Writers in the Storm

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A Pomegranate Method of Writing a Story

By Kris Maze

Woman writing at table with pomegranates

To write a good story, one that speaks your truth and sparks interest in readers, you can use a variety of story-writing methods. Today, I want to inspire your story writing with a fruit twist. Consider this a free-formexercise to try if you need a little energy infused into your writingroutine. Combined with these ideas are past blog posts by our WITS writers with writing tips on each story element below.

Why a Pomegranate?

This blog post about my made-up story method is concocted from playing with my food,specifically a pomegranate. A fruit that one of our WITSoriginal writers,Jenny Hansen, proposed that I try. Sadly,I couldn’t even identify one from bins in a produce department. But that has changed, dear writers, and as it turns out, the fruit is delicious, entertaining to eat, and an inspiration for writing new stories.

Getting to the Good Stuff: How to open a pomegranate

Until Jenny suggested it, I had never tried a pomegranate that wasn't blended into some kind of smoothie or sprinkled on top of a salad, so this was a very new experience for me.  But as I began to dig into the fruit, I discovered many other ways to enjoy it—and noticed its similarities to writing a book.

When you begin to write a book, you have a simple idea. And, like a pomegranate, your story idea can also be formed into different renditions. It can be molded into a short story or a lengthy epic fantasy. It can become a sweet, happy tale or take on a creepy tone. But it will take some work to make it into the masterpiece you want it to become, and there are many ways to go about it.

Likewise, there are also many methods claiming to be the best way to extract the delicate seeds from the pomegranate’s membranous rind. Some say the best way is to squeeze the seeds into a bowl of water. Others found that whacking a half of it with a wooden spoon proved to be the most effective. I found that carving out the top and tearing into the fleshy thing was the most satisfying.

While planning your story, you have many methods to consider. Some may be more attractive to you as a plotter, pantser, or plantser, but however you approach your story process, it should cover the basics. In my pomegranate story analogy, I ask you to consider the plot, characters, setting, and more.

Story Elements

The Rind: Plotline

The rind of the pomegranate holds the fruit together, neatly packaged in a structured way. Your stories will need an identifiable structure, and unlike the fruit, plotting structures come in many forms. A well-written novel will typically have an overarching action, with subplots and miniature story arcs within it.  Whether your go-to writing structure is the classic Three Act, the adventurous Hero’s Journey, or another like the Snowflake Method, you will find an organizational pattern that reveals your story in a logical manner.

The rind has a tough, opaque outer shell, keeping all the deliciousness hidden until the right time. This is like the series of actions that takes your reader on a journey through twists and turns in your book. 

Readers may be peeling through book pages, but it is similar to parts within a pomegranate. While peeling the fruit, you can see pods of seeds grouped together within the pillowy peel. Think of the groups as acts within your story and the pithy film holding them togetheras the transition to the next act.  Peel through your story and see how it flows. How does your story reveal its major plot points?

Seed Clusters: Scenes 

The seeds themselves are also organized in neat clusters. Consider the seed clusters as scenes, and the seeds themselves as actions or key dialogue that can move that scene along.  As you write your story, think of the seed detailsthat form each scene and the sequences that form your acts or similar structure. How you connect these scenes and where you lead your reader can give them a different experience with your story. 

How many scenes you use in your novel depends on many aspects of your story. Genre is an important consideration. A fast-moving whodunitmay have more twists and turns in the plot, whereas strong world-buildingmay form more of the content of a fantasy or historical fiction novel. The age range (middle grade, young adult, new adult/adult, etc.) of writing will limit your scenes, as younger readers tend to enjoy a shorter book that matches their developmental attention span. Ultimately, you may use as many scenes as you believe will best tell your story.

One method for planning a novel involves math to calculate the right pacing for your story. The StoryGrid method claims that there should be around 33 scenes for a 50,000-word novel. This article by StoryGrid helps a writer break down the scenes of an 80,000- to 100,000-word novel in a step-by-step way. That article talks in more general terms, citing that a story needs at least 15 scenes. If this method piques your interest, check out more at the links included in this paragraph.

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Looking for more information on scenes? Here are past blog posts by our WITS writers and guests. Check out genre-specific suggestions below.

The numberof pomegranate seeds can vary by fruit by as much as 200 to1,400 seeds! How many scenes, made up by actions and dialogue as directed by characters, is up to you. The characters are key to making a compelling story. Let’s check in with this story element next.

