Does Your Novel Suffer From Flat Writing?

by C. Patrick Schulze

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One bane of the writer's existence is flat writing that comes off to your reader as dull or lacking impact. It slips into writers' work with little notice and will destroy a wonderful novel in no time at all.

How do you determine if your writing is flat? Allow people you don't know to read your work. They'll inform you in a hurry. However, the best way is to keep your eye open for how you respond to your reading. If it doesn't "wow" you, it's flat.

Here are some tips to overcome flat writing.

     1. Cut, Cut, Cut

     2. Choose Your Nouns and Verbs with Care

     3. Eliminate Passive Voice

     4. Play with Your Words

     5. Trust Your Muse

Let's now look at each of these in more detail.

Cut, Cut, Cut: If your writing sounds flat, it's often due to excessive words that don't add to the plot or even the meaning of your scene. To overcome this, review each word as to its necessity in your novel. Let's consider the following example.

     "Jason went to the store to pick up his weekly groceries."

If we review this sentence, we see much of it is unimportant. Right away, we can drop the phrase, "went to the store," as this action is obvious by the word, "groceries." We might also be able to cut "weekly," unless this time period is needed for the plot. Your final sentence might be:

     "Jason picked up his groceries."

Better, but still pretty dull, don't you think?

Choose Your Nouns and Verbs with Care: Let's consider the corrected sentence above for this example. If we just read the words, there's little interest even in our corrected sentence. After all, grocery shopping is about as mundane as life gets. So, let's pay attention to the NOUNS AND VERBS to see if we can't spice this puppy up. What if we rewrote that sentence as follows:

     "Jason raced to grab his groceries."

You can see by choosing more specific verbs, this sentence came alive. With the word, "raced," all of a sudden we've instilled the sense of speed or pace, and thus, more interest. The secret, of course, is to choose the correct verbs and nouns to fit the scene.

Eliminate Passive Voice: We've all heard about the inherent weakness of Passive Voice in fiction. It's sin is the way it makes it more difficult for a reader to tell who's doing what. And a slow read, is a boring read. There's more on PASSIVE VOICE here.

Play with Your Words: Sometimes writers get so caught up in the minutia of the craft of writing, we forget to write out of the box, so to speak. Go ahead and try something new and unusual. Write that simile the way it popped out of your head. Go on and use that odd description or that risky scene.

After you do this, set it aside for a while then review it to see if it still works for you. If it does, leave it in. If it doesn't, well, reread suggestion number one of this article.

Trust Your Muse: As with recommendation number four, set things aside then go back and reread your work. This allows you to forget the subtle nuisances of your thought process when you first wrote out whatever comes off as flat.

As you return to your work, if you're not sure if the words you've chosen enhance your novel, listen to that nagging voice from deep within you. That's your Muse and she's rarely wrong. Don't try to outthink her or rationalize away your rejection of her coaxing. Just trust the woman. She's your best friend in life, let alone in your writing.

If your writing is flat, disinteresting, dull, lifeless or any of those other synonyms, readers will put your book down. Worse than that, they'll create a negative buzz about your novel. Focus on the most compelling writing you can produce and things will fall in line for you.

Has your work ever suffered from flat writing? What did you do to overcome it?

Until we meet again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel, "Born to be Brothers"

10 Top Novel Writing Mistakes

by C. Patrick Schulze

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I don't know about you, but I learned to write, and am still learning to write, the hard way. I made the novel writing mistakes and then figured out what I should have done. I'm certain it's the same for many, if not most, novel writers.

Regardless of how you learn, if you keep your eyes open for these top ten novel writing mistakes, your novel will have a stronger chance of acceptance.

Beyond the common errors in spelling, word use and punctuation, I feel the top ten novel writing mistakes are:

1. Weak Characterization

2. Ineffective Dialogue

3. Poor Plotting

4. Point of View Errors

5. Flat Writing

6. Too Much Backstory

7. Summarizing

8. Failing to Target Your Writing to Your Audience

9. Lists

10. Too Much Description

Let's look at each of these in a bit more detail, shall we?

Weak Characterization: It is imperative you serve your readers a healthy diet of characters with believable motivations, realistic actions and fully formed relationships. You reader needs to know why your major characters do what they do and why they feel the way they do. Read more about CHARACTERIZATION.

Ineffective Dialogue: Dialogue is one of the trickiest aspects to a novel. It must sound like people speaking to each other when, in fact, character conversations are nothing like conversations between people. Your novel's dialogue must be much more compact and plot focused, yet, you must retain the personal aspect of it. Read more about DIALOGUE.

Poor Plotting: Plot is the bread and butter of your novel, and a well structured plot is a blend of art, psychology and the craft of writing. An effective plot requires, pace, motivations, a believable storyline, character arcs and so much more. Read more about PLOT.

Point of View Errors: POV relates to which character sees the action that transpires within your plot. Irregular shifts in POV proves difficult to the reader, and maybe even worse, POV errors can creep into your novel with little trouble. The secret is to reserve each character's POV to a single chapter. Here's more on POV.

Flat Writing: Flat writing occurs when you input narrative or dialogue that has no meaning to the plot. It shows you've lost control over your story due to lack of a plan, lost interest or maybe something as simple as you're tired. When you find narrative or dialogue that doesn't move your story forward, it's time to edit it out.

Too Much Backstory: Backstory is anything that came before chapter one. It's history. The problem is backstory tends to stop the novel's momentum. More often than not, it's not necessary to the story and should be eliminated. If backstory is necessary, work it into your story in small nibbles rather than large bites of information and only after the major plot is developed. There's more on BACKSTORY here.

Summarization: This harkens back to the classic saw of "Show. Don't tell." In lieu of simply stating a fact in your narrative, develop this information by way of character actions and dialogue. For example, don't simply say your character is good at math. Have a scene where his math skills are put to the test and he excels. There's more on "SHOW, DON'T TELL," in this article.

Failing to Target Your Novel to Your Audience: Most writers, especially those new among us, often fail to come to grips with the fact your writing is a business venture. As a consequence, novels are often written without a focus on those who will eventually purchase your product. For example, if your story lends itself to the male market, you don't want too much emotional action. In contrast, if your market is the adult female, you'll not want too much in the way of blood and guts. Save that for your teenage male audience.

