FANTASY AUTHOR KATHRYN FOGLEMAN
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6 Super Story Building Questions

8/19/2022

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  1. WHO does the plot affect? Make sure your protagonist is clear. 
  2. WHAT happens? What MUST happen to force your protagonist to face and overcome some problem/demon/obstacle they normally wouldn’t?
  3. WHEN does your story actually start? Hint: It starts the moment that life no longer allows your protagonist to be comfortable!
  4. WHERE is the conflict in your story? By identifying where the conflict in your story comes from, you can build toward it, creating non stop drama and suspense!
  5. WHY does your protagonist want what they desire? What is their goal? Why is it their goal?
  6. HOW is your protagonist a different person in the end?

Recommended Books (with Amazon Affiliate links)

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Even though I have yet to read the entire series, the first book - A Wrinkle In Time - does an excellent job of answering the basic Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How in the very first chapter. It makes the protagonist clear, the plot forces the protagonist to change and do things she normally wouldn't, it identifies both the external and internal conflict the protagonist must face, and it especially does a great job of showing you her desire and how she needs to change before the story ends. And, of course, while she is still the same little girl, she has grown and changed for the better by the end of the book.

What is your next step as a writer?

Is this overwhelming? Does the idea of writing a pager turner sound impossible? Do you want to be the author of the next best seller, but fear you won't meet your goals and expectations? 
I'm hear to help.
You can subscribe HERE and receive access to several free PDF books that will walk you through the steps of writing a compelling story with dynamic characters, PLUS be the first to get access to any coaching openings in my schedule!
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3 Keys To Focus Your Story

7/18/2022

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Many writers focus only on the plot of their story. They have a fantastic idea, but the story wanders and stagnates. Why? Was it because they were a pantser? Or did a plotter go stale? Neither. Usually, the author simply did not ask their story the right questions.

Story is about someone solving a problem. It’s best to know exactly what that problem is before you hit the publish button, or even begin to write. If you can concisely sum up what your story is about, it will be far easier to write, and have a much better chance of getting attention.

How do you sum up a complex story?

Try summing up your story by explaining what your theme, conflict, and plot are, and how they work together to solve the story problem.

  • Theme. What are you saying about human nature? What is your main character's biggest flaw that readers will relate to? Theme is the central idea of any story, and the universal truth that the story teller is exploring. Often it is directly tied to the main character's biggest flaws.
  • Conflict. What flaws, things, or people must the protagonist overcome to achieve their goal? The conflict, internal and external, is the heart of the issue to be solved or overcome. This is what the reader is constantly thinking about as they read.
  • Plot. What are the external events that force the protagonist to deal with their inner issues? What big thing (and I mean BIG) happens that forces the main character into action? Remember that escalating progression of external cause-and-effect events force humans to face and deal with their issues. If it weren't for things getting out of hand, we would never change anything in our lives. Same goes for the main character.

Once you are able to explain what your theme, conflict, and plot are, you will find it much easier to sum up your story in a short paragraph (and even put it together in a gripping synopsis!). Once you can sum up your story, you can keep it focused, keep it strong, and it will make editing SO much easier for you.
​

Book Recommendations (with Amazon Affiliate Links)

If you’d like to check out a well written book synopsis that outlines the 3 keys of their story, I recommend you read the synopsis of these well written books. 
(BTW, these are Amazon Affiliate links. If you buy these books, you help their author, and you help me as well):
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Where are you in your writing journey?

Is this overwhelming? Does the idea of writing a pager turner sound impossible? Do you want to be the author of the next best seller, but fear you won't meet your goals and expectations? 
I'm hear to help.
You can subscribe HERE (or below) and receive access to several free PDF books that will walk you through the steps of writing a compelling story with dynamic characters, PLUS get early access to exciting writing career boosting opportunities! 
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Emotion = Investment!

7/9/2022

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Great writers always clue us into what the characters are thinking and feeling, because that’s where the story lives. But, that's easier said than done. How do you learn to get your reader to feel and put your book on the "All The Feels" list on Goodreads?

Well, my first suggestion is to read more books! Find some books known for giving you the feels, and read them. Dissect them. Watch how the author does it. I will list a couple I recommend below in an affiliate link!

Next, ask yourself these questions:


  1. Is the reader aware of the protagonist’s specific expectations? Can the reader tell whether those expectations are being met or not? Writers often forget this, and forget to get into the right specifics.
  2. Does each scene affect your protagonist emotionally in the moment? The reader must know what emotion the protagonist is feeling, especially when it’s the opposite of what the protagonist is saying they are feeling.
  3. Does the protagonist react to everything that happens? Physically, thinking, or feeling? How does what happens affect your protagonist? To keep your readers invested, your protagonist must react to everything that happens to them or around them. Remember to keep everything that happens pertinent to the story!
  4. Can the reader see the causal link between what happened and why your protagonist reacted the way they did? This links back to Number 1. If the reader understands Number 1, then they will likely understand this.
  5. Does everything reflect the protagonist’s point of view? Remember: First Person especially is never neutral. Everything in the story relates to HIM or HER.

