The Dark Side to Your Novel's Hero

The Dark Side of Your Novel's Hero

by C. Patrick Schulze

Listen to a PODCAST of this article.

We all know our HERO require a weakness. But did you also know he needs a dark side, a shadow if you will, and this part of him needs to come out? I didn't until I read my EDITOR's suggestions for my current manuscript. In one of her four hundred thirty-two suggestions, she recommended I needed to play up my hero's dark side a bit more.

The fact she mentioned this proved I didn't know enough about the concept, so I did some reading on the subject. I now feel I have a better handled on the idea and thought I'd pass along what I've come to know. After all, it is all about the sharing, isn't it?

To start, if your hero must have a dark side, what good is it if it doesn't come out of hiding? That was the editor's point. As I reevaluated my manuscript and the character in question, I realized my hero had a shadow, I'd simply not used it to effect.

So, what is this shadow and what might cause the good guy to turn to his dark side?

His dark side is the villain. Surprised? So was I until I thought it through.

The villain personifies those qualities opposite of your hero, right? He therefore possesses those characteristics your hero despises or those that may even frighten him. And why does the protagonist hate those qualities? It's because these aspects of his personality are his own shadow, a deeply subdued part of himself.

Whoa… Flashback to Psych 101.

In any case, how might the hero's dark side come to the fore? Most often it is the villain who draws it from him. It is he who pushes the hero's buttons and forces the good guy over the edge. In effect, he provokes your hero to his breaking point.

Consider "The Lord of the Rings." The master ring pulls from its owner their worst, does it not? How about "The Wizard of OZ?" Dorothy kills the witch who, in turn, wants to kill Dorothy for killing the witches' sister, all of which is contrary to Dorothy's basic personality. This all makes sense when we realize a villain must force the hero into some sort of obsession if the good guy is to complete his quest.

Think of it like this. Take your hero's finest characteristic and use it against him. Does he think himself a brave soldier? Them maybe he should run away when he first faces combat like in "The Red Badge of Courage." Does he believe marriage is sacred? Then have the villain force him into a divorce. Is he a happy-go-lucky guy? Then turn this characteristic into irresponsibility. The secret to this, is to ensure the motivation for this transformation is valid. Did Dorothy have a reason to kill the Wicked Witch? Yup.

What keeps the hero from becoming a bad guy himself? It's choice. He chooses not be become like his nemesis, thus again subduing his own dark appetites.

The good part of this whole shadow concept? It allows for character growth. It fills in his personality and gives you a more three-dimensional character. It overcomes the imbalance that kept your hero from his goal.

You can develop this dichotomy in your hero by way of a three-pronged technique. You first develop his high qualities. Then find the opposite of these. Finally, you assign a physical behavior to this contradictory characteristic.

For example, if your hero loves children, the opposite is to hate children. The activity that might brings this out is he causes a child's death.

So, a major aspect of a fully developed hero, is to give him a dark side, a shadow, then bring it out of him by way of a button-pushing villain who posses those same traits.

I don't know about you, but I found this interesting. Regardless, I've got work to do on "Born to be Brothers."

Have you brought out the dark side to your hero? How did you do it?

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

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the BACK-from-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"

Writing a Novel’s Plot

by C. Patrick Schulze

Listen to a PODCAST of this article.

As an author learns how to write a novel, he must develop the skill to pen an effective plot, or that string of events through which your major characters move.

The first concept to understand about plot is the recipe. Gather your two needed ingredients, story and conflict, then blend them together and bake it up. You must have both ingredients, story and conflict, for it to taste just right.

Another way to look at this concept is a story asks the questions of what and how, whereas the plot asks the why.

Your plot is not just a jumble of unrelated events. It’s comprised of a series of events that follow naturally from one to the next.

Read this for more on PLOT.

A secret to plot is that it is directly related to your major characters’ personalities, especially your hero’s. As one event occurs, the character’s persona encourages him to make a decision as to how to respond to this occurrence. This, in turn, forces the next event. This relationship between characterization and plot is why there are so few plot lines but so many stories.

