The Nine Plots: Character vs. Society
"May the odds be ever in your favor." In a post-apocalyptic future, the Capitol maintains absolute control over the collapsed North American government. To remind the citizens of their place in society, the Capitol hosts the annual Hunger Games – a nationally televised death match between children ages 12-18 years [...]
The Nine Plots: Character vs. Setting
Not every villain has a face. In some stories, your hero’s greatest challenge is his surroundings. Jack London’s Call of the Wild is a classic example of the main character battling the elements. More recently, Twister is an excellent example of your character versus his or her surroundings. In case [...]
How to Start Your Story: A Great Beginning
Aside from the obvious, what is “the beginning” of your story? What does it do? What purpose does it serve? I like to think of the beginning as the introduction. It has a lot of responsibility. You need to introduce your setting, characters, and character goals/conflicts while capturing the reader’s [...]
The Nine Plots: Character vs. the Machine
Forget battling people – imagine that your antagonist is a machine. The tension is more than just your protagonist fighting with his computer or printer though. In this plot line, your character goes head-to-head with a thinking, planning machine. A great example of this plot is I, Robot with Will [...]
Author Interview: Kathryn Sue Moore
Hello, and welcome back for another author interview! This month I'm happy to interview a new member of the Great Lakes Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathryn's debut novel released earlier this year, and she's hard at work on book two. Here's how she does it: Hi, and thanks [...]