Writers in the Storm

by Sandy Vaile

As writers, we’re painfully aware that not every story idea that sparkles in our mind turns into a gem on paper. With the intense competition of four million book releases each year, it’s crucial to ensure the idea behind a book is compelling and marketable. If only there was a simple way to test ideas and be sure they are worth spending time on.

Well, there is!

Whether you’re a meticulous planner or prefer to discover plot details as you go, refining that initial idea into a solid concept can save considerable stress and wasted time, because it provides a strong foundation for the writing process. Getting clear on a few key elements will give you an anchor to tether every part of the plot and transform it into a cohesive narrative.

Five considerations for assessing the validity of a story idea

1. Knowing what sort of book you are writing and what readers expect.
2. Whether the concept is intriguing enough to capture reader’s imaginations.
3. If the key elements will generate enough intriguing events to support a book.
4. Having a protagonist who will drive the plot to a satisfying conclusion.
5. Understanding why you want to write this story, so you can maintain motivation throughout.

Why an idea doesn’t equate to a compelling novel 

Wonderful ideas send excitement tingling through our limbs as intriguing situations and enthralling characters come to life. This often spurs us to jump straight into writing, however, without validating that a concept is robust enough to sustain a whole novel, we may be setting ourselves up to waste countless months and finite energy on disconnected situations and dull characters.

There’s a reason the question authors are most commonly asked is, “How do you come up with ideas?” It’s because people confuse exciting ideas with solid story outlines.

• An idea for an event is not a plot.
• An interesting character is not a character arc.
• An intriguing dramatic question is not a solid concept.
• A page of exciting situations is not an engaging narrative.

While these things can certainly lead to a story worth writing, they are no more than the first kernel of an idea. The spark that ignites the avalanche of brainstorming and development needed to be able to assess the merits of an idea. Any idea can be turned into a viable story, but if the direction it needs to go in order to have sufficient conflict and stakes, doesn’t excite you, then maybe this idea isn’t the one to spend your time on.

In order to have confidence that an idea has the potential for a book, we must get clear on the story concept and protagonist’s journey.

The good news is that you can test these things before you write a single sentence. (The even better news is that if you have a partial book or first draft that isn’t working, this process will help you figure out where the issues are.)

Define the Story’s Purpose and Marketplace

When it comes to discovering if a story will inspire you enough to write it and capture the imagination of readers enough for them to pick it up, it helps to understand what sort of book you are writing and for whom.

Having the idea for an event, interesting person or question to ponder, doesn’t mean it will develop into a host of characters with desperate desires, serious stakes or captivating conflicts. It’s the motivations and struggles behind the idea that turn it into a compelling novel.

Readers want to be entertained or inspired so determine:

• What genre you are writing within; which in turn will guide
• Reader expectations for structure, length and common topics.

Understanding why you want to write this story in particular is a good way of sustaining curiosity and inspiration throughout the long and sometimes arduous process of writing a novel. I recommend not writing to trends (unless you’re a prolific and experienced author), instead focusing on ideas that will resonate for years to come.

Exercise 1

Research which genre (and subgenres) your story might fit into, their average word count, common themes and features. Look at similar books and publisher’s submission guidelines for ideas.

Find the aspects of the story you’re passionate about exploring by asking questions like:

• What universal themes do you want to explore?
• What message do you want to communicate to readers?
• Why are these topics meaningful to you?

Create a Compelling Protagonist

This where the rubber meets the road in story development because without a driven character at the heart of every decision you make while creating a book, the plot is unlikely to gain traction and likely to peter out or fall flat.

First determine whose story you’re telling.

There may be several main characters, but the benefit of knowing which is the one, is having them drive the story and all the other characters and subplots revolve around them. This prevents the dilution of the core concept by keeping the plot focused. 

Then, create a compelling character arc.

At the heart of every great novel is a flawed character who desperately wants something that’s difficult to achieve. They capture imaginations, draw readers into the pages and linger in their minds long after the book is complete.

