<![CDATA[Fearless Prose

<![CDATA[Fearless Prose - Blog]]>Wed, 06 May 2026 23:22:31 +0930Weebly<![CDATA[Explore Different Facets of Your Characters]]>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 13:30:00 GMThttps://www.fearlessprose.com/fearlessproseblog/explore-different-facets-of-your-characters

Purpose

The purpose of this exercise is to develop a deeper understanding of non-Point of View (POV) and Point of View characters.

Even though you might not use what you've written in your story, it will open your eyes to the desires, motivations, fears and idiosyncrasies of secondary characters, which enables you to write more realistic friends, colleagues, family members and villains.

Exercise

Choose a location where you can put several of your characters together. The place and situation could be from your story or something totally different. It doesn't really matter, but if you need some ideas, try a cafe, community event or an aisle at a department store.

Choose three characters you are going to put in this location including a POV character and two non-POV characters.

Why do they interact? Come up with a reason for these characters to have a discussion, e.g. arguing, getting an opinion across, discovering information about someone else, working together for a cause.

Jot down some ideas for each character:

Imagine what the location looks like and what's going on around these characters. Is it crowded or quiet, warm or cool, what does the room smell like? Think about what each character can see, touch, taste and smell.
Considering each character's upbringing, personality, job, hobbies and reason for being at this location, what kinds of details would they notice? For example, a detective might notice a teenager acting suspiciously in a dim corner, a waitress might notice the large bills in a man's wallet and hope he tips well, and a gardener might notice the well-kept pot plants by the window.
What emotional state is each character in? This will depend on why each character is there, how they feel about the other people in the room and even what sort of day they're having.
What opinion does each character have of the other characters and the topic they're discussing? Try to show what they want, why and how their approach and temperament is different.

Now, write a scene where these characters interact with and speak to one another.

Reflect

Take a look at what you’ve learnt about these characters, e.g. their personality, beliefs, desires, motivations and attitudes. Do they see themselves differently to how others see them? How can you use this information to make them more interesting on the page, even if you're not writing from their POV?

Once you have completed this exercise, leave a comment below to share your experience. Did you learn new things about your characters? Will it enable you to add depth to your story?

Bonus Character Profile Template

Grab a copy of my FREE Character Profile template to help you develop multifaceted characters. It's more than just a list of physical traits and preferences; this template includes prompts to help you ferret out your character's deepest desires, fears and motivations.

]]><![CDATA[4 Essential Planning Strategies to Ensure You Write a Compelling Novel]]>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 07:49:09 GMThttps://www.fearlessprose.com/fearlessproseblog/4-essential-novel-planning-strategiesAuthor: Sandy Vaile
First published on the Writers in the Storm blog 30/04/24.

You are in the right place if you are preparing to write a novel and want to set yourself up for success.

Whether you're a seasoned writer or taking your first steps into the world of fiction, one truth remains constant: successful storytelling begins long before the first words grace the page.

Beneath the romanticised notion of dreaming up an idea and penning a best seller, lies the reality that the path to a compelling story is paved with careful planning, deliberate choices and meticulous attention to detail.

But, forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes.
If you are aware of what to expect from the writing process, you can focus on the exhilaration of creation instead of getting bogged down in uncertainty.

When preparing to write, consider:

Solidifying a vague idea into a compelling concept.
Understanding the boundaries of the project.
Make a realistic plan to write the book.
Understanding essential concepts so you don’t fall into common traps.

Vague Idea to Compelling Concept

Picture yourself in a cozy writing nook, bathed in the soft glow of a desk lamp, the faint scent of well-worn books in the air. Your fingers dance across the keyboard to the soothing backdrop of rain tapping against the windowpane. This is the joy of bringing imaginary worlds to life, but there are a few vital questions we need to ask ourselves before diving headfirst into writing.

Sculpting a vague idea into a compelling novel requires digging beneath that first spark of an idea to uncover the underlying themes, conflicts and characters that lie dormant.
To give all of the shiny ideas swirling through your mind a purpose, it helps to understand the following.

Quote by Sandy Vaile - Successful storytelling

Why do you want to tell this story?

Recognising what is driving you to tell a particular story helps clarify what you aim to achieve. Entertainment is rarely the only reason to write a story. Our beliefs and interests shine through the themes we choose to explore. Some authors want to open minds to a new way of thinking, other like to expose social inadequacies, or make a statement about corruption or unethical behaviour, or inspire others, or challenge commonly held assumptions.

Other reasons your “why” is important:

When we have something to say about a topic, it influences decisions we make as we write and tethers everything in the story.
When we’re passionate about topics, it gets us fired up to keep writing even when the going gets tough.
By aligning our story with our values and passions, it enhances our sense of purpose and satisfaction, also making it easier to imbue our unique voice into the book.
We write for like-minded readers, so these motivations also help us connect what we want to say to our audience, compelling them to invest time between the pages we create.

Whose story will this be?

In my opinion, it’s vital to determine the focal point of a story. The ONE character whose story you’re telling.

There might be other main characters with important roles, their own goals and motivations, but it’s that one character who determines what belongs in the story and what doesn’t. Everything serves to help or hinds their journey towards their goal.
This clarity creates a cohesive plot.

What story are you telling?

There are infinite possibilities for the direction of each idea, so knowing what aspects are important to you, will help narrow the direction of the narrative. Without a clear purpose, stories may meander aimlessly, lacking the resonance and depth needed to captivate readers.

Articulate the essence of the story through one or all of these:

A story concept states central themes explored in the story, e.g. The Three Little Pigs premise might be that foolishness leads to death and wisdom leads to happiness.
A dramatic question is a query that centres around the main character’s central conflict, which your story will answer by the end, e.g. Will Romeo and Juliet ever be together?
A story premise is a high-level paragraph of what the story is about at its core. It highlights details that are unique to this story, including who (main characters), what (conflict), where (location), when (if the era is important) and why (motivation, which also hints at the stakes).

E.g. When Harry Potter discovers he’s a wizard and the chosen child, he not only has to
learn magic but defeat the all-powerful ‘he who must not be named’.

Example
See how I took the initial idea for my book Inheriting Fear and created a premise that guided the direction of the story.

Idea – A tough, independent woman who rides a motorbike and is in danger from some bad people.
Dramatic question – What if a fiercely independent woman had to rely on others to survive?
Premise – A reclusive motorbike-riding chef is stalked by an enemy from her past and forced to rely on a cocky detective who thinks she’s his best suspect, to avoid becoming the next victim.

Understand Project Boundaries

Once you’ve unearthed the essence of your story idea, it’s time to breathe life into it by fleshing out its key elements.

