TBT: Spring Grove Cemetery
Spring Grove Cemetery is one of Cincinnati's beautiful attractions, which has drawn visitors for over 150 years. The inciting incident of my current work in progress is the death of the heroine's grandfather, and what better location for his funeral and burial...
Writing Craft Wednesday: Said is a Zombie – The Art of Dialogue
Do you remember those days in school where your teacher made you come up with all these ridiculous synonyms for said? As a fifth grade teacher, I taught my students that said was a boring word. We even had a funeral for said. "Said is dead!" he cried. "He is no more,"...
Writing Craft Wednesday: Conflict – Make It Worse
Would you want to read a story where a character gets everything they want without any trouble? Of course not! In fact, the worse the conflict, the better the story. So what are you waiting for? Make some trouble.
TBT: Cincinnati’s Incline Planes
During the Industrial Revolution in the City of Seven Hills, factories and disease crippled lives. People looked to the hills for their escape, and escape made possible by incline planes.
Character Motivation – Answering Why
Last week we took an In-depth Look at Character Goals. This week we will examine the why of external and internal goals. At the end of the post you will find application questions to guide you on your way. What is Motivation? Goal and motivation...
An In-depth Look at Character Goals
In a continuation of our look at GMC (Goal, Motivation, & Conflict), today I am focusing on an in-depth look at character goals. At the end, I will leave you with some guiding questions to help you develop your own character goals. Last week we defined a...
What is GMC?
The first step to developing a novel beyond the initial concept is to develop your GMC. If you are a newbie like me, you might not know what those three letters represent. Let me share what I have learned. What is GMC? GMC stands for Goal, Motivation, and Conflict....