Lists: A common sign of a novice writer is his use of lists within their novel. A classic example of this is with the description of a meadow. The new writer will name all the flowers in the field. It's usually better to paint a verbal picture with only a few details and allow the reader's mind to fill in the blanks. In the example of a meadow, you might mention the wavering patches of red and violet as the wind sweeps over the ground in lieu of the list of flowers.

Too Much Description: In the same light as lists, the readers imagination is what makes your novel come to life. Too much description imposes your imagination upon the reader. With this in mind, don't tell him the cloud formation looks like an elephant, unless the elephant is necessary to the story. Instead, tell them the clouds created formations in the sky and allow them to "see" whatever they formations they wish. This will make the story much more personal, and thus enjoyable, to your reader.

Are there more common errors in novel writing? You bet. However, if you focus on these ten early in your writing career, you'll be well on your way to that elusive well-received novel.

Now, which of these errors do you commit and what have you done to fix them?

Until we meet again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel, "Born to be Brothers"

Writers as Sheeple

by C. Patrick Schulze

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I ran across a new occupation this morning that made me smile. My face lit up because the market has called out for this career path, most of us need the services these entrepreneurs offer, and with today's book selling market, this enterprise makes so much sense.

After I opened my first business many decades ago, I became quite successful, over time. However, to build that success, I stumbled more times than I'll ever admit to a stranger. And these missteps cost me a ton of money, too.

I advertised in the wrong places, I ordered too much of the wrong merchandise, I hired the wrong people, etc., etc., etc. Once I learned how not to make these errors, my profits skyrocketed.

Another reason I find myself fascinated by what I learned today is because the last six years of my "working" career, I offered my services as a business coach to small and medium-sized businesses owners. I'd offered advice on marketing, sales, product selection, records-keeping, personnel and the thousand other aspects of business.

After all that, I guess you can see what this specific career of Book Shepherding caught my eye. (Now you understand the title, don't you?)

I see a book shepherd as your pre-publishing and even post-publishing business coach. By the way, in case you didn't know, if you are going to self-publish, you are a self-employed businessperson.

A book shepherd's goal is to guide you on your path to publication. Some book shepherds work as advisers only, whereas others do the work for you. Still others offer both options and allow you to choose the one that works best for you.

The services of a book shepherd might include how and where to secure your ISBN, LCCN, and P-CIP. They may locate cover designers, interior designers, video designers, editors and all those other people whose assistance you'll need to see your book into the marketplace. They also assist with marketing fundamentals like tag lines, blurbs, titles and skilled copy people.

Book shepherds typically charge by the hour and they're not cheap, but who is these days? So, unless your pockets have no bottom, consider if you might perform most of the actual work yourself with their guidance.

There are two secrets to hiring a book shepherd. The first is to find the one that fits. Do your due diligence, of course, and locate the one that suits your needs and personality. The other secret is pre-planning. If you plan to self-publish, you are self-employed. And, like any other business, planning is key to survival and success.

A high quality book shepherd will save you time and money. Of course, if you choose the one that's right for you, they'll reduce the stress in your life an untold amount, too.

Now, don't misunderstand. If you're going to vanity-publish, save your money. But if you are going to maneuver your way down the true self-publishing path, and you're new to the concept, consider a book shepherd.

Do I believe we're all sheeple if we utilize the services of a book shepherd? Not at all. It's just a title. In fact, I think hiring a book shepherd may be a wise business move for most authors new to self-publishing.

Now, how among my readers have utilized the services of a book shepherd? Would you care to share your experience with us?

Until we meet again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel, "Born to be Brothers"

Why is Passive Voice Considered Taboo?

by C. Patrick Schulze

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The answer to the title of this article is, it's not. Surprised? Passive voice is not evil, nor is it an error in WRITING. In fact, it's a legitimate and normal way to write. For example, did you know it's widely used in scientific writing?

Then why do "they" say we need to eliminate passive voice from our novel writing? It's because it's more difficult to read as it shifts verb and subject position within a sentence. It, therefore, reduces the clarity of your writing. That is, it's more difficult to tell who's doing what. Other reasons include people tend to remember active voice better and some have trouble with even understanding the sentence formation.

So, if we accept we should eliminate passive voice from our novel writing, let's first define passive voice so we can locate and eradicate it. Passive voice is a form of the verb, "to be" conjoined with a past participle. That's not much help, is it?

To break down that definition, let's review the forms of the verb, "to be." They are: are, was, am, been, has been, have been, had been, will be, will have been, being. Simple enough.

The past participle, well, that's more difficult. One definition I found said it's a form of a verb that can function as an adjective, and is used with an auxiliary verb to indicate tense, aspect, or voice. Again, that's not much help.

Think of it like this. In a passive sentence, the subject receives the action. The secret here is to look for verbs that end in "-ed." If these verbs are preceded by a form of the verb, "to be," you often have passive voice. Exceptions exist to this "-ed" concept, but if you understand the "-ed" aspect to this, those exceptions will become easy to spot. Here are some examples of passive voice:

The shoes had been polished by John.

The problem was explained by Mary.

How do you fix passive voice?

To fix passive voice, just reword the sentence by eradicating the offensive words. Here are a couple examples.

Passive: The shoes had been polished by John

Active: John polished the shoes.

Passive: The problem was explained by Mary.

Active: Mary explained the problem.

In these simple examples, you see not only how to reword, but how changing the passive voice to active makes your writing more concise and easier to understand.

Is there ever a time when you do use Passive voice in fiction?

Sure. You use passive voice when you want to highlight the subject, if it's central to the story. Your example follows.

The murder weapon was stolen by John.

First, in this case, we have an exception to the "-ed" rule as this verb ends in "-en." No problem, the concept is the same.

However, in this example, I ask you to assume the theft by John is central to the story. Now, the passive voice, if used this once, would stand out to a reader and give the sentence more impact. Yes, it's a subtle technique, but under the pen of an accomplished writer, it works well to add emphasis.

You can also use the passive voice when you don't want people to know who did what. For example, in a detective story someone might say:

It's gone! The knife was stolen!

Remember passive voice is not the great evil it's portrayed. It's simply not the ideal use of the written word in most fiction, though it does have its place.

Are there times when you've employed passive voice on purpose? Why?

Until we speak again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel, "Born to be Brothers"

How to Outline a Novel

by C. Patrick Schulze

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In the past, I've always sat down with a vague idea of how I wanted my novel to end and then simply wrote toward that end. As I've grown in ability and knowledge, I've started to first outline my novel then fill in the blanks. I've come to think of writing a novel as a road trip and an outline as the map. (You do remember those two-dimensional GPS's, don't you?)

So, how do you go about outlining a novel?

The first secret to know is a novel's outline requires some thought, yet little work.

You need only outline two major components of your novel to develop a workable outline. They are your main characters and the plot. Things like dialogue, POV, setting and all the rest can be ignored for the time being. At the outline level, you don't even need to know what your characters look like. You need only their personalities.

What an outline needs most of all, however, is the time and effort to noodle though what happens to your characters. What's the story? In this light, many find, as do I, the end of your novel is the first thing to determine.

As to your plot, develop four or five major things that will happen to your protagonist and write them out in simple language. Think along these lines:

1. Boy meets the Girl of his dreams.

2. Girl dumps Boy.

3. Boy and Girl decide to get back together.

4. Boy finds out Girl's not worth the work.

5. Boy comes to realize he can find true happiness with a dog.

After you've got your basic plot developed, figure out what has to happen to take your hero from plot point one, Boy meets Girl, to plot point two, and so on. Write these new occurrences into your outline. It'll look something like this.

1. Boy meets the Girl of his dream.

2. They form a loving relationship.

3. Boy becomes jealous of Girl's platonic male friends.

4. Girl dumps Boy.

5. Out of loneliness, Boy has sex with girl from the copy shop.

6. Boy and Girl decide to get back together.

7. Girl finds out about girl at copy shop and dumps Boy again.

8. Boy decides he can find true happiness with a dog.

That's really all there is to outlining your story. Though your outline will most likely be more complete than this example, it may also be just this simplistic. All it needs is enough structure to keep your first draft focused on the story.

As to your characters and the novel outline, your goal is to flesh them out on an emotional level, nothing more.

If you noticed in the expanded outline above, I inserted the character emotions, jealously and loneliness. That's a key to getting your novel outlined, for it established motivations, personalities, and so much more.

This means by the time you're finished with the outline of your plot, you should already know the type of characters you need. In fact, they'll probably jump out at you. From two words, loneliness and jealousy, we already have an "outline" of our hero's flaw, don't we? His flaw stems from personal insecurities.

Now for some general tips as to how to outline a novel.

Remain flexible. Your outline is not cast in stone. As you move along in your story, if things take a dramatic shift, so be it. You wrote your outline, you can rewrite with as much ease.

You can make your outline exquisite or simplistic. Get as detailed with it as you wish. Let your personality be your guide. In my case, it's basic and I allow the characters and my imagination to fill in the blanks as I write along.

Though I only outline characters and plot, you may wish to also outline your setting and any or every other aspect of your novel. One writer I know gets so detailed with her outline, each scene is structured before she begins her first draft. Whatever works for you, works for you.

If you'd like to see someone else's idea of a plot outline, check out this ARTICLE.

Do you outline or not? Why or why not?

Until we speak again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel, "Born to be Brothers"

How to Create Characters for Your Character-Driven Novel

by C. Patrick Schulze

Listen to a PODCAST of this article.

We all know a well constructed plot is the critical aspect of a novel, but the strength of those characters we infuse into our plot can turn a plot-driven novel into something much more powerful; a character-driven novel.

Today I'd like to offer some tips on how to create those people who populate your character-driven novel.

The first secret to strong characters for your character-driven novel is to become familiar with yourself. Yes, you are the secret to your character-driven novel. I know this sounds ludicrous, but most of us do not truly know who we are. We all tend to not face our fears, ignore our weaknesses, think our idiosyncrasies are somehow cute and so on. However, if you wish to write the character driven-novel, learn and accept yourself, blemishes and all.

The first step to create a character-driven novel is to create characters who are important to you. Make them someone about whom you care. You'll write a better character if they make you laugh, cry and all the rest.

Further, try not to place too many constraints upon your characters. In effect, don't outline them in full or force them into too tight a plot. Allow them to toss a surprise or two, or even three, your way as you write your novel. By this I mean, give them permission to take emotional and creative risks. To paraphrase something I read a long time ago, write as if your parents will never read your work. Wow! All of a sudden doors open wide with that thought, don't they?

Next, like all characters, be sure you create these from the inside out and not the outside in. That is, let their emotions rise to the surface. It's fine if they have curly hair and porcelain skin, but it's finer still if they have a dark spot deep in their heart or an unbounded joie de vivre.

The secret to characters who can drive your novel? As alluded to in the first tip above, look to yourself.

Then make a list.

On this list, you'll want to write down five or six of your higher qualities and five or six of those qualities within you of a more base nature. After that, find five or six things you love and an equal number of things you hate. Do the same with your personal goals, your dreams and fears. Finally, include in your list those things in life that have held you back and those that have propelled you forward.

Now, take what you wrote down and distribute those qualities among your characters. Give each character a fear and each a love from your list. Give others your goals or dreams and still others your hates and inner demons. It's best you distribute these various qualities among your characters, though you're free to allocate them as you see fit. Regardless, once you've infused your personal characteristics into your novel's characters, you'll have characters real enough to drive your novel toward the best-seller list.

Now, who among you have additional tips on how to create characters strong enough to drive a novel?

Until we speak again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel, "Born to be Brothers"

The Character Threshold Guardian or Gatekeeper

The Character Threshold Guardian or Gatekeeper

by C. Patrick Schulze

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Our friend Joseph Campbell of THE HERO'S JOURNEY fame, offered us a number of CHARACTER types to populate our novels. One of my favorite is the Gatekeeper or Threshold Guardian.

As with all character archetypes, this guy has a specific function to play in your novel. He's the character who most often guards the passage from the hero's Ordinary World and his new world of adventure. The Guardian's main mission is to test or teach your hero and to ensure the protagonist proves himself worthy of his goal. This means, he is there to show the hero his weaknesses, help him overcome them, and to make sure things aren't too easy for your hero.

This role need not serve only to show your hero's strength, however. It can also exemplify his kindness, sincerity, cunning, intelligence or any number of other qualities. He can even point the way toward the next step of your hero's quest. The secret is for the hero to learn the Guardians’ tricks, make them his own, and continue on his quest.

As mentioned, your hero most often encounters the guardian early in the story, usually right after he starts his quest. However, this character can come into play even after your protagonist has defeated The Evil One. In fact, Threshold Guardians can pop up almost anywhere in your novel, and offer new ways to maintain or increase the conflict.

In a very real fashion, the character archetype is a boon to the hero. It is this character who teaches your hero how to fight or find whatever skill or knowledge is necessary to move further toward his goal. This guardian offers the protagonist the opportunity to grow and evolve.

His personality need not be limited to that of an evil doer or villain's henchman, though those do work well. In fact, the Threshold Guardian need not even be a character at all. He can take any form you wish; animal, vegetable, mineral, concept or even a well-meaning teacher who guides his student to shop class rather than the sciences. Regardless his form, be sure this character tests and/or educates your hero.

Often the Threshold Guardian has a relationship to the villain if they strive to keep your hero from his goal. He may also serve as a bodyguard, if you will, to the antagonist or maybe as someone to warm the villain of the hero's approach. Regardless, if your Threshold Guardian has an evil tendency, he is always subordinate to the real antagonist.

How is your hero supposed to deal with the impediments posed by the Threshold Guardian? The answer lies in the guardian’s unique nature or personality. Your protagonist must find a way to get under the beast’s skin, so to speak. In some instances, they do so literally, as when Sam and Frodo dress like the Eye’s warriors to enter the badlands. Regardless, the Threshold Guardian must be faced. To overcome this character type, your hero may fight, bribe, educate, turn, appease, convince or even kill this guy. It all depends upon the character's personality.

Regardless the way you portray the Threshold Guardian or Gatekeeper, this character should be fleshed-out with at least a suggestion of motivation and personal goals just like any other character in your novel.

Now, do you have any questions about this character archetype?

Until we speak again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel, 
Born to be Brothers

Secrets to Fix Your Novel's Plot

Secrets to Fix Your Novel's Plot

by C. Patrick Schulze

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Of all the necessary components to a well-received NOVEL, plot is among the top three. Should your PLOT sag at any point, you'll find the entire novel lacks the intensity needed to make it onto the best-seller lists.

There are three major areas that tend to drag down your plot. They are:

1. The Beginning is Too Slow.

2. The Middle drags.

3. The Ending is Predictable.

Let's look at solutions to each of these common problems.

The Beginning is Slow.

If your plot, those events that happen to your major characters, stutters from the outset of your novel, it's probably because you've set too low a standard for your characters. There's nothing to hook your readers.

To fix this, think of how you can make things worse for the major character. What will cause him the most angst? Try a bit of mind-mapping or, as they called it in my day, brainstorming. Just allow those nefarious ideas to ramble around into your mind and see if anything jumps to the fore. The more ideas you conjure, the better the odds the best idea will appear.

Keep this first section simple. Incorporate lots of conflict but not too many people. One character is good, two are ample.

Make this situation self-explanatory. If you spend a lot of your word count to bring people up to speed as to what's happening, it'll make your opening drag. That is, consider a great deal of action and dialogue. Descriptions aren't necessary and don't add much here.

Another method by which to pump up the start of your novel is to begin with or create a new motivation for your hero. What causes him to do the things he does? That might get your reader's blow to flow.

The Middle Drags.

Should your novel suffer the dreaded sagging middle, the general secret is to interject additional conflict, more confrontation. Just be sure you add conflict and not just action. (Conflict is your character's emotional response to action.)

You might also add a plot twist. Take the story in a new and unexpected direction.

You can also introduce a major, yet unexpected, character. Just make sure he's logical and necessary to the story.

Another technique to prop up your sagging middle is to introduce additional motivation. For example, if at the start of your novel your hero hates woman, in your sagging middle your reader may find he actually hates women with tattoos. They also need to find out why he hates this "brand" of woman.

The Ending is Predictable.

The third typical problem is when everyone sees the trees long before they come upon the forest.

You can fix this issue in a number of ways. First, like the method with which we fixed the sagging middle, add a new twist. Brainstorm a number of potential endings then pick the one that feels best to you. Be sure to insert this twist far enough back in your novel so it works into your plot with ease. If you just plug it in at the end, it'll look contrived.

You might also survey your ending to see if you've spent too much time explaining loose ends and the like. This often leads to too much narrative and not enough excitement.

You may wish to ensure there are no coincidences at this part of your novel. Your ending must follow that trail of crumbs you left in the preceding parts of your novel.

With a little planning, most plot errors can be corrected. Spend some time with an outline and see what happens.

Did any of you have plot issues with your novel? How did you fix them?

Until we speak again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel, "Born to be Brothers"

When Writing a Novel, Details Do It.

When Writing a Novel, Details Do It.

by C. Patrick Schulze

Listen to a PODCAST of this article.

My father-in-law attained the rank of Major General in the Air Force. This guy had not attended college, let alone graduated from The Air Force Academy. Both of which are required for one star, let alone his two. Yet, despite his lack of education, this guy somehow rose to the third highest rank in the military. Not an inconsequential accomplishment.

One day I asked him the secret of his success and he offered two lessons I've not forgotten to this day. His first rule? "No harm no foul." In effect, take care of your people. His second rule? "Details do it." He said with everything he passed to his superiors, he ensured the correctness of even the tiniest of details. Of course, each boss promoted him as they knew his work was of the highest caliber.

So it is when we write. Details do, indeed, do it.

Imagine a scene where a character does something as simple as exit a car. Does the guy step out of the vehicle? Does he jump out, slide out or even fall out of the vehicle? It makes a difference, don't you think? If one gets out, he may have decided to pick up some milk on the way home from work. If they jump out, a level of tension is indicated, is it not? And if he falls out, all sorts of doors are opened here. Did he slip? Is he drunk or even dead?

The secret is in the specific words you choose for your nouns, verbs and adverbs.

I pay attention to the specificity of my nouns and verbs when I edit. During my first draft, I just write what comes to mind. Later, I review my nouns, verbs and adverbs to ensure they are particular to my scene.

Here's a example from my emerging novel, "Born to be Brothers." In this scene, I wanted to show man and beast at odds with each other. Here's the sentence as it read in my rough draft.

"The man walked behind a mule and snapped the reins to encourage his animal."

After editing, it read as follows:

"The man plodded behind an old mule and snapped the reins again and again to encourage the sluggish beast."

You can see in this sentence how the added details enhanced the image. First, "walked" became "plodded." Plod insinuates the man is tired and worn whereas "walk" does not necessarily do so. I also added the words, "again and again" to indicate the mule did not accommodate his driver. Finally, I changed, "animal" to "sluggish beast." Again, a much more effective picture, don't you think?

Yes, my friends, the details within your writing do indeed do it. If you pay close attention to your details, you'll find a much more effective story will emerge for you.

Now, does anyone care to share how they changed a simple detail and it made a marked difference to their novel?

Until we speak again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the now-at-the-editors novel, "Born to be Brothers"

Don't Write a Novel, Write a Story

by C. Patrick Schulze

Listen to a PODCAST of this article.

A reader of this blog asked if I might help get her NOVEL started. She said she had the idea and the research completed, but was uncertain as to how to get on track. This article is for her.

When I first began to WRITE, I joined a writer's group and sat in on a few meetings. I hoped the group could tell me how to write a novel, but found I had my proverbial horse way ahead of my cart. I didn't need to learn how to write a novel. I needed to learn how to tell a story. That little piece of information changed my life.

The next thing I learned was the difference between a story and a novel. A story is the plot, that succession of incidents within the novel. It's what happens in your novel. The novel is the narrative by which the story is presented.

That means you first write a story, then convert it into your novel.

All you need to get your story started is a plan. And with novels, the classic plan is called The Hero's Journey. It's been around since the days of Mythology and is still used by the best writers today. The Hero's Journey is nothing more than a structured string of the events your hero needs to endure.

The Hero's Journey has twelve situations your hero must face. This generates a plot and forces a story to pop out as if by osmosis. The novel is much more difficult, but the story, well, that's easy.

Here are the twelve steps to the Hero's Journey.

1. Ordinary World: You show your hero's life at the start of your story.

2. Call to Adventure: Something, whether the hero realizes it or not, calls him toward some grand quest.

3. Refusal of the Call: The hero first says he can't undertake this quest.

4. Meeting the Mentor: Your hero meets someone important to help him on his quest.

5. Crossing the Threshold: This represents that event that ensures your hero can not go back to his Ordinary World until he finishes his quest.

6. Tests, Allies and Enemies: These are people or events that help or hinder the hero.

7. Approach to the Innermost Cave: He closes in on the big bad villain.

8. Ordeal: He fights the bad guy.

9. Seizing the Sword: Your hero takes what it is he needed to complete his quest. It's what he's gained by his Ordeal.

10. The Road Back: The trials he may face to get back to his Ordinary World.

11. Resurrection: This is the time when your hero proves he's gained the right to use the "sword" he's won.

12. Return with the Elixir: This is where your hero reaches his Ordinary World once again and shares his "sword" with others.

If you think about these twelve steps, it makes perfect sense a story will be the natural outcome. You've got good guys, bad guys, conflict, excitement, rewards and all the rest.

Better yet, it works regardless your genre. For example, think about a story of an abused wife. Her ordeal may be the beatings she underwent and her "sword" may be her freedom. In the same light, in a war story the ordeal may be a battle and the "sword" the death of the enemy general. There is no genre for which The Hero's Journey does not work.

Now, a short article cannot teach you everything you need to know about how to write a story. However, further information is all over the Web and in countless books at any library or bookstore. Take some time to study The Hero's Journey and if you take it to heart, your story will emerge.

Is this all there is to The Hero's Journey? Of course not. Entire literature courses cover each of these twelve aspects. However, it worked for authors then and it works for authors now. It will get you started. It's step one.

Are they other ways to write a story? Of course, but until you've got some work under your belt, use it. As they say on television, "It works!"

Now, some say The Hero's Journey is outdated or incomplete. Maybe, maybe not, but here's a clue. That little black dress and a string of pearls still work, don't they? They work because they're classic. That is, they brought out a woman's beauty then and they do so to this day. Here's another way to look at this idea. If they can write "Star Wars," "The Lion King," "Pulp Fiction" and even "The Full Monty" by way of The Hero's Journey, you and I can use it for our story, too.

Now, are there any specific articles I can write to assist you on your path to publication? If so, let me know.

Until we speak again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel "Born to be Brothers"

How to Pitch an Agent

by C. Patrick Schulze 

Listen to a PODCAST of this article.

You know what's more difficult than writing a NOVEL? Selling your novel to an AGENT. It's one of the more daunting aspects we writers face.

By nature we writers live in world more solitary than most. We sit alone and clack on a keyboard for hours on end. And welcome the opportunity. It's this aspect of our collective personalities that tend to ensure our strengths lie in areas other than finding an agent to represent us.

However, there's not as much to landing an agent as you might think. All you have to do is sell them on your book. And all that takes is ninety seconds. You can do anything for ninety seconds, right? In four words I'll tell you how you do that.

Fill the agent's needs.

Not enough? Okay. Allow me to outline the agents needs for you. This get a bit deep, so hang on. They need good authors to represent.

Now that I've done the hard part for you, how might you fulfill their needs?

One secret, after you've written that high quality novel of course, is your book pitch. It's that ninety second synopsis of your novel.

Keep in mind a pitch has only one function. To make and agents think, That's interesting.

To convince anyone something is "interesting," you've got to be able to tell them about it. In our world of writing, we explain our books and novels with a book pitch.

With an effective pitch, I'll bet you're eighty percent or more on your way to publication.

So, how to put our ninety seconds of fame to good use? Here's a simple way to do that.

Think of your pitch as your verbal sales brochure. If you've ever studied brochures, you know they say very little but feel very good. That tells us our verbal brochure, our pitch, should be infused with an emotional tug of some sort.

Remember our old friend, CONFLICT? Yep. He comes into play here, too. The secret to your book pitch is conflict.

That is to say, if you want to pitch an agent, just give them a short summary of your PLOT. Mention first what the protagonist desires, why he wants it what keeps him from it. If you get nothing else in, it's okay. It is nice if you give them word count, genre, target audience, etc. If you don't have the time, they'll ask if they're interested.

Now for a couple of other things to keep in mind.

First and foremost, nothing happens until you make it happen. Go to the writers' conferences and set appointments with agents. Pay a reasonable fee if you must.

Keep your pitch itself short. Think three sentences and ninety seconds, tops.

Can you read your pitch to them? Sure. It answers their questions whether you recite or read it. Tell them before you pull out your cue cards, though.

Be sure to point out any connection you have with the agent, no matter how small and to let them know why you chose to speak with them.

If you're not sure how to write your pitch, begin your first sentence with the word, "when" and your second sentence with the word, "can." That'll usually put you on the right track.

Of course, you know this is a business meeting, so treat it as such. Be polite, professional and considerate.

And for my final recommendation, always remember, my friends, fortune favors the bold.

By the way, I've got a joke for you.

How do you pitch an agent?

Why, you wind up and toss 'em.

Until we meet again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the now-at-the-editors novel, "Born to be Brothers"

How to Master Setting in Novels

How to Master Setting in Novels

by C. Patrick Schulze

Have you ever been to war? Have you felt the pulsing of battle within your body? If not, then read author DAVID L. ROBBINS. With his NOVELS, this guy jams his readers into the center of a battlefield in such a way you can almost feel the heat of the bullet as it screams past your head. How does he immerse his readers into the horrific environs of battle so well?

He's mastered the art of SETTING.

With that in mind, let’s introduce those components of setting which give your readers a full sense of the time and place in which you plunge them.

1. The geographical location of your novel

2. The time in which your novel takes place

3. The climate and/or weather in your novel

4. The lifestyle of your characters in your novel

5. The atmosphere or emotional quality of your novel

As to the geographical location of your novel, it helps if you write about a place you know, but it’s often more interesting if you create your own WORLD. Either way, the secret is to be as accurate as possible, for readers can spot a mistake in less time than it took to write it.

The type of story you craft will often dictate the time. The secret is to learn, or imagine as the case may be, as much about the era in which you write. I write novels that take place during the American Civil War. Therefore, I read about the time, walk the battlefields, visit towns of the era, visit museums where uniforms, dresses and quilts of the time are exhibited. Then, as I write, all these things assist when I attempt to create a true to life setting for my readers.

Climate is one of those aspects to setting many writers forget to use it to its maximum advantage in their novels. It offers so much in the way of establishing the mood of a scene. It also gives a writer any number of opportunities to incorporate sound and visual enhancements into their novel.

Lifestyle is an aspect to setting that generally comes out in the novel of its own volition. However, the best writers specifically use this as a tool in constructing setting.

Atmosphere is the mood or feeling of your book, the emotional quality of your novel. Imagine the mournful howl of a lone wolf at night or the cheery chirps of birds at dawn, and you'll understand how setting can alter the atmosphere of your novel.

Why is setting so important in your novel? The major reasons are as follows:

Setting Creates Consistency within Plots and Subplots. A consistent setting can keep it all joined together so the reader mentally stays within a comfortable framework.

Setting Enhances Conflict. Think about a scene with rumbling thunder and stabs of lightning in the inky sky. Does that create more tension than say an idyllic spring day in the park? Should you wish to use that tranquil day among the flowers, plop a flock of buzzards in the middle of the field and see how things change.

Setting Illustrates a Character’s Character. The manner in which your characters speak, dress, move and even curse will evoke in your reader a picture of your character. Imagine a dockhand who never utters a profane word. Would that image provide an insight into your character?

The real secret to setting is to introduce it not in chunks of information, or the classic info-dump. Rather, introduce it by way of your character's action, dialogue and such. As an example, it's probably best not to describe the landscape with narrative. Rather show how the character moves through tall grass, picks the flowers or smells the honeysuckle as it bursts forth and fills the air with its sweet nectar.

Before I close, I’d like to offer you one last tip as to setting. Employ your readers’ five senses. All authors seem to work in sight and sound by rote, but many aspiring writers miss the other three senses. Ensure your characters also smell, taste and feel their surroundings and your readers will do the same.

Are there any tips on setting you'd like to share?

Until we speak again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the now-at-the-editors novel, "Born to be Brothers"

How to Write Your Novel's Hook

by C. Patrick Schulze

Listen to a PODCAST of this article.

We've all heard how important it is to begin your NOVEL with an effective hook. The reason, of course, is your novel's hook helps potential readers make many of their decision about your book. Be it AGENTS, publishers or readers, everyone seeks out these first few words and these lines make a lasting impression.

When I focused on that first paragraph, I spent a great deal of time to research how to write my novel's hook and I thought I'd pass along some of the better tips I found.

By the way, I just made up these hooks as I wrote this article, so cut me some slack if they're not up to par, okay? After all, there's just examples.

1. You may craft an opening that sets a mood. This is the method I employed in "Born to be Brothers" when I wrote, "Something was about to die."

2. One alternative is to pique the reader's curiosity. "I always wondered how it felt to die."

3. You might pen a line that compares two things not normally associated with each other. "Jackson couldn't decide if he should go to his father's wedding or his mother's funeral."

4. You can have your main character perform an action. "He mumbled to himself as he lifted the pocket watch from the dead man's vest."

5. You may wish to indicate something is about to change in a radical fashion. "I felt my body grow lighter as it began to blend with the fog."

6. Why not begin with an intriguing person or place. "The countryside looked as if an artist had painted his fondest vision."

7. One choice is to have a character speak about an unusual situation. "Yep, I seen it all. It exploded and blew that guy to kingdom come."

8. Another option is to offer your reader something unexpected. "The aircraft crashed into the ground with a fiery explosion. Then the pilot stepped out and dusted himself off as if it was all in a day's efforts."

9. You might open your novel with dialogue. "Are you ready to tell me about it now?"

10. Yet another opportunity lies within immediate conflict. "She knew she'd get in trouble even as she clinched her fist." I'm working on my next novel and this is how it starts, at least in the first draft.

11. A strong hook can begin with an emotion. "I hated that man from the moment I met him."

12. Yet another opening hook might be to offer your reader a puzzle. "I wondered how could a human being shrink so much in one night?"

13. Have you ever thought to startle your reader? How's this? "I never knew humans tasted like chicken."

Of course, there are any number of other methods by which to create your novel's hook, and you can even combine two or three of these ideas for maximum effect. Regardless, your goal is to draw your reader into the story and you've got only one chance to do so. Best of luck with it.

Now, does anyone have a hook they'd like to share with our readers?

I hope by now you know, I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of now-at-the-editors novel "Born to be Brothers"

14 Tips for Effective Characterization

by C. Patrick Schulze

Listen to a PODCAST of this article.

The next James River Writers' Conference will be here before you know it and as a member of JRW, I wanted to pass along a few things I found interesting at our last conference. The discussion I most enjoyed centered on CHARACTERIZATION in NOVELS. A panel of three successful authors held this particular seminar.

One panelist indicated the best writing era for character research was the 1880’s to the 1920’s. He said when writing your book, read novels from that time period to learn how to improve upon your characterization.

Another idea they mentioned is show your readers how a character walks, stutters, or whatever. This makes the character more memorable. This made me think of Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein, when Marty Feldman who played a hunchback, shuffled off. He told Wilder to, “Walk this way.” He meant for Dr. Frankenstein to follow him, of course. However, the good doctor shambled off like a hunchback, too. Obviously this is a useful tool as I’ve kept that image in my mind for how long, thirty years?

This leads into the next recommendation the panelists made. They said to bridge characters within chapters when you write your novel. By this they meant to carry a character's oddities from one chapter to the next. For example, if you have a character who shows irritation by flicking his fingers, (thanks, Richard), have him flick his fingers a number of times throughout your novel.

A time-tested avenue for writers is to pit contrasting characters against each other. Think Laurel and Hardy or Lucy and Ricky. (Am I the only one who remembers these people?) Or, for a more modern example, think the cast of Friends.

Put your characters in situations foreign to them. Think fish out of water. A good example is a goody-two-shoes in a gang fight. Your character's personality will shine in those odd situations.

Never, and they repeated the word, never put your characters in front of a mirror. Yes, there is an exception in Snow White, but then again, even James Bond learned “never” never means never. Right?

The bad guy can always rationalize his actions. He’s not insane, he’s evil.

Here’s a good one! Find contradiction in your novel’s characters. Imagine our goody-two-shoes who finally succumbs to the neighbor’s wife’s enchantments. You could also write about the vegetarian who is forced to eat meat to stay alive. This idea can present wonderful conflict opportunities, don't you think?

Characters must want something in every chapter. Do they all get their wishes fulfilled? Not if you’re looking for readers.

Put your characters in an argument as this, too, will bring out their personalities. This is the fundamental turning point in my current novel, so I'm glad to hear it works.

I thought this tip interesting and will incorporate it into my later manuscripts. Your character should be recognizable from the silhouette. They cautioned that this can get out of hand quickly if you're not careful.

For authenticity when you name characters, find popular names during the decades in which they live. Sites of this nature are all over the Internet.

Another tip I liked also surfaced. If a gun is seen in chapter one, it must be fired by chapter four. There's a name for this concept which I failed to write down.

And what was the most important of all these great writer’s tips? “Write what bubbles up.” That is, trust your Muse and pen what comes naturally to you.

What other tips might you wish to share to bring out the personalities of your characters?

I hope you know by now I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the now-at-the-editors, "Born to be Brothers"

The Recipe for Writing a Successful Novel

by C. Patrick Schulze

Listen to a PODCAST of this article.

Before I wrote my first manuscript, I picked up a book titled, "You Can Write a Novel" by James Smith. After I read it, I came to the conclusion WRITING a successful NOVEL would be a piece of the proverbial cake. I admit it, that assumption turned into my first of many mistakes relative to novel writing. Regardless, the major concept I picked up from the book is there exists a recipe for writing a successful novel. I likened writing a successful novel to cooking one of my favorite meals when I was a single guy - crock-pot stew. Maybe I should've called this article my recipe for a crock-pot novel?

The recipe for a crock-pot novel, like that of anything that's pleasing to the palate, contains various elements that must be incorporated in the correct doses, and even at the correct times, for the dish to please your readers' visual palate.

The recipe for our crock-pot novel includes these basic ingredients:

Theme

CHARACTERIZATION

PLOT

CONFLICT

POINT OF VIEW

SETTING

DIALOGUE

Let's take a quick look at each of these recipe components, shall we?

Theme is the message or meaning within your crock-pot novel. It's what you wish your readers to learn. Your message comes to life in the way your main characters overcome the conflict they face. In effect, it is the fundamental ingredient of your crock-pot novel recipe. Think of it as the beef stock, if you will.

Characterization is the most important part of your novel as it relates to your reader. Your reader must, without exception, care about at least one character and what happens to them. You should, therefore, create fleshed out characters with whom your readers can identify. This is the beef in your stew.

Plot is what moves the story forward. It fleshes out your storyline and gives it depth. It is that series of events that your characters must face and the obstacles they must overcome. It is what moves your story toward the final chapter in logical order. I relate it to those chopped ingredients in our stew; carrots, potatoes, onions and the like.

Conflict is what encourages a reader to continue to read your novel. Many aspiring authors envision conflict as the action that takes place in their stories, the explosions, the chases and the like. If truth be told, conflict is found in your characters' emotional responses to the action that takes place. Your conflict will rise and fall like the peaks of a mountain range until you reach the crescendo of your story. It's what holds your stew gravy together, the thickener, if you will.

Point of View, or POV, is who tells your story. It's the perspective of your story's narrator. This is where many aspiring authors fail in their novel writing endeavors. Without effective POV, a reader may become confused and their enjoyment of your work decreases. This is your recipe's spices.

Setting is the time and place where your characters exist. It comes to life by way of your characters' senses. It's the time it takes for your ingredients to turn into a meal.

Dialogue is the words your characters use. It offers your reader background information, highlights their personalities and advances your story. Consider dialogue as the heat that transforms your ingredients into a tasty meal.

Now, do other recipes for novel writing exist? Of course. Every cook/author has their own recipe, yet each will incorporate these basic ingredients. Should an author omit any of these basic ingredients, his crock-pot novel will lack something and won't taste as pleasing to the reader as the author had hoped.

Best of luck with your recipe and let me know how it turns out, will you?

Until we speak again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the now-at-the-editors novel "Born to be Brothers"

Writing Your Hero's Death

Writing Your Hero's Death - by C. Patrick Schulze

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Would you like to hear what your readers really think of your novel? A surefire method to receive an inbox overrun with emails is to write the death of your NOVEL's HERO. Wouldn't you be upset if you spent hours reading a novel only to have the character with whom you most identified croak off? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends upon how you handle writing your hero's death.

If you feel your novel needs the wet work, here are some suggestions to kill off your hero so your readers won't abandon you.

Make certain his exit is necessary to your plot. You probably shouldn't kill him off just to shock your readers. Yes, it's often good to shock your readers, but I don't think this is the time to do it.

Also, make his death of consequence and finalize the event on a encouraging note. That is, ensure he dies for a worthy reason, one your readers will understand and accept. Think silver lining here. Sure, the hero dies, but his daughter lives on to become the first female president of the United States and ends all war. Now that would make for a worthy passing, wouldn't you say? If you arrange this to be a positive event, your readers will forgive you and probably even approve.

Create a situation where any and every major character has the potential to die. There's more power to a scene when a bus load of characters goes over the cliff than if the bus has only the driver, your hero, at the wheel.

Make the situation logical. Which of these scenes works better for you? Everyone runs around and screams on a sinking ship when an unexpected meteorite slams into it and kills everyone on board before they drown. Or, your hero is in battle and a wave of enemy fighters swam around him and kill him. This second situation is much more likely accepted by your readers.

If you're going to do it, as the Nike commercial says, "Just do it." Put your hero in a red shirt and have the meteorite smack him upside the head. Either kill him or don't.

Your hero's resurrection should not exist in fiction. You shouldn't put your readers through the trauma of your hero's demise only to have the character jump up later and yell, "Surprise!" This won't offer your readers any relief but may well irritate them.

It may ease the blow if you give your readers a foreshadowing of your hero's demise. The secret here is to give them the information, but insert it into your novel in such a way as they might misinterpret the clues. When the event finally occurs they should be shocked, but upon reflection, understand they should've seen it coming.

You may wish to consider the hero's death as a catalyst for a whole new and dramatic chain of events that are yet to transpire. What fun!

One last thought. If you cannot imagine the death of a specific character, then neither can your readers. That's the guy who should survive.

Killing your hero can be either courageous or disastrous. It all depends on how you handle it.

Is there anyone among my readers who has killed off a major character? If so, would you care to share the responses you received from your readers?

Until we meet again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the now-at-the-editors novel "Born to be Brothers"

Symbolism in Novels

by C. Patrick Schulze 

Listen to a PODCAST of this article.

The other day I had a sudden flashback to that long ago time in English Lit 101. I had this odd little professor whose only purpose in life was to force disinterested freshmen to analyze symbolism is novels and short stories. 

One day in class, the professor called on me to offer my interpretation of the symbolism in a short story. I saw it as an illustration of the lives of prostitutes. The professor almost laughed and asked how I had come up with that. After my explanation, he acknowledged my interpretation as valid, just wrong. The story, he said, was about politicians. How's that for irony? In any case, that inconsequential moment in my life got me thinking about symbolism in fiction.

Let's first define symbolism as it applies to literature. It is an object or creature that represents something else. Think the whale in "Moby Dick."

Symbolism is often employed to give greater depth or meaning to a work of fiction. In fact, symbolism  enhances the quality of literature in a way that cannot be duplicated by any other literary device.

Your symbols may be obvious, such as a national flag, or subtle, such as the flask a character carries in his hip pocket. For an example of an obvious symbol, consider the snake as the logo for the House of Slithering in the Harry Potter series. For a more understated symbol, look to the sled in "Citizen Kane" which represents lost innocence.

Should you attempt to instill symbolism into your novel? It's not necessary at all. However, you can if you wish. The most obvious novel of this nature is "The Da Vinci Code," which is all about symbols.

Should you wish to incorporate symbolism in your novel, pay close attention to how others describe their symbols. You'll most likely find enhanced descriptions and multiple incidents of use. You may find names of people, places and things that are less than ordinary. "Slithering" is a great example of that.

Here are some tips to get you started using symbolism in your fiction.

The secret to effective symbolism is to develop it before you write your story. It will appear much less contrived and make a more profound statement if you do. Symbols lose their power if they appear thrown-in or arbitrary.

Use symbols everyone will interpret in the same manner as you. Does an apple represent a doctor kept from your door as in "an apple a day…," or eternal sleep as it did with Snow White? If your reader misinterprets your symbol, you've created a big hole in your book.

With that said, ensure your symbols are not clichés.

One type of symbolism that has yet to lose its flavor is color. Red still means heat, anger or passion, whites represent innocence and so on.

Ensure your symbols represent what you want them to represent. A skull and death is a pretty sure bet but a shoe and manhood? Well, that's a bit too deep for most readers.

Have your symbols represent something of value to the character to whom the symbol is tied.

Use them with care. Don't have too many or you may slip into the category of allegory. A couple should do you just fine.

A good time to reintroduce your symbol is at the climax of your story. Let's say you've used the aforementioned flask to symbolize a character's inability to control his vices. Then, on the day he finally overcomes his weaknesses, he might drop and break the flask.

Consider using a symbol in a contrary fashion. Maybe the good guy really does wear black.

Now, would you care to share the symbols you've used in your novels?

Until we meet again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel "Born to be Brothers"