Storyboard your novel with Robin Throne at MWC February 8

Workshop facilitator, Robin Throne will offer practical guidance on how to create a map, blueprint, or storyboard for your novel. See you novel’s storyline unfold visually using the storyboard materials that will be provided in the workshop. Feel free to also bring along any markers, cards, images, drafts, or notes that you have already begun.

Saturday, February 8 at 1 p.m. 

$15 MWC members/$20 non-members

Midwest Writing Center
225 East 2nd Street, Suite 303
Davenport, IA 52801

To register, call 563-324-1410
or email: mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org

This is a popular interactive workshop and seats are limited so register early!

How do you sell a novel?

Connie (Corcoran) Wilson is the author of "Writing as Reading" and "Discovering Truth" in the MWC Creative

Connie (Corcoran) Wilson

Writing Primer (MWC Press, 2012) and has taught writing at all 6 colleges in the IA/IL Quad Cities and wrote for both the Quad City Times and the Daily Dispatch. She has been writing, for pay, for 57 years. She was English Department Chairperson for Silvis Junior High School for 17 years, founded the Sylvan Learning Center in Bettendorf and the Prometric Testing Center there, and is listed on Amazon and Facebook as Connie Corcoran Wilson and on Twitter as Connie Wilson Author. On Yahoo, check for Connie Wilson and sign up for notices of her posts that range from film coverage of the Chicago Film Festival to articles with titles like, "Don't Tas Me, Bro!" She was selected as 2008 Content Producer of the Year (Yahoo) for her coverage of the 2008 Presidential campaign. @Connie_C_Wilson

 

 That’s the number one problem for every self-published author. You could be the next Shakespeare, but if nobody knows about your book, it’s not going to sell. Here are some things I've learned over the past ten years. I've written (and promoted) 3 novels in that time, 5 short story collections, 2 books of humor, 1 scholarly novel about teaching, 1 nonfiction book of movie reviews written for the Quad-City Times in the 70s, and 1 illustrated children's book.

While e-books are a totally different world, I did manage to drive The Color of Evil, the series I am finishing up now with KHAKI = KILLER to #8 in free downloads and #232 overall on all books on Amazon (1 p.m. on Oct. 28, 2013). I also drove HELLFIRE & DAMNATION II to #11 using the Kindle Free Book Give-away method on Amazon.

But free is free, and we all would like to make something from our hard work. All I can tell you is

that, if your book is part of a series (I have 2, The Color of Evil for novels and Hellfire & Damnation for short stories ), promoting one book in that series does have ripple effects that are positive for the other works in the series---if they're any good, of course. I also learned, the hard way, that humor books only reach Best Seller status if you're a stand-up comedian or Chelsea Handler or Dennis Leary or Tina Fey or someone with a national platform, and that this often seems the way with works in other genres, as well. David Sedaris is an anomaly, amongst humor writers. (And good for him!)

1. Banner ads don’t work.

Many sites will sell you a banner ad in a choice of sizes at a fancy price to promote your book. None will yield a profit. You might not even get a single click-through. Why? The average click-through rate for banner ads is  three tenths of one per cent or 0.3%. That’s the industry average according to imedia connections.com.

Only three in 1000 people who see your banner ad will click on it. Only about 4% of those people will buy your book. (That’s the average conversion-to-sale ratio at Amazon.) You’ll make just one sale for every 10,000 people who see your banner. How much will you be charged for that banner? Anything between $100 and $1000. [This information courtesy of  Michael Alvear from his book Make A Killing on Kindle.]

Result: you’ll lose your shirt.

Rotating banner ads are even worse. They’re a duck shoot. Now you see them, now you don’t.

2. Google Adwords don’t work. (Nor do Bing or Facebook ads, very well.)

To specify any keyword that might attract a book buyer you’ll need to pay Google or Bing around $1 per click. You can run ads for just a few cents per click if you select obscure or ‘long tail’ keywords. They’re cheap because few people ever search for them. So you’re no better off.

