Sitting Down With Your Characters - Guest Post by Leah Meahl

We all know how it goes. Boy. Girl. Best Friend. Villian. Hero. Sidekick. 

One of the best things about writing stories is that we have the luxury of building a person from scratch. But once you’ve chosen the names, the hair and eye color, now it’s time to focus on their inner being. 

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Your characters psyche maybe easy to pinpoint at first, but when you start writing, you’ll realize that some initial ideas lack depth. Here are some ways to sit down with your character and get to know them. 

1 - Do your research 

As with all solid writing, research can go a long way. If your character has a medical condition, physical or mental disability, phobia, etc, you should have a good understanding of what those details involve. How will a mental disability affect one’s thoughts? How would a phobia affect a lifestyle? When you find the nuances of traits you want your characters to have, you may see or understand them better. 

2 - Solidify your image 

You may have a fuzzy idea of what your character looks like, but sometimes it’s better to look them in the eyes. One way to do that is to look up pictures that closely identify your character’s features. Pictures may help you establish vividness and consistency in your descriptions. 

3 - Ask them questions 

Interviewing your characters can be the most fun. After taking a playwriting workshop, I learned that even the most random questions can help you feel out your character. An example of some inquiries are: what genre of books would they read, what alcoholic beverage would they choose to drink, what is their go-to music? Even if these answers aren’t featured in the story, each fact helps mold who they are as a whole. 

4 - Find a real life example 

Some of the best models for characters come from the people around us. When you see the dark spots on a man’s knuckles or the bounce in a child’s step, your descriptions become accurate and relatable. When you have conversations with others, you can write natural dialogue. If someone reminds you of your character, a personality manifests before you. Your job is simply to observe and write down. 

5 - Practice hearing them 

Call me crazy, but we’re writers. Practicing your character’s dialogue out loud can be helpful. Not only does it open up ways for natural speech and choice of words, but also it supports the direction of the scene in your mind. From an editing point of view, reading aloud will confirm the fluidity of your words. So, get in touch with your inner actor and have fun with it! 

We writers have been given the gift of creating by the one and only Creator. He has woven so many beautiful and unique characteristics into His children and now we have the privilege in using His models to help with our own designs. 

If you have a project and a direction in mind, grab a cup of coffee, sit down one of your “friends” and start getting to know them. 

About the Author:

Leah Jordan Meahl is an aspiring author having graduated from North Greenville University concentrating in creative writing. She loves to share her experiences with Jesus in hopes that people will find hope, inspiration, and blessings while growing in a deeper relationship with Him. She helps people see God at work through her blog at www.meahltime.com. On the side, she also has a love for the theater as an actor and singer. In her spare time, she likes to drink coffee while diving into a captivating story. 

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Thanks for stopping by, Leah!

Readers: What's your favorite way to create characters? Do you have any tips to share with us?

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Sitting Down With Your Characters - Guest Post by Leah Meahl #writingcraft #amwriting @leahjordanmeahl @tessaemilyhall http://bit.ly/2G9D23S

Teen Writers: 5 Ways to Come Across as Professional in the Industry

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When I began my writing journey five years ago, I quickly learned that being taken seriously as a teenager in the industry was not going to be easy. For some reason, many adults already have a pre-conceived idea of teen writers: that they are wannabes who are only seeking publication for fame and recognition. Or that they will only become published because they're so young. Or that they are trying to rush into publication without first sharpening their writing skills. 
Frankly, I can't blame some of the adults who hold these opinion. Besides, they may have been seeking publication for years ... if not decades. They have studied the craft. They know how the industry works. It might not come across as "fair" to them that a teenager is able to write a book and land a publishing deal without having to go through much effort. 
So what can you, a teen writer, do now to decrease your chances of coming across as the typical teen author "wannabe"? And how can you impress an agent/publisher by becoming a professional in an industry filled with experienced adults?
1. Attend writer's conferences. 
I can't stress how valuable it is to attend a writing conference. Not only do you learn a tremendous amount of information on the craft and business of writing, but you also have the chance to network with other writers, find a writing friend (and potential critique partner), make connections, and pitch your book to agents and publishers. 
The only thing is that conferences can get pretty expensive. However, there are plenty of small conferences that you could attend as well. 
If you are able to attend a conference, trust me: It'll be worth every penny!