If you are a plotter, there are lots of decisions to make and brainstorming to be undertaken before you start writing. (If you are a pantser, most of this gets done in the second draft.)

Things like:

Genre - Knowing your genre helps you can understand reader expectations and the specific conventions for that genre, e.g. structure, word count and world building.
Point of View and tense - Which can be influenced by genre norms and personal preference.
Central character goals – So you are clear about the external goals and internal desires that will motivate them to keep striving for their goal even when it seems impossible to reach.
World building – This is especially if the story is set on a different planet or era, so it’s clear what the physical, magical, psychological, cultural, flora and fauna looks like. What rules guide characters, what myths and legends are important to them, what governing and commerce structures are in place, etc.
Plot outline – Can provide a foundation upon which to build the narrative, or a structure for editing the first draft. Some authors like to know exactly where there story is going, others prefer to discover as they write, and many are a blend of the two methods.
Starting point of the story - There are a variety of methods for choosing the opening scene, but the main goal is to immediately hook readers by showing the characters in action.

It’s important to note that you shouldn’t stress too much at this point. Revisit this decision after writing the manuscript, because you’ll have a better idea of will draw readers into the story by then.

Make a Plan to Write

Making a plan to get the job done might include:

Tools or resources you need.
Learning about story craft.
Determining how much time you realistically have to dedicate to writing each week around work and family commitments. If you have a deadline in mind, calculate how many words you need to aim for each week.

A good formula for this is: total word count divided by weeks = word count goal per week.

80,000 ÷ 13 weeks (3 months) = 6,150 words per week
80,000 ÷ 25 weeks (6 months) = 3,200 words per week
80,000 ÷ 52 weeks (12 months) = 1,540 words per week

Essential Novel Survival Concepts

Writing a novel is a challenging endeavour that requires dedication, persistence and resilience. Understanding what to expect and having realistic expectations certainly helps.

Here are a few realities to set your mind at ease.

1.You are writing a ‘first draft’ and they are as messy and unruly as a teenager finding their way in the world.

You won’t always know what comes next.
You may write yourself into dead ends and spend weeks pondering a particularly gnarly plot problem.
It’s all part of the process.

The only goal of a first draft is to get to ‘the end’, so push through until you have a whole, gloriously imperfect manuscript.

2.Finishing a first draft is only part of the writing process.

Revising is likely to take just as long because there will be plenty of problems to solve, research to be done and scenes to be moved or (God forbid) cut, and feedback to seek.
Don’t underestimate how long it will take you to do countless rounds of edits.

3.DO NOT give up your day job with the belief that it’s easy to pen a best-seller and you’ll be able to replace your income with one book.

4.Gathering a community of like-minded authors around you can be invaluable when it comes to maintaining momentum.

Whether you prefer to join a face-to-face or online group, or have a few author friends to supplement the support of friends and family, having people to bounce around ideas and enthuse about your wonderful characters with, is priceless.
Seek out accountability buddies, support groups, critique partners and uplifting communities. And always come back to your purpose for writing this story.

Final Thoughts

Immersing yourself in the purpose, characters and world of a story, provides a solid foundation to craft a compelling novel upon. Making a realistic plan to write the first draft will enable you to reach for tangible goals that suit your lifestyle. And by understanding key concepts surrounding the process, you can be better prepared to keep the joy or writing alive and make it to the next stage, which is revising.

If you want to turn your messy manuscript into an irresistible contemporary novel that publishers can't resist, join my Facebook group. It's brimming with lively discussions, free trainings, resources and events.

]]><![CDATA[6 Powerful Techniques to Escape Tedious Descriptions]]>Sun, 07 Dec 2025 21:58:51 GMThttps://www.fearlessprose.com/fearlessproseblog/6-powerful-techniques-to-escape-tedious-descriptionsAuthor: Sandy Vaile
First published on the Writers in the Storm blog 05/11/24

Writing fiction that immerses readers in the setting and actions is a subtle skill that transforms mediocre narratives into memorable stories. But what kinds of descriptions make a story world feel real without slowing the pace?

In The Art of Fiction by John Gardner, he argues that appealing to multiple senses rather than just visual description draws readers into a scene more fully, so they get to experience the world firsthand and the narrative becomes more dynamic.

Whether you're describing sweeping landscapes, epic fantasy worlds, intricate character movements or tense emotional drama, there are six techniques to create vivid descriptions without falling into dull lists.

Six powerful description techniques

Replace tired clichés with fresh imagery.
Engage all five senses.
Avoid description dumps that slow the pace.
Revitalise descriptions through movement.
Choose meaningful details that add depth.
Choose emotive verbs that affect readers.

Replace Tired Clichés with Fresh Imagery

A cliché is a commonly used phrase or opinion. We use these communication shortcuts all the time in life because we know others will immediately understand what we mean. But relying on them in fiction comes across as not bothering to put any effort into fresh descriptions.

Examples of Clichés

Cold as ice;
Butterflies in the stomach;
Cut the air like a knife;
Lump in her throat; and
Black as night.

To make descriptions fresh and meaningful, consider:

The underlying emotion or viewpoint.
Making descriptions specific to the Point of View character.
Choosing one meaningful detail rather than multiple descriptive words.
Using metaphors and similes to change existing clichés.

Evokative Metaphors and Similes
Metaphors and similes are useful for comparing two things that are not related, creating a fresh and vivid image in the readers mind. They are symbolic likenesses to objects, actions or emotions. Aim not just to create comparisons that describe something, but also to let them reveal more about the character's emotional state.

Examples of Fresh Descriptions
Cliché - Instead of ‘cold as ice’ try: as cool as a tombstone under a winter’s sky.

Cliché - Instead of ‘cut the air like a knife’ try: the atmosphere was taut like a bowstring, ready to snap and hit me in the face.

Metaphor – Love is a battlefield. Or, That runner is a machine.

Simile - His smile flickered like the dying light of a candle in the wind. Or, As fast as a cheetah.

Engage All Five Senses

Don’t forget to utilise all of the senses to create multifaceted descriptions. (Not necessarily all in one paragraph.) It’s easy to rely on what characters see, but when you fully immerse yourself in a scene there will be sounds, smells, textures and tastes that can add richness to the reader experience.

Compare these descriptions:

Lily wandered through the shadowy forest, the soil damp beneath her feet. A dark, damp forest is realistic but it’s been done a million times before, so how could we add more detail and use some of her senses to build the picture?
Lilly picked her way between tall pines and over gnarled roots hiding in the forest shadows. The cool air was welcome after the burning sun and brought with it the scent of crushed pine needles and damp soil. Here I’ve livened this description up by focusing on specific features of the forest and engaging the character’s sense of smell and feel, to help readers picture this forest.

