Our theme for today will be Principle #16; Squeeze oranges to get orange juice.
Yeah, I know, duh!.
But you want your readers to really know your characters? To sympathize? To empathize? To rationalize with them?
Squeeze them.
No, not your readers, your characters! Put them into stressful, agonizing, painful situations. Make them suffer.
And not just mild dissatisfaction, I mean they’ve got seconds to live, to save the life of something loved, the world, make it big if you want the character to experience major change.
Just make sure you lead up to this big squeeze with lesser squeezes which increase as they go. That way the reader gets to experience the character and you get to surprise them when the character acts contrary to reader expectations.
Your welcome.
Enjoy
Think I’m onto something? Take a class with me, schedule a critique of your work, or buy me a coffee.
Think I’m an idiot? Let me know in a comment.
Either way, we’ll both learn something.
Get copies of my books because it’s a nice thing to do, you care, you can follow along, and I need the money. My latest is my trauma recovery fantasy Chrysalis.
FWIW, I hold a Creators RoundTable the last Thursday of every month from 7:30-8:30pmET. Watch past RoundTables. Register to participate.
Wilderness House Literary Review EIC Steve Glines and I (Senior Fiction Editor) hold monthly open chats with authors interested in a) writing for us, b) improving their craft in general, and/or c) increasing their chances of being accepted by other markets.
Meetings are held via Zoom on the last Friday of each month from 9-10amET.
So, want to know how to write for us? Want to know what gets our attention? Want to know how to write better for whatever market you’re interested in? Join us for our next “Meet the Editors” Zoom session. Seats limited! Sign up and talk with us. We’re relatively easy going and fun to be with.
Last item, finding these experiments useful? Strengthen my ego and link/friend/follow me.
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