The first conference I attended at 16. Pictured with my first writing friend, Author Katy Kauffman. 

My second year at this conference, when I was 17. Pictured with my mom. =) 

My third year at BRMCWC, when I was 18. Pictured with Katy again.

Fourth year attending BRMCWC, 19. I received 2nd place in their contest's blog category. =)

Fifth year at BRMCWC. Purple Moon was a finalist in the YA Fiction and First Novel categories.
(And that's my publisher standing next to me.)

2. Study the industry. 
A lot of aspiring authors skip this step. However, if you want to become an "author" and not just a "writer", then research is vital in your journey towards publication. 
Writing is an art, yes -- but it is also a business. And by doing this homework, your chances of signing with an agent or a publisher will increase.
Learn the process of how a book is published. Become familiar with the publishing houses and the books/genres/authors they publish. Learn the trends of publishing: Where it has been, where it is, and where it's going. Also, research literary agents. Make a list of the ones that represent your genre. Understand what makes a reputable agent, what the role of an agent is, as well as the author/agent relationship.  
{I've compiled a list of industry blogs on the bottom of this page.}
3. Familiarize yourself with how a book is publicized. 
Even though publishing companies do help authors promote their book -- the truth is, much of the promotional efforts are up to the author. That's why publishers want to sign with authors who understand marketing. In fact, when an author sends a proposal to a publisher, they are to list strategies they have brainstormed on how they will promote their book. 
Here's why: If there are two different authors who have pitched similar stories to a publisher, the publisher is likely going to sign with the author who has the best marketing strategies OR the biggest platform. (Of course, they do take into consideration the quality of the writing and story as well.)

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Being an author requires more than just having a talent for writing. You are selling a product, too, which makes you an entrepreneur. And as an entrepreneur, understanding the ins and outs of how to promote your book is a must.  

4. Study the craft. 
You might ask: "Isn't writing an art? Can't I just rely on my natural instincts to write a book? I read enough novels, anyway; I know what goes into the making of a good book."
Yes, writing is an art. But so is filmmaking. And just because a filmmaker might watch several movies and have a "talent" doesn't mean they automatically know everything about how to make a high-quality film.
Is it okay to write the book that's on your heart before studying the craft? Of course. Reading other books and writing our own is, in fact, the best way for a writer to learn the craft. 
However, if you want to become published some day, you should, eventually, study. Just like you would with any field. And here's why: Acquisition editors (publishers) and literary agents receive multiple submissions per week. They can quickly spot which writers have done their homework and which ones haven't. 

And since they receive so many submissions per week, they usually have a list of things they look for when thumbing through their pile of manuscripts. If you want to stand out in their submissions pile, I'd suggest doing this rather than simply trusting your writerly instincts. 
Besides, if you are really passionate about writing, why wouldn't you want to learn how to better your writing? Why wouldn't you want to learn how to strengthen a scene so that the emotion is conveyed more powerfully? Or learn the techniques that could help your writing to show rather than tell?
As writers, we should want to write the best story that we possibly can. Besides, learning the craft is exciting! Call me a nerd, but I feel like a kid on Christmas morning any time I buy a new writing-craft book.  
Personally, I don't want to submit the story that I created out of natural instinct. I want to spend time with it. I want to make it shine by applying what I've learned. I want to write a book that will resonate with readers, one that will stand out in the midst of a publisher's submissions. 
{Click here for a list of craft-books and blogs.}
5. Grow your platform.

As I mentioned in #3, a publisher is highly impressed when an author already has an established platform. Nowadays, a huge portion of the marketing efforts is done via online. And even though not every author is active on social media, I have noticed that publishers do want to see at least somewhat of a web presence from their authors. 
But remember: A platform isn't grown overnight. It takes much time and effort. And even though growing one will definitely help in the long run, keep in mind that the most important thing you can do as an aspiring author is to write. That should remain your top priority. 

 ! What are other tips you could add to this list? Which of the ones I listed have you benefitted from the most? If you haven't gotten this far into your writing journey yet, do you find research overwhelming or exciting?

Capture a Vision, Create a Plan, & Pursue Your Dreams Today! {Free Download}

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I have always been an ambitious person. When people asked me as a teenager what I wanted to do after college, I could list about five different things, possibly more. (Of course, being an author was always at the top of my list!)


Maybe that's why I felt such a drive to pursue writing as a teenager. Since there are so many things I want to achieve in my life, why wouldn't I have wanted to get a head-start?


I don't think enough teenagers realize just how much potential they have. In high school, you have four years to discover your passions, four years to grow in your craft and to pursue your dreams. And yet so many teens don't take this time to their advantage. They assume that they can live on a day-by-day basis, waiting until they are an adult before taking life seriously. 


If you are a teenager, you can be wiser than that. You can tap into your potential. You can jumpstart your career and begin to pursue your dreams today. 

Do you know how much pressure would be taken off of you in the future if you did start today? You wouldn't have to worry so much about career options once you're in college. You would already have a pretty clear idea of what you want to do.


But the only way you can begin is by first capturing a vision, then creating a plan that will help you reach your goals.

The possibilities of what you could achieve in your lifetime--starting today--are endless.  However, pursuing your dreams can be a bit overwhelming ... especially if you don't even know what you want to pursue. That is why I am offering this free download. 

This 7-page download will help you: 

• Discover your passions and talents
• Choose a career that is suitable for you
• Capture a vision
• Create a plan
• Set goals
• Break down the process so your dream is achievable
• Stay motivated, inspired, and focused

You don't have to be the same as others your age. You don't have to wait until you are in college before you wonder what you want to do for the rest of your life.

If you begin to plant your dreams during your teen years, you will notice a harvest much sooner in life than most people. 

However, you can't just give up if you don't see immediate results. You need to continue watering those seeds day-by-day, allowing them to grow, and having faith that one day you will reap the benefits. There is nothing wrong with dreaming, especially if you're a young person.  But there will come a time when you need to wake up long enough to pursue those dreams.  If you are interested in beginning today, print out these pages. I recommend that you keep them in a binder and refer to them any time you may feel tempted to give up, any time you are not inspired, or any time you just need a fresh reminder of your vision. Ready to get started? Click here to download the pages!  Feel free to let me know if you have any questions. I will be happy to assist you in any way that I can! =) 
♡ ♡ ♡
What is the one dream that has always been on your heart? Do you have one dream you would like to pursue or multiple dreams?

Preparing to Write Part 3: How to Create a Plot Guideline & Outline + Giveaway!

The past two weeks, I shared tips on how to brainstorm and "plan" your story. (Yes, planning is different than plotting!) This week, I will be discussing how to plot and outline your story. 

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To be honest, this is probably the most difficult step in preparing to write--at least for me it is. Although I don't plan every single scene of my book before begin writing, I do like to have a general guideline to follow. And even if you are a panster, I recommend that you do the same. 
➙ Creating a Plot Guideline
I have found that, when I take the time to create a plot guideline before writing my first draft, I end up saving myself a lot of stress (and writer's blocks!). 
First, your protagonist must have a desire. Your readers don't want to read about your protagonist's uninteresting day-to-day life. They need something to root for. And the conflict that you weave into your novel should be stemmed from your protagonist's desire.
  I'll be honest with you: I used to skip over this part. My "story starter" never began with a goal--and because of that, I completely forgot to establish a goal within those first three chapters.
This is what I did in the first draft of Purple Moon, and it resulted in a character-driven novel that lacked a well-developed plot. (I had two professionals in the industry tell me that my plot was underdeveloped.) 
So what did I do? I went back to the very beginning and gave my protagonist an obvious desire. I then had to weave in plot threads that stemmed from Selena trying to reach her goal, but never quite making it. 
This is why it is crucial that you establish this before you begin to write.

In Brandilyn Collin's book Getting Into Character, she gives a great general plot guideline to create while preparing to write:        1) Begin with a desire. 2) Weave in four obstacles that will prevent your protagonist from reaching this desire. 3) Then, create a denial, which is when the character realizes that reaching their desire is impossible.  4) If natural to the flow of your story, create a devastation. This is usually when your protagonist has hit rock bottom and is even worse off than they were to begin with. 5) End with your protagonist either reaching their goal in a different way than they had hoped, or realizing that it wasn't what they wanted after all.

"[Desires] set the course for conflict, dialogue, and choices within a scene."  ~Brandilyn Collins

➙ Creating an Outline
Once you have created your plot guideline, you can then create an outline for your novel. This can be as brief or as detailed as you'd like.
I prefer to create a "broad" outline, which contains the major events of the story. I do this in the form of a timeline so I can keep track of when each scene takes place.
To begin, I write down Ch. 1 through Ch. 30 on a document. Although none of my books end up finishing with 30 chapters, I like to plan it this way at the beginning so I can have the same general story structure for all of my novels. This helps to plot and gives me an idea as to when certain events should take place. (It isn't until the last couple of drafts that I arrange my chapters so it is more natural to the flow of the story.)
How I outline: (For the big-picture outliners)
CHAPTER ONE
Fri, March 21: Sally hangs out with her best friends at the park Sat, March 22: Sally finds out that her family is moving to another state in only one week

CHAPTER TWO
Sat, March 22: Sally breaks the news to her best friend Sun, March 23:  Mon, March 24: Sally's final week at her school. Has an argument with her mom at home about the move. 
CHAPTER THREE
Tues, March 25: Sally packs for the move Wed, March 26:  Thurs, March 27:  Fri, March 28: Sally's friends throw her a surprise goodbye party Sat, March 29: Her family's moving day. Sally then finds out the truth behind why they're having to move so quickly--and when she finds out, she refuses to leave.
(Don't worry, this outline is a demonstration only. =) )
As you can see, I left a lot of room for developing the story's details (pansting) as I write. The dates that do not have a scene should be written anyway (as shown above) so you do not confuse yourself. (It is also a good idea to leave the dates in case you want to add or rearrange your scenes.)
Also, I recommend you find a calendar that corresponds with your dates. This will especially come in handy if you ever get confused and for some reason lose track of the dates (which I have done a few times). For example--since the above timeline fits this year's calendar, I would Google "March 2014 calendar" and save the image I find (below). 

Is it necessary to know the dates? Definitely. Otherwise, you might get in trouble later on. Also, if your story contains certain holidays, you will need to plan ahead so that it falls on the correct date. Creating a timeline not only prevents confusion, but it serves as a great visual guideline as well.
Again, this outline is recommend for those who want to plan the "big picture" of the novel rather than the details. This method gives you plenty of freedom to rearrange the outline as you write your story.
Other ways to outline: (For the detailed outliners)
If you prefer to outline every detail before writing, I recommend the Microsoft Word outline feature. I tried this for a while and found it very helpful. (However, if you use this method, I recommend keeping another document for the timeline of your novel.) Click here for instructions on how to use this feature.  You could also use apps, such as:

• Outline Pro $9.99
• Outliner for iPad $4.99
• ThinkBook $3.99
• Simple Outliner $2.99
• Tree $14.99
• Notability $2.99
• iOutline for iPad $0.99
• Simple Outliner Free
• Outline Free
• OmniOutliner $49.99

No, not every writer needs to outline. However, if you are a panster, you should at least create a plot guideline so your story's focus will remain clear, and to prevent losing your way as you write.

     ✎ Are you a big-picture or detailed outliner? How do you create your outlines? 

♡ ♡ ♡

Giveaway!

One person will win a free two-week writing mentoring course through my Write Now program! 

The winner will:

• Receive critiques on their writing
• Receive lessons especially designed to fit their writing needs
• Have the opportunity to receive feedback on their current novel
• Set reasonable goals for their writing
• And more!

(Recommended for ages 13 - 25) 

Interested? Enter below! =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

photo credit: Rennett Stowe via photopin cc