Voices of Fiction - Character versus Plot - Part Two

Welcome to Voices of Fiction.

We have another great group of writers here to discuss ‘Character versus Plot’

Please welcome our guests.


Terry W. Ervin II is an English and Science teacher who enjoys writing. He’s an editor for the speculative fiction magazine MindFlights and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen anthologies, magazines and ezines. The genres range from science fiction and fantasy to horror and inspirational.
In 2009 Gryphonwood Press published Terry’s debut fantasy novel FLANK HAWK, and released BLOOD SWORD in 2011. He is busy working on the third novel in the First Civilization’s Legacy series. Website, Blog

Pembroke Sinclair - I write fiction under the pen name Pembroke Sinclair, and I have had several short stories published. My story, “Sohei,” was named one of the Best Stories of 2008 by The Cynic Online Magazine. I have novellas and a short story collection forthcoming from Musa Publishing and eTreasures Publishing. I have two novels, Coming from Nowhere (adult, sci fi) and Life After the Undead (YA, horror), that are available from eTreasures Publishing, as well as Death to the Undead (YA, sequel to Life After the Undead), which is forthcoming. Under my real name, Jessica Robinson, from March 2008 to January 2011, I wrote scientific articles for Western Farmer-Stockman. I have a nonfiction book, Life Lessons from Slasher Films, scheduled for release in July 2012 from Scarecrow Publishing (an imprint of Rowan and Littlefield). Blog, Link, Link

Catrina Barton is a reader and writer of YA and Paranormal Romance, who enjoys being surrounded by the stark beauty of mother nature - whether it's a moon lit starry sky, or a picnic by a peaceful waterfall cascading from the mountain side. She is a proud member of Nano, RBRU, SheWrites and PNRWriters. She is an active participant at Critique Circle and several other crit groups. Blog, Facebook 



Carole Ann Moleti is a nurse-midwife in New York City, thus explaining her fascination with all things paranormal, urban fantasy, and space opera. Her newest fiction is featured in Haunted: Ten Tales of Ghosts and Bites: Ten Tales of Vampires.Website, Blog, Twitter

Welcome Authors! It’s wonderful to have you back for another round.

Now the question is: What comes first, the character or the plot?

Terry W. Ervin II: Generally what comes first is an event or situation, whether it’s wondering what happens to a soul trapped in a cryogenically frozen body, or a team of drug dogs searching a high school and finding drugs in a student’s locker—but they’re not that student’s drugs. The initial thought that sparked my first published novel occurred while thinking about two books: Roger Zelazny’s Guns of Avalon and Harry Turtledove’s World War: In the Balance. A main turning point in Guns of Avalon occurs when Prince Corwin discovers a way to get gunpowder to function in the magical city of Amber. In the Balance is about an alien invasion during the World War II. The technological disparity between the invaders and humanity is a major element in the novel’s conflict. That sparked the question: What would happen if a dragon encountered a World War II aircraft? From there I devised a world where such an encounter could take place. Then came the people and creatures that would inhabit the world and how it came to be. Finally, came Krish and Lilly, Roos and Road Toad—the novel’s main characters.

Pembroke Sinclair: Depends on the story. And then it can change once I get writing. Sometimes, characters like to take the story over and lead me in different directions. I like it when that happens. Sometimes, the plot twists itself. That's fun too.

Catrina Barton: It depends on the story. Most times it's the main character and their love interest. I try imagining them in different situations and places. But occasionally it's the plot that will jump out at me and refuse to be ignored. I start with whichever is the most persistent.

Carole Ann Moleti: Usually the kernel of a plot occurs to me first, but I usually know right away the sex, age and situation of the main characters. Once I flesh out the characters (I spend a lot of time developing their profiles, including doing astrological charts and Tarot spreads), the plot points and twists fall into place.

Thank you all for joining us today and sharing your techniques.

Readers feel free to ask questions concerning this topic in the comments. Also feel free to send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

(Disclaimer - Bios and answers have been posted as submitted by author) 

Part One
Part Three

From Aspiring Writer to Published Author

Stop by Love Romance Passion to read my guest post, "From Aspiring Writer to Published Author." It's a journey I'd take again without a second thought. And, there's so much more to come on the twisted roads ahead.