Avoid Description Dumps that Slow the Pace

When we stop the story to include a large chunk of description in one place, it’s the same as an ‘information dump’. It slows the pace by diverting the reader’s focus from what’s going on in the story.

While I appreciate beautiful descriptions as much as the next person, when there’s too much in one place it can weigh the story down with unnecessary images of things that aren’t important to the character or plot. By the time readers get back to the action, they might have forgotten the thrill of anticipation they’d felt before.

This detracts from the energy of the story and is particularly problematic if it happens a during a high-stakes or action scene. Effective pacing relies on balancing description with action and dialogue.

Revitalise Descriptions Through Movement

It can be tempting to have characters arrive at locations, and then use narration to describe everything they see. The problem with this approach is that readers tend to lose interest after you’ve listed a few items, no matter how eloquent the prose or vivid the imagery. Worst case scenario, it sounds like a list and totally kills the pace.

Example of Listed Descriptors
Sue surveyed the sad street with its uneven paving along the footpaths, shabby houses and weedy driveways.

Not too bad, but readers may feel like they are sitting in their living room, eyes closed, trying to picture the scene you are describing. But it’s not the same as being there and getting to see, hear and smell the street for themselves.

Instead of halting the story to insert description and list everything they can see, it’s far more immersive when characters move through and interact with their surroundings, enabling readers to learn about the story world organically, through the characters senses.

Comparison of Immersive Description
Sue wandered along the paved footpath, careful not to trip on the tangle of weeds that pushed bricks up here and there, and peered into a yard that was overrun with hydrangea bushes being strangled by kikuyu grass. It was like her childhood memories; only vaguely familiar on the surface. One tentative step at a time she followed the meandering length of an uncoiled hose that snaked along the cracked driveway, pausing to right a forlorn tricycle that had been tipped on its side and forgotten, and brushing flakes of rust from her fingers.

Putting the character in motion gives us more scope to make this description relevant to who she is and what she’s doing in the story. It invites readers into this run down neighbourhood, allowing them to experience what’s in it through the mind and senses of the character, and their perspective of the world around them.

Choose Meaningful Details that Add Depth

When choosing which details to include in a description, consider what would have meaning to the point of view character and/or plot.

Your descriptive choices should go further than what can be seen and:

Reflect the story’s tone and themes.
Reveal character traits, personality, emotional state, motivation and past.

Rather than randomly assigning a red dress to a character, consider her lifestyle, beliefs and preferences.

A horticulturalist might wear a floral dress.
A vivacious actress might wear a red dress with ruffled sleeves.
A woman who is self-conscious about a scar on her arm might choose a long-sleeved dress.

Let’s look at how we can build on a basic scene and layer in meaningful details that are indicative of the scene you want to portray.

Example of Layering Meaningful Details

Let’s start with a simple description – Matthew stepped into the dusty parlour he hadn’t seen in years.
Then get the character interacting with the environment - Matthew stepped into the parlour he hadn’t seen since he was a child and brushed a thick layer of dust from the surface of the coffee table.
And add meaningful details – Matthew stepped into the parlour he hadn’t seen since he was a child and held his breath as a rush of memories and the scent of decay assaulted him. He trailed a finger through a thick layer of dust on the coffee table, leaving a river of glossy teak in its wake.

Choose Emotive Verbs that Affect Readers

When we deliberately choose emotive descriptive words it:

Reduces our reliance on adverbs and multiple adjectives.
Tightens descriptions so they are immersive yet succinct.
Supports the mood in the scene to build atmosphere.

Examples of Emotive Verbs

Replace adverbs with specific verbs - Instead of she walked slowly across the room, try she sauntered across the room.
Choose dynamic verbs – Instead of she ran fast, try she sprinted.
Enhance the emotional tone - A cheerful summer day or a bleak cloud-filled sky.
Allocate emotions to inanimate objects – The restless sea surges back and forth, or the abandoned house loomed with quiet hostility.

Transforming dull descriptions into evokative and immersive experiences that bring a story world to life requires carefully selecting meaningful details, showing characters interacting with their environment and appealing to all of the senses to create fresh and vivid imagery.

Are you stuck in a rut of writing novels you never finish or aren’t sure how to fix?
Join Sandy’s supportive Facebook community for Female Contemporary Fiction Authors who want to turn messy manuscripts into irresistible contemporary novels that publishers can’t resist.

]]><![CDATA[How to Create Unstoppable Writing Momentum and Finish Every Book You Start]]>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 13:30:00 GMThttps://www.fearlessprose.com/fearlessproseblog/how-to-create-unstoppable-writing-momentumAuthor: Sandy Vaile

In the 17 years since I began writing fiction seriously, I've learnt a lot about the benefits of consistency in finishing novels and building an author career. Creating a consistent writing habit not only gives authors a real chance of finishing their books but enables them to do it without losing all hope and quitting all together.

Writing a novel is a loooong process that requires significant effort, persistence and resilience. I'm sure we all know someone who has been writing the same book for 10 years (maybe we are that person), and sympathise with how soul-crushing the whole process can be if we don't see results.

Writing consistently is a challenge ... enter confusion, overwhelm, procrastination and self-doubt. The problem is, the longer we go without writing (I mean actually progressing our book, not moving commas around), the harder it is the pick up the pen again, get into our character's personas and remember the whole plot.

There are five things you can do to break the cycle of not finishing books, and you might be surprised what they are.

First of all, I want you to know that you're not the only one struggling with these things. All authors - yes, even multi-published and famous authors - suffer with imposter syndrome, wondering if they are a good enough writer to finish this book, and hating the whole project so much they consider giving up.

But ...
Successful authors don't give up!

So, what can you do to prevent yourself from slipping into the hole (or to give you some purchase to climb back out)?

Stop believing the myth of inspiration, so you can write consistently, not just when the muse shows up.
Start building a writing habit, because forward motion builds confidence and creates results.
Trust your process, so you can quit second-guessing yourself and write your vision.
Stop shying away from meaningful tasks, which leads to finished stories that resonate deeply.
Get expert guidance early on, to avoid costly mistakes and inefficiencies.

Stop believing the myth of inspiration

Humans are wired to choose the path of least resistance, so the moment the muse deserts us and writing gets hard (or we perceive it this way), our primitive brain panics and says, "Writing is making you feel panicky = danger. Stop!"

If you are waiting for inspiration to strike or the muse to whisper the plot solution in your ear, then I have bad news for you ...

You won't suddenly be hit by inspiration, run to your computer and have brilliant words fly from your fingers all day. It's writing, not magic.

The role of inspiration in writing a novel is grossly over-stated. You see, we only feel motivated after we have taken action.
What we need is something to get us moving every week.

