WRITING TECHNIQUE (Revised 1-3-03)

A. Root for: this element, assigned to characters, causes the reader to cheer them on. It also aids in building sympathy and empathy in the reader.

1. Create events, circumstances, feelings (anything) that will cause the reader to root for the main characters.

2. Create the same above things to give the reader something to like about the main characters.

B. Overt conflict: a physical battle of the wills among people, or involving people vs obstacles.

1. Overt conflicts should enhance the story, characters, and create tension and excitement.

2. Create the conflict so it builds the tension.

3. Always make overt conflicts interesting. They must advance either the plot or character development.

C. Psychological conflict: a mental battle of the wills…usually among people. Sometimes involving a person, an obstacle, and even nature.

1. Psychological conflicts can enhance the story, characters, and create tension and excitement.

2. Create the conflict so it builds the tension.

3. Always make psychological conflicts interesting. They must advance either the plot or character development.

4. Make the characters in the scenes attempt to do something to each other psychologically. Give each a diverse and conflicting mindset.

D. Sympathy: the element that causes the reader to feel sorry for, or identify with characters.

1. Strong doses of sympathy should be built for the main protagonists.

2. Minor characters can have sympathy as well.

3. Even the antagonists can have a little sympathy, for who is all bad? Be careful that the reader only understands where the antagonist is coming from. Too much sympathy can cause the reader to root for the antagonist.

E. Empathy: the element that causes the reader to feel what the protagonist feels…to be able to see oneself in the protagonist’s shoes.

1. A character’s plight should be identifiable within the experiences of the readers.

2. Some or many characters can produce empathy.

3. Use been-there-done-that circumstances to cultivate empathy from the reader.

F. Antipathy: the element that causes the reader to despise or dislike the antagonist.

1. The antagonist should have something about them that causes the reader to dislike them.

2. Protagonists can have bad traits as long as they do not dominate the character’s action in the story.

3. Nobody is perfect. Do not create flawless people.

4. Give flawed antagonists at least one good quality.

G. Lock-in: the element that keeps the character(s) from just walking away from the situation.

1. The main character(s) must have circumstances that keep them in line, on track, force them into actions, or keep them from performing actions.

2. The “lock-in” must be plausible.

H. Value systems: the element that creates concerns that are important to the characters. They are philosophies that guide the character(s) in everyday life: their mindset.

1. The character(s) mindsets must be plausible (at least to them, and understandable to the reader).

2. The main characters must have enough of a value system to make them three-dimensional.

I. At stake: the element that will define what is to be lost or gained pending a given outcome, or set of circumstances.

1. The “at stake” drives the plots and the actions of the main character(s).

2. Minor characters can also have something important at stake.

3. The “at stake” must be strong enough to make you care whether the protagonist or antagonist succeeded or not.

II. Other considerations concerning the story:

A. The style of the writing should be simple, smooth, conversational, and coherent.

B. The beginning should grab your attention right away and draw you into the story. It is best to start in the middle of some conflict, no matter how small. Exposition should be incorporated into the other elements and drawn out gradually.

C. Every incident should advance either the plot or the characters.

D. The story should have a definitive end.

E. The story should have some element of surprise: something that is not predictable.

F. It is all right to mislead the reader in the plot, as long as the reader is not left hanging and the payoff is worth it.

G. If you can, plan a sneak-attack plot surprise. Keep the reader involved in one of the plots, resolve it, and then hit them without another element that was in the background all the time which went unnoticed.