
There is always a central conflict no matter what the genre. The protagonist is faced with a dilemma, whether it be finding love, fighting off monsters, or finding the solution to a nagging problem. It can be as simple as growing up. Some of us tend to think of our writing as mere entertainment, others want to teach, and others want to solve a moral issue that plagues them. But to really engage your audience you have to put yourself into the narrative.

When I wrote my first book I worried about showing who I was. We all talk about how this character or that character isn't us. Well, where the hell did they come from? We need to take ownership of what we write. Do our stories come from our hearts or do they come from our minds? Having a little of both strikes a good balance, in my opinion.
Looking at these things is a way to keep yourself on track. How many times have you suddenly realized that what you're writing doesn't feel right? You got off track and to get on again you must go back and discover where you left yourself. Because if you aren't in the narrative it isn't going where it's supposed to go.
Thanks for reading and I always love to hear your opinions!
www.wolfmoontrilogy.com
I'm not always sure how much of 'me' is in a book as opposed to how many aspects of my subconscious invest my characters. It's either my subconscious speaking or I have invisible playmates taking over the page :)
ReplyDeleteYes!
ReplyDeleteI should have used 'subconscious' in the piece, I think--