Do the math. If your novel sells at $2.99, how many folk who click your Google or Bing ad at $1 per click will have to buy your book for you to break even? 

Amazon, with all its sophisticated marketing, averages only 4% conversion to sale.

Result: you’ll lose your shirt again.

Facebook ads are only slightly better. You’ll just lose your shirt more slowly.

3. Blog tours:.

For a fee, a publicist will set  up a blog tour. The more stops, the more money. (You can try to do it yourself.) Over the period of a month you’ll be interviewed at a different blog or  have a review of your book, (if the unpaid blogger is up to the task and responsible enough to follow through.) (*This is why having a blog tour organizer who is diligent is good; the blog tour organizer will “ride herd” on the unpaid bloggers and make sure the bloggers stay on schedule and, hopefully, keep an extra article in the hopper in case someone drops the ball).  [*Be careful that you don’t commit to too many  interviews. They can be a real time suck.]

You also have to be aware that there are no guarantees that the bloggers will like your book. They might pan it. Always write the reviewer to thank them and ask them to post their GOOD comments on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads.

There are “good” blog tours and “bad” blog tours. I’ve done a fair number of blog tours for one reason: it helps to “prime the pump” with good on Amazon. Unpaid bloggers  potentially fill that need, IF they like your book. [This assumes that the members of your favorite club or organization won’t help you out.]

If you commit to a virtual blog tour, you should (a) specify that the blog tour will be e-book only---Mobi or Kindle downloads (b) decide whether you want to give away any e-book or paperback copies as prizes and (c) decide how much time you are willing to devote to interviews.  My goal on blog tours was always to get reviews that would be posted on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads. [One caveat: your book had better be good. Bloggers are under no obligation to give you a pass if your book sucks. My worst experience on a blog tour was with a book that said, ON THE COVER, that it would be critical of George W. Bush. This did not set well with the red states.]

I also have become leery of ever mailing anything anywhere in paperback format. I mailed 5 books to Canada, via the USPO and none of them arrived. On April 5th, as we were leaving the country for 2 weeks in Mexico, the post office sent a lame apology note with a badly battered envelope (brand new mailing envelope purchased at Staples especially for the purpose) with the information I had filled out for a Writer's Digest contest enclosed. I called WD. No book or check arrived. I couldn't "fix" this until we returned on April 20th and I began making phone calls. Fortunately, the contest deadline was April 30th, but I had to remail, and I used UPS. A day later, 3 more envelopes that had contained 3 books for review purposes arrived back at my house with lame apologies about how they had become mangled (they had) in the mail. I no longer entrust anything of real value to the USPO and certainly not a contest entry, with a check and a deadline. Maybe your experiences have been more positive, but I think the budget cuts at the governmental levels are taking their toll, and, in one West Des Moines suburb, a series of break-ins was even being tracked to possible informants within the post office letting thieves know when they could rob houses in broad daylight because the Snow Bird residents were not home. So, writers, beware.

4. Press releases, posters and press ads don’t work.

John Locke, the first man to sell one million self-published e-books, author of “How I Sold 1,000,000 E-Books in 5 Months,” relates spending $25,000 on paid-for publicity and  not selling a single book. I can testify to that, locally, in a small way.

The year the children’s book The Christmas Cats in Silly Hats came out (2011), I bought ads in The River City Reader, on condition that they do a feature story on the book. They did do a feature story on the book; the story and ad helped sell a few copies. But the ads cost $800—and that was a special price!

The cost of the ads basically wiped out any and all profits from sales of the book at Festival of Trees, the Geneseo Victorian Christmas Walk (I sat in the window of the Four Seasons), through the Watermark Book Store on John Deere Plaza at Christmas-time, and during the Village of East Davenport’s Christmas Walk. Although I knocked myself out to sell the children’s Christmas book, the paper ads were so pricey that it became a break-even proposition.

Press ads can work well if you sell non-fiction into a specific niche.

