Then Along Came Conflict

WRITING WEDNESDAYS


I'm still playing blog catch-up and hope to be back on schedule by the end of the week.  It's been a blogging frenzy, over the past few days!  Well, not really, but I'll have a nice word count to add to this month's total. ;)

For the past week, I've been sharing my thoughts on and blogging about what's often referred to as Debra Dixon's GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict.  It's the perfect basis for any writer, whether just starting out or a publishing wiz with tons of books written and sold.

To keep a reader interested in the story, whether it's romance or any genre of fiction, the characters need to want something (GOAL), a reason for wanting it (MOTIVATION), and something that's keeping them from getting it (CONFLICT). Goal-Motivation-Conflict.

It goes like this:

• Character wants (goal), because (motivation), but (conflict) is keeping character from reaching it.

Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it?  Until the discovery that lack of conflict is one of the biggest reasons a story is rejected by an editor.

So what is conflict?  It's the struggle between opposing forces in the story.  There are two basic types of conflict: internal and external.  Internal conflict is what affects the character personally, such as changing (or needing to change) the way he/she thinks or the kind of person he/she is.  External conflict is the character changing his/her environment.  When it comes to external and internal conflict in a story, the external is always solved first.

Conflict is the heart of the story.  Without it, even if the character is fun and entertaining, the story has no substance.  Something or someone needs to be keeping the character from reaching that goal.  The more difficult or deep the conflict, the better the story.  The character must either solve the conflict or find away around it.

All major characters in the story will each have a GMC, even if it's short term for a minor character, such as the main character's best friend, family member, or any other reappearing minor character.

Reread some of your favorite books and see if you can spot the main character(s) GMC(s).  Make notes in the beginning and watch what happens over the course of the book.

Once you learn to use GMC, writing will be easier and your stories will be better for it.  Remember that characters' goals can change throughout the story during the process of character growth.  But until The End aka the Resolution, the emotional conflict needs to remain strong.  Give your character a goal that's important, a solid and emotional reason for that goal, and a conflict that will keep the character fighting to reach the goal.

More about conflict next week.  Until then...

The greatest rules of dramatic writing are conflict, conflict, conflict. - James Frey

Time March-es On

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

Yes, I know it's Tuesday and I'm already running behind this week.  But the plan is to catch up...at least on as much as possible.  I have a legitimate excuse.  The invasion of five kids over five (make the seven) days of school-not-in-session can do a number on a person's motivation.  But Spring Break is over, and three of the five kids are back in school.  Life could return to normal...if only we knew what normal is.  We're trying.

Included in the trying was to at least make some progress on the writing goal.  My writing group's BIAW (Book In A Week) ended Sunday, and I'm happy to say that in spite of a crazy week, I met my goal +2 pages.  Although I wish it had been more, I'm not going to complain.  Progress was made and, in the end, that's what counts.

I'll be honest.  I didn't have a lot of faith that I'd make make 20 pages I'd declared as my goal.  It was mostly hit and miss, with a couple of pages here and another page there.  And then everything fell apart.  I was over halfway through it when I started wondering about details.  I called my Love Inspired author friend, Patricia Davids, and asked for help on medical points.  I wasn't happy to be told that I was right about being on the wrong track, but I didn't let it stop me.  When there's a roadblock, the best thing to do is fix it or find a way around it and keep going.  I chose the latter, and I'll return later during edits to rewrite the parts of the scenes that won't work with the changes made.  In the end, it will be correct, and I'm thankful to Pat for helping me with it.

While most of my goals are writing related, not all of them are.  In addition to writing goals, writers have others and need motivation, just like everyone else.  Each one of us could do with a healthy dose of motivation every day.

There are times in our lives when getting out of bed in the morning is nearly impossible.  Giving in to pulling the covers over our heads and avoiding whatever it is that needs facing or doing isn't going to change anything.  Getting up and moving and living might be hard sometimes, but in the long run, we can't hide forever.  It's amazing what a little action can accomplish and lead to reaching a goal, no matter how large or small.

Do you fee like you're in a dead-end job and need to look for a new one?  A new job probably won't come knocking on your door, but if you start looking, one just might appear.  Make a goal to spend thirty minutes a day doing job searches and applying for jobs you're qualified to do.