Of course the main rationale for plot is to entertain your readers, but other than that, what does it do? It’s primary purposes include:

1. Move your story forward and toward its conclusion

2. Give life to your characters

3. Foreshadow coming events.

4. Propel your hero toward his goal and past his many obstacles

Though some disagree with the number of elements in a plot, I see seven major components to plot. They are:

1. Your hero or protagonist: You need someone, or something, to move through your story.

2. The setting in which your hero finds himself: Everything happens somewhere and at some time.

3. The goal your hero must achieve: Every protagonist needs a great quest of some sort.

4. The conflict he faces: During his quest, your hero will come upon difficulties that hamper his forward movement toward his goals.

5. The turning point of your story: At some place in your story, the major character must make a decision that alters everything.

6. The near disaster your hero must endure: Every hero must face an ultimate challenge that can, at least metaphorically, kill him.

7. The resolution of the story. Your story needs an ending, don’t you think and shouldn’t it all come out for the best?

Once you grasp these basic fundamentals, you’re well on your way to an effective storyline.

Now, here are some general tips as to how to develop your plot.

Plot develops by way of the adversity your characters face. Their physical and emotional responses to this adversity is what develops your plot. Imagine “Lord of the Rings” if none of those characters faced problems. Wouldn’t quite have the punch, would it?

You plot should foreshadow all major conflict points. Though mysteries may have a bye in this regard, your plot should identify all troubling events that are yet to transpire. To reword this, what happens early in your story sets up what is to happen later.

Your hero must at some point, take things in hand. He’s the good guy in your narrative and he needs to possess the strength and fortitude to do what his challenge requires of him.

Nothing happens at random. Every part of your plot should have a reason for being in your story.

The plot is not only about your hero. Each of your major characters, of which there should be no more than three, has their own agenda. And these agendas most often conflict with those of the other primary characters.

Your plot should show the personalities of your major characters. That is, the way they react to what happens to them should give your reader a better understanding of who these people really are.

If you’ll insure your plot drives your story and not the other way around, you’ll find your writing life will have a better chance to thrive.

Now, what else might you wish to know about plot?

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

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel, “Born to be Brothers.”

9 Essentials for Writing Your Climactic Scene

by C. Patrick Schulze

To listen to a podcast of this article, click HERE.

Every novel requires that final, explosive scene where the protagonist and his villain struggle with each other to the certain demise of one or the other. It matters not if you hero is a working mother trying to make ends meet, or the commander of the forces ready to invade Omaha Beach on D-Day. Every novel should have this climactic scene and you should consider certain criteria to make it as powerful as you can.

Here are nine tips to help you when writing that all-important scene.

This scene should be an epic confrontation with a clear winner and a clear loser. Someone gets the girl and someone goes home from the party by himself.

Your hero must confront his most worthy of adversaries. Secondary evil doers simply won’t do. Make this clash between the biggest and baddest.

Your reader expects your hero to win and so he should. However, his victory need not be what they expect. Regardless the sour taste of your hero’s success, a victory he should have.

Your hero should win something of value for his trials. It could be the realization that “The Girl” just ain’t worth the work, or it may be real estate garnered by an incredible battle. Whatever he learns or wins, it must make him a better person, or creature, as the case may be.

In this scene it is not the time for surprise arrivals of any sort. The cavalry, in any of its many forms, should not jump into the story at this point. All that should be set up earlier in your novel.

Have your hero save himself. Imagine if your hero is fighting the villain in hand-to-hand combat and just as the bad guy puts the sword to his throat, an unmentioned meteor streaks from the sky to obliterate the bad guy in a magnificent blaze of fire. Don’t you think your readers will be disappointed in that? Now, that’s not to say the beautiful model can’t Kung Fu in and save him earlier in the story, but at this time, he’s on his own.

There should be no flashbacks at this point in your novel. Flashbacks are tough anyway, but they break the tension and can kill the entire scene. Once the scene opens, focus on the conflict in that scene. Your readers’ interest should be at its peak and they deserve a healthy portion of suspense, action and conflict.