 

Nonfiction sells better than fiction. I actually had one Public Relations firm turn me down when they learned that the book I wanted them to publicize was fiction and not what they wanted to promote, as it wasn't a "how to" tome.  If you can get your ads for a nonfiction book free, in exchange for feature articles, or buy them cheap at ‘last minute’ prices (10% of list rate), perhaps they might pay off. My experience has been spotty, at best. 

Press ads rarely work for fiction.  Big circulation consumer magazines that reach your target readers are not likely to give you a cheap or barter deal. Why should they?

So what does work to sell fiction?

 John Locke, author of “How I Sold 1,000,000 E-books in 5 Months  swears by the ‘funnel’ approach. No less an authority than David Morrell (“Wise Blood”) told me, during a one-on-one hour-long session in December at the Writers’ Benefit for New Orleans that my goal should be to get “a list” and to learn as much about Internet advertising as possible.

John Locke first sold novel number one at a token 99 cents. He built a Twitter list to promote it. (Google+ may be a better option today as it may be  more author-friendly than Twitter or Facebook.) He encouraged reviews, welcomed feedback via an email link in his book, and acknowledged every customer personally.

Locke put every customer on a database.

That was list #1. If anyone bought more than one book, they were transferred to list #2: ‘Friends’ or repeat buyers. These people got regular, highly personalized emails, gifts and privileged previews of his next novel. It was worth the effort because such people would buy everything he wrote.

Once he hit a critical mass of several thousand customers he found he could relax and his fans promoted his books for him.

Second, he traded up his regular list to buy his next novels at a higher and more profitable price,  but his original list of Friends still got a discount.

His strategy was time-intensive, but it worked. Locke himself admits that he first threw big bucks at billboard advertising and all sorts of unsuccessful methods. In my own case, I recently did an E-blast to 100,000 people over a period of a month. I knew the owner of the company that does them, so the price and preparation were right. Too soon to know if it "worked" well or poorly. And I'm still building "the list" that David Morrell values so highly. 

Why was Locke so dramatically successful when many self-publishing authors will say they’re doing much the same thing? Answer: they’re not. Locke sells through Amazon and other on-line book stores, like everyone else, but he works hard to get every customer on his own mailing list.

If you put up your books at Amazon, Lulu, CreateSpace and the like, and do nothing else, you’ll fail. These stores will keep your customer names to themselves; you’ll never see their names. So you can’t build a direct personal relationship with your customers, encouraging them to come back.

You must build your own list plus an after-market that you control.

As Morrell told me, “The list is key.”

This is often where having your own blog comes in handy, as you can often secure names of interested consumers by asking them to “opt in” to receive a newsletter with news about your next release.

A recent Goodreads post showed that word-of-mouth was the single biggest factor in selling books, and winning awards for your writing helped, too. But The List is paramount.

Another suggestion I’d make for selling your books would be to become active in writers’ organizations where you might form influential contacts. I belong or have belonged to the MWC, MWA, IWPA, AWP, HWA, and ITW. What do all those initials stand for?

Midwest Writing Center

Midwest Writing Association

Illinois Women’s Press Association

American Writing Program

Horror Writers’ Association

International Thriller Writers

As you move into different fields, you may move to different organizations. I, for instance, am seguing out of “horror” as a field and into other areas that interest me more. I’m interested in the True Crime novels of folks like r. Barri Flowers (whom I interviewed), will probably be active in “Love Is Murder” in Chicago in February, again, and may join Sisters in Crime.

But each writer is different, and it depends on what you write. And, of course, independent bookstores are making a comeback and writers can sell their wares directly to the public, if they can draw a crowd. (not always easy).

I have attended activities/conferences for many genre areas and was even selected as Silver Feather award winner by the Chicago chapter of IWPA (Illinois Women's Press Association, June , 2012) and David R. Collins Award Winner in 2010 by the MWC. As a member of IWPA, I am also able to participate in Printers’ Row each year, selling books at the Midwest’s largest outdoor book fair, and David Dorris and I sold books at the Iowa City Book Fest one year, on behalf of the MWC. I have attended the BEA (Book Expo America) for many years, although that is not a book selling opportunity, but more a chance to learn more about marketing your books and meet others. (You have to give away your books). I'll be at International Thriller Writers in July and write for their newsletter and I continue to "write short" for Yahoo as a Featured Columnist, specializing in entertainment and politics (although I was out taking flood pictures last week.)