An Aril: Characters

Aril is the technical name for the eatable pomegranate seed. Within each aril there is a woody, crunchy part that would develop into a shrubby tree if it were planted and tended well. The aril also has a thin casing that houses the juice that keeps us coming back for more. Our characters are the crunch and the tart that make up the individual actions and speech within our stories. 

When eating a pomegranate, have you noticed that some seeds are sweeter than others? That they may contain more liquid or pop spontaneously, creating a stain on your white terrycloth sweatpants? (Or maybe that was just me?)  The characteristics of each pod of seeds can vary a little as you move through the fruit, but there are some aspects that stay the same. Consider these ideas for your main character and see if you can find some parallels to improve your story.

Maybe you have moved into a bruised part of the fruit and the seeds are not as tasty. Maybe they have been injured, or spoiled rotten. Perhaps you found a core of perfectly ripe arils that shower your mouth with the just-right combo of sweetness and pucker. There may be a few unripe seeds, not eatable at all. Does your character change throughout your story? Do all of the key figures in your story have a satisfying story arc? 

What characters say and do in your novel should be consistent with what is at their core. Be sure to take time to develop your characters. Make them relatable. Make them cohesive, with social qualities, intellect, and physical descriptions that develop an interesting group of unique characters to tell your story.

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Want more advice on how to write a cast of characters for your book? Check out these blog posts from our WITS archives.

The Pith: Setting and Description

Now that you have peeled back the fruit and uncovered the seeds inside, let’s look at what is holding on to those precious pieces of action that move your story forward. The pithy part is pocked with little pockets where the seed has been plucked. There is a red dot where the seed had connected to the fruit’s soft wall, or mesocarp. It's a lot of specific terms that just point out that setting details vary.

Consider your setting as the magic carpet that brings your reader through your story world, an invisible fly on your novel’s landscape. We are aware that connecting setting is important for the reader to connect to the story, but why? If you have taken any courses by Margie Lawson on her EDITS system, you know that adding setting grounds the reader and helps them visualize what you want them to see.

Margie, donning her green highlighter, will ask writers, “Do you have green at the beginning of each scene?” Include details in the first sentence. Add them throughout each chapter to help the reader understand where the characters are and what they see, hear, feel, taste, and smell around them. A simple, well-chosen noun can do the work of a whole paragraph, so find ways to keep the story going, while at the same time keeping the reader informed.

Lawson’s methods are masterful at helping authors braid together the parts of good writing in each chapter. Her immersion classes are worth joining if you want to take your writing game to the next level. Take a look at the classes, webinars, and handout packets that are available on a variety of writing topics.

Read More 

Here are some classic posts by WITS writers who have shared their insights on creating great settings.

Taste Test

Here are some questions to ask about one of your recent projects.  Use these ideas to shape your next story. Thinking in different ways about your work can help you get unstuck. Reflect on these questions and add new aspects you didn’t consider before!

  • How did you structure your story? Did you use a commonly used story method?
  • Does your story structure have an overarching plot that could be described in three to five sentences? What are your subplots?
  • Can you describe key events that move each part of your story from one act to the next?
  • Can you switch up the order of your actions or dialogue in each scene for greater impact?
  • How can you keep the reader reaching for the next page or juicy scene? 
  • Do you have sweet and/or tartness available to the reader on each page?

Method or Meal?

Thank you for entertaining my ideas on how eating a pomegranate could help writers form better stories. Perhaps you want to keep your own method of writing, but have now have a hankering to eat one of these fruits. Either way, I hope you continue growing on your writing journey. Maybe there are some nuggets of knowledge you wish to share with our readers, methods you use that help you get unstuck in your writing. Add your favorite writing tip below.

What writing tips or resources do you share with other writers the most? Let us know in the comments below.

About Kris

Kris Maze

Kris Maze, an education enthusiast with a knack for the written word, has dedicated several years to the world of academia. She writes for various publications including Practical Advice for Teachers of Heritage Learners of Spanish and award-winning blog Writers in the Storm where she is also a host.

She published a YA dystopian novel, IMPACT, with a small press in the summer of 2020. Lately, she has been entering and placing in writing competitions, such as NYC Midnight’s Short Story and Micro fiction contests.

You can find her YA fiction, writing coach resources, and keep up with her author events at KrisMaze.com. Find her darker, scarier fiction at her sister-site KrissyKnoxx.com.

A recovering grammarian and hopeless wanderer, Kris enjoys reading, learning languages, and spending time outdoors where she ponders the wisdom of Bob Ross.