If, like mine, areas of your home need some attention, set a goal to give that attention and clear the clutter, paint the walls, or whatever needs to be done.  Remember to break down your goal into several manageable sizes, and before you know it, you'll reach it, with the reward of nicer space.

Need to lose some extra pounds, especially now that summer is nearly here?  It's amazing what even a small handful of lost pounds can do for the figure and the ego.  Set a goal.  Mallory, my youngest (who's dieting and exercising), and I decided over a week ago that, now that the weather is warming, we were going to start walking again.  And then the rain hit last week.  By the time the Spring Breakers were gone each day, it was getting too dark to walk anywhere.  That doesn't mean we've given up on our goal to walk. Unless the rain returns today, we'll pick up where we left off...at the start of our goal.

Whatever your goal, it takes working at it, even when life tries to throw a monkey wrench in the works.  Keep trying, and one day you'll be surprised that progress is being made and the goal is in sight, after all.  It truly is amazing what you can do when you try. :)

The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself. ~ Mark Caine

The Character's Story

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

One of the keys to making your story interesting is to create characters that will pull in the reader.  As mentioned last week, we do this by giving each character a goal to work toward.

But we can't stop there.  We need to give that character a reason for the goal.  That reason is called the WHY.  If you're familiar with Debra Dixon's GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict, you know that the WHY is the character's motivation.

Once you have the character's goal (what the character wants) and the character's motivation (why the character wants it), all the pieces begin to fall into place and the story starts to take shape.

Sounds easy, doesn't it?  At first glance, it is.  Let's say the protagonist wants a better job [goal], because the one he has isn't making him happy [motivation].  Or is making him unhappy, however you want to look at it.  That's a reasonable goal.  A lot of us have been there at one point in our lives.  But there isn't a lot of punch in that.  Kind of a ho-hum goal and reason, and not something that will catch a reader's attention and cheer for the character.

Sometimes it takes knowing the character a little better.  The heroine in The Truth About Plain Jane (Silhouette Romance 2004) had a similar goal.  She worked in the office of a well-known travel magazine, hoping and wishing to become a reporter for the magazine.  In addition to wanting a more exciting career--one she was certain she could do well--she needed more income so she could move the aunt who had raised her to a climate that was better for the aunt's asthma.  It wasn't simply because she wanted more money.  She had a legitimate reason, plus her motivation was unselfish.

Sometimes it isn't easy as it might look, and you're stumped on what the character's motivation for the goal might be.  I've found that the best place to "look" is the character's backstory.  Ask yourself (or your characters!) what kind of childhood he or she had.  Was he an only child of wealthy parents?  Was she the middle sister of three born to parents who had to struggle to put food on the table?  What was the character's education?  What were the character's dreams for the future?  Was there an incident that shaped the character and led to the current goal?

Learning about characters is part of the joy of writing.  Manipulating them is even more fun!  Get to know your characters in whatever way works best.  Some people fill out character charts, some do character interviews.  If you don't know what works for you, give several a try.  You can find pre-made character charts online by using the search words *character trait charts* or you can make up your own.  As with everything, discover what works best for you, use it, and update when needed.   You'll be glad you did and will find that you'll soon be writing stronger, more interesting stories.

"I will go to my grave in a state of abject endless fascination that we all have the capacity to become emotionally involved with a personality that doesn't exist."  ― Berkeley Breathed

(GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict can be purchased online at Gryphon Books for Writers.) 

Needed: A Break From Spring Break

Although today is officially the first day of Spring Break, it already seems as if it's gone on forever.  That could be because Thursday and Friday last week were "teacher workdays" and other excuses to give kids a day--make that two days--off.

Back in in the Stone Age when I was growing up and going to school, there was no such thing as Spring Break.  We were lucky if we got Good Friday off from school.  There was nothing even slightly similar to teacher workdays, and especially not two of them every month.  No President's Day, MLK Birthday, or much of anything except the biggies.  You know, Labor day (if school started before that), Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.  And summer, of course.

