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Your Story Must Have Character Growth Moments – Some Examples

May 21, 2015 | Writing | 10 Comments

“Remember, the essence of storytelling demands that we place our main characters on a path. A quest with something at stake, with something to do, to achieve, to learn, and to change.” —Larry Brooks

by Rickbrk

Novels must show change in their main characters. Growth moments in the character arc should be fed along the way as a story progresses.

The transformation might be like a flower bud opening.

I pulled 5 different types of inspirational books off my shelves and randomly opened to pages about a fifth of the way from the end of the stories. In Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, modified by Christopher Vogler, this would be in Act 3, in the Resurrection part of The Return.

The experience was uncanny. I immediately spotted a growth moment in each book on the pages facing me.

Examples of Growth Moments

1. River Rising by Athol Dickson – Fiction/Historical (Winner of the Christy Award)

“Hale realized he might not have failed in everything after all.

His bizarre kidnapping and bondage had obscured the quest that began with a manila paper folder, soft and mildewed from New Orleans humidity, its faded pages bearing the terse, clerically phrased story of a boy of three or thereabouts, brought north from down beyond the end of everything, to be raised with other orphans in a peeling twelve-room mansion.”

2. A Slow Burn by Mary E. DeMuth – Fiction/Christian/General

“’I’ve made a terrible mess of things.’

‘We all do. Lord knows I did. But that’s where Jesus comes in. And if we let him, he takes us, turning us from orphans to adopted, loved children, taking our regrets and sadness and giving us unexplained joy. Kind of like the joy I feel right now.’”

3. Terri by Sharon Srock – Christian/Women’s Fiction

“The noise of busy power tools, pounding hammers, and loud music pumping from three boom boxes did not drown out the annoying little voice whispering in his right ear these days. That little voice kept reminding him that this wasn’t where he needed to be. That this wasn’t the path to his future. This could be a stepping stone, nothing more.”

by geralt

4. Made to Last by Melissa Tagg – Fiction/Contemporary Romance

“Because Matthew brought her to life in a way no one had since Robbie. He listened. He talked. He saw. Exactly what she still wasn’t sure. But it was enough to know he was looking. Not at a homebuilder. Not at a television star. At her.”

5. Calculated Risk by Zoe M. McCarthy – Fiction/Christian/Contemporary Romance

“Cisney’s heart pulsed like it had when she was a child and feared she’d made Daddy mad. Yes, she was learning at almost thirty to spread her own wings, but she’d lived in Daddy’s nest for a long time. Why did that verse have to be the one giving Mom hope? It rang so personal to their father-daughter relationship. She cringed as she pictured him grousing that God had no business telling him how to raise his children.”

Examples of growth moments that should exist in your story. Click to tweet.

What is a growth moment you’ve included in your story?

25 Questions Writing Experts Challenge You to Answer

May 14, 2015 | Writing | 15 Comments

“Good questions out rank easy answers.” — Paul Samuelson

by geralt

I’ve studied the craft of writing for a while now. Sometimes all the questions experts say I need to ask myself gets overwhelming.

by geralt

But the more I write, the less often I need to ask myself some of the questions. I finally know a grammar rule. Or I’ve gained a scene-enhancing habit. But some questions I’ll always need to ask myself.

For me, the most important question is: Have I consulted God, my Co-Author, today on what I am to write?

25 Common Questions From the Experts

Who is my audience?
Why would someone care about this story or character?
Will my opening sentence or two hook my reader?
What’s the event or incident that sends my character on her journey?
What can my character do at the end that she couldn’t do in the beginning?
Is my main character likeable?
What are my characters’ goals, motivations, and conflicts for the story or for this scene?
Are my secondary characters doing their jobs; are some unnecessary?
Have I grounded my reader in the scene opening?
Have I shown my character using her 5 senses?
Is this sentence, paragraph, scene, chapter, or backstory necessary?
Can I come up with a better phrase than this overused cliché?
Is this the best word for what I’m saying?
Is this sentence too complicated, verbose, or confusing?
Have I ended my chapter with a hook to keep my reader reading?
Does my character’s dialog sound fresh, seem consistent with his character, and move the story along?
Have I cut out phrases that distance the reader from my character?
Have I told the reader something I could have shown?
Did this word exist during the time period of my story?
Have I used too many words my readers will need to look up?
Should I reconsider what my critique partner or editor suggested?
Will this 15- or 25-word synopsis hook a potential editor or reader?
Which plot points, sentences, or words should I cut out of my synopsis to meet the page requirement?
Does my synopsis read enough like a story?
Which editor should I employ to edit my manuscript?

Ask these questions as you write and up your chances of interesting an editor. Click to tweet.

by johnhain

Which of these questions do you need to ask yourself as you write?

Raise the Quality of Your Scenes with This Checklist Item

May 7, 2015 | Writing | 5 Comments

“My 16 years in radio drama has influenced me. You only have 45 minutes, and 7000 words, to tell a story, so every scene has to have a point.” —Rachel Joyce

Most novelists who have a scene checklist look for at least:

A goal
A conflict
Increased motivation/stakes.
The Who, What, Where, When, and Why
The 5 senses
Engaging dialog
Tight, clear sentences
No clichés
Active voice

Debra Dixon pushes us to go further. She instructs in GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict that we justify the existence of each scene. She holds that the scene should have at least three reasons to remain in the book.

by mitchlee83
Cut or keep the scene.

Three Reasons for a Scene to Exist

First for Reason 1, Ms. Dixon says the scene should do at least one of the GMC jobs below:

1, “Dramatically illustrate a character’s progress toward the goal or provide an experience which changes the character’s goal.”

2. “Bring a character into conflict with opposing forces.”

3. “Provide a character with an experience that strengthens his motivation or changes his motivation.”

Then Ms. Dixon challenges us to choose at least two other reasons of our own design to include the scene in our novel. She gives several popular reasons, such as:

“introduce a new character”

“reveal secrets”

“speed the pacing”

Painting by Vladimir Loukitch

So, I randomly chose a scene from the Regency, Accidental Fiancée, by Mary Moore. Here’s what I found:

Progress toward the goal: The hero and heroine discuss possible solutions and obstacles to saving their reputations and avoiding destroying the heroine’s sister’s presentation this season.

Conflict: The heroine isn’t cooperating fully with the hero, a rake, because he took a liberty in the last scene to prove a point.

Other Reason 1: The scene gives us a glimpse that the hero is less rakish than he puts on.

Other Reason 2: After much conflict in this and the prior scene, this one ends with the hero providing us some comic relief.

Now I know why the scene engaged me.

Hopefully I include at least three reasons for my scenes. But to make sure I do, I’m adding Ms. Dixon’s suggestion to my checklist.

Make sure you have three reasons for your scene to exist. Click to tweet.

What are other reasons you might include a scene in your books?

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Your Story Must Have Character Growth Moments – Some Examples

Examples of Growth Moments

25 Questions Writing Experts Challenge You to Answer

25 Common Questions From the Experts

Raise the Quality of Your Scenes with This Checklist Item

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