And sometimes she enjoys peeling a pomegranate.

Blue Foot, A Sci-fi Story, New Release in Paperback!

cover of sci-fi novel Blue Foot

Wrongly accused and exiled, Ernestina Après faces the destruction of her family and her bucolic life beneath the Dome. The Silver-Waters blessings are not in her favor, despite her warnings to the Counsel that the stream and its resources are running out. Caring for a stowaway, she must find a silver-lining in her dire circumstances.

Join her newsletter HERE (and get a free audiobook read by the author)

Image credit: Canva Pro

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The Heart of Goal-Motivation-Conflict

By Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Bridge Closed

We all know the Big Three elements that keep a story engaging. A character has a goal, which they want to achieve because of some motivation, and while trying to reach it, they run into some conflict.

Notice what’s in the center there?

Yep. Motivation.

It’s crucial, and yet it’s usually the last thing we writers think about. Well, maybe not the VERY last — that could be “hmm, WHAT was this publisher’s address?” — but it’s usually the last of the Big Three.

Yet without motivation, a story winds up kind of flat. Picture an opening where the hero is racing through rush-hour traffic, dodging around cars and pedestrians and careening past bicyclists who raise their fists and holler, and his phone rings and he barks into it “can’t talk, I’m on the way to Clancy’s” so we know his goal is getting to Clancy’s.

So far so good.

Let’s say this grabber-opening goal continues with some kind of conflict:

Oh, no, the bridge is closed!

Will he swim?

Will he call for a helicopter?

Will he threaten the bridge operator?

He does one of those, and meets with success or failure which results in still more conflict, then gropes with THAT conflict, and more, and more, and more...but we still don’t know why he’s in such a hurry to make it to Clancy’s.

How long, in such a book, would you wait before you start skimming pages?

You might give it a few scenes. Maybe even a few chapters. Maybe, if you paid more than you’d planned for this story, almost half the book!

“It’ll get better,” you might assure yourself. (As I’ve done when there’s nothing else within reach and I don’t want to leave my cozy bed and head for the bookshelf.)

No reason to give up yet, right? I mean, we’ve got a hero with a very clear goal and some very clear conflicts...

Why isn’t that enough?

“But it IS enough,” I can picture the writer protesting. “C’mon, this conflict is great! Didn’t everyone love when the helicopter skittered off the edge of the bridge?”

Sure.

“And the goal is hugely important! Wasn’t everyone on the edge of their seat when he glanced at his phone map and started swearing?”

Sure.

But, without some idea of what’s motivating this guy, a great goal and great conflict aren’t enough.

Okay, so let’s bring in the motivation.

Which might be...let’s see, Clancy is the informant who’s going to reveal the identity of the crooked lieutenant who’s been secretly sabotaging the squad’s every move.

Or Clancy’s is where he’s arranged to meet his college sweetheart who’s visiting from Africa this afternoon before flying out again tonight, and he’s hoping to win a second chance.

Or Clancy has the magic potion that’s going to save this guy’s son from a spell created to kill him at the stroke of midnight.

Technically, learning the crook’s identity or meeting the sweetheart or saving his son are STILL goals, but each comes with a built-in motivation:

  • Recover the squad’s power.
  • Restore a lost relationship.
  • Ensure his son’s survival.

And we can drill down even further for the core motivation:

  • POWER or JUSTICE
  • RELATIONSHIP or LOVE
  • FAMILY or SURVIVAL

See how we’re getting into some pretty basic human needs, there?

THAT’s what a motivation should be.

A character who’s motivated by more than just an external goal is in pursuit of some basic human need.

It doesn’t matter if, at first glance, the goal seems minor. How many times have we seen stories featuring a 15-year-old who HAS to find the right outfit for the prom?

Sure, that seems pretty inconsequential compared to things like honor, love, justice, life, and so on. But to this 15-year-old, being accepted or winning love or feeling validated ARE basic human needs, and clearly the only way to achieve those is to find the right outfit.

The power of a story isn’t how consequential someone’s core motivation is.

We’d probably all agree that survival is a powerful need, and there have been plenty of books about people going to great lengths to avoid starving to death or escaping the dragon or fleeing the serial killer.

But they’re not necessarily any more compelling than books about characters hoping to be the best, or to find a cherished treasure, or to forget about their stupid ex and move on.

People can happily read stories about a whole lot of protagonists with a whole lot of motivations. It doesn’t matter what the gut-level core motivation is.

What matters is that this character HAS one.