So why am I complaining?  Why am I crabby?  "Crabby" being the youngest grandson's new term for my mood.  Today there are four children in my small home.  They range in age from two years old to nine years old.  Two girls, two boys.  And we're short the fifth today, because the oldest granddaughter had a dental appointment and is with her mom.  They are all very active, always moving or at least talking.  Constant talking, whether anyone is listening or not.  Isn't it amazing that we can't wait to hear our children's first word, when a few years later we wonder if they'll ever stop talking? ☺

I've tried, but writing is impossible, so I'm a little over a week/chapter behind on my writing schedule.  It isn't going to get much better this week, although my goal is to at least not get any farther behind.  I know there are writing mothers out there who have to deal with this all the time, and they manage beautifully.  But they're young and able to bounce back after five hours of sleep...or less.  I'm at the age where a nap is needed during the day, even after a reasonable amount of sleep the night before.  (Memories of my parents snoozing in their recliners each evening or weekend afternoons comes to mind.)

Too, motivation is apparently on vacation.  Even if it wasn't, it's hard to get deeply into a character's POV, when a two-year-old is shrieking at the top of her sweet little lungs, because big brother--no matter which one--has decided to play with the toy she'd considered playing with thirty minutes ago.  No, I'm not kidding.  I think I've lost part of the hearing in my left ear.

So bear with me through my journey through Spring Break this week.  One way or another, I'm determined to make it and get back on schedule as soon as possible...which will probably be about the time school lets out for the summer.

The major problem of life is learning how to handle the costly interruptions. The door that slams shut, the plan that got sidetracked, the marriage that failed. Or that lovely poem that didn’t get written because someone knocked on the door. ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

A Little March Madness for Writers

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

March is in full force and the madness has begun, so it seems like the perfect time to talk about goals.  No, not the kind of goals that we set for ourselves or the goals of sporting games (basketball, football, hockey and the rest), but character goals.

Why do characters need goals?  Because without them, there's either no conflict or the conflict is weak and easily overcome or resolved.  Lack of conflict is often the biggest reason writers get rejections.

Just as in real life, a character's goal is as simple as what the character wants.  It could be a long-term want, such as something he or she has wanted since childhood, or it could be an immediate want that stems from a new circumstance.  There can be times when it's a need.  Whichever, in a good story, the character must be focused on getting it.

The goal should have strong emotional elements for the character.  This could be something she/he has looked forward to doing or having or being.  For instance, Kate Clayborne, the heroine in Bachelor Cowboy,  had vowed to remain unmarried, while keeping her culinary skills a secret from everyone in town.  Or the goal could be from something that has very recently happened or happens when the book opens.  In Bachelor Dad, Garrett Miles learns he has a four-year-old daughter and is suddenly expected to be a daddy, something he's completely unprepared to do.

In a romance, the goals of the two main characters (hero & heroine) should oppose each other.  If she wants a home and family, he should want a career or to build on a career he already has, without the encumbrance of a family.  That's pretty standard fair.  To make it a little more interesting, you could switch the roles.  Either way, each main character--aka the protagonists--have a goal.

A character's goal may change over the course of the book, so don't panic if you discover this has happened.  It can often show character growth.  For instance, the hero in The Maverick's Reward, Tucker O'Brien realized that he wanted to be able to do things with his son, things he hadn't been there to do while the boy was growing up.  That meant he had to take the physical therapy he had avoided for his badly injured leg.

In the end, the characters are able to achieve their goals...or what their goals have become.  Those goals may not resemble the original ones and might even be the opposite of what the character had wanted in the beginning, but that's character growth and very important.  Otherwise, in a romance, how would the at-odds hero and heroine ever get together?

Character goals are often formed by something that has happened to them.  It's the why of the goal. We'll take a look at character motivation--the why--next week.

First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him! - Ray Bradbury

Rewards

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

After another week that didn't net me with the page and word count I'd hope to have, I admit that I was feeling a little bummed last night.  The page count I set was unnaturally high, and I should have known that reaching the goal wouldn't be an easy task.  As it turned out, I have to sometimes learn the hard way.

But shouldn't have felt down, because I did make progress on writing projects.  Word count on blogs written was over 1500 words.  While I didn't reach the 36 pages I'd hoped for during my writing group's bi-weekly Book In A Week, I did manage 19 pages, which isn't half bad. Okay, it's a page over half good, with almost 5500 words.  So why should I feel bad?  After all, I accomplished something.