Once the initial flurry of creation and excitement of a new story passes, we need something more substantial and repeatable to make us write.

Each time we do write, we are creating a writing habit.
The sense of accomplishment we get from seeing our words on the page, motivates us to do it again, and again.

So, don't wait another moment for inspiration! Make a time and sit down to write, no matter what.

Start building a writing habit

The only way to create a writing habit is to actually write, and do it regularly.

Now, that doesn't necessarily mean daily. Your writing habit might be on the weekends, three times a week, 15-minutes sitting in the doctor's waiting room, or 30-minutes after the children go to bed. Whatever works for you is right.

The key is to schedule it, commit to it, and do it over and over again.
Many writers find a simple routine helps train their brain to recognise writing time, so they can focus, which might involve sitting in the same place, playing music, lighting a candle, making favourite hot drink or threatening the family with death if they disturb you.

Just the action of writing a single paragraph is a start. Tomorrow you'll be able to write two paragraphs, and three the day after. You've got this.

A fantastic way to stay motivated is to draw on the enthusiasm and inspiration of other authors - find your tribe. I'll let you borrow mine.
If you're a female author looking for a nurturing community, join the lively discussions and free events in my Facebook group.

Trust your process

Embrace the chaos of your own process. Sure, it might not feel like you have a process, but you do. It's built into the way you think, come up with ideas and problem solve. It doesn't matter if it's messy and inefficient, it's just the way your brain gets ideas out and shapes them into something others can understand.

Stories are like jig-saw puzzles, only we don't have the picture to work from. We have to test different pieces in different places until we find one that fits.
A story is like a second-hand woollen jumper; a little frayed around the edges, with pilling on the cuffs and a random button sews around the collar. It might not be the flashiest thing, but it is beautiful in its uniqueness, and entirely yours.

Carpenters all have different skill levels, but they all trust their tools to shape and smooth a piece of furniture. The same way authors all have different skills and visions for their books, but they all have to trust their own writing process.
It won't be exactly the same as what other authors do, and that's okay.

Stop shying away from meaningful tasks

When the going gets tough ... that's when procrastination sets in, because it's easier to avoid a problem than solve it. Sometimes we even tell ourselves we're not procrastinating, because we're busy doing something with our story. But is it the big thing that will help us push it closer to conclusion?

Avoiding the hard tasks is just another way of procrastinating.
What we need to do is face those difficult problems head on so we can move past them and get back to enjoying our writing. Imagine how amazing you're going to feel once you finish your first draft or finish your revisions or publish that book!

It can be soul sucking to try and try to solve a problem without success.
Sometimes we're afraid to ask for help because we feel like we should be able to figure this out; after all, it seems like every other author has got it all figured out. Or maybe we simply don't know where to turn for help. But when we don't solve those big story problems, we end up spiralling around the drain of incompletion, procrastination and inch closer to giving up on the project all together.
Now that would be a terrible shame.

It's so much easier to write another part of the story or play around with revisions than to try to figure out where to plant a clue or how the heck the protagonist is going to get out of their current predicament. But when you sit down and journal about it, brainstorming all the different directions you could go (just talking it through with yourself) and really stick with it, you'll be amazed by the ideas that will flow to you.

Even if the solution doesn't appear right away, by pondering the problem, your subconscious will work on it in the background, and then you'll be washing dishes or showering and voila! a solution pops into your head that you hadn't considered before.

Get expert guidance early on

We all love short-term gratification; however, writing a novel is anything but a short-term project.

By writing regularly and solving the big problems first, we will have heaps of small wins to celebrate regularly and that will help keep us motivated.

A fiction coach can help you to:

Build a writing habit by finding a way to work that suits you and hold you accountable for completing writing tasks regularly.
Help you find and trust your writing process by helping you make the right decisions, which will give you confidence in your skills and story.
Identify and solve the big problems first, with expert guidance, so you can get back to enjoying your writing sessions.

These things will all help keep you moving forwards with your novel and ensure that you have a cohesive and compelling story you will finish and will be proud to publish.

Find out more about working with Sandy Vaile

If you want to get unstuck and turn your messy manuscript into a completed contemporary novel that publishers can't resist, then book a time in my diary to see what support is going to help you the fastest, and if we're a good fit to work together.
(No hard sell, no scary questions, just a friendly chat between authors.)

]]><![CDATA[One Amazing Perspective Shift to Make Scene Writing Easier]]>Sun, 22 Jun 2025 14:30:00 GMThttps://www.fearlessprose.com/fearlessproseblog/one-amazing-perspective-shift-to-make-scene-writing-easierOriginally published by Writers in the Storm blog on 7th February 2024.

Author: Sandy Vaile

Have you ever wondered why pulling all the pieces of a novel together feels like such hard work? Me too.

Each author has a different process, but if you love feeling immersed in the lives and emotional dramas of fictional characters, then shifting your focus from external plot to internal state, could be the perfect way to allow your plot to be revealed organically.

While writing my third novel, I had a revelation that changed my approach to scene planning forever.

Harnessing motivated characters helped me connect internal and external plot threads.

The Evolution of this Story Revelation

For a long time, I wondered why story structure was so difficult. I felt like I’d learnt the various storytelling techniques, but pulling them all together on the changing landscape of plot and character development was a different matter.

I started to doubt myself.

Was I the only one struggling to overlay their ideas onto beats and turning points? Everything I’d learnt about three acts, hero’s journeys and beats was still relevant, but there was some sort of disconnect when it came to pulling all the threads of a story into a cohesive and compelling plot.

Then it struck me!

If I shifted my approach from what external events needed to happen, to why the main character was there, suddenly all the pieces of the plot clicked together like DNA nucleotides, forming the unique genetic sequence for this story.

What Does this Look Like on the Page?

Don’t panic, it’s not as tricky as it sounds and you don’t have to be a geneticist to apply it to your own stories. All you have to do is tie each scene in the book to the character arc of one of the main characters.

To achieve this perspective shift you need to:

Develop complex and motivated main characters.
Use situations to trigger information readers need to learn.
Wring every last drop of conflict from each situation.

The Significance of Character Motivations

The struggles of characters are what leave a lasting impression on our hearts and souls after reading a book. So, we need to connect readers to them at every opportunity. Make the most of their psychological conflicts and show them struggling between what they want and need, or what they know they should do and what they are driven to do.

I can hear some of you saying, “That’s all well and good if you’re writing a character-driven story, but what about plot-driven stories?”

Even plot -driven stories have driven characters at their core. Take “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien for instance. Although Frodo is one of many main characters and the same world events would play out whether he was there or not, he still goes through personal struggles. We grow to love him and are eager to follow his journey and root for his success.