Readers don’t necessarily identify the core motivation as they’re enjoying a story. (They’re usually too busy enjoying the story.) But afterwards, it can be interesting to look back and recognize what was driving that hero to get to Clancy’s at the beginning of the book...and whether his motivation evolved as the story continued.

Because, yes, motivation can evolve. But that’s a whole other topic!

Prize Drawing Question
Whether it evolved or lasted as-is from beginning to end, what’s some motivation you remember noticing in a book you loved? If you recall the character’s name, or even their title / author’s name, mention that here and give all of us readers the chance to enjoy recalling (or discovering) a fabulous story.

And somebody who comments will win free registration to “Plotting Via Motivation,” a March 4-29 email class on building an entire plot around the characters’ motivations. On Monday morning I’ll have random dot org draw a name and post it at the end of the comments… hmm, is that a good motivation to check back Monday? :)

Laurie Schnebly Campbell

About Laurie

After winning Romantic Times’ “Best Special Edition of the Year” over Nora Roberts, Laurie Schnebly Campbell discovered she loved teaching every bit as much as writing...if not more. Since then she’s taught online and live workshops including the one at WriterUniv.com/classes/Plotting-Via-Motivation/, and keeps a special section of her bookshelves for people who’ve developed that particular novel in her classes. With 50+ titles there so far, she’s always hoping for more.

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Beguile Your Readers with Tension, Suspense, and Conflict

Part One

Some of if not the most important storytelling concepts a writer needs to understand are the concepts of tension, suspense, and conflict in stories. Those three things can captivate your audience and keep them turning pages. However, the concepts overlap enough to cause confusion. Recognizing the differences between them can help, but learning to see them in stories, and incorporate them into your own stories will make a difference in reader satisfaction and retention.

The dictionary often rescues a right-word-seeking writer, but it can also be a trickster. That’s because a dictionary defines the word in terms of its usage in a sentence. When we’re talking about storytelling techniques and devices, knowing how to use the word in a sentence isn’t exactly what you need. 

Tension 

At its simplest, tension is a feeling of uncertainty or anticipation. In both fiction and nonfiction, writers pose questions that aren’t answered right away or incompletely answered questions to introduce tension to their words. The question can be clear, hidden by characters or circumstances, or suggested by the elements of the story. 

Suspense

Suspense is a feeling of excited anticipation that something risky or dangerous is about to happen. The intensity of suspense is proportional to risk or danger as perceived by either the story character or the reader. It is the risk or danger that distinguishes suspense from tension. 

Conflict

In How to Tell a Story: The Secrets of Writing Captivating Tales by Peter Rubie and Gary Provost, the authors give what I believe is the best definition of conflict I’ve ever read. “The idea of conflict can be reduced to the word no.” Someone or something is saying no to your character. Blake Snyder, author of Save the Cat, says conflict in fiction means thwarted, opposed, or endangered. 

Conflict happens when a character who has a goal cannot reach that goal because someone or something thwarted her, opposed her, or some element of danger kept her from accomplishing her goal. It is important to note that conflict in storytelling does not have to be an argument, a physical altercation, or some other form of violence. But, worrying and anxiety are not conflict. 

Tension and the Human Brain

The human brain is hard-wired and conditioned to at least attempt to help answer questions. When a reader comes across an unanswered or half-answered question, she can’t help but try to find a response. 

Once she perceives the question, if she puts the book down, her brain will work on an answer. If the question is about a sympathetic character or relatable circumstance, she’ll pick the book up again in order to determine if her answer was “right.”

If the question causes enough tension and is compelling enough, she can’t put the book down but will read the next page or pages for the answer. 

The Effect of Suspense on the Human Body & Brain

To one degree or another, suspense is part of our daily life. We’ve understood that suspense causes observable changes in our bodies for a long time. More recently, neuroimaging studies have allowed us to observe we react to suspense in multiple areas of the brain. Suspenseful stories can ’trigger” the brain to react as if the reader was physically enduring the suspenseful event. Her breathing grows fast and shallow. Her pulse quickens. Her muscles tighten.

Humans and Conflict in Storytelling

We have something of a dual personality regarding conflict. Many of us avoid conflict at all costs. Others of us seem to generate conflict simply by existing. 

Why does this happen? Our brains are designed to protect us. When a conflict threatens us, our bodies release stress hormones to prepare us to act, often called the fight/flight/freeze response. In times of great stress, we will act first and think later. Those who generate conflict have had their fight response triggered. Those who avoid the conflict have had the flight or freeze response triggered. It is nearly impossible to alter our automatic response to conflict.

