Elise VanCise
Author of ... In the Dark ... Don't Touch... and HALF
Tools of the Trade
What tools you use depends mostly on the writers preferance. But there are a few that every writer should have handy.
Dictionary: For serious spelling help or needing a definition.
Thesaurus: This will help you build your vocabulary by helping you find synonems and antyonyms for better descriptive words
Word Speller: For quick spelling help. A Word Speller only has an alphabetical listing of the most commonly misspelled words.
Something to write on: Pen/ Pencil and paper or a word processing program like MSWord.
I use many other tools as well.
Public Library
Books/ Magazines/ Newspapers
The Internet
People with knowledge or experiance with a subject
Quote/ famous words books
Books on proper grammar (especially when I use a forgein language)
Catalogs : For Treasure Blue I'm using a catalog from Montgomery Ward the year 1894 to help me with items used in that time period
Truly the list can be endless! Even television can be a tool! But the most important tool is YOU and YOUR IMAGINATION!
Character Development Questionaire
You can use questions to develop your Hero/Heroine, villain or secondary characters. Here is a sample questionnaire to help you "interview" your characters.
CHARACTER INTERVIEW
1.What is your character? (a person, thing, animal, alien?)
2.Where does your main character live and does he/she like it there?
3. What does your character look like?
4. What is your character's pet peeve?
5. What is your character's favorite food?
6. Does your character have a hobby? What is it?
7. What can your character do better than anyone else?
8. What makes your character happy after they had a bad day?
9. What's one secret your character hasn't ever told anyone.
10. Is your character shy or outgoing? What do people think when they meet your character?
11. What is one thing your main character is afraid of more than anything else?
12. What does your character want more than anything else in the world?
13. What is your character's favorite song or type of music?
14. What does your character have hanging on their bedroom walls?
15. What is the best and worst things to happen to your character?
16. Is your character superstitious? If so how?
17. What places has your character lived/visited? Is there some place they would like to got to?
18. What is your character's favorite book? Why?
19. What do you like about this character?
20. What do you dislike about this character?
CHARACTER INTERVIEW
1.What is your character? (a person, thing, animal, alien?)
2.Where does your main character live and does he/she like it there?
3. What does your character look like?
4. What is your character's pet peeve?
5. What is your character's favorite food?
6. Does your character have a hobby? What is it?
7. What can your character do better than anyone else?
8. What makes your character happy after they had a bad day?
9. What's one secret your character hasn't ever told anyone.
10. Is your character shy or outgoing? What do people think when they meet your character?
11. What is one thing your main character is afraid of more than anything else?
12. What does your character want more than anything else in the world?
13. What is your character's favorite song or type of music?
14. What does your character have hanging on their bedroom walls?
15. What is the best and worst things to happen to your character?
16. Is your character superstitious? If so how?
17. What places has your character lived/visited? Is there some place they would like to got to?
18. What is your character's favorite book? Why?
19. What do you like about this character?
20. What do you dislike about this character?
What's in a story? What's Plot got to do with it?
Let's talk about Plot. You have characters, a main character/s , a villian, and maybe some sub or background characters. Now it's time to put them into action. They need to make their dreams come true with out letting their fears and those pesky villains stop them. To do that we need a plan! Or rather a plot that's the parts that make a story when their put together.
Plot parts:
The Beginning: Though some stories begin with an exciting even some start by telling the reader a little bit about the characters, the setting and the problem before jumping right into the plot. You need to look at your characters and decide which route will be best for your story. I've written tales starting both ways it just depended on what the "drive" or goal of my characters. You can look at the excrept of chapter one from In the Dark for an example. In this story I started out getting to know a bit about Aaron and what was going on in his life. Another story Desert Steel I start the tale by having my heroine riding into battle after the event you get to know more about who she is, why she was there, etc. So examine your people and their goals then pick your beginning style.
The Exciting Event: This is the event that starts the ball rolling. It is something that happens to your character that changes them in some way. Most of the time this will be what spurs your character to begin their journey to make their dreams come true.
Rising Action: This will be the longest part of the story. Here is where you write about what happens to your characters during their journey. Think about a rollercoaster. The ride goes up and down. The higher you go the more scared and excited you get. It's the same thing for writing. The rising action is made up of many events. Each one building toward the most exciting part of your story the Climax!
The Climax: This is the moment where things get really exciting. This is where everything comes to a head, the final battle, the discovery, the greatest joy. This is the moment right at the top of the rollercoaster when your looking down ready go over the edge. The moment doesn't last long. It can be a short part, just enough to make the reader ask "What's going to happen next?"
The Falling Action: This is where you find out what happens next. This s the fast-paced action packed part of your story. Your finally speeding down the tracks of the rollercoaster. Does the villain get defeated? Do the main character's dreams or goals come true? If so how? If not how and why?
The Ending: This is how things work out in the end. This is when your character realized his/her/its dream has come true or not.
Okay so "that's how the story goes!" Yeah bad pun. Now you've got your characters and a way to chart their story. What are you waiting for? I'm going to go write!
Plot parts:
The Beginning: Though some stories begin with an exciting even some start by telling the reader a little bit about the characters, the setting and the problem before jumping right into the plot. You need to look at your characters and decide which route will be best for your story. I've written tales starting both ways it just depended on what the "drive" or goal of my characters. You can look at the excrept of chapter one from In the Dark for an example. In this story I started out getting to know a bit about Aaron and what was going on in his life. Another story Desert Steel I start the tale by having my heroine riding into battle after the event you get to know more about who she is, why she was there, etc. So examine your people and their goals then pick your beginning style.
The Exciting Event: This is the event that starts the ball rolling. It is something that happens to your character that changes them in some way. Most of the time this will be what spurs your character to begin their journey to make their dreams come true.
Rising Action: This will be the longest part of the story. Here is where you write about what happens to your characters during their journey. Think about a rollercoaster. The ride goes up and down. The higher you go the more scared and excited you get. It's the same thing for writing. The rising action is made up of many events. Each one building toward the most exciting part of your story the Climax!
The Climax: This is the moment where things get really exciting. This is where everything comes to a head, the final battle, the discovery, the greatest joy. This is the moment right at the top of the rollercoaster when your looking down ready go over the edge. The moment doesn't last long. It can be a short part, just enough to make the reader ask "What's going to happen next?"
The Falling Action: This is where you find out what happens next. This s the fast-paced action packed part of your story. Your finally speeding down the tracks of the rollercoaster. Does the villain get defeated? Do the main character's dreams or goals come true? If so how? If not how and why?
The Ending: This is how things work out in the end. This is when your character realized his/her/its dream has come true or not.
Okay so "that's how the story goes!" Yeah bad pun. Now you've got your characters and a way to chart their story. What are you waiting for? I'm going to go write!
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