Writers like me celebrates this, our 100th post.  Yeah, us!  We hope at least one of our posts has brought a smile to your face, a “umm” to your thoughts, and a sparkle to your writing.  We’ve enjoyed finding content for you (okay, sometimes it’s been soul-sucking, but that’s the writing life – feast or famine.)

On to Dr. Oz and how he inspired today’s post.  Bear with me, there are a few twists.

The esteemed doctor, he of “Oprah” and “The Dr. Oz Show” and the “You” books (“You on a Diet”, etc) graces the cover of “for women First” magazine this week.  It’s not on my list of reading material, but DH, in his zest to “explain” how healthy he is and “diagnose” my ills, pointed out the cover story – “Dr. Oz’s Thyroid Cure.”  I’m not sure I qualify for the cure, but I’m willing to up my Vitamin D, steam my veggies and lay off the iodine if it means temporary marital harmony.

Among the other articles (How to save a soaked cell phone! Incontinence remedies! Bloat busting salad dressings! – who are these readers, anyway, they have way too many problems) is the body language quiz on pages 112-113.  It consists of photos of six celebrity photos and asks the question – is he possessive or protective?

Genius.  As they say in the writing business, everything is research, and this is genius.  Here are prime examples we can use in our writing.  There are many ways to write body language and show whether your characters are in conflict or harmony.

On the “He’s possessive” examples, we can use:

• The man holding the woman tightly from behind, declaring “she’s mine.”
• In the same posture, pulling her backward and off balance, forcing her to hang on.
• Tightly clasping an arm around her neck in a controlling gesture,his hand blocking her heart and throat, indicating he’s restricting her.
• Not surveying the surroundings in an effort to protect her.

On the “He’s protective” examples, we can use:

• The man turning toward the woman with his hand up (in this case, on his chin) creates a barrier and makes her feel safe.
• A free hand that’s open with curled fingers, a sign of alertness, and easily formed into a fist to defend her.
• A hand on her back to gently guide her.
• Resting his hand at the top of her shoulders, reassuring but allowing her freedom of movement.
• Leaving the chest open and exposed indicates a powerful protector.

I’ll be back later this week to explore more differences between the sexes.

Stay safe until then,

Cheryl

One way to reboot your creative self is to trade writing for something equally inspiring but different.  Whether you choose sewing, quilting, painting, pottery or any other hands-on craft, it’s important to walk away from a blank screen and re-energize your imagination.  Immerse yourself in another medium, and your writing will improve.

With almost every book I’ve written, one of my preliminary steps is to scrapbook the characters.  Often, I have a vague idea of their appearance, but their identity doesn’t start to jell until I pull out my folders of photos of males, females and couples I’ve torn from magazines over the years.  I sift through them, leaving analysis behind and choose solely by instinct.  Slowly, my characters take shape, and by the time I’m done, I not only have an idea of what they look like, but have found extra aspects of their personality.

This is the first page of my scrapbook to The Spell Breaker, a fantasy involving a handsome king, a lost soul and a wicked witch.

Notice the collection of eyes and spirals.  The motifs appeared on their own as I sifted through my collection of emphera.

Lissa is an indigo child, her cognitive powers suppressed for years until she’s yanked into a strange, new world.  Notice all the anguish in her pictures.

Again, the eye shows up.

Rue is a great secondary character.  She was born a slave and had hidden her magical powers most of her life, but is called upon to help Lissa harness hers.

A right eye, this time.

And finally, the land in my fantasy, based ever so loosely on the topography of Iceland.

Faultline?  Yes, there is a lot of volcanic activity in Aribisala.

Grab a couple of old magazines, trawl the internet and pick images that touch a cord with you.  Let instinct rule.  If you prefer something more 3D, collage your characters with found objects.  I prefer scrapbooks as they are easier to store.

Mary will be here over the weekend.  I’ll be back on Monday.  Take care until then.

Cheryl

I’m not the type of writer who outlines endlessly. Nor do I write by the set of my pants. I like to have a general idea of where my characters are going but still leave room for surprises. Here are ten questions that shouldn’t take long and will give you a barebones idea of what you want your book to be. Think of it as a map early explorers made of a new territory. There’s vast areas of the unknown, all the peaks and valleys aren’t named, but you can still identify major places.

Take a piece of paper and draw a vertical line down the middle. Label one side protagonist and the other antagonist, or hero and heroine. List the following questions and fill in brief answers. Turn off your internal editor, don’t worry about punctuation, and write down the first thing that comes to mind.

1. What is your character in the process of doing? (his ordinary world)
2. What is his greatest strength?
3. What is his weakness/his character flaw?
4. What event happens to upset his world? (his call to action)
5. What goal is created by this new complication?
6. Is his external goal tied to an internal goal?
7. List two or three obstacles that prevent him from obtaining his goal.  One of these should be an internal obstacle that is tied to his character flaw.
8. What lesson(s) will he learn that will lead to the growth necessary to obtain his goal?
9. How will the book end?
10. Try to distill the theme of the book into one word.  Love? Betrayal? Loyalty? Control?

This is by no means a detailed, page by page outline, but it is a beginning.  Writing quickly, with your internal editor turned off, frees the creative half of your brain and allows ideas to bubble up.

Once you answer these questions, expand on each until you’re comfortable with the progress you’ve made and you’re ready to start writing your story.

Remember, goals and obstacles can change as you discover new facets of your character’s personality and values.  Make this a fluid document and return to it frequently to help you with any plotting problems.

I’ll be back Wednesday with a tip on how to jump start your creativity.

Until then, be safe.

Cheryl