Just like stories can trigger our brains to “live” in a suspenseful situation, stories can trigger our brains to in response to conflict. 

Every day, real life is full of conflict. Even modern day real life. We read about characters who face conflict because it gives us strategies for facing our own obstacles. It comforts us and it gives us hope that we, too, can succeed despite the obstacles we face. 

While the visual medium of movies makes writing scripts different from writing a novel, both forms tell stories. All stories employ the elements of tension, suspense, and conflict. Using popular movies as examples ensures a greater number of you will recognize the devices with my brief and incomplete descriptions. Be aware, there are major spoilers in this discussion.

Summary

A mermaid princess makes a Faustian bargain to become human and win a prince’s love.

Conflict

Ariel, the little mermaid, wants to be human in order to win a prince’s love but Ursula, the sea witch, wants to add Ariel’s soul to her collection and gain power on land by seducing the prince with Ariel’s voice.

Suspense

  • Ariel nearly drowns when the sea witch transforms Ariel to a human while she’s underwater. 
  • Outraged at being outwitted, Ursula causes a massive storm that threatens to kill the prince.

Tension

  • Will the prince kiss Ariel?
  • Will the prince fall for Ursula, who is using Ariel’s voice to seduce him? 
  • Will Ariel be able to stop Ursula from marrying the prince?

Summary

Bored and confined to a wheelchair during a sweltering New York summer, professional photographer, Jeff, spies on his neighbors through his window and enlists his only visitors, his girlfriend and his nurse, to find proof a neighbor murdered his wife.

Conflict

Jeff’s inner conflict is between his desire to be a photographer willing to put himself in danger for the right picture and his growing sense of what having and not having a long-term relationship means based on his observations of his neighbors. This is also an outer conflict between him and his girlfriend. The other conflict is between Jeff wanting to prove a murder happened and his murderous neighbor wanting to keep the murder a secret.

Suspense

  • Jeff is helpless to do anything but watch when he sends someone to find proof of the murder. Suspense builds as he puts first his cop friend in danger, then his nurse, and finally his girlfriend.
  • Jeff knows his neighbor, the murderer, is coming to kill him, but unable to get out of his wheelchair, Jeff is trapped and helpless. 

Tension

  • Will Jeff break it off with his girlfriend, who obviously wants to marry him?
  • Did his neighbor commit murder?
  • Will his neighbor catch his girlfriend searching for proof of the murder?

Summary

This is the story of how PT Barnum, the imaginative son of a tailor, aspiring to be a success and accepted by the upper class, starts a circus starring people with unique qualities. 

Conflict

The success of Barnum’s circus stirs conflict and judgment with the upper class, who view the circus and the entertainers there as lower class. Barnum’s inner conflict is between his desire to be accepted, his desire to be a success, and his love for his wife and daughters. 

Suspense

  • When Barnum loses his job and his attempts to be a success fail, he’s unable to give his wife and daughters things they want and need. 
  • Fire destroys the circus building, and we anxiously watch to see who will survive and what will happen next.

Tension

  • Will Barnum ever be a success?
  • Will Barnum have an affair with Jenny Lind? 
  • Will Barnum return to the circus?

In a way, how you master the elements of tension, suspense, and conflict in your stories is as individual and unique as you are. Learning to recognize the difference in movies and books will help you recognize those things in your own writing. But there is more to tension, suspense, and conflict. Next month, we’ll dive deeper into those story elements and ways you can enhance them in your work.

Please share an example of tension, suspense, or conflict in your work, a book you've read, or a movie you've watched.

About Lynette

Lynette M. Burrows is an author, blogger, creativity advocate, and Yorkie wrangler. She survived moving seventeen times between kindergarten and her high school graduation. This alone makes her uniquely qualified to write an adventure or two.

Her Fellowship series is a “chillingly realistic” alternate history in 1961 Fellowship America where autogyros fly and following the rules isn’t optional. Books one and two, My Soul to Keep, and  If I Should Die, are available everywhere books are sold online. Book three, And When I Wake, is scheduled to be published in late 2024.

Lynette lives in the land of OZ. She is a certifiable chocoholic and coffee lover. When she’s not blogging or writing or researching her next book, she avoids housework and plays with her two Yorkshire terriers. You can find Lynette online on Facebook or on her website.

Image Credits

Top image by mallgoth from Pixabay

Second and third images by günter from Pixabay

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