Benefits of Driven Characters

Readers feel like they are more intimately involved in the character’s lives by peeking inside their thought processes and feeling the angst of their emotional drama.
Shows character development through the way they overcome personal struggles.
Has inbuilt conflict that drives their choices and reactions around external events.
Character motivations naturally cause them to take action, which builds story momentum and helps steer authors away from stagnant narration.

When a character is suitably motivated, it makes their desire to reach their goal more desperate, which in turn pushes them right to the edge of their capabilities and principles.

In short, character motivations create story momentum.

If you’re ready to develop complex characters, grab a copy of my free Character Profile template, which goes beyond appearance and personality, delving into backstory and questions that help you dig deep and figure out what is driving the character and how they would react in certain situations.

How to Leverage Situations to Reveal Information

So, how do you shift your focus from external information to the character’s emotional state?

Go from WHAT to WHY.

When we focus on what happens next (external events) the choices around how that scene plays out are often random. Sure, there might be limiting factors to where the information is located, but it can usually happen in a variety of locations, e.g. a clue could be found in a house, the street or a library, and a fight could happen in a shadowy alley or deserted carpark.

Whereas, when we approach a scene thinking about where the character is on their emotional journey (their emotional state at that point in the story), it conjures specific locations, situations and other characters in our minds. Places, circumstances and people who are going to cause the character to struggle with why they want their goals, e.g.:

What decision they are conflicted about;
What universal truth they are denying; or
To what degree they are ready to face the fears around achieving their goal.

Now, imagine putting your character in a situation that will force them to confront all of these things.

That’s powerful!

Write Compelling Scenes from Emotional States

Scenes are the building blocks of fictional stories and each one needs to pull its weight in raising the reader’s curiosity, sustaining tension, advancing the external plot and character arcs, creating an appropriate atmosphere and leading readers to the next scene.

Lets take a look at an example of how a character’s emotional state can translate to actions and a compelling scene.

Example – Emotional state to a compelling scene

In “Inheriting Fear” by Sandy Vaile, early on in the story I needed to show that the most important person in the main character, Mya’s, life was her mother. My thought process went like this …

Mya’s whole life has been structured to enable her to provide the best quality of life for her mother. So, I need to show what this close relationship and how it came to be.

But her mother is confined to a nursing home, so that is the natural location for the scene. From there I can picture what her room would look like, the gardens, the types of people who would be there. Now I have a vivid image of the setting in my mind.

When Mya vists her mother, it would be natural for her to worry about the cost of keeping her mother and how their roles have been reversed, being her mother’s guardian. That thought naturally leads to the tragic events that put her mother into care.

See how starting with Mya’s emotional state at that point in the story, leads to a specific situation and raises questions that reveal her backstory, motivations and inner fears?

This makes for an emotive scene that tugs at reader’s heart strings, all the while exposing the deeper motivations and desires of the character.

Link Internal and External Plot Threads

Internal and external events are inextricably linked. Our inner desires, beliefs and emotions drive us to take external actions. Even when exteranl events are out of our control — meaning we didn’t choose to do something but it happened to us — our reactions are driven by our emotional state.

How does this look when planning a scene?

Rather than trying to figure out how to get characters from one external crisis to another, use the character arc to drive their reactions and decisions.

Scene planning process

Note: This is just the way I do things; you should do what suits your process.

When planning to write a scene, I will have already:

Brainstormed a lit of external events that could potentially happen, e.g. clues to find, information to discover, people to meet, obstacles to get in the way.
Know the main character’s emotional journey, i.e. what they need and believe at the beginning of the story and the opposite state at the end of the story.
Listed the gradual changes/realisations they need to undergo/face to enable them to transition from one emotional state to the other.

Then I:

Determine the emotional state the character is in at that point in the story.
Brainstorm situations I could put the character in, which would force them to face their emotional blindspot (inner struggle/false belief).
Flesh out that situation with the setting and other characters (if relevant) that naturally evolve from it.
Determine what external information/event would logically (the character would realistically choose or find themselves in) need to happen next, e.g. discovering information, finding a clue or meeting a person.

The way they react to that external event is based on their inner desires, beliefs and motivations, determining their reactions and decisions about how to proceed.

Example – Internal reaction leads to the next external action

The emotional turmoil from the above example from “Inheriting Fear” is all happening at the same time as the external plot is progressing. Mya needed to know her mother was okay, which leads her to think about her past and future. She discovers missing jewellery (external event), which triggers an emotional and physical reaction. She’s upset and wants to find who took the jewellery.

In turn, her emotional state informs her decision about how to proceed (the next external actions).

The Ultimate Scene Planning Mindset

For easier scene planning, try shifting your focus from how to deliver the information readers needed to know, to how to show the emotional drama the character was experiencing. Let the situation they’re in grow organically from their emotional state, connecting their inner desires to external information/events and resulting in compelling reading that draws readers into the story.

They key is to put characters into action and give them good reasons to keep moving by ensuring they have desperate desires, strong motivations and tangible stakes.

You deserve to plan a cohesive novel you’re confident to finish.
Sandy’s flexible outlining method suits plotters and pantsers.

If you are stuck in a rut of writing novels you never finish or aren’t sure how to fix, then check out the three-month Novel Navigation Program.

]]><![CDATA[How to Ensure a Story Idea is Worth Writing]]>Sun, 16 Mar 2025 04:49:58 GMThttps://www.fearlessprose.com/fearlessproseblog/how-to-ensure-a-story-idea-is-worth-writingAuthor: Sandy Vaile
Originally published by Writers in the Storm blog on 1st November 2023

As writers, we’re painfully aware that not every story idea that sparkles in our mind turns into a gem on paper. With the intense competition of four million book releases each year, it’s crucial to ensure the idea behind a book is compelling and marketable. If only there was a simple way to test ideas and be sure they are worth spending time on.

Well, there is!

Whether you’re a meticulous planner or prefer to discover details as you go, refining that initial idea into a solid concept can save considerable stress and wasted time, because it provides a strong foundation for the writing process.

Getting clear on a few key elements will give you an anchor to tether every part of the plot and transform it into a cohesive narrative.

Five considerations for assessing the validity of a story idea

Knowing what sort of book you are writing and what readers expect.
Whether the concept is intriguing enough to capture reader’s imaginations.
If the key elements will generate enough intriguing events to support a book.
Having a protagonist who will drive the plot to a satisfying conclusion.
Understanding why you want to write this story, so you can maintain motivation throughout.

Why an idea doesn’t equate to a compelling novel

Wonderful ideas send excitement tingling through our limbs as intriguing situations and enthralling characters come to life. This often spurs us to jump straight into writing, however, without validating that a concept is robust enough to sustain a whole novel, we may be setting ourselves up to waste countless months and finite energy on disconnected situations and dull characters.