A plot is a series of events that get characters from start to finish, but the character arc is why they take the journey and persist when the going gets tough. Even plot-driven stories, like Lord of the Rings, have flawed and motivated characters driving the plot.

When characters struggle to overcome problems, they need to adapt in some way, changing the way they approach the situation or what they believe. Who they are at the end of the book is different to who they were when they started on the journey.

For example:

• Riddled with self-doubt to confident.
• Feeling unloveable to believing they are worthy of love.
• Being lonely because of self-imposed isolation to enjoying the company of a companion.
• Struggling to prove their worth to self-assured.

Going to a little effort to flesh out the protagonist’s character arc early on, provides a fantastic foundation of driving forces for a novel. Inner conflicts deepen the emotional impact of the story, adding complexity to the plot.

Exercise 2

Outline who the protagonist is, their main desire (goal), what’s motviating them to want it and what/who will be working against them.

Now take the development one step further and answer these questions about the protagonist:

• What is missing from their life (emotionally) at the start?
• Therefore, what internal goal do they need to achieve to be satisfied/happy?
• What false belief (or emotional wound) would make it difficult to achieve this?
• Why do they have this false belief (or emotional wound)?
• Invent a single past event that’s indicative of why this belief/wound formed.  
• What would someone struggling with this belief/wound be afraid of?
• How will they be changed by the journey?

Clarify the Central Concept

Being able to succinctly articulate what a story is about, will help keep you focused on the whole point of writing it, as well as being the perfect starting point for queries that lead to more ideas and for developing marketing copy.

Then, at a high level, you can see if there is something interesting about the concept to induce readers to want to know more.

You don’t need to know all of the events that will happen or the ending. The aim is to create a sentence (or two) to encapsulate the core elements, like the protagonist’s goal, motviation, stakes and conflict.

You may want to explore a few different formats for fleshing out the story idea like:

• A dramatic question that you will answer by the end of the book and will point the story in one direction; or
• Elevator pitch, which is what you use when someone asks “What’s the story about?”

Exercise 3

Create a succinct sentence or two (called a log line or evelator pitch), which identifies key elements that will capture the interest of the right readers. It may include some or all of these: what the protagonist wants, why they want it, what they stand to lose if they don’t succeed, and the person or force working against them, where and when the story takes place, any distinctive aspects.  

Write a Compelling Summary

I personally find it helpful to write a short summary of the key aspects of a story. It doesn’t have to have all the details figured out, like a synopsis, but focuses on the core concept and protagonist.

I refer to this summary before I plot or write each chapter because it reminds me what’s important about the story and keeps me tethered to the reason I’m writing it.

Exercise 4

Write a couple of paragraphs that expand on the elevator pitch. Include who the main characters are (e.g. protagonist, love interest), their internal character arcs, any key crises you’ve decided on already, the inciting incident that starts them on their journey, and what’s at stake if they fail to achieve the goal, what villain (or antagonistic force) will be working against them.

At this stage subplots and minor characters don’t matter, make a note of them but stick to the core concept in the summary.

Assess its potential

Once you have thought deeply about the story idea, you will have a strong feel for whether the concept is robust enough to generate enough intriguing situations and complications to support a book. It should automatically peek your curiosity and raises questions about who, why and why, therefore, providing you with plot threads to explore.

If you struggle to amass all of the above information, it’s a sign the idea lacks clarity or depth. Then you can choose whether to move onto another idea or work harder to add the emotional depth and dramatic leverage needed.

Seek feedback

Depending on your confidence and network, you may like to test the appetite for a story or highlight potential issues before writing it. You can do this by:

• Creating a pitch or first chapter, and then sharing it with friend, on social media or story sharing sites like Wattpad.
• Discussing the concept with trusted friends to see what questions they ask, what they want to know more about or aren’t clear about.
• Poll readers with several elevator pitches.

Unleash your story’s potential

Validating a novel’s concept is a critical step in the writing process because it saves time and frustration by ensuring an idea has the potential to become a compelling, emotionally resonant book.

Taking time to test a story idea will pay dividends by revealing the purpose behind writing it and instilling you with the confidence to fulfill your creative vision.

