NaNo Bootcamp Day 7: What’s Your Sign?

What’s your sign, baby? There are as many ways to talk about characters as there are types of characters. Some people like an archetype approach, some like zodiac, some like exhaustive questionnaires. We’ve already talked about the important stuff. What does the...

Back Again

Well, the last week or so is a good lesson in planning. Work has been busy, and then I went out of town to celebrate my best friend’s bachelorette. In a pipe dream, I thought I’d write all the entries ahead of time and simply schedule them to post on their...

NaNo Bootcamp Day 6: The Core of the Character

Ahh, character. Characters are the lifeblood of the story. They are the chicken at the center of the Turducken that is your story. I actually had to Google the proper order of the Turducken. You’re welcome. Many writers are so fixated on the plot and the worldbuilding...

NaNo Bootcamp Day 5: What’s My Motivation?

Previously, on NaNo Bootcamp…the angels got the phone box! Sam and Dean had brotherly angst! Walt and Jesse made meth! And we talked about goals. (Also, I watch a lot of TV.) Anyway. We’re still digging into the pre-story stuff. As I mentioned several days...

NaNo Bootcamp Day 4: Goooooooooooal

Self-help gurus have been saying it for years. You’ve gotta have goals. If you don’t have a goal, you’re standing still, watching life go by and waiting for things to happen. Your characters are no different. If they don’t have goals, they’re just passive cardboard...