​Help the reader feel what the protagonist feels. Let the reader into their feelings at every turn. Give them what they need to be invested in the story. Don't bog them down with cool world crafting and spell mechanics and backstory. Just let them get in your character's head and heart, so they can celebrate, or cringe, or cry with your character.​

Book recommendations (with Amazon Affiliate Links)

Just click the book image, and it will take you straight to Amazon! If you purchase something, it will give me a tiny little commission that will probably be used to buy kids vitamins, dog treats, or more books.
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​Mockingjay is the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy, and you really won't understand all of the emotions in it without the other two books. The other two books build up to this book, so it is RAW EMOTION. Yet, the author's writing style never changes between the books. You, as the reader, have just taken a wild journey with the character, and know what she loves, expects, and hopes for. So, before you know it, your emotions are wrapped up in her success and failure as well.

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​If you like classics, my mom recommends Charles Dickens for drawing in reader emotion. Specifically, she recommended The Old Curiosity Shop.
Published in 1841, The Old Curiosity Shop was an instant bestseller that, even while it was criticized for its sentimentality, captured the hearts of the nation with its portrayal of little Nell Trent, who is thrown into a terrifying world when her beloved grandfather is unable to pay his debts to the loathsome Quilp.

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​The Book of Form and Emptiness finds a mother and son grappling with the profound loss of the father of the family. While the mother’s anguish expresses itself in a hoarding problem, her son hears inanimate objects talking to him, and these voices eventually overwhelm in a cacophony that drowns out his own. Did I mention the book itself is also a character?

Are you wanting to learn more about writing?

Is this overwhelming? Does the idea of writing a pager turner sound impossible? Do you want to be the author of the next best seller, but fear you won't meet your goals and expectations? 
I'm hear to help.
You can subscribe HERE and receive access to several free PDF books that will walk you through the steps of writing a compelling story with dynamic characters, PLUS get early access to book coaching opportunities and sales!
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Story Is Internal

5/24/2022

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Story is internal, not external.
If the reader is not feeling what the protagonist feels, the reader won’t keep reading.
Everything that happens in a story NEEDS to affect the protagonist. If it doesn’t affect the protagonist, it doesn’t trigger emotion, and so remains neutral to your reader.
The reader’s understanding is important as we share the protagonist’s thoughts when their expectations are being met or not being met. If your reader doesn't understand, they have no emotional investment.

Perspective
  • First-person thoughts and expectations must be woven into everything. The protagonist draws conclusions about everything they mention, down to the smallest detail. Everything they mention inherently pertains to the story they are telling and to the point they're making. They never, NEVER mention something “just because”, or objectively describe things.
  • Second-person narration a rarely used technique in which the action is driven by a character ascribed to the reader, one known as "you". The reader is immersed into the narrative as a character involved in the story. The narrator describes what "you" do and lets you into your own thoughts and background. Again, nothing is ever mentioned without purpose, or objectively described. Everything brought to "your" attention is important and causes some reaction from "you".
  • Third-person, the narrator shares reactions, avoids dialogue tags, and doesn’t need to use quotation marks and italics to convey the thoughts and conclusions of the protagonist. The trick is to seamlessly slip out of the neutral narrator’s voice and into the character's very subjective point of view . If done well, it’s invisible.

Recommended Book

Here is an Amazon Affiliate Link, my friend. This book is filled with finished short stories (no cliff hangers) from different perspectives and points of view. They all do a great job of keeping the readers hooked by keeping them emotionally invested in the character's success or failure. There's suspense and romance, action and humor, and loads of character growth in a tiny package. I highly recommend you click the image and check it out and dissect the stories.
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Forward>>
    The beasts of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls. - Isaiah 43:20

    The Author

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    Kathryn White

    Self-published author of the fantasy series, Tales of the Wovlen, Kathryn spends a great deal of time in the world of her imagination, having tea with fire breathing dragons, writing books on flying space ships, and practicing her mad scientist laugh with gusto. However, on occasion, she returns to this world just to play with her dog, blog about her fun, and coach people through writing self-doubt.


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  • Welcome
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  • Bookish Help!
    • Social Media Management
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    • People That Help You
    • My Podcast
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    • All the Books!
    • Tales of the Wovlen
    • The World
    • The Characters
    • Legends and Lore
    • Pronunciation Guide
  • Connect