Wet Noodle Posse

Friday, October 23, 2009

We've explored some fun topics this week. Now let's switch gears to writing.

What can writers do to improve their stories' turning points?

At 1:02 PM, Theresa Ragan said...: Ummm...how about raise the conflict a notch! Up the stakes. Make the reader want to know what's going to happen!

Turning point in fiction signal to me that the main character should change in some way...or the reader should see something more clearly or take a new course of action.

Donald Maass says something in his book about the changes with the viewpoint character being internal and external. Must go read up on this more! :)
At 2:45 PM, Mo H said...: Theresa,
Yup, when in doubt up the conflict, that's what I like to do, too!
At 10:31 PM, Delle Jacobs said...: I know a critique group who have a saying: "Rocks! Throw more rocks!"

It comes from their overall plan to have your character chased by wolves and forced to climb a tree- but that's not good enough. While he's up there, throw rocks at him.

Make the situation grow tougher and tougher, until your hero/heroine is down to his last straw, when he must make changes or else. Then comes the enlightening moment when he finally understands what he must do and why. And a truly black moment at this time can come when he knows he must sacrifice for others in spite of the fact that all is lost for him.
At 6:55 AM, Terry Odell said...: I'm working on a mystery right now, so it's usually 'add another body' or 'throw in another suspect' or 'have the suspect turn into a red herring.'