If you are stuck in a rut of writing novels you never finish or aren’t sure how to fix, then it’s your lucky day.

I’m inviting WITS readers to be the first to Test Your Story Idea before wasting time writing a whole novel (or figure out what’s wrong with your current WIP) during a one-month private coaching program with Sandy Vaile, so you can be sure it’s worth writing.

Have you ever written a story you loved but didn't go over as you'd hoped? What methods do you use to test your story ideas?

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About Sandy

Sandy Vaile is a traditionally published author, writing romantic-suspense for Simon & Schuster US, with more than a decade of experience in the industry, who empowers authors to write novels they are proud to share with the world (and which get noticed by agents, publishers and readers), through coaching, courses and developmental editing.

Sandy is also a motorbike-riding daredevil who isn’t content with a story unless there’s a courageous heroine and a dead body. Living in the McLaren Vale wine region means lots of prosseco and cheese platters in her down time.

Connect with Sandy Vaile on her website or social media.

Top Image by erdem dindar from Pixabay

by Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Imagine a book like this.

First page: We see Alex being crowned Ruler of the Empire, it’s thrilling!
Second page: Alex is kidnaped by terrorists from Alpha Centauri, terrifying!
Third page: Alex escapes and an hour later wins the Nobel Prize, amazing!
Fourth page: College roommate leaves Alex a baby to raise, life-changing!
Fifth page: Baby is diagnosed with incurable leprosy, devastating!

When the back-and-forths come this thick and fast, readers can be forgiven for wishing things would—well, just slow down a bit.

Why? What’s the problem with this story?

After all, it’s full of good action, good drama, good suspense, good ups and downs... but you see what’s missing?

We have no idea what makes Alex tick.

Until we have an idea who Alex really IS—both the appealing features we’ll enjoy watching through various situations, and the not-so-appealing ones that’ll lead to trouble until some kind of change takes place—we don’t have a whole lot of incentive to be interested in Alex’s life.

No matter how many back-and-forth, up-and-down events and emotions there might be.

But once we’ve got an idea of who this person is? We’re THERE.

That raises the question of how to show readers who this character truly is. Not just how they’re dealing with the situation at hand, but what got ‘em to that point in the first place... and what they’ll need to change in order to come through Okay (if not a Nobel Prize-winning ruler of the empire) by The End.

Most of us have a quite a few systems for discovering what makes someone tick. There are all kinds of good processes out there, some of which I’ve studied and then either tried or discarded, same as you’ve probably done over the years.

No matter which system/s we prefer, though, they’re all aimed at creating ways to move a character forward and back. Back and forward. Not always in that order, but with enough variety that the story isn’t a constant uphill climb nor a constant downward slope.

There are changes. There are drops. There are heights.

And everything in between.

We know that on this person’s way to their happy ending, they’re gonna face all kinds of hurdles. There'll be setbacks and advances, triumphs and disasters, and at the end they're gonna be a little more battered, a little more wise, and a lot more deserving of whatever their final triumph might be—or their final defeat if they're the villain.

Why? Because they've taken every step, sometimes up and sometimes down, from beginning to end. They've reached the top of what I view as their “personality ladder.”

In real life, of course, we're all climbing ladders all the time. We climb from infancy to childhood; from childhood to adulthood; from irresponsible student to responsible worker; from carefree party-goer to committed spouse...life is full of ladders.

But the ladder our characters climb ISN'T a lifelong one.

It lasts only from Chapter One through The End.

Maybe it's a three-day period of thrilling adventure. Maybe it's an eight-month saga of blooming love. Maybe it’s a twenty-year mission of colonizing a new planet. But regardless of length, it's a ladder these characters climb all the way from the bottom (stasis) to the top (triumph) during the course of this book.

Everyone's got their own seven steps to complete, scene by scene and chapter by chapter, on the way to becoming a stronger and better person who deserves a happy ending. And where they start depends on what kind of person they are at the beginning of the book.

Take a minute and think about your main character. What's this person’s greatest strength? And how is the reverse side of that strength gonna create problems for them at some point (or probably at several points) during the story?