Voices of Fiction - Character versus Plot - Part One

Welcome to Voices of Fiction.

Today and over the next few weeks, we are exploring what comes first, character or plot. Some authors create a cast of characters and set them into motion. Others develop a plot and then cast characters into roles to fulfill the actions. And, of course, there are those somewhere in between.

I hope you all enjoy this part of the series.

Please welcome this wonderful group of authors.


Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in Virginia. She is a member of Valley Writers and the Virginia Writers Club. Links – Website, Blog, Facebook



Joylene Butler is the author of Dead Witness and Broken But Not Dead. Links – Website, Blog



Cindy Huefner Cromer, formally a New Jersey resident, now resides in Stuart, Florida, with her husband, son, and daughter. Cindy works as a laboratory scientist and executive. As the president of a laboratory network, she has written numerous laboratory procedures and research documents. Driven by a passion for suspense and mystery novels, she dreamed of becoming a writer. Her dream turned into reality with the release of her debut suspense novel, Desperate Measures. She is currently working on her second novel, Desperate Deceptions. Plans are in place for her third and fourth books.  Website, Link, Link



Thea Landen writes erotic literature, frequently in a sci-fi/fantasy setting. When she's not writing, or thinking about writing, her hands and mind are occupied by either yarn crafts or role-playing games. Blog, Link, Link




Jared Gullage, an English Language Arts teacher in Alabama, is the author of Drinna, The Dustfinders, and The Afterknight. Through his father's introduction to books like The Hobbit, Great Expectations, and works by Ray Bradbury, Jared discovered a universe within his own imagination. Jared put his vision to work through role-play games and then storytelling. Following his father's words, "paint pictures with words", this compulsive writer plans to leave his mark upon the writing world, one dent at a time.

Welcome Authors! It’s wonderful to have you back for another round.

Now the question is: What comes first, the character or the plot? 

Cherie Reich: Character comes first and followed very closely behind by the plot.

Joylene Butler: The character. She or he comes to me long before I know their story. I actually try to ignore them because I'm usually busy on an unfinished manuscript. They hang around until I'm ready, moving through my mind like a video. Sometimes it's as if they're trying to figure out if they can trust me.

Cindy Huefner Cromer: Definitely the character. My writing is character driven and I can’t help but introduce each one into the plot with a hidden secret or cloaked in suspicion, regardless of how minor or major their role is. When editing my second book, Desperate Deceptions, I had every intention to scrap a scene and character in the beginning. However, during the process, inspiration hit and now this character is an integral part of the plot. Readers have commented that I have a lot of characters but tie them up in the ending. I flinch when I hear this because I don’t enjoy books where the author introduces every character in the first few chapters in a slug with their whole history. My top priority is to introduce each character slowly into the book and make the reader want to know more about them and what they are hiding.

Thea Landen: The plot usually comes first for me. I think of an idea, a story arc, what I want to happen, and then I see how characters fit into that. Sometimes it's just one or two characters to get the point across. Sometimes it's a whole army. (In the aforementioned future work, it might LITERALLY be a whole army!)

Jared Gullage: The idea usually starts with a plot, but I like to create characters more. I think theme and character are the stuff that truly good stories are made of. If you have good characters, you can put them anywhere, doing anything, and people will still enjoy it. If you have bad characters, no amount of plot will save them.

Thank you all for joining us today and sharing your techniques.

Readers feel free to ask questions concerning this topic in the comments. Also feel free to send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

(Disclaimer - Bios and answers have been posted as submitted by author) 

Character vs Plot - Part Two

Voices of Fiction - From Idea to First Draft - Wrap Up

Welcome to Voices of Fiction. We've spent the last few weeks learning about a group of writers and the different processes of moving "From Idea to First Draft."

Based on the many different answers of eighteen writers, plotters outweigh the pantsers, 12 to 6. The methods vary for each plotter, from scene descriptions to head plotting, but plotting all the same. As do the pantsers' process, moving from character creating to writing straight through, to other processes.

As we wrap up this topic, for now, I'd like to share my process with you.

Always remember, each book may produce a different method of creating, and as you move through your journey, you may develop new techniques to go with the old. Short works may develop in a different manner than longer pieces.

Escape to Love, available at eTreasures Publishing, is a short novella at under 11,000 words and could easily be considered a short story by many.

The creation of this story began with a fifteen minute free-writing session. This produced a snapshot of a woman lost in a dark portal and a man trying to save her.

From there, I brainstormed on who these two people were, what type of portal, where the portal lead, and so on. I also knew my ending.

Then, I wrote from beginning to end. I logged each scene as I wrote, jotted down notes on anything new that needed to be built up earlier in the story. Basically, pantser style, from idea to first 'very' rough draft.

Thank you all for joining in as we explored "From Idea to First Draft."

Next week, we'll begin exploring another topic on "Voices of Fiction." Feel free to join in.

Readers send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com, Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

Part One – Cherie Reich, Joylene Butler, Karina Kantas, Jade Varden 

Part Two – Clara Bowman-Jahn, T. W. Ervin II, Vicki Batman, Thea Landen

Part Three - Barbara Ehrentreu, Catrina Barton, Cara Marsi, Pembroke Sinclair  

Part Four -Jared Gullage, Reno Charlton, Cindy Cromer, Ellen Spain, Carole Ann Moleti, Pat Andres

Mother's Day Blowout

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To help you celebrate your wonderful day, what would be better than eighty e-books, just for you? That's right - 80 e-books to one lucky commenter.

Tabby's Nocturnal Nights is hosting a Mother's Day Blowout from May 11 to May 16. Entry is very easy: Sign up to follow blog, leave a comment and your email address.

Tabby has all the books listed, including blurbs and buy links. So, even if you don't win, you may find some great books to add to your collection.

Good luck! And, Happy Mother's Day.

Voices of Fiction - From Idea to First Draft - Part Four

Welcome to Voices of Fiction. Again, we have a wonderful group of authors to answer your questions concerning ‘From Idea to First Draft’. Let’s begin the introductions.

Jared Gullage, an English Language Arts teacher in Alabama, is the author of Drinna, The Dustfinders, and The Afterknight. Through his father's introduction to books like The Hobbit, Great Expectations, and works by Ray Bradbury, Jared discovered a universe within his own imagination. Jared put his vision to work through role-play games and then storytelling. Following his father's words, "paint pictures with words", this compulsive writer plans to leave his mark upon the writing world, one dent at a time.

Reno Charlton - I'm a full time copywriter, working from home to provide clients around the world with content for websites, magazines and other media. I am also an author, having written and published three children's fantasy novels and two short stories for older readers. The short stories were created under my pen name of Emily Ho. One of these stories, The Journey Home, won a Curtis Brown Short Story Competition. Link, Link, Link

Cindy Huefner Cromer, formally a New Jersey resident, now resides in Stuart, Florida, with her husband, son, and daughter. Cindy works as a laboratory scientist and executive. As the president of a laboratory network, she has written numerous laboratory procedures and research documents. Driven by a passion for suspense and mystery novels, she dreamed of becoming a writer. Her dream turned into reality with the release of her debut suspense novel, Desperate Measures. She is currently working on her second novel, Desperate Deceptions. Plans are in place for her third and fourth books.  Website, Link, Link

Ellen Spain is a retired Federal Investigator, now turned author, editor, and educator. She is active with EPIC, PennWriters, RWA, SCBWI, and the Pittsburgh East Writers.
Website, Link, Link

Carole Ann Moleti is a nurse-midwife in New York City, thus explaining her fascination with all things paranormal, urban fantasy, and space opera. Her newest fiction is featured in Haunted: Ten Tales of Ghosts and Bites: Ten Tales of Vampires.Website, Blog, Twitter

Pat Andres - author of MAGGIE: A SAVANNAH DOG, Roseanna the Savannah Squirrel, LOVE FROM the ASHES, and It's Hard to Be Crystal: Life in the Tranny Lane. Website

Welcome Authors! It’s wonderful to have you here.

Now, the question is: What steps do you take to move from idea to complete first draft?  

Jared Gullage: It usually depends. Most of the time, however, I like to just get started. I want to find some way of pulling the reader in by making something happening in medias res. I like to make the reader ask: "What's going on?" and hope that I've answered it in such a way they keep asking.

Reno Charlton: In order to complete the first draft of any book, I start out making notes and chapter outlines. I make notes about the general theme of the story, establish the characters that I want to develop, and do a chapter outline. I then try and work on a couple of chapters a week, sometimes more, until the first draft is ready. However, does all depend on how the ideas are flowing – if I am on a roll and I have no other commitments, I just keep going. I wrote the draft of my first book within a couple of days, much of it on the flight home from the USA to the UK.

Cindy Cromer: I create the protagonist first, give him/her an interesting suspenseful story line then write the beginning and the end.

Ellen Spain: When I get an idea for a story, I immediately jot it down and include any action scenes and story hooks. Within a day, I can draft a rough outline for the story, and create the main characters. I don't need their names at this point. From the outline, I write a rough draft with the main plot falling into place. Now I outline the characters: their conflicts, solutions, their personalities and traits, and merge this into the rough draft while also breaking the action scenes into chapters.

Carole Ann Moleti: I'm a hopeless panster. Most of the time I get an idea, sit down, and start writing. Often in the middle of the night. Almost always out order since I get inspirations for some really cool scenes and want to get them down while the idea is fresh. Along the way, I do spend a lot of time on character building and setting up the world. Since I write paranormal and urban fantasy, there is often research and reading I need to do so I don't write myself into plot or credibility problem. Once I have a few chapters drafted, I usually know the denouement and ending. I can take months to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

Pat Andres:I plunge right in and get ideas on paper. Not exactly an outline, but a guide.

Thank you all for sharing your process with us.

Readers feel free to ask questions concerning this topic in the comments or send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

Part One – Cherie Reich, Joylene Butler, Karina Kantas, Jade Varden 

Part Two – Clara Bowman-Jahn, T. W. Ervin II, Vicki Batman, Thea Landen

Part Three - Barbara Ehrentreu, Catrina Barton, Cara Marsi, Pembroke Sinclair 

(Disclaimer - Bios and answers have been posted as submitted by author)

I'd like to share this article with my readers. I hope you enjoy.

How to Get Past Writer's Block

Whether you're working towards your MFA degree or simply writing for fun, you know how frustrating writer's block can be. You sit down, only to find out that your mind is blank and the words refuse to flow. In these times, it's important to know what measures to take in order to get past writer's block.

Practice Writing Regularly

Writing may not seem like a task that you can practice, but good writing habits and skills can actually be developed. Many successful writers develop a regular writing schedule. If you get into a routine, chances are that your brain will begin to recognize this pattern and get into creative mode at the right time. For many writers, setting deadlines helps to overcome writer's block. When you know that you need to finish something by a certain time, you will be more motivated to finish it. This alone can be helpful in overcoming writer's block. Simply working through writer's block is also possible. It is important for you to let go of the belief that everything you write needs to be perfect. Simply writing anything can help you move past writer's block; remember that you can always go back and revise your work. You may find that you begin to develop ideas after you begin writing.

Step Away

Trying to write through writer's block can be difficult, and some people work better if they step away from their work for a short time. Your mind may simply need time to rest in order to come up with more creative ideas. Good ways to jump start your brain include reading, drawing, listening to music, and going for a walk. If you are on a deadline, try stepping away from your desk for a minute to stretch or get a glass of water. This can help to break the cycle of writer's block.

Try Writing Exercises

Writing exercises may be something you typically see in a classroom, but they can be really helpful to any writer. Writing prompts, as well as stream of consciousness writing and free association writing are all good starting points. There are even websites that prompt you if you have stopped writing for a set amount of time. The main point is just to get your mind thinking and creating. Writing exercises have no right or wrong responses.

If you're interested in learning more about how to improve your writing, you might consider pursuing an online writing degree.

Sources

3 Ways to Bust Through Writer's Block

Getting the Best of Your Writer's Block

Voices of Fiction – From Idea to First Draft – Part Three

Welcome to Voices of Fiction. Again, we have a wonderful group of authors to answer your questions concerning ‘From Idea to First Draft’. Let’s begin the introductions.

Barbara Ehrentreu, a retired teacher with a Masters degree in Reading and Writing K-12 and seventeen years of teaching experience lives with her family in Stamford, Connecticut. When she received her Masters degree she began writing seriously. If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, Barbara’s first YA novel, published by MuseItUp Publishing was inspired by Paula Danziger. Her novel is also available on Amazon for Kindle and paperback, Barnes & Noble for both paperback and Nook, Smashwords, Omnilit and of course The Muse Bookstore. In addition, Barbara has a story in Lavender Dreams, a memorial anthology for which all the proceeds go to cancer research. She has three poems in Prompted: An International Collection of Poems by the Anthologists for which all the proceeds go to Literacy research. Her blog, Barbara’s Meanderings, http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com/, is networked on both Facebook and Blog Catalog. She hosts Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages on Blog Talk Radio every 4th Thursday. In addition, her children's story, “The Trouble with Follow the Leader” and an adult story, “Out on a Ledge” are published online. She has written book reviews for Authorlink.com. and several of her reviews have been on Acewriters and Celebrity Café. She is a member of SCBWI. Writing is her life! Blog, Facebook, Twitter 

Catrina Barton is a reader and writer of YA and Paranormal Romance, who enjoys being surrounded by the stark beauty of mother nature - whether it's a moon lit starry sky, or a picnic by a peaceful waterfall cascading from the mountain side. She is a proud member of Nano, RBRU, SheWrites and PNRWriters. She is an active participant at Critique Circle and several other crit groups. Blog, Facebook 

Cara Marsi, an award-nominated author, is a former corporate drone and cubicle dweller who is finally free of her fabric-covered cage. She craves books with happy endings and loves to write about independent heroines and the strong heroes who love them. Cara is published in romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance. She’s also published numerous short romance stories in national women’s magazines. Cara and her husband enjoy traveling and she loves to write about the places they've visited. They share their house with a fat black diva of a cat named Killer. Website, Twitter, Facebook

Pembroke Sinclair - I write fiction under the pen name Pembroke Sinclair, and I have had several short stories published. My story, “Sohei,” was named one of the Best Stories of 2008 by The Cynic Online Magazine. I have novellas and a short story collection forthcoming from Musa Publishing and eTreasures Publishing. I have two novels, Coming from Nowhere (adult, sci fi) and Life After the Undead (YA, horror), that are available from eTreasures Publishing, as well as Death to the Undead (YA, sequel to Life After the Undead), which is forthcoming. Under my real name, Jessica Robinson, from March 2008 to January 2011, I wrote scientific articles for Western Farmer-Stockman. I have a nonfiction book, Life Lessons from Slasher Films, scheduled for release in July 2012 from Scarecrow Publishing (an imprint of Rowan and Littlefield). Blog, Link, Link

Welcome Authors! It’s wonderful to have you here.

Now, the question is: What steps do you take to move from idea to complete first draft?

Barbara Ehrentreu: Usually when I get an idea, it rolls around in my head until I have a good first sentence. I write down the first sentence and then if it's worth anything, the sentence will propel me to write at least 2000 words. I'll look up and realize I've written that much and then go back and read the work. Sometimes what I've written is a short story. When it turns out to be a longer work, during the writing process, I do go back and develop characters and plot. As you can see, I'm a "pantser" and rarely go by an outline.

Catrina Barton: I usually jot them down in a note book or a file on my PC and allow the ideas to percolate a while before I even think about starting a first draft. If after a few weeks the idea still won't leave me, then I start the research and type up an outline for the basic plot. After that I brainstorm different possible scenarios and work on getting to know my characters, and then I start writing the rough draft.

Cara Marsi: I write character sketches of the main characters in longhand. Do an outline (most of the time), brainstorm plot with my critique group, then sit down to write. I hate writing the first draft. It's like pulling taffy to get it out of me. I love revising.

Pembroke Sinclair: Mostly a lot of brainstorming. I don't do an outline or anything, just plot the story out in my mind before putting it to paper.

Thank you all for sharing your process with us.

Readers feel free to ask questions concerning this topic in the comments or send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

Part One – Cherie Reich, Joylene Butler, Karina Kantas, Jade Varden 

Part Two – Clara Bowman-Jahn, T. W. Ervin II, Vicki Batman, Thea Landen

Voices of Fiction - From Idea to First Draft - Part Four

  (Disclaimer - Bios and answers have been posted as submitted by author)