              Readers can tell the difference between a cheap cover and a professional one. Cover designers are mostly freelance these days, and with a little research, it’s not difficult to find ones you like. For example, most books include the name of the cover artist in the front matter, which you can see for free on Amazon using the “look inside” feature.

              A screenshot showing where to find the "look inside" feature on an Amazon book.

              I can’t recommend enough getting a professional to do the job right. There are cover art stock photos you can purchase if you’re on a budget, but at the very least, hire a graphic designer to help you with the fonts, styling, and sizing. The last thing you’d want is to spend a lot of time writing a book that no one will read because it looks amateurish. I was satisfied with the covers my publisher used for my first several books, but it wasn’t until they hired Shasti O’Leary Soudant to design the cover of The Queen’s Poisoner that I learned firsthand the power of an amazing cover. You know the saying that “A rising tide lifts all boats”? After that book came out, all my books began to sell better. I’ve now hired her to do some of my indie titles as well.

              BKM #3: It’s Expected

              Word of mouth is the number-one way people find books they enjoy. There just isn’t a replacement for the solid recommendation of a friend or someone you trust. Readers find new authors all the time through email subscriptions to Amazon’s top Kindle book deals, BookBub, or Goodreads. There is promotional text there, of course, but the cover catches the reader’s eye first. They look at the cover for a second or two before reading the blurb. If they’re still intrigued, they’ll click on the link to see how many reviews it has, how many stars it has received, etc. These are all ways that a book is “judged” before it’s read. The reader’s visceral reaction to the cover starts it off. That’s why readers expect the cover to tell them about the genre and author. They expect a title that’s easily searchable and interesting enough to entice them to learn more.

              So, let’s get over the out-of-date and untrue adage about not judging a book by its cover. We base our judgment on if the wrapper matched the content, if it was professionally done, and if it met our expectations for what we purchased and why. A great cover can’t turn a meh book into a bestseller, but there aren’t many bestsellers with a meh cover. Writers today have to be professional to come up with stories that will keep a reader turning the pages. Thankfully, there are skilled wizards of the imagination who can help aspiring authors design book covers that catch readers’ eyes and delight their hearts.

              A headshot of Jeff Wheeler.

              Jeff Wheeler

              Jeff Wheeler is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the First Argentines series (Knight’s Ransom, Warrior’s Ransom, Lady’s Ransom, and Fate’s Ransom); the Grave Kingdom series; the Harbinger and Kingfountain series; the Legends and Covenant of Muirwood trilogies; the Whispers from Mirrowen trilogy; the Dawning of Muirwood trilogy; and the Landmoor novels. Jeff is a husband, father of five, and devout member of his church. He lives in the Rocky Mountains. Learn more about Jeff’s publishing journey in Your First Million Words, and visit his many worlds at his website .

                How I Research for a Historical Project

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                By Heather B. Moore

                Some people love research, while others don’t. They want to get into the meat of writing as soon as possible. But if you’re planning to write a historical novel or other project, research is vital to developing the story and bringing credibility to your work. As the author of dozens of historical novels set in eras ranging from ancient Israel, Mesopotamia, the Georgian era, the Regency era, the Victorian era, the early 1900s, World War II, the early Cold War era, and the 1980s (yes, that’s considered historical now), I’ve learned a few tips and tricks to help me tackle each project as it comes along.

                Search for Sources

                I search on Amazon or other new/used book sites and decide if there are books that I’d like to own so I can have them constantly at my fingertips. If possible, I like to get the paperback version to annotate, the ebook version to do a quick search for a particular key element, and sometimes the audiobook to immerse my brain in the era. I own all three versions of some research books. You can also search Google Books and find older digital books that are absolutely free. YouTube has recently become a key source for me with the plethora of documentaries and shorter historical pieces that are available.

                Determine Which Sources to Use

                Since you can’t read every book written about a subject (unless there are only a few), you might have to be selective. On average, I read five-ten books about a historical subject in preparation to write a book. Some sources are a gold mine. Other sources might just be more of a quick reference to verify the uniforms worn by a particular army during a specific war. Online articles (including Wikipedia) can be great quick go-tos. You can check at the bottom of the articles as well for further sources as needed.

                Research Key Elements

                Don’t try to be the expert, but research enough to flesh out your story and bring authenticity. You probably don’t have ten years to research everything you can about Italy in the seventeenth century, but you can zero in on several key elements, situations, and cultural points in order to create a vibrant story that makes the reader feel as if they’re looking into the era through a camera lens.

                What are these key elements? Start with the five senses.

                1. Touch—what do things feel like? Are your characters sitting on stone benches? Bamboo chairs? Scratchy woolen blankets?
                1. Sight—what is your character seeing? A bombed city? A river meandering through hills covered in small wooden huts? Tropical trees? Sand and rocks?
                1. Hearing—what sounds are in the setting? The puttering of a small vehicle? The clattering of horses’ hooves on cobblestone?
                1. Smell—does your character live on a farm? By the ocean with the scent of sea breeze as a constant companion? Is it spring with blossoming fruit trees?
                1. Taste—what kinds of food surround your character? Do they spend their days in preparation? Is food a main part of their day? What plants and crops are native to the country you’re writing about?

                More elements include:

                1. Major historical events during your story’s timeline. You can’t ignore a major historical event (or weather event, for that matter) if your story covers that day/week/month/year. If for some reason, you do decide to ignore or brush over a major event, document the reason why in your chapter notes or an author note as a disclaimer.
                1. Government/politics. Just as our modern lives are framed by the laws of our land, so are historical characters’ lives. What types of laws were in place? How were criminals dealt with? Were there discrepancies between the sexes or racial groups?
                1. Religion. Even if your character isn’t religious, others around them will be. Religious beliefs can also be a major character motivator, so make sure you aren’t skipping over it in a main character or sub character.
                1. Setting. A historical setting becomes a character of its own. By writing about the past, you are researching old information instead of brainstorming new ideas and inventing new things, like you would for sci-fi or fantasy. The setting can affect characters’ choices and motivations. A story set in the middle of a Minnesota winter has a completely different feel than one set in sunny San Diego.
                1. Dialogue. This can be debated both ways, but generally keeping your dialogue free of modern cliches is very important. Most readers don’t want to read formal, stilted, cumbersome dialect, so find a handful of words that will keep your reader immersed in the historical era. Depending on your time frame, instead of “kitchen,” you might say “cooking room,” or instead of “bedroom,” you might use the more historical-sounding “bedchamber.”

                Start Writing

                You don’t need wait to write until you have done your research. Doing both at the same time is often necessary. I’ll typically start with research—reading sources and taking notes—and when I feel like I can effectively write the first few chapters of the book, I’ll begin writing, knowing there might be some stopping points along the way to deep dive into more sources. I try not to write too far ahead of my research, though, or I run the risk of writing an entire scene that has to be greatly revised.

                Everyone’s method will vary, but hopefully something from my journey will be useful to you.

                Heather B. Moore

                Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than ninety publications, primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. She attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English. Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling. You can learn more about her on her website.