Make a Fiction Story Work - 5 Tips

 

 Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer and Self-Publisher

 What was the last story you read that stayed with you. A story that made you feel. A story that took you on an adventure or had you sitting on the edge of your seat. 

These types of stories have it. They have the key to making a story work.

So, how do you go about creating a story like this?

5 TOP TIPS TO WRITING A FICTION STORY THAT WORKS

1. It’s got to have conflict.

Your protagonist MUST be striving for something, and it should be something significant. She needs obstacles in her way that she must overcome to keep the reader engaged enough to turn the page.

The reader has to be pulled into the story, wondering if, and more so hoping that, the protagonist reaches her goal.

You wouldn’t have much of a story following a couple in an amusement park going from ride to ride, waiting in line for food, and so on. There’s nothing for the reader to get involved with. There’s no emotional element.

Or, what if a great writer puts two children in a story that takes place at the Bronx Zoo? The narrator describes in detail all the exhibits they visit, and does it wonderfully. But what does the reader have to sink her teeth into? 

One of my all-time favorite movies was Thelma and Louise. The conflict was never-ending. And it was the conflict that kept you on the edge of your seat.

That’s how you want your readers to feel. There needs to be conflict in order to make the reader feel. It doesn’t have to be ‘seat of your pants’ drama, but it needs to be significant. It can be external or internal, but it has to be something the reader can grab and hang on to. 

2. The readers need to be invested.

A good story brings the reader into the protagonist’s shoes. This is what will motivate the reader to like and root for the protagonist.

The story has to have substance.

Going back to Thelma and Louise, one wrong decision spiraled out of control into what seemed to them like a live-or-die situation.

Circumstances and choices took them bounding out of control, as if caught up in a tornado. 

It evoked emotion in just about everyone who saw the movie. Everyone was rooting for the protagonists.

In an article titled “Make Readers Deeply Connect to Your Characters,” the author calls this key factor “transportation.” 

You’re bringing the reader out of their reality and into your story world. You’re transporting them. Like Alice when she steps into the rabbit hole. Down, down, down she went into another world.

3. The characters have to act ‘real’ and be likable.

Your characters need to be multifaceted. They need to behave like real people. This means they’ll have both good and bad traits, as well as weaknesses. It may be they’re indecisive or afraid of everything. 

Your characters should make great decisions, but they should also make poor ones.

Along with this, your protagonist needs to be likable. He needs to have traits that the reader will admire and connect with. It’s important that the reader likes the protagonist.

Maybe your protagonist will be honest, heroic, responsible, or loyal.

You get the idea. These are characteristics that most people admire in others. They’re characteristics that will draw the reader in.

I forgot what movie it was, and I forgot the exact details, but basically, the protagonist was sitting in a diner across from her date. Another woman, elegantly dressed, walked past with toilet paper stuck to the bottom of her shoe. The toilet paper woman was heading to a table where a man was waiting for her.

The protagonist excused herself for a moment. She got up, walked behind the woman, and stepped on the paper to remove it from the woman’s shoe. Then she sat back down and returned to her conversation.

The woman who passed by never knew the kindness the protagonist showed her. And the protagonist didn’t mention what she did to her date.

This simple act of kindness spoke volumes about the protagonist’s character. She’s the type of person you’d like to be friends with.

4. The protagonist needs to have some heroic qualities.

At some point in the story, the protagonist needs to take action. This can be in several small incidents that she overcomes throughout the story. Or it can be in a single climactic incident that wraps up the story.

It may be after one, two, or three failures, but ultimately, the protagonist must step up. Whether it’s physical or emotional, whether internal or external, she needs to fight through all obstacles that stand in her way.

Readers want a purposeful story. They want and even expect the protagonist to be victorious. 

5. Tie up all loose ends.

When you’re getting to the end of your story, make sure all loose ends are tied up. Any tidbits of information you put out there must be resolved.
You don’t want her wondering why something was mentioned in the story and left unresolved.

One example is mentioning that the protagonist’s close friend lost his dog. Then there’s no mention of it. Was the dog found?

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DOG?

Another example is in a middle-grade manuscript I just read. The author had the protagonist’s friend say he couldn’t attend the protagonist’s special event because he had something URGENT to do that day.

Afterward, there was no mention of the urgent matter.

This is a NO-NO. What was so urgent? Why was it mentioned if it wasn’t followed up on?

As I read the manuscript, I knew that part would either have to be addressed (tied up) or eliminated.

These loose ends are things that will gnaw at the reader. 

So, there you have it.

While there is more involved in writing good fiction, these five are at the top of the ‘good fiction story’ list.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Karen Cioffi is a children’s writer and self-publisher with clients worldwide. For more tips on writing for children or if you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children. While there, you can check out Karen’s books.  

And don’t forget to CONNECT. 

 

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A feature in the right column of this blog lets you subscribe to #SharingwithWriters so you don’t miss any of Karen’s posts on writing for children.  

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MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

AN EASY PEASY WAY TO POST AMAZON REVIEWS

An Easy Peasy Way to Post Amazon Reviews

By Lois W. Stern, 

My #TheNewBookReview associate and 

Your #TheNewBookReview contact 

Our guest post on this #SharingwithWriters today is my associate who makes my other blog, tick. She suggested to me in our frequent text messages that an author chosen for her inclusion in one of the books in the anthology series she founded and publishes mentioned that he thinks there are more authors who don’t know how to do their fellow authors (and themselves!) a favor by leaving reviews on Amazon!  So, I conned Lois into sharing simple instruction with visitors and subscribers to this blog, indeed I both conned and begged her to do it. Be sure to read her credit line below that covers some of the other free and massively successful things she does and recommends to help her battery of anthology contributors as well as authors in general including her value-added contests for placement in her anthologies. I did say, FREE, didn’t I? 

Posting Amazon Reviews the Easy Way

Lately Amazon has nearly hidden that magic spot for posting a book review, but here's a simple way to get directly to it:

1. Begin by typing AMAZON.COM  into your browser.

2. Find a search bar that looks like this: 

• 

3. Click on the little arrow for the drop-down menu on the left side of the bar until you come to the word “BOOKS.”

4. Once there, type the title of the book you are planning to review. 

5. Now look to the right of an image of the book. You will see a row of stars that will look like this:

• 
  
  (The number on the left indicates the rating average of the title you chose. The average rating for this book was 5 stars.The number on the right indicates the number of reviews this book received. So far this book received 6 reviews and all of them were rated five stars! 

6. Click on those stars and the following window pops up: 
7. There you are! Click on SEE CUSTOMER REVIEWS at the bottom of the graph.

8. Next click on the "Write a Customer review”  prompt in the oval bar and you’re good to go. 

     Here are a couple ways you will benefit from writing reviews: 

 

From an author’s viewpoint, it’s really all about learning more about our industry, getting ideas to motivate and inspire, and to network with other authors. The process will introduce you to influencers and be one part of your own path to influencing others! Increase the effectiveness of each of your reviews by sending a thank you that includes a link to wherever you publish it, on Amazon, on your blog, at Goodreads. That Amazon doesn’t allow that is a mistaken rumor. You can find a quotation to that effect directly from Amazon in Carolyn’s  How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically.

THINK YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO WRITE A REVIEW? 

CHECK OUT A FEW HINTS TO HELP YOU HERE.

Guestpost: Just Because I Find Both Solace and Gifts In Times of Grief

I suspect many of my followers and visitors have trouble finding the perfect gift for their friends who are in grief, and that on occasion includes themselves.  As my own years accumulate I find myself losing friends at a faster rate than I could have possibly imagined and if that feel of loss is accompanied by frustration over not know what to send to a grieving frend--even which book that’s out there!, I feel compelled to share this one by one of the most prolific author I know.    

Dawn Colclasure is a writer that I collaborate with occasionally and have come to be long distance friends over the many years we’ve been doing that and I was struck by this. her Substack entry, she recently published after the release of her Last Writes and felt I must share it. So, naturally, I just asked.  It’s a miracle technique that works more often than not! So here it is with my gratitude, and--I hope--yours! 

A Time to Grieve and a Time to Write

By Dawn Colclasure

“You’ve really captured the raw anger that exists alongside the sadness when mourning such a devastating loss.” This is one of the comments that was made by my editor when she edited my latest poetry book, Last Writes. And what’s interesting is that I wrote that very poem when I was going through that very experience. I was sad that my brother died, but I was also angry. These two emotions coexisting had such a strong impact on me during that time that I had to write it down in verse. The poem that resulted, “Sadness and Anger,” is just one of the poems that I ended up including in my book. Thinking about it now, over a year later, I don’t think I would have been able to write that poem with the same kind of grasp that I had on that sort of situation if I were to write it now. Sometimes it’s better to write about our personal and unique experiences as they are happening.

Of course, not every writer is going to write about a personal experience as a poem. However, it can be written about in a personal journal or a blog post. I have many friends who have written about their personal experiences in a Facebook post just to capture that experience while it is still fresh in their minds.

But whatever way a person chooses to record their personal experiences or some kind of emotional trauma they are going through, the very act of putting everything into words is what can help the writer write more realistically about these things in their work.

It usually isn’t easy for someone to write about the trauma or loss they are experiencing. Most people feel that writing about missing a loved one or the sheer sadness over losing someone can make them feel worse. However, what it actually does is provide us with an outlet to release our pain, process our emotions, and work through our thought processes. In most cases, with the act of writing about a traumatic experience privately, it provides the person with a private place to air all of their grievances, give voice to their negative feelings and act as a sounding board for all of the things that they want to say but feel that they can’t say. This, too, can work to the writer’s benefit, because it allows them access to the raw emotions overpowering them in the moment which could be sourced later on in their work of fiction or poetry.

So the next time you experience something that really tugs at your heart and shatters your soul, write about it as soon as you are able to. Write all of the good things as well as all of the bad things. You will feel better for releasing all of these emotions and thoughts raging inside of you, and grateful later on that you can use it in your writing.

CAROLYN’S ADDENDUM: Reading a book like “Last Writes” helps, too. It’s on my very short list of possible gifts for friends--both writers and readers. 

MORE ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST, DAWN COLCLASURE

Dawn Colclasure is a Deaf writer in Eugene, Oregon. She began writing at a young age. She’s a freelance writer, book reviewer, and columnist. She is the author and co-author of several books, among them several poetry books such as Touched by Fire, April Showers, We Will Never Have Enough Daysand Nature Therapy. Her poetry, articles, essays and short stories have appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites and anthologies. She publishes the SPARREW Newsletter online each month, which includes the helpful Tricky Edits column written by Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Her websites are  https://dawnsbooks.com/ and https://www.dmcwriter.com/. She’s on Facebook, Bluesky @dmcwriter.bsky.social, TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@dawncolclasurewilson , tumblr under the name crankytruthseeker, and Instagram @dawn10325. 

 

Dawn was inspired to write this post for her Substack shortly after her new poetry book, Last Writes (https://www.amazon.com/Last-Writes-Dawn-Colclasure/dp/B0H8ZWZDDJ/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0) was published. The fact that poetry she had written while grieving the loss of her brother one year ago moved her to pen these words, with the understanding that sometimes, the hardest things we go through in life are the things we need to write about.

MORE ON DAWN’S LIBRARY OF PUBLISHED WORKS FOR YOU TO READ AND SHARE INCLUDING EVEN HER HORROR NOVELS AND POETRY: 

Dawn Colclasure is a Deaf writer in Eugene, Oregon. She began writing at a young age. She’s a freelance writer, book reviewer, and columnist. She is the author and co-author of several books, among them several poetry books such as Touched by Fire, April Showers, We Will Never Have Enough Daysand Nature Therapy. Her poetry, articles, essays and short stories have appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites and anthologies. She publishes the SPARREW Newsletter online each month, which includes the helpful Tricky Edits column written by Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Her websites are  https://dawnsbooks.com/ and https://www.dmcwriter.com/. She’s on Facebook, Bluesky @dmcwriter.bsky.social, TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@dawncolclasurewilson , tumblr under the name crankytruthseeker, and Instagram @dawn10325. 

 

Dawn was inspired to write this post for her Substack shortly after her new poetry book, Last Writes (https://www.amazon.com/Last-Writes-Dawn-Colclasure/dp/B0H8ZWZDDJ/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0) was published. The fact that poetry she had written while grieving the loss of her brother one year ago moved her to pen these words, with the understanding that sometimes, the hardest things we go through in life are the things we need to write about.

BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents, Love is Like a Rainbow: Poems of Love and Devotion, Songs of the Dead, The Yellow Rose, DOGS FOREVER: Poems for the Dog Person (with Jennifer Wilson), Follow That Dream, On the Wings of Pink Angels: Triumph, Struggle and Courage Against Breast Cancer, The Perfect Christmas, A Million Doughnuts, Hunter's Upcycling Adventures, Satyrs Are Cool: Poems of Mythological Creatures (with Jennifer Wilson), The GHOST Group, Book One (The Ghosts of Sarah Travers and The Crying Valentine), Touched by Fire, Shadow of Samhain, Terror In The Night I - Alien Abduction Exposed! (with Martha Jette and Usko Ahonen), The Warrior Way, Parenting Pauses: Life as a Deaf Parent, April Showers, The GHOST Group Book Two (The Ghost of the Irish Setter and The Ghost of the Missing Hiker), Remember the Soldier, Wolf Whispers, A Ghost on Every Corner, Yesterday's Words, Faded Reflection, Wandering Soul, God's Birds, Burning the Midnight Oil Revisited, Seasonal Songs, Fabulously Frugal: How to Manage Your Money, Live for Less and Build Up Your Savings, Poems for the Grieving Heart, Imprint, Ramblings & Misgivings, Dream World, We Will Never Have Enough Days, Savage World, Remembering Sunny, The Dream Forest, Self-Care Suggestions Book, True Ghost Stories, The Idea Workbook: How to Choose and Use Your Ideas, 101 Quotes on Poetry, The Big Book of Writing Challenges, 10 Ways to Boost Your Mental Health, Meditating Heart, The GHOST Group: Book Three, Free Stuff For Writers, Lost Soul, 5 Tales, The Power of Words, Tarnished Heart, Write for Your Life! The Health Benefits of Writing, A Tiny Light, The Newbie Author's Guide to Getting Your Book Published, Write Like the Wind! Inspirational Notes for Writers, Promote Your Book on a Shoestring...or Less, The House That Madness Built, 30 Flash Horror Stories, Only In My Dreams, Terrors, The Worst Thing You Ever Did, All the Beautiful Things, Watch This Space, Shadows, Nature Therapy, Monsters and Mayhem, Triggered, Other, Vengeance from Beyond, I'll Be Ghosting You, Home for the Holidays, Christmas Frights, Curse of the Blood Witch, 3 A.M. Poetry, Noiseless, Last Writes  

Learn more about her writing at https://dawnsbooks.com/ and https://dmcwriter.com and subscribe to her FREE newsletter SPARREW at https://www.sparrewsite.com/  You’ll also find her active on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4019506.Dawn_Colclasure and many more. 

MORE ABOUT YOUR BLOGGER

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. 

 Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). 

In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Are Secondary Characters Needed?

 

 

 

 Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer and Self-Publisher

 Before I get started, a secondary character is any character in the story aside from the protagonist (main character) and the antagonist (villain or force in opposition to the protagonist).

An antagonist doesn’t have to be a character. It can be an internal emotional or mental problem. Or, it can be an external force, such as a category 4 hurricane that the protagonist must prepare for or fight to survive.

It’s also important to mention that there are two categories or ‘subclasses’ of secondary characters:

1. The supporting character.
A supporting character is a substantial part of your story. She or he is part of the protagonist’s life and is usually there throughout the story, helping move the story forward.

An example of this is Chen from “Walking Through Walls”. Wang is the protagonist, and Chen is his best friend. Wang bounces many of his problems off Chen, and Chen advises him. Chen is the voice of reason and calm, while Wang wants what he wants and is impatient.

This friendship is an essential part of the story. It’s part of what makes Wang choose one course of action over another in the end.

Sometimes, supporting characters can have their own subplot. Using “Walking Through Walls” again, Chen was chosen by his village to become an Eternal apprentice. His village was invaded by neighboring warriors, and his younger sister was abducted.
Supporting characters can be a catalyst for the direction the story takes.

Chen’s backstory also plays a part in the direction Wang takes in his character arc. Along with this, supporting characters are essential to a book series.

Think of just about any series on TV (old or new): The Big Bang Theory, Superman, NCIS, Elementary, The X-Files, even the MythBusters. You expect to see the supporting cast. You’d be disappointed if you didn’t.

2. The minor character.
A minor character is someone who may make a brief appearance in the story or is there in the background throughout. They give the story more authenticity and dimension. There will most likely be various minor characters throughout a book.

For example, in “Walking Through Walls,” Wang and Chen are in an apprenticeship with other students. These students help create a dimensional world for the story. But, while they exist and are mentioned here and there, they aren’t essential to the story.

A great example of a minor character is the taxi driver, Sylvester, from the 1947 movie “The Bishop’s Wife.” Sylvester was only in a couple of scenes, but he was memorable, adding nothing more than humor to those particular scenes.

Summing it Up

Supporting characters are vital. They enhance story depth, drive the plot, and provide the protagonist with necessary support and conflict, making every story more engaging.

Sources:

http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall10/kane_amanda/character_types.htm
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/how-to-write-effective-supporting-characters
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/what-is-a-minor-character-understanding-the-minor-characters-role 

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

 

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s writer and self-publisher with clients worldwide. For more tips on writing for children or if you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children. While there, you can check out Karen’s books.  

And don’t forget to CONNECT. 

-----

A feature in the right column of this blog lets you subscribe to #SharingwithWriters so you don’t miss any of Karen’s posts on writing for children.  

----- 

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.