There’s a reason the question authors are most commonly asked is, “How do you come up with ideas?”
It’s because people confuse exciting ideas with solid story outlines.

An idea for an event is not a plot.
An interesting character is not a character arc.
An intriguing dramatic question is not a solid concept.
A page of exciting situations is not an engaging narrative.

While these things can certainly lead to a story worth writing, they are no more than the first kernel of an idea. The spark that ignites the avalanche of brainstorming and development needed to be able to assess the merits of an idea. Any idea can be turned into a viable story, but if the direction it needs to go in order to have sufficient conflict and stakes, doesn’t excite you, then maybe this idea isn’t the one to spend your time on.

In order to have confidence that an idea has the potential for a book, we must get clear on the story concept and protagonist’s journey.

The good news is that you can test these things before you write a single sentence. (The even better news is that if you have a partial book or first draft that isn’t working, this process will help you figure out where the issues are.)

Define the Story’s Purpose and Marketplace

When it comes to discovering if a story will inspire you enough to write it and capture the imagination of readers enough for them to pick it up, it helps to understand what sort of book you are writing and for whom.

Having the idea for an event, interesting person or question to ponder, doesn’t mean it will develop into a host of characters with desperate desires, serious stakes or captivating conflicts. It’s the motivations and struggles behind the idea that turn it into a compelling novel.

Readers want to be entertained or inspired so determine:

What genre you are writing within; which in turn will guide
Reader expectations for structure, length and common topics.

Understanding why you want to write this story in particular is a good way of sustaining curiosity and inspiration throughout the long and sometimes arduous process of writing a novel. I recommend not writing to trends (unless you’re a prolific and experienced author), instead focusing on ideas that will resonate for years to come.

Exercise 1

Research which genre (and subgenres) your story might fit into, their average word count, common themes and features. Look at similar books and publisher’s submission guidelines for ideas.

Find the aspects of the story you’re passionate about exploring by asking questions like:

What universal themes do you want to explore?
What message do you want to communicate to readers?
Why are these topics meaningful to you?

Create a Compelling Protagonist

This where the rubber meets the road in story development because without a driven character at the heart of every decision you make while creating a book, the plot is unlikely to gain traction and likely to peter out or fall flat.

First determine whose story you’re telling.

There may be several main characters, but the benefit of knowing which is the one, is having them drive the story and all the other characters and subplots revolve around them. This prevents the dilution of the core concept by keeping the plot focused.

Then, create a compelling character arc.

At the heart of every great novel is a flawed character who desperately wants something that’s difficult to achieve. They capture imaginations, draw readers into the pages and linger in their minds long after the book is complete.

A plot is a series of events that get characters from start to finish, but the character arc is why they take the journey and persist when the going gets tough. Even plot-driven stories, like Lord of the Rings, have flawed and motivated characters driving the plot.

When characters struggle to overcome problems, they need to adapt in some way, changing the way they approach the situation or what they believe. Who they are at the end of the book is different to who they were when they started on the journey.

Going to a little effort to flesh out the protagonist’s character arc early on, provides a fantastic foundation of driving forces for a novel. Inner conflicts deepen the emotional impact of the story, adding complexity to the plot.

Exercise 2

Outline who the protagonist is, their main desire (goal), what’s motviating them to want it and what/who will be working against them.

Now take the development one step further and answer these questions about the protagonist:

What is missing from their life (emotionally) at the start?
Therefore, what internal goal do they need to achieve to be satisfied/happy?
What false belief (or emotional wound) would make it difficult to achieve this?
Why do they have this false belief (or emotional wound)?
Invent a single past event that’s indicative of why this belief/wound formed.
What would someone struggling with this belief/wound be afraid of?
How will they be changed by the journey?

Clarify the Central Concept

Being able to succinctly articulate what a story is about, will help keep you focused on the whole point of writing it, as well as being the perfect starting point for queries that lead to more ideas and for developing marketing copy.

Then, at a high level, you can see if there is something interesting about the concept to induce readers to want to know more.

You don’t need to know all of the events that will happen or the ending. The aim is to create a sentence (or two) to encapsulate the core elements, like the protagonist’s goal, motviation, stakes and conflict.

You may want to explore a few different formats for fleshing out the story idea like:

A dramatic question that you will answer by the end of the book and will point the story in one direction; or
Elevator pitch, which is what you use when someone asks “What’s the story about?”

Exercise 3

Create a succinct sentence or two (called a log line or evelator pitch), which identifies key elements that will capture the interest of the right readers. It may include some or all of these: what the protagonist wants, why they want it, what they stand to lose if they don’t succeed, and the person or force working against them, where and when the story takes place, any distinctive aspects.

Write a Compelling Summary

I personally find it helpful to write a short summary of the key aspects of a story. It doesn’t have to have all the details figured out, like a synopsis, but focuses on the core concept and protagonist.

I refer to this summary before I plot or write each chapter because it reminds me what’s important about the story and keeps me tethered to the reason I’m writing it.

Exercise 4

Write a couple of paragraphs that expand on the elevator pitch. Include who the main characters are (e.g. protagonist, love interest), their internal character arcs, any key crises you’ve decided on already, the inciting incident that starts them on their journey, and what’s at stake if they fail to achieve the goal, what villain (or antagonistic force) will be working against them.

At this stage subplots and minor characters don’t matter, make a note of them but stick to the core concept in the summary.

Assess its potential

Once you have thought deeply about the story idea, you will have a strong feel for whether the concept is robust enough to generate enough intriguing situations and complications to support a book. It should automatically peek your curiosity and raises questions about who, why and why, therefore, providing you with plot threads to explore.

If you struggle to amass all of the above information, it’s a sign the idea lacks clarity or depth. Then you can choose whether to move onto another idea or work harder to add the emotional depth and dramatic leverage needed.

Seek feedback

Depending on your confidence and network, you may like to test the appetite for a story or highlight potential issues before writing it. You can do this by:

Creating a pitch or first chapter, and then sharing it with friend, on social media or story sharing sites like Wattpad.
Discussing the concept with trusted friends to see what questions they ask, what they want to know more about or aren’t clear about.
Poll readers with several elevator pitches.

Unleash your story’s potential

Validating a novel’s concept is a critical step in the writing process because it saves time and frustration by ensuring an idea has the potential to become a compelling, emotionally resonant book.

Taking time to test a story idea will pay dividends by revealing the purpose behind writing it and instilling you with the confidence to fulfill your creative vision.

If you are stuck in a rut of writing novels you never finish or aren’t sure how to fix, then it’s your lucky day.

Find out more about testing your story idea so you don't waste time writing a whole novel that doesn't work.