There's something inherent in far too many of us that we feel that success is only achieved by earning 100% or even more.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I wasn't all that sad with a grad of 98% in school.  And there were times when simply passing a certain test on a subject that gave me headaches to even think about (math) was something to smile about.

The thing is, any forward movement, any words added to word count, pages written, pounds lost, or whatever our goal might be is a good thing and something we should be proud of.  Instead of focusing on the negative (a goal not fully reached), why don't we focus on the positive of having worked toward that goal.

Not only should we feel more positive, but why can't we reward ourselves for progress?  Nothing big, necessarily, just something that will make us smile and acknowledge that, although we may not have done great, we did okay.

Rewarding ourselves for a job well done or a goal achieved or even for simply trying, goes a long way toward motivation.  Even in schools these days, teachers are using rewards to motivate their students.  Stickers, pretty pencils, a star by their names, or points toward a bigger prize encourages many of them to be on their best behavior, turn in their homework, or just have a good day.  There's no reason we can't do something small for ourselves, too.  A yummy strawberry, dripping with chocolate is one idea, or for those who want to add a little spring to the day, a small, inexpensive bouquet of flowers might do.

For several years, I would use a new book by author Susan Elizabeth Phillips as my reward for meeting a deadline.  While I might have purchased the book long before the goal was met, I set it aside to read when I was done.  It was a great incentive, and I might just have to revisit again.  A word of caution:  If you're in the midst of a large goal, reading a new book (or even re-reading an older one) might not be the best idea, unless the reading takes only a day.

If you're a movie fan like I am or have favorite TV shows you hate to miss, making them a part of your reward can be a great motivator.  You finished the chapter you needed to write?  Slip in a DVD, check you local cable company, or use a service like Netflix or Amazon Prime to watch a new movie or an old favorite.  Make it fun by adding popcorn or another snack, then sit back and enjoy.  Daily goals for those who have a special program to watch most days of the week on TV can use those as incentives.

Be creative.  Rewards and incentives are great motivators.  Just be sure to choose appropriate ones.  If you're dieting, a banana split may sound divine when you hit a target weight, but find something more appropriate.  New clothes, even something simple as a scarf, can be a reminder of your achievement each time you wear it or use it.

It's easy to beat ourselves up when we don't perform as well as we'd hoped.  But it doesn't do much good.  Instead, we need to stay positive and celebrate each goal met, no matter now larger or small.

Goals are dreams with deadlines. ~ Diana Scharf Hunt

Inspiration

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

Where do you get your ideas for stories?


It's one of the most frequent questions writers are asked.  It's also one of the hardest to answer, because ideas come from everywhere, and that isn't what people want to hear.

So what does "everywhere" mean?  Some ideas come from personal experience or the experience of friends or family.  For instance, the idea for my second Silhouette Romance, A Saddle Made for Two, began with my encounter with a snake in my house.  Just to make it clear, I don't like snakes.  Not one bit.  And I don't think they belong in my house.  The heroine in that book was an independent, tough talking, tiny woman who competed as a barrel racer at rodeos.  She wasn't afraid of anything...except snakes.  And relationships.  I loved Ellie, especially because her reaction to that snake in her camper was exactly what mine had been when I found the big bull snake in my kitchen.  Except for that, there's very little Ellie in me.  Well, maybe. ☺

As a rule--at least for me--inspiration isn't something I can force.  It can be coerced and teased, and there are many ways to do that.  Music is often a prime inspiration for writers, invoking emotions that are a part of something or someone in the story.  A scene in my first Silhouette Romance, Rachel's Rescuer, was inspired by a song by country singer Collin Raye.  Another by him inspired another scene and much of the idea for my Harlequin American Romance, Bachelor Cowboy.  Foreigner's Until the End of Time was the perfect description of Tucker O'Brien, the hero in The Maverick's Reward, and I played it over and over, never tiring of it.

In addition to music, inspiration comes in many forms.  Pictures and photographs aren't only used for research, but can inspire a location or the action in a scene or a character.  For many writers, a story plays out in their minds in a way that's similar to a movie.

One of my favorite things about writing is when I suddenly start "hearing" a character.  It's one of the things people who don't write seem to think is very odd.  But characters are very real to writers.  While they aren't real people, like something we can look at and see with our eyes, our imaginations see them with our mind's eyes.  And just when do these characters usually decide to talk?  Never when needed and often at the most inopportune time.  I've lost count of the number of times I've had to get out of bed and go to the computer where I can record certain childhood memories of the character that are suddenly revealed or even snippets of conversations between two characters.

Open yourself up to the many types of inspiration.  It's not important where we find inspiration, it's what we do with it.  Use yours well!

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.” - Bo Bennett

Goals Gone Wild

Sometimes we travel smoothly toward our goal, meeting each small one with relative ease, while getting closer and closer to the final big one.

Then along comes a day or a week or even more when everything and everybody seems to be determined to keep us from meeting any goal of any kind.  It's like being stuck in the far left lane of a super highway during rush hour, forced to move along with others and unable to get to the other side to the exit ramp, even if it's the wrong one.

There's no sense fighting it.  Sometimes it's easier and more mentally healthy to just go with the flow and try to think happy thoughts of whatever is impeding our progress.  Or divert thoughts of murder.  Or, at the very least, torture.  Besides, nothing is forever and life is in a constant state of flux.  If you can hang on for just a little while, the situation will change.

The fact is, nothing can stop us in our tracks quicker than goals gone wild.  Motivation flies out the window, faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than-- Well, you get the idea.  Trying to get back that motivation can be the equivalent of cleaning up the jar of honey the kids spilled on the kitchen floor.  (In our house, once upon a time, it was the bottle of Karo syrup on the cement floor of the basement.  Hey, at least it was cement.)  Our first instinct is to run far, far away.  That's the flight part of the fight-or-flight response we're all born with.  I'll admit it.  I'm a flighter.  But sooner or later, I'm going to come around and fight.  And that's where I am today.

As stated before, I have a writing goal to get me to the deadline I set for two manuscripts.  Being the Queen of Procrastination, I know that if I don't have a goal, I'll wait until the last minute to get anything done.  But when it comes to writing an entire 55,000 to 60,000 word novel, waiting until the last minute is about the worst thing that can be done.  Therefore, I've learned to set those goals (deadlines) and break them down into doable bits and pieces...even with time set aside for living the good life.  Or attempting to, anyway.

The first week didn't go as planned, but I refused to give up.  I was able to catch up, reach my word/page goal, and finish a chapter over the weekend--the last two days designated for the goal.  The next week was a mishmash of a few pages here and there, then finishing over the weekend.  While I'd initially planned to keep my weekends free, they did come in handy for catching up.  I just don't want to make a habit of doing that.

Then came last week.  As far as writing was concerned, it was a wash.  A big fat zero.  A disaster.  Even writing my blogs was eventually ignored.  Why?  My youngest daughter (and I) are once again babysitting her 2-year-old niece and 4-year-old nephew (two of my five grands).  It began last Wednesday, and in spite of my resolve to at least get blogs written regularly, I failed.  Miserably.  Not only with blogs, but my writing goal as well.  Then came Saturday, and with little sleep the night before, I attended my writing group's mini-retreat.  I had a great time and enjoyed talking about writing, brainstorming and plotting, but writing wasn't possible.  There was still Saturday evening, but those are always set aside for family night, so there was no writing done then.

By Sunday, I was a full week behind, but having been on this path to nowhere before, I took the bull by the horns, calculated how many pages a day I would have to write to get caught up in a week, and sat down at the computer.  Granted, it took me most of the day to write 5 pages (1 page more than needed for the day), but I stuck with it until the writing came a little easier.  It took three attempts to get a beginning written, but I did it.  And the 4-pages-a-day goal isn't any worse than it was before combining last week's goal with this week's, meaning my writing goal for week has doubled, but it's still easily doable.  If I'd waited, it might seem far too daunting to even attempt.  I'm glad I didn't let that happen and am already halfway through today's goal.

Family, friends, health issues, and a thousand other things can pull us away from our goals.  But that doesn't mean we have to throw up our hands and give up.  Giving up never gains anything.  So if life comes along and throws a stick in one of the wheels of your goal, stop, take a deep breath, remove the stick, and then adjust your goal in a way that it can be accomplished without pain. Believe me, if the Queen of Procrastination can do it, anyone can...and probably better.

What things in life have come along at one time or another to make you want to chuck your goals and pretend you don't know what the word means?

When the world says, “Give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.” - Author Unknown