Speaking of action and conflict, this scene should be resolved with action and conflict. Let them duke it out, metaphorically, emotionally or physically, but get the tussle going. Make this thing as exciting as you can. (For more information on the difference between action and conflict, read this ARTICLE.)

Clarification of anything is death to this scene. This is the time for action and your readers should have already received any explanations they need, although mysteries might get away with this to a point.

And finally, this scene should end in a rational fashion. Make it suspenseful, but logical. You never want your readers to say, “Don’t buy it,” at the end of your story. If they do, they’ll tell their friends the same thing; “Don’t buy it.”

Now, are there any aspects to the climactic scene I’ve forgotten?

Until my next post, you knows I wish you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel, “Born to be Brothers”

There are No Rules! Really?

by C. Patrick Schulze

To listen to a podcast of this article, click HERE.

I may be missing something here, but I wonder why people in the industry say there are no rules in writing. Of course there are rules. Lot’s of ‘em. Everywhere you turn. 

Here’s a thought. Isn’t, “There are no rules” a rule in its own right? Thus, it would appear the statement is false on its face. So, have I’ve already made my point? Regardless, let’s journey forward.

“There are no rules” is considered by many just the Real Rule among the multitude of maxims they know exist.

Here’s one example that proves the invalidity of the Real Rule. 

     Don’t query fiction before you have a completed novel.

Of course, another rule says you don’t have to follow this rule if you’re already a successful novelist, or a celebrity, or a politician or this or that. But, that doesn’t make the Real Rule not a regulation for us mere mortals, does it?

Here’s more proof the Real Rule is incorrect.

     Don’t query unless your novel is well-written. 

That’s definitely a rule. 

Ah, I can hear the arguments now. “You’re talking about publishing! You must understand there are no rules when writing.”

Well, they are often interdependent, but let’s check that one out, too.

If there are no rules in writing, I guess you can write a novel that contains no conflict, right? Conflict in fiction is a rule, isn’t it? Maybe not if you believe the “no rules” rule.

Care for another example? When writing your novel, everyone says you need a sympathetic hero. How many novels would you sell if nobody cared for or identified with your protagonist? I guess we’ve found another rule that does exist.

Here’s another I guess you can ignore when writing; point of view. Just write from any and every viewpoint at any time. Right? I doubt even your mother would care to read that novel. Hum. Yet another rule.

One more, if you’ll bear with me. There is a rule when writing grammar that says you should eliminate most of your “-ly” words. Here again, another rule.

In addition to the many binding rules of writing, there are any number of ideas that are passed off as rules when they are not. One that comes to mind says fifty percent of your novel should be dialogue. That’s more a “guideline” as our pirate friends of the Caribbean might say. These sort of pseudo-maxims are a bit more difficult to address and beyond the scope of this article.

It’s probably time to stop and get to the point. My point is, there are rules, many and all kinds of them, and as writers we need to know and employ them.

With that said, I believe “there are no rules” is much like the rules of society. That is, rules do exist and people in power expect you to follow them, but it’s a lot more fun when you know how to break them. If fact, as Katherine Hepburn once gave words to my personal mantra, “If you obey all the rules, you’ll miss all the fun.” 

In general, rules are made to be broken, but for the majority of us we must be circumspect when we do so. Some, such as conflict in fiction or the sympathetic hero really should not be broken if we wish to sell our novels. Others, like the use of semicolons, can be manipulated. 

I recommend we think of the rules in writing as techniques or skill sets, if you will. Early in our writing careers we should first learn these various skills and methodologies. We should then adapt to them and become proficient with them. After we’ve reached that level of success that satisfies us, then figure out how to bend and even break the rules.

In the mean time, if we wish to sell our novels, we should jump through the hoops the industry requires of us and don’t give those people who say there are no rules too much sway over our writer’s life.

Okay, I’m done. Now I want to hear your arguments to the contrary.

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 Write Battle Scenes

How to Write Battle Scenes

By C. Patrick Schulze

Listen to a podcast of this article here.

There are two basic types of battle scenes. There is the one where an individual combatant engages in a fight. There are also those epics where generals maneuver grand armies over the countryside. Though both of these scene types have great similarities when it come to your writing, today we’ll discuss a scene in which one or a few soldiers is involved.