Let's say, for instance, your hero is all about Excellence.

If so, his strengths will be...what? Doing a fabulous job at whatever he undertakes. Refusing to settle for second best. Getting the job done at all costs. Delivering a stellar performance in every conceivable area (OR in just one vitally important area). Being the best he can be. Leading the field. Top of the heap, no matter what the heap might be. And so on.

You can see what the corresponding weaknesses will be too, right? Lots of possibilities: Ignoring others on his quest for excellence. Driving himself too hard. Not taking on anything unless he knows he'll be great at it. Never stopping to smell the roses. Lacking the ability to forgive anything less than perfection. And so on.

So whatever this guy’s heroic strength and troublesome flaw might be, he’s gonna have to climb all seven steps on his personality ladder to reach the victorious finale at the top.

He’ll have to cover each step...

... from Stasis
to Change
through Misdirection
to Recovery
through Reversion
to Realization
then Triumph

This gives you enough back-and-forth, forward-and-back action to keep readers engaged...without feeling like there’s too much melodrama, nor too little credibility.

They’ll get to witness every step of this climb, and celebrate a happy ending for someone who’s not only earned it, but who’s made them root for it because they’ve seen who this person IS. They’ve seen what makes ‘em tick.

Prize Drawing Question
Who’s a character YOU found yourself rooting for every step of the way? If you recall their name, or even their title / author’s name, mention that here and give all of us readers the chance to enjoy remembering (or discovering) some fabulous story!

Somebody who comments will win free registration to “His Personality Ladder,” a November 6-17 email class on the seven steps. On Tuesday evening I’ll have random dot org draw a name and post it waaaaay down at the end of the comments. (Because after all, our characters start their climb at the bottom!)

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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 groups.io/g/Ladder, 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.

Top Image by 愚木混株 Cdd20 from Pixabay

by Ellen Buikema

Humor is an interesting concept. The goal is to be funny, but responses may differ. What makes some people laugh out loud may make others cringe.

In part two of the series on how to write comedy, we’ll take on verbal comedy—the art of comedic dialogue. Check here for Part 1, Physical Comedy.

Writing Verbal Comedy

The Pun

One of the most common forms of verbal humor, a pun, is a play on words, multiple meanings, or a word of like sound but different meaning, used to make the joke.

• Math pun - Without geometry, life is pointless.
• Science pun - I dropped an electron somewhere! Are you sure? Yes, I’m positive!
• Post-kill pun - In The Last Action Hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character, Jack Slater, blows up an enemy in an ice cream truck. Schwarzenegger says, “I just iced him…to cone a phrase.”

Innuendo or Double Meaning

An innuendo is an indirect hint, drawing attention to an alternative meaning. 

The speaker seems innocent, although not always, and it’s up to the listener to make sense of the words. The second meaning, often achieved through a pun, is intentional.

The multitalented Mae West was known for her sexual innuendos.

• Between two evils, I always pick the one I've never tried before.
• Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?
• I speak two languages: body and English.

Damon Knight’s short story, To Serve Man, provides another example of double meaning. The tale begins with a group of aliens coming to Earth with a book called “To Serve Man.” Everyone is thrilled that the aliens want to serve them, believing this means they wish to perform services for them. But the book turns out to be a cookbook—the aliens’ plan is to serve man for dinner. Gruesome!

Mixed Metaphor

Mixed metaphors are the delightfully funny result of combining well-known clichés.

• We can talk until the cows turn blue.

This metaphor blends two clichés: “talk until the cows come home” and “talk until we are blue in the face.” Both mean to talk for a long time without agreeing.

Here are some politically inspired mixed metaphors.

• “I conclude that the city’s proposal to skim the frosting, pocket the cake, and avoid paying the fair, reasonable, and affordable value of the meal is a hound that will not hunt."
  (a labor arbitrator, quoted by the Boston Globe, May 8, 2010)
• "I don’t think we should wait until the other shoe drops. History has already shown what is likely to happen. The ball has been down this court before, and I can see already the light at the end of the tunnel."
  (Detroit News, quoted in The New Yorker, November 26, 2012)

Here are examples of Mixed Metaphor Examples, How to Write, Tips

Paraprosdokian

A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech where the last word, phrase, or sentence causes the reader or listener to reinterpret the earlier part.

The unexpected ending of a paraprosdokian creates comic effects, a linguistic U-turn. One example is the one-liner, a statement ending with a surprise. The two-part one-liner is a simple setup with a payoff joke:

• “I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.” - Groucho Marx
• “If I could just say a few words … I’d be a better public speaker.” - Homer Simpson
•  “He taught me housekeeping. When I divorce, I keep the house.” - Zsa Zsa Gabore

Paraprosdokian in Literature

“Trin Tragula – for that was his name – was a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher or, as his wife would have it, an idiot…” The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams

“Contemporary man, of course, has no such peace of mind. He finds himself in the midst of a crisis of faith. He is what we fashionably call ‘alienated.’ He has seen the ravages of war, he has known natural catastrophes, he has been to singles bars.”  My Speech to the Graduates - Woody Allen

Timing 

Regarding standup comedy, timing may not be everything, but it is an essential part of verbal comedy. Standup comedians develop routines, practice in front of audiences, and adjust as needed. A bit like a recipe.

They don’t want to rush into a punchline because people need a moment to be ready for the full impact of your surprise ending. If they are too slow, people may lose interest or get distracted. Knowing where to put the starts, stops, and pauses makes good performances. Think of the series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel—fantastic timing.

Timing in Writing

My editor once asked, well actually asked several times, for me to slow down some scenes. I wasn’t giving the reader enough time to be satisfied and fully appreciate the events.

The following can help with timing:

• Pauses in the form of commas and ellipses.
• Additional dialogue in a scene.
• Sound of clearing throat (ahem) or whisper (psst).
• Rhythm of sentences.
  • Long and short sentence length alternation.
  • Sentence fragments.
  • One-sentence paragraph.
  • One-word paragraph.

A little humor goes a long way.

Here are some ways to sprinkle ‘funny’ into the mix:

Make chums with your Thesaurus.

Find funny-sounding synonyms.

• Bustle, scamper, or skedaddle instead of hurry.
• Pandemonium, brouhaha, or hullabaloo instead of chaos.

Use the Rule of Three.

 A popular humor writing technique based on the setup and punchline formula begins with two “straight” items, with a surprise twist third. This technique can consist of a list of three words, phrases, or sentences.

• “I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.”
  – Jon Stewart
• “I can’t think of anything worse after a night of drinking than waking up next to someone and not remembering their name, how you met, or why they’re dead.”
  – Laura Kightlinger
• “writer, actor, and tall person” — John Cleese, as part of his bio
• “The heart of a mother. The soul of a reader. The mouth of a smartass.” — Mother Reader, tagline.

Try Exaggeration.

The more extreme the exaggeration, the better.

• “We worry that if we get just one variable wrong, we will find ourselves facing a wrathful spouse, who is holding up a garment that was once a valued brassiere of normal dimensions but is now suitable only as a sun hat for a small, two-headed squirrel.” — Dave Barry
• “It only got worse after I turned 50, as my metabolism seemed to have taken an early retirement. I now have to jog five miles just to work off a tic-tac I ate in the 90’s. The only things that fit from my earlier years are my earrings.” — Judy Carter on the Psychology Today blog

We probably won’t become comedy writers overnight. But we can use these techniques to create comedic dialogue.

Do you use verbal comedy in your writing? Who is your favorite comedian? What, in your opinion, makes good comedy?

* * * * * *

About Ellen

Author, speaker, and former teacher, Ellen L. Buikema has written non-fiction for parents, and The Adventures of Charlie Chameleon chapter book series with stories encouraging the development of empathy—sprinkling humor wherever possible. Her Works in Progress are The Hobo Code, YA historical fiction and The Crystal Key, MG Magical Realism/ Sci-Fi, a glaze of time travel.

Find her at https://ellenbuikema.com or on Amazon.

Top Image by Tumisu from Pixabay.