I hope any of the above helps other would-be writers. Please check out my books and write me back at EINNOC10@Aol.com with your thoughts on the above, which may differ from my own. I'd love to hear your experiences.

Meanwhile, it's back to finishing KHAKI = KILLER, the third installment in "The Color of Evil" YA trilogy and working on more short stories organized around Dante's "Inferno" and the crimes punished at each of the 9 Circles of Hell.

ChI was just notified that I've won a NABE Pinnacle award (Thriller category) for RED IS FOR RAGE, and that HELLFIRE & DAMNATION II won 2 E-Lit awards (silver) so the beat goes on.

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See more about Connie (Corcoran) Wilson on her websites at
www.ConnieCWilson.com; www.quadcitieslearning.com (under construction); www.TheColorOfEvil.com; www.RedIsforRage.com; www.ItCamefromTheSeventies.com; www.GhostlyTalesofRoute66.com; www.HellfireAndDamnationThebook.com and, soon, www.KhakiEqualsKiller.com.

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MWC Creative Writing Primer Kindle Giveaway June 27-29! #collinsconference

The "O" Word: Outline

Sally John

Sally John writes contemporary women's fiction and the author of "Herospeak" in the MWC Creative Writing Primer (MWC Press, 2012). Her eighteen novels, all duly outlined, include the popular series Safe Harbors and The Beach House. Her latest release, Heart Echoes, is a finalist for the 2012 San Diego Book Award. http://lifeinthefictionlane.blogspot.com/  

Writing an outline is a don’t-even-think-about-skipping step in the creation of a novel.

            Ew. Seriously?

            The first time I heard this appalling concept, I flinched. Nah. Let’s just trip the light fantastic with a gaggle of intriguing characters and see what happens.

            But the woman who spoke this thing about outlines was a successful, published author. I wasn’t. She said she could write scenes until the cows came home, or something to that effect. I could too! And yet, she added, she could not string them together to create a readable story. Me too! Ouch.

I sat up and paid attention. Many books later, I am grateful for her teaching.

            Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline said in a recent interview that she does not engage in the practice. She can’t be the only one. I get the point: an outline can kill any organic dance you’ve got going with your characters.

But, on the other hand, an outline gives me something to aim for. It develops purpose and characters. It reboots my imagination on those days when I forget why I ever thought this idea would make for a good story.

The funny thing is, by the time the novel is completed, the original outline is ancient history. It got shouted out of existence by that gaggle of characters who showed up in full armor, knocking down any preconceived notions I had about their story.

Still, The Outline works. Two or three work even better.

 

Outline One ~

I always begin with Davis Bunn’s broad outline, which he snagged from someone else whose name did not make it into my notes. It consists of four fill-in-the-blanks:

            I intend to write a novel about ____

            My strong belief toward that is ____

            I want to prove ____ (This is the theme, such as “love wins,” “don’t judge a book by its cover”)

            The MDQ is ____ (Aristotle’s Major Dramatic Question with which the story opens and will be answered in the climax with a simple yes or no.)

Outline Two ~
I plug stuff into my version of Christopher Vogler’s version of Joseph Campbell’s take on the hero Odysseus’ journey:

The Hero is called from his Ordinary World to an Adventure that takes him into a Special World in which he enters the Dark Cave (confronts his deepest fear) and emerges with a healing Elixir that he takes with him back to his ordinary world and shares with those who did not get to go on the adventure. 

Outline Three ~
I recently added my own outline, created from a desperate need to keep track of story details. Life had interrupted my project because somebody forgot to schedule my grandson’s birth for after the book was completed. All the pre- and post-hoopla surrounded that most wondrous event annihilated my plot threads.

            Skimming for those threads made my head spin. Does that character know this yet? What shade of green does she call his eyes? What exactly was the inciting incident? Post-It notes were not going to get it. And so, my Emergency Chapter-by-Chapter Outline was born along with the little guy.

            The concept is similar to what an editor uses for my books. In my version, each chapter gets its own page and four fill-in the blanks:

            1. Chapter number. Timing (day/date/time passage since previous scene). POV of ____.

            2. What happens? Where does it happen?

            This is straightforward information only. Examples: So-and-so breaks a leg tripping over a duck while jogging Ben Butterworth Parkway. So-and-so and so-and-so plot a murder while eating tacos at Rudy's. So-and-so breaks up with so-and-so while feeding the elephant at Niabi.

            3. What's revealed?

            This is a list of details pertinent to story or to character development. For example, the revelation of a backstory or someone's quirks. Also, "smoking gun" incidents, those threads that will need to be addressed.

            4. What moves the story forward? This may be a step backwards.

            What conflict does the hero encounter? How did he step toward or away from his Dark Cave? Does he find a clue about the Elixir? Is he on his way home?

            I used this outline after a memory-obliterating interruption. Once the project was underway again, I added to it only now and then, mainly in the fourth category.

            Outlines are tools to be treasured, tweaked, and trashed. I like them.

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MWC Creative Writing Primer Kindle Giveaway June 27-29! #collinsconference

Facing the fear of starting a novel

Julia Coleman is the author of "The Writing Environment" in the MWC Creative Writing Primer (MWC Press, 2012) and teaches creative writing basics online for MWC. @JMCsocial 

Julia Coleman

 

I am afraid. 

Not teen slasher movie afraid where the starlet leaves the safety of the cabin, running through the woods (in flipflops no less - what?) only to clumsily trip on a root and meet her ear-splitting, blood-curdling demise.

No.  Unlike that cliché, my fear is subtler.

 Like the sinking feeling from noticing the fuel light is on in the car (how did I miss that?) and wondering if it just came on or if it has actually been on for the past two days. 

Like the awakening acceptance (oh carbohydrates, why must you sabotage me?) that I have to buy a size larger in my favorite jeans.  Again.

Or the unsettling sentiment stirred when I glimpse a dumpy old woman staring at me from inside a retail store only to realize it is my own reflection.  Sigh.  Sigh again.  This realization deserves two sighs.

I am afraid to write a novel. 

But I desperately want to write a novel and I have for some time now.  Just as the writers and dreamers that prededed me I believe that I have a fabulously engaging story to tell that millions will want to read, share and discuss.  Yet, here I am two years later, still perched on the rim of the volcano staring into the caldera.

Procrastination is not the root cause.  I file my federal tax returns in early February.  I pay my bills the day I receive them.  I am accustomed to and unfazed by deadlines.  So that is not an explanation.

No, this is fear.  It is my innate paralytic inability to even start, much less finish, said novel.  The mental indigestion associated with this simmers and belches as more time passes between announcing my intent and not even beginning the task; so much so that the blank pages marking this ill-fated notion loom like the boa contractor quietly sharing a cage with the unknowing mouse that will eventually become dinner.  It is not a question of “if” but a question of “when” will I be consumed by my fear.

Woe is me.

What an embarrassingly whiney thing to say.  After all, it’s not like the fate of the free world depends on this.  It really is just about my own personal pride and sense of fulfillment.

Why am I so afraid?  Is it fear of failure or fear of success?  Is it fear of rejection? I certainly have had lots of practice with that.  Is it the fear that time is running out or that I have all the time in the world?  Whatever it is, I have allowed the phantom to take the wheel. 

OK, I have acknowledged it. I have owned up to it.  I accept responsibility for it.  So now what happens?

Tick, tick, tick. 

I love sports so this is where I insert a sports metaphor.  If this were baseball, I would step up to the plate and get at least three swings.  If this were basketball, I would get two free throws even if I miss the first one, and if this were football, I would have three downs to get 10 yards and extend my opportunity to score. Perhaps it is time to give it the old college try.

Clearly I need to write. Just write something – anything really.  Commit to the task and give it a shot. 

Write without expecting huge commercial success.  Write knowing that I will be competing with the 15,000,000+/- books to be published in 2013.  Write because it is my first love.  Write because it is my Everest.

So maybe I just need to “put on my big girl panties” as they say and get after it.  But as you might have already guessed, I bought the big girl panties at the same time I bought the aforementioned larger sized jeans.  So does that count as a first step?

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MWC Creative Writing Primer Kindle Giveaway June 27-29! #collinsconference

HOW DO I START AND WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?

So you have a great idea for a story or a novel. You have a character and a basic idea of how you want your story to get to that “happily ever after”. But how do you take the story from “once upon a time” and sustain it for dozens of pages to get to the “happily ever after”? One way to help may be to invest some time in some advance story planning and outlining. Outlining provides the framing for your story, a basic structure through which to weave the substance of your story. The key to successful outlining is not to screw your frame down too tight; keep those screws loose enough you can move a beam here or there, put in a window where you first thought you wanted a door, or change the pitch line of your roof. Keep in mind it is a BASIC frame and not the final draft. Don’t be afraid to change your blueprint if your story takes you in a different direction.

Once you have your completed novel manuscript in hand, revised it once or twice or a dozen times, dotted your “I”s and crossed your “T”s, what can you do to try to get it onto a bookstore’s shelf? Nowadays, publishing can take many forms from print-on-demand, to subsidized publishing, to e-publishing to traditional New York house publishing. Getting accepted into the traditional publishing world requires playing the submission game. Generally it requires finding agents and/or publishers; sending them query letters with various synopsis, sample chapters, resumes, etc.; waiting; waiting; waiting; and more waiting; collecting rejection letters and maybe, just maybe getting someone to say, “YES!”

If you want to learn more about the “Before & After” of novel/fiction writing, plan to attend the identically titled session of MidwestWriting Center’s March 24, 2012 Pen In Hand Mini Writing Conference from 3:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in downtown Davenport, Iowa.

Mark McLaughlin and Michael McCarty, both prolific published fiction authors, will teach this workshop session. Mark is the author of 20-plus books, with more forthcoming, and more than 1,000 published stories and articles, in addition to his career as a marketing & PR professional. His books include MONSTER BEHIND THE WHEEL (with Michael McCarty), PARTNERS IN SLIME (with Michael McCarty), RAISING DEMONS FOR FUN & PROFIT, and MOTIVATIONAL SHRIEKER, among others. Mike's short stories and interviews have appeared in a wide variety of magazines and anthologies. He is the author of three books of interviews; a nonfiction collection; five fiction collections including All Things Dark and Hideous which was co-written with Bram Stoker Award-winner, Mark McLaughlin; a paperback poetry collection; novels and a novella. McCarty was the former staff writer for “Science Fiction Weekly” (the website of the Sci-Fi Channel)

Discounts for this and the three other Pen In Hand sessions are offered for early registrants, members and bulk buyers. Click here or call 563/324-1410 for more information and learn how to register.

by Jodie Toohey, www.jodiet.com
Follow Jodie as she blogs about all things MWC

PLOT A LOT?

What drives a story? Is it the character? The dialogue? The vintage Model T with ripped up leather seats? The plot? The scenes? Setting? There are many different views on what “drives” a story or what makes it exciting so readers just can’t seem to put it down. Usually (from my view), what it usually comes down to is character or plot. But I’m a balance-girl so I think you need both. You can have a deep, rich, developed character but if nothing happens to her, any reader outside of your immediate family will probably end up snoring with your book face down, half way sliding off your bed with their glasses askew. Conversely, a story full of excitement without good characters might leave you thinking, “Who cares what happens to this bland maiden?”

The more literary-types seem to advocate for primarily character driven stories. But plot is important, too. Something needs to HAPPEN. Writing instruction books generally break plot down into the main plot, the main problem, the main question, or that big thing which leads to the climax of the story. Various sub or minor plots are weaved in for interest and excitement. All of the plot threads should resolve at the end, not positively necessarily, but resolved. The plot usually moves through the beginning, middle and end parts of your story. One formula to developing plot is to build a character, give him or her a big problem with high stakes, throw in some minor problems and some obstacles to solving the big problem, culminate the problem in the climax, and then resolve the problem. Viola! I know -- it is not as easy as it appears.

Luckily, you have the opportunity to learn more about how to add tension, energy and excitement to create a can’t-put-it-down-story by attending the “Stuck Like Glue” session of session at Midwest Writing Center’s March 24, 2012 Pen In Hand Mini Writing Conference from 1:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. in downtown Davenport, Iowa.

Dr. Kelly Daniels, Augustana College instructor and author, will teach this workshop. Dr. Daniels’ fiction and nonfiction has appeared in literary journals such as Puerto del Sol, Cimarron Review, Sonora Review, Third Coast, South Dakota Review, Saint Ann’s Review, Mayday Magazine, Santa Clara Review, GSU Review, Orange Coast Review, Eyeshot and others. In 2004, John Updike awarded him the Agnes Scott College Prize for Personal Essay, and in 2010 he enjoyed a two-month residency at the acclaimed MacDowell Colony artist retreat. Most recently, his story “The Big Speech” won the San Miguel Writers Conference Award for Creative Nonfiction. He holds a B.A. from San Francisco State University, an M.F.A. from Georgia State University, and a Ph.D. from Western Michigan University.

Discounts for this and the three other Pen In Hand sessions are offered for early registrants, members and bulk buyers. Click here or call 563/324-1410 for more information and to learn how to register.

by Jodie Toohey, www.jodiet.com
Follow Jodie as she blogs about all things MWC

WHO’S GOT CHARACTER?

Have you ever read a book where one of the characters (probably the main character) just seems to stick with you? You find yourself thinking about him or her as you fall asleep, marveling at her courage, admiring his tenacity or including a blip in your night-time prayers that they make the book into a movie so you can see the character in real life? If so, you have been a victim of author-manipulation. Memorable characters are not accidents. They are deliberately created to stick with readers. Authors expend a ton of time developing their characters with quirks, qualities, and back-story far beyond what shows up in their stories. If you are a writer, you may be struggling to create these good characters.

Numerous books about character development have been published. You can find scores of questionnaires and interviews you can hold with your characters in your head or on paper to find out what makes them tick; what makes them THEM. Then you can use this information to write your story. Even if you don’t directly use all of the information you learn, the work will pay off because the better YOU know your character, the better you can write about them. One interesting take on this character interview process is addressed in the book, “What Would Your Character Do?” by Eric Maisel, Ph.D. and Ann Maisel (Writer’s Digest Books, © 2006). The book presents over two dozen scenarios into which you virtually plunk your character and answer questions about what he or she would do in that particular situation. Following the questions are explanations of what that specific action most likely tells you about his personality and deeper motivations. The authors also provide additional questions for reflection to help you delve even deeper into your character’s – well – character.

If you want to learn more about character development, plan to attend the “Who Was That Masked Man?” session at Midwest WritingCenter’s March 24, 2012 Pen In Hand Mini Writing Conference from 9:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. in downtown Davenport, Iowa.

Rebecca McKanna, corporate communications writer and fiction author, will teach the session. Rebecca McKanna's fiction has appeared in the New Delta Review literary journal. She has also taken graduate-level courses from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Rebecca says, “I think creating memorable characters starts with creating multi-dimensional characters. It's nuance that makes a character memorable. In the workshop we'll do activities that can help spur this process, as well as examine successful and unsuccessful examples of characters from literature.”

Discounts for this and the three other Pen In Hand sessions are offered for early registrants, members and bulk buyers. Visit www.midwestwritingcenter.org and click on the Pen In Hand link under the “Events & Opportunities” tab or call 563/324-1410 for more information and to learn how to register.

-By Jodie Toohey (www.jodiet.com)