Battle scenes are unlike other scene types as they have a trickier side to them. They utilize a different construction and fewer words to move them forward. These scenes are all about speed, strength and emotion.

However, as with any scene, it must have meaning to the story and move the storyline further toward its conclusion. Does the battle offer a plot twist perhaps? Does it help the hero grow? Might it enlighten your reader to more of your hero’s personality? Like all writing, these scenes should also utilize your characters’ five senses. And don’t forget about point of view either. It is as critical in battle scenes as any other. For example, how effective would an ambush be if the hero knows it was about to occur? Of course, this part of your novel must be well-written, punctuated with accuracy and all those other things novels require.

Write only about the action and trim out everything not related to the moment in time. In battle scenes you’ll employ fewer words than with your normal writing. Adverbs will become quite scarce as will adjectives. Also, search out specific nouns and verbs. You’ll find great command over your words if you choose that unique verb or noun for the situation at hand. For example, soldiers don’t “run” across a field, they “charge” or “rush” or “dash” across it.

The use of emotion is THE component you need to emphasize in writing battle scenes and you should employ all your powers of persuasion at this time. Though James Bond or Patton may be your exceptions, your characters are not indifferent to combat. Even your heroes will be utterly terrified. And consider the emotions of those at the home front. If you fail to bring their feelings into play, you’re missing a powerful plot point.

One powerful tool at your disposal is sentence structure. Your sentences should imitate a sword fight; furious, short and brutal. Long passages slow down the novel, whereas short, choppy ones increase the pace.

Dialogue is another tool that can enhance, or destroy, your action scenes. First of all, you should work for a bit of realism here, so please, no snappy comebacks. Keep your characters’ dialogue to the point. When a soldier is under fire, he’s not joking to his buddies about a YouTube video he saw last night. Nothing is on his mind other than the events swirling around him.

Now for some general tips.

Remember, this is a novel, not a flicker show. Though the slashing sword is important, the character’s reaction to that event is more so.

Insure your villain is worthy. Nobody’s impressed when your hero fights a challenger who is without adequate weaponry.

Don’t write about David and Goliath. That one’s been done.

Whether writing fiction or nonfiction, large battles or single combat, draw a map of your battlefield. It need not be of high quality, but you’ll be surprised as to how much this can help. Use photos of sites whenever possible. I travel to the actual battlefield where my combat occurs and take photos. I then place them on my screen when I write my battle scenes and refer to them often. You’ll be amazed how something as slight as a slight rise in topography can come into play in this type of writing.

When men are wounded, only four thoughts crowd their minds; what parts are missing, will they die, water and family, not necessarily in that order.

In a fight, if someone receives a minor wound, he doesn’t stop to look at it, touch it and study the blood on his fingertips, show it to his enemy and scowl, step back, retake a fighting stance and egg on his opponent with a flip of his fingers. The instant he looks down, he’s dead. That’s it. Keep it moving.

Adrenalin and panic can overcome only so much. Minor injuries won’t be noticed, more serious injuries will stun a combatant, if stop him. Characters run out of breath, they bruise, they bleed. Write to the realism. 

Well, I could go on and on about this as battle scenes are my forte, but for the sake of word count, I’ll stop. I do hope you’ve picked up something of use to you.

You know by now I wish you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the emerging novel, “Born to be Brothers.”

How & Why to Use Conflict Types

In yesterday’s post I discussed how the secret to a successful novel can be found within the conflict you create for your protagonist. Without conflict, you have no novel. It creates the backbone for your story.

Many novice writers are surprised to learn you don’t find conflict in the explosions, the typhoons, the meteors crashing into the earth. You find conflict in your characters’ emotional reaction to these stimuli.