]]><![CDATA[How to Clearly Format Non-Verbal Communication in Fiction]]>Sun, 26 Jan 2025 13:30:00 GMThttps://www.fearlessprose.com/fearlessproseblog/clearly-format-non-verbal-communication-in-fictionAuthor: Sandy Vaile

Have you ever been bamboozled when it comes to formatting non-verbal communications in a fictional story?

Things like text messages, social media posts, chat room conversations and emails can be tricky to incorporate seamlessly into a manuscript; yet they are so much a part of our everyday lives that leaving them out can make a story feel less authentic.

Today’s readers are accustomed to consuming a mixture of text and graphics on their screens, and eBooks offer the flexibility to include color, visuals and even interactive elements.

Let me walk you through how to format each type of non-verbal communication and take the stress out of incorporating these elements effectively into your stories.

What to Keep in Mind

Non-verbal messages require a different approach than traditional narration. Unlike prose, these communications often occur in short bursts of abbreviated text rather than complete sentences, with little regard for correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.

Understanding the difference will help you make them feel like a natural part of the story.

Drawbacks of Non-Verbal Communications

There are a few challenges to be aware of when considering including non-verbal communications in a story.

Formatting constraints

If you are self-publishing, formatting can be tricky.
And publishers may limit how elaborate you can go.

Print limitations

Because printed books are usually restricted to black and white, adding colour images can be expensive.

Longevity

A potential downside to including digital communications, is that it can date your book. Let's face it, technology evolves rapidly and what is cutting-edge today might be outdated in a few short years. (We've all watched old movies where business men proudly hold a brick-sized mobile phone, right?)

Go for the Simplest Solution

Fancy and colourful is not always the best choice, no matter how much you'd love to let your creativity loose. The purpose of non-verbal messages is to support the overall plot, rather than overwhelm it.

To striked the right balance, focus on what's essential to telling your story.

How much non-verbal communications is needed to add authenticity and deliver critical information to readers?
How many messengers will be involved, because more means more complications?

So, it's worth focusing on the message content and sticking to simple formatting solutions like italics and indentations.

Format Social Media Posts

Incorporating visuals that emulate social media posts presents unique challenges, as mentioned above. But with thoughtful consideration, you can achieve a visual impact and publishing practicality.

Keep in mind:

Each social media platform has it's own look and feel, so research the one you are emulating and be true to the design and common content you would find on it.
Most social media posts include a date and/or time stamp, which can be useful for setting timeframes in a book, but can also date the book quickly.
Posts will also include a name/avatar for the person posting it and a variety of responses, e.g. likes and comments.

Formatting Text Messages

When your characters send mobile phone text messages, you want them to look distinct to the narrative. Keep in mind that texts tend to be brief, with little or no punctuation, often relying on abbreviations and the occassional emoji for added expression.

Indented

My preference is to indented texts from the left margin, with the name of the person who is texting.

Sam: R U going to the movies?
Kylie: Won't make it, sorry. Sometimes left and right alignment is used to differentiate
between the people messaging.
Sam: R U going to the movies?
Kylie: Won't make it on time, sorry.

Different font

You could also use a different font or italics.

Sam: R U going to the movies?
Kylie: Won't make it, sorry.

Part of the narrative

Or, you could also include the message as part of the narrative.

Hello there, Mary texted.
Hi ya. R U going to the movies? I texted back.

If you aren't able to include emojis you could mention them in the narrative, or describe them in brackets, e.g. (smiley face).

Format Emails

One advantage of email is that it has been consistently formatted since its inception. Therefore, they can be presented as they appear on-screen.

Indent the entire email and including the to, from, date, and subject fields, which are often italicised to distinguish them from the body of the email.

To: Mary Smith
From: Sam Johnson
Date: Thu 02/02/23 8:15 PM
Subject: Movie date

Hi Mary,
Do you fancy going to the movies this Saturday with Kylie and I?
Let me know ASAP.

Sam xx

Format Chat Room Transcripts

Next, let's explore chat room transcripts. These can be complex due their length, number of participants and the simultaneous conversations if there are multiple chat rooms.

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith, features hundreds of pages of chat transcripts. While I initially found this tedious to read, I eventually adjusted to the format and appreciated the realism and value it added to the story.

The transcripts were organized in columns, each representing a chat room, with up to three open at once and various participants joining and leaving. However, when reading on a Kindle or mobile phone, these appeared as a single column, making it harder to track who was in which room at any given time.

Blank lines (marked with '>') were used to indicate the passage of time.

Below is an example from The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith.

Format Letters and Diary Entries

Letters and diary entries have been utilised as narrative tools since printed books began, and can add depth to a story by including the personal voice of a character.

Letters and diary entries can provide insight into characters who don't have their own point of view or don't even appear in a story.
They can also provide a unique perspective from a point of view character by communicating information from a different time in their life, or that perhaps wouldn't naturally be revealed by them.

Whichever formatting method you choose:

It should be clear when the document was written, who it was written by and for.
Depending on your preferences, you could also include the delivery address.

Epistolary novels

An epistolary novel tells a story through a series of documents, e.g. letters, diary entries, articles, emails, newspaper clippings or even handwritten notes. This can offer a variety of perspectives of a subject or situation, and a unique reading experience. For example, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks, which is a series of interviews from various survivors of a fictional zombie apocalypse.

Italics

It is popular to format letters and diary entries by italicising them, but multiple pages of this can be draining on the eyes.

Dear Marilyn,
I am so looking forward to visiting you in Adelaide next month.
Love Bob

Indented

My favourite format is to indent text from letters and diary entries from both the left and right margins, so they sit more central on the page, with a blank line before and after them.

Different font

I have also seen different fonts used to make letters and diary entries stand out from the narrative.

Why Bring Non-Verbal Communications Into a Story?

Now you can clearly format non-verbal communications in your stories so they stand apart from the narrative, while adding value to the overall plot.

There are many more types of written communications than I've listed here, so don't discount police reports, hand written notes, excerpts from websites, telegrams, facsimiles, postcards, contracts, newspaper articles, etc.

Incorporating written communications into a story is a great way to bring an added layer of realism and depth, allowing readers to experience your characters' inner thoughts and unique perspectives.

Just as dialogue reflects a character's unique voice, these written elements should also stay true to the individual, using their speech patterns, salutations, and colloquialisms to make their personality shine through. By paying attention to these details, you can create compelling and authentic written communications that enhance your narrative and connect with your audience.

]]><![CDATA[How to Write Concise Dialogue that Rings True]]>Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:23:37 GMThttps://www.fearlessprose.com/fearlessproseblog/write-concise-dialogue-that-rings-trueAuthor: Sandy Vaile
First published on the Writers in the Storm blog 03/05/23

Dialogue is a powerful tool in fiction because it enables readers to get to know characters without the author telling them how to feel or information dumping what they need to know.

But how do you make dialogue believable and capable of communicating vital information succinctly, while captivating readers?

Speech predates written language by tens of thousands of years and is ingrained in our daily lives. It’s the basis of storytelling, so it makes sense to use it to it’s full advantage to develop characters, advance the plot, increase pace and create tension.

The last thing we want is for dialogue to ramble unnecessarily, be overly stilted or sound forced, leading readers to skim over it and not connect deeply with our characters.

Let’s explore what dialogue is, what makes it impactful, and how to write it concisely and authentically.

I absolutely love dialogue because …

It breaks long passages of narrative with dynamic information (showing).
It enables readers to get to know characters on a personal level.
It offers an opportunity to imply subtext through associated actions and tone.

But it’s not always easy to write succinct speech that rings true, i.e. is relevant to what’s going on in the story, suits the character, and doesn’t feel like it’s forced.

To continue reading click 'read more' ...

What dialogue is (and isn't)

Dialogue refers only to words that are spoken aloud by characters in our stories. It is highlighted with quotation marks (“) at the beginning and end of each group of spoken words.

A dialogue tag is text joined to, before, in the middle of or after dialogue, which makes it clear who is speaking. The most common being said.

Internal thoughts are a different matter all together and their formatting will depend on the Point of View you are using. Also see the Format Internal Thoughts in Fiction article.

What makes dialogue impactful?

The success of our characters’ conversations comes down to these three things.

It’s concise – Succinctly communicated what needs to be said to move the plot forwards.
It’s authentic – Shows who the characters are, why they are there and how they feel about the situation and other characters.
It’s purposeful - It needs to be there to communicate important information, like planting clues or revealing backstory, not merely to give characters something to do.

What makes dialogue concise?

Just as we do when writing narrative, aim to say what is needed to communicate clearly, using the minimum number of words.

Although dialogue is the perfect place to let a character’s personality and speech patterns shine through, it’s not an excuse for them to ramble like we do during real conversations.

The truth is, natural sounding dialogue in a book doesn’t exactly replicate the way we speak.

If you listen to conversations, you will hear speakers waxing lyrical, stopping mid sentence as they forget what they’re talking about, changing tack when they suddenly remember something, butting in when they’re passionate about a subject, repeating themselves, using contractions, slang and colloquialisms, hesitating, stuttering, and tripping over all sorts of filler words and sounds, like ah and umm.

In a book we want to make dialogue sound realistic while getting our point across succinctly.

Examples
When including an accent, foreign language or colloquialisms in dialogue, the general rule of thumb is to be sparing. Give the impression of the language style through the way words are put together or the odd specific word, rather than writing every word that way. Less is more and the odd word goes a long way to giving the impression of a language idiosynchracy.

It would be exhausting to read too much of this:

“Hey, Mary, you gunna git ta doin’ those chores any time soon? ‘Em dishes fairly walkin’ out a door wit’ou’ ya.”

Instead, try the less is more principle:

Colloquialism - “Did y’all ever see a woman drinking beer before?”
Foreign words - “I’ll see you in three weeks, au revoir.” Sally called, picking up her suitcase and blowing him a kiss.

Edit out unneccessary words

Edit out most repetitions, filler words and sounds that don’t enhance the dialogue’s meaning.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t include some of these things; after all, we do use them in speech and they can be useful to convey a particular sentiment, like umm for hesitation or oh for surprise. But don’t go overboard and rely on them in place of pithy dialogue.

Example

What makes dialogue authentic?

Conversations sound authentic when they reveal who the speaker is below the surface, because readers feel like they are getting to know characters on a personal level and understand how they feel in that moment.

What you want to avoid (in the majority of circumstances or where it’s a specific character trait) is characters sitting around talking to themselves. Most people don’t do this aloud, so it tends to come across as an inexperienced writer forcing information upon readers in an unnatural way.

Create a unique character voice

Each character should have a unique voice, not just so readers know who’s speaking, but to express who the character is, where they come from, their opinions, specific dialects or colloquialisms, and their attitude to what’s happening in the story at that time.

Authentic speech is about the words a character chooses and how they put them together. Most people use contracts a lot, i.e. I don’t like that, rather than I do not like that.

Use speech to reveal different aspects of their personality.

Are they the kind of person who speaks before they think or considers each word carefully?
Do they trip over their words or speak eloquently?
Do they avoid certain subjects or wear their heart on their sleeve?
Are they a jokester, extrovert, solemn or belligerent?

Don’t force dialogue
Forced dialogue (also known as on-the-nose writing) happens when:

We include information that is out of context, i.e. not relevant to what’s going on in the story at the time; or
It isn’t written the way a person would actually speak.

This is common when a writer needs to reveal backstory or critical information.

Example
Forced dialogue - Ruth backed away from the paddock gate. “As you know, Ben, I’m afraid of horses.”

If Ben already knows this about Ruth, she would be explaining it. Instead, show her fear through the narrative and her spontaneous reaction to seeing the horse.

Natural sounding dialogue - Ruth backed away from the paddock gate, behind which an enormous white stallion pawed the ground like a wild bull. “Hell no. I’m not going in there!”

Don't underestimate subtext

There is always subtext surrounding authentic speech. Thoughts and feelings that are implied rather than spoken. When we have a conversation in real life, we naturally assess the situation; reading facial cues, body language, actions and tone of voice to understand how the other person feels and what the true meaning behind their words is. Even what they might be hiding.

We’ve all seen chick flicks where the heroine professes her love and her partner is silent. That silence reveals more than words; he’s clearly not the man for her. Or if a friend changed the subject every time the conversation turned to childhood, even though you might not know why exactly, you can guess that their childhood wasn’t pleasant.

In and around dialogue, layer in details about:

How the character got to this point;
Why they are driven towards their current goal;
Where they are and what’s going on around them.

Example
“The dog’s dead,” Mary stated matter-of-factly, asthough Sooty hadn’t been her best friend through childhood and loyal companion during her cancer treatment.
I hated the way putting on a brave face meant her not showing any emotion. Ever.
“How did it happen?” Anne chokes back a sob.
“Bloody Dad. I’ve told him a hundred times that he backs out of the driveway too fast.”
“Oh no! Is he coping okay? How about Fluffy? They were best friends.”

We learn a lot about these sisters from this short exchange. Far more than the words alone tell us.

Their family pet is dead and the remaining pet is going to miss them.
Mary previously had cancer and is dedicated to putting on a brave face no matter the situation.
Anne is more emotional and thinks about how this will affect others.

Hot tip for checking dialgue authenticity

You can more easily hