by Stephanie Dethlefs | May 11, 2023 | First Draft, How to write a novel, Planning your book, writing craft
How do we create characters that are nuanced and complex without being stereotypical, flat, or strange caricatures of themselves? The key is to know them. Like, really know them. Recommended reading: How to Plan a Character Arc Transcript: Stephanie (00:07):Hello...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | May 10, 2023 | Character Development, First Draft, How to write a novel, Planning your book, Plot development, writing craft
Who is one of your favorite fictional characters? [I’ll give you a minute to think.] Once you’ve named one, I’d like you to take a minute and think of three ways you would describe the character. Try to only use one of them as a physical descriptor. And…go! (I’ll...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Apr 27, 2023 | Book Coaching, First Draft, How to write a novel, Planning your book, writing craft
Is your narrator looking back on the story with the benefit of perspective? Or is the narrator moving through time along with the events of the story? In this video, we look at all of the places a narrator can be standing (and the advantages and drawbacks to each) so...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Apr 25, 2023 | Audience, Book Coaching, First Draft, How to write a novel, Planning your book, writing craft
You know that feeling when you walk into a room full of people and there are several different conversations going on? Or when you come downstairs to find that your video game-playing teenager forgot to put on his headphones in one room while your spouse is watching...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Apr 5, 2023 | Book Coaching, Books for Writers, First Draft, How to write a novel, Reading for Writers, Revision, writing craft
In this video, I share two of my favorite resource books that directly (or indirectly) solve the “show, don’t tell” dilemma most writers face. The Scene Book: A Primer for the Fiction Writer, by Sandra ScofieldUnderstanding Show, Don’t Tell (And Really Getting It),...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Mar 29, 2023 | Book Coaching, First Draft, How to write a novel, Planning your book, Plot development, writing craft
In the pilot episode of the television show Lost, which aired in 2004, main character Jack opens his eyes to discover that he has survived a plane crash and is currently surrounded by chaos. He immediately jumps up and into action, helping other survivors. Once things...