There are two types of conflict, internal and external, and each brings different amounts of action and tension to your story. Internal conflict, a character at odds with himself, consists of the emotional or psychological predicaments a character faces and the impact it has upon him. In “The Da Vinci Code,” we saw Tom Hank’s fear of enclosed spaces, his claustrophobia. As a writer, you should employ internal conflicts that reflect those universal emotions in people; safety, fear, love, sadness and the like. This is one way to reinforce your readers’ emotional attachment to your story. External conflict, a character at odds with the world around him, is found in the emotional responses your characters experience relative to outside influences. These can be anything from a wound to a troll to a husband-beating wife. This reaction, I think, is the reason the Bruce Willis movies are so well-received. His responses to the many threats he faces are always entertaining, though realistic.

I once read a way to exemplify conflict when writing a novel and I apologize but I do not remember who said it. Regardless, he said to find your hero’s Achilles’ heel and crush it. The heel is the internal conflict and the crushing is the external. Find your hero’s root emotional vulnerability and use it against him.

I watched the movie, “12 Rounds” the other night and the director handled conflict reasonably well. In one scene, the hero has a difficult decision to make. Should he allow the cops to kill the villain, who has kidnapped the woman in the hero’s life, or should he save the evildoer so his love will live longer. Of course, he saves the bad guy. It isn’t all the screaming, breaking glass and shooting that created the conflict, it’s found in the emotional decision the hero had to make – who lives and who dies - that created the tension. The external conflict came to life in how the hero responded to all the shooting to save two people. The internal conflict grew from his decision to save the bad guy. This combination of internal and external conflict is what you strive for in your novels.

This weakness is the origin of your novel’s conflict and also the source of your hero’s growth.

We’ve all heard our hero needs to grow during the course of the story and become a better person. By overcoming his flaw(s), his growth materializes. As the hero pin-balls from one issue to the next, he must face his fears and, with each new confrontation, he learns how to overcome that which frightens him. Without this growth, rooted in conflict, your reader is robbed of his expected satisfaction. And if your readers won’t be satisfied, why even bother to write the story?

If you have any questions, drop a comment and I’ll see if I can’t assist you on an individual basis.

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

C. Patrick Schulze
Twitter.con/CPatrickSchulze

The secret to any good story is the problem that requires solving. In fact, without this all-important central problem, known as conflict, you have no novel. Conflict is critical for it draws your reader into your story and is the key component that weaves all the elements of your novel together.

The secret to conflict is to know what it is. As I outlined in an earlier post, (click here), conflict is not the crisis or what happens to your characters. It is not the battle, the argument or the deception. Conflict rests upon their thoughts and feelings, toward these events your characters experience. It’s found within the moral choices they make. It’s within the building, then exploding tension between opposing forces.

There are two types of conflict, external and internal. External is obvious, such as lava coursing down the mountainside and setting flame to the town. Internal is less apparent, as might be the feelings of your protagonist when he realizes there is no way to save his business from succumbing to the onslaught of the fiery magma. Further, when dealing with this central clash that swirls about your hero, the successful novel writer will often have a number of lesser conflicts that are birthed due to the premier conflict point. For example, once his livelihood disappears within the flames, his wife leaves him, taking the children with her. (Boy, this guy has had a bad day!)

Regardless the types or amount of conflict, your writing is for naught if you don’t convince your reader to appreciate the power, the importance, of the conflict. They must know and become emotionally involved due to this struggle. As with the family mentioned about, if the readers want the wife to leave, for example, the conflict diminishes, as does your story. (This means the readers need to like your hero, doesn’t it? But that’s for another post.)

To enhance the readers’ interest, insure they see what your hero has to gain and lose. If they never see the flames racing toward the business, or they never learn how unsupportive the wife becomes, their interest will be less than peaked. It’s also helpful if there are negative repercussions to his solving, as well as not solving, the conflict. If your hero must choose between the lesser of evils to resolve the core conflict, you’ll heighten the story even more. For example, would you have greater conflict if your hero watches his business explode in flame knowing his wife will take his children if he loses his business? You bet.

There should not be too many conflict points, but regardless their number or how they develop, conflict is at the heart of any novel and must be resolved in one fashion or another. This resolution will make or break your novel. Make sure your conclusion is logical and results from the actions of your hero. It cannot be random or arbitrary.

One last thought about conflict. The guy in the white hat need not always win.
Until we meet again, I wish you best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze