How to Recognize and Overcome Plot Problems or Failures? #RR86 #WritingTips

 This month's topic: Recognizing and overcoming plot problems or failures.

If one writes, one deals with plot problems/plot holes/ or even failures.  It is all part of fleshing out our characters and developing a well-written story.

Is this fun? Not always.  

Do I dance for joy when I complete my novel and discover there is a very large plot hole? Of course not. I sigh, while resisting the urge give a primeval scream. Then have have a cup or coffee, or two,  I go back and rework it. 

Again. And, if I'm lucky, I don't create a problem by doing so.

How can I claim that all authors deal with this issue?

I can do so because so many plot holes remain undiscovered.

Undiscovered that is, until, after publication, a reader finds one.  

Oh, dear.

What is a plot hole?

A plot hole is an inconsistency in a story that goes against the established logic of the narrative's  universe. For instance, some people say it makes no sense that Frodo and Sam didn't fly the Ring to Mordo, that Time Turners weren't more widely used in Harry Potter, 

In Angels & Demons: it is said that Vittoria can't get a dial tone on her cell because they are underground. I'm not sure anyone one can get a dial tone on their cell phone.

The second book of the Twilight Series was based on a nosebleed. We understand that Edward did not trust his family to be around Bella for fear she might get hurt--but haven't they been around blood before? The do attend school...

How do I recognize there is a plot problem?  My characters stop behaving like themselves, the story stalls, or my secondary character are trying to take over the story.

Hints:

1. Be objective when editing.

2.  Refuse to be influenced by your own opinions and emotions.

3.  Writing lists can be helpful.

4.  Take time to question the logic of your plot.

5.  Keep a checklist of your subplots and make sure all of them are complete.

6.  Keep notes on your revised edits.

Also:

1.  Explore alternative outcomes. Try to keep an open mind when reworking your novel.

2.  Remember that filling a plot hole is not necessarily a one-trick fix.

3.  Bring things back to basics.

4. Don't be afraid to do the work.

Please tour the blogs of  the wonderful authors participating in this month...such stories we have to share:

 

My Current Release

Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/

Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2lz

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

FREE Book on Amazon! May 30 and 31st!

 

Apacheria, 1880.

Tanayia is alone in the world. Her village destroyed and her people murdered by a group of revolutionaries who now hold her hostage. A daring escape on the edge of Cochise’s stronghold saves Tanayia’s life, but she discovers her ordeal is only beginning. Forced to live in a government run boarding school, Tanayia is stripped of her identity. 

The headmistress is bent on destroying Tay, but Jacob Five-Wounds stands in her way. Jacob urges Tay to run away with him—but diphtheria strikes the school. Now, Tanayia must make a choice, a choice she knows may cost her both, Jacob and his love.

Sweet Historical Romances aren't just for young adults any longer!

FREE Book Kindle Unlimited!!

Does Writing Change the Author? By Connie Vines #RR

 Does writing change the author? Do you think your writing has changed you in any significant way?

 Thank you Rhobin for this month's topic.

Writing can teach us lessons, and make us think differently. Writers can choose to use their writing to teach valuable lessons, to give new perspectives and make us see the world and the behavior of people in a different light. Writing can inspire, motivate, and bring about change.

As for myself, and for most authors I know, self-doubt is something we’re all too familiar with.  It’s unavoidable.  Whereas most careers (or the author's day-job) are built on  a clear end goal for each day, authors goals are driven by a mysterious voice that sometimes chooses to speak to us… and sometimes doesn’t.

After all, a professional fiction writer is someone who gets paid to make stuff up.  It’s a thoroughly exhausting job that takes a long, long time, and usually offers the writer very little financial reward.  

By writing a novel, the writer acts to keep their era alive for future generations, so that our children and grandchildren can understand who we really were, and what we stood for-- or as in my YA historical novel "Tanayia--Whisper upon the Water" focus on a moment in history which hasn't been portrayed truthfully in the past.

By nature, writers are teachers.  Again, writers write because they have something to say to the world.  They have a lesson to teach, a lesson so important to them—whether it be moral, intellectual, idealistic, or cynical—that they’ve sculpted an entire story for the sheer purpose of teaching that lesson.   

Romance novels promise a Happily Ever After which is something we all want from life. Happiness, joy, and the hope for a better tomorrow. 

Westerns/ Space Travel/  promise an Adventure, a glimpse into a new/different world.

Mysteries allow you to expand your thought process, search for hidden clues, or over look the obvious.  This is why children and adults a like love 'treasure maps'.

How does my writing change me?

It keeps 'child-like' hope, discovery, joy, and sheer fun alive in my soul.

And, often, a review or a comment posted on my blog or Facebook site, will validate my story held meaning and, perhaps changed his/her life for the better--even if only for an hour or two.

Please visit the wonderful authors posting on this month's topic.  

Happy Reading!

Connie

NEW RELEASE

KINDLE UNLIMITED 

FREE KINDLE UNLIMITED May 30 & 31

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2jz

Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/

Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/

Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog

Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

Book Review Sunday: Teeth of the Cocodrilo by E R Yatscoff

 

Action Packed!

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Aaron, a Canadian fire fighter living in Mexico, risks his life to save a family trapped in a burning car. This event and the events which follow, binds him to a Police commandant which places him in the criminal underworld. The plot twists, love-interest, and well-drawn secondary characters kept me guessing until the final page.

Publisher link:

BWL Publishing Inc

Amazon:

 https://www.amazon.com/Teeth-Cocodrilo-R-Yatscoff-ebook/dp/B0747NDPGP

Amazon Bio Page

Barnes and Noble link:

barnesandnoble

GoodReads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42305859-teeth-of-the-cocodrilo?from_search=true&from_srp=true&rank=7

Kobo: https://books2read.com/Final-Response

 

https://books2read.com/The-Rumrunners-Boy

Bio:

Edward Yatscoff was born in the Niagara Peninsula and now resides in Alberta, Canada.  He’s backpacked the world, visited six continents, and lived in Australia.  From steelworker to assembly lines to construction work he finally settled down to a 32-year career as a firefighter.  

He’s played drums in a Big Band, climbed the Great Wall of China, honeymooned during the Grenada Revolution, snorkeled with a marlin, tried smuggling a Playboy into Communist Russia, egged an Aussie PM, and met his future wife on a freighter in the South China Sea.  

He manages a writer’s group, does occasional renos, travels, camps, and reads profusely.  He has written 11 novels YA, MG, and adult crime.  Among his notable awards are winner of the John Bilsland Non-Fiction Award and a Crime Writers of Canada Finalist. 

Ho Do You Choose Your Characters' Names? Are There Names You Avoid? by Connie Vines RR#83 #WritingTIps

This month's topic: 

How do you choose your characters' names? 

Are there any you avoid?

Character names are one of most important decisions I make when I begin a story.  Names have meaning and often set the tone of a novel. People have pre-conceived ideas of how a hero named 'Sam' should look/act verses a 'hero named Kaleb', for example.

I give one of my main characters a unique name which defines his/her personality or hint's at his/her background.

For example: In Rodeo Romance Book 1, featured a hero named: Lynx Maddox. Lynx is a bull-rider and dubbed 'the Wild Cat of the Rodeo Circuit'.  

Rodeo Romance Book 2, brought us: Brede (pronounced Breed) Kristensen is a widowed rancher.

My current release: Gumbo Ya Ya: an anthology for women who like romance Cajun style has a cast of characters in the four stories. Because each story features a Cajun hero/heroine, one will have a Cajun last name. 

Story One: Murphy Flynn and Sylvie Dupree.

Story Two: Persia Richmond and Cooper T. 

Story Three: Julia Kincade and Sebastian Beaux  

Story Four:  Enza and Gabriel

In my WIP my hero's name is Sam.  

Sam is a straightforward and down-to-earth guy--just as the meaning of his name implies.

A name is an easy way to define a character.  No long narrative needed. The reader knows Sam isn't  into flashy fashion or throwing away his savings on a whim.

 If your character is born in July: 

The flower: Larkspur (Lark) or Water Lily 

Gemstone: Ruby    

Astrological Sign: Leo/ Lenora

Are there names I avoid?

Yes, I try not to have characters in a novel with similar names, or names beginning with the same letter.  

I do not like phonically spelled names: Kaleb, Danyella, Jakob, etc. this person is going to spell his/her name continually and I predict errors on legal documents too.  And in my case, however, I find it unwanted distraction when reading a novel. 

How do you feel about character's names?

Do you have favorites?

See what the wonderfully talented authors of 'Round Robin' have to share with you today :-) 

Happy Reading!

Connie

Barnes and noble

Amazon

Smashwords

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com

Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/

Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2i7

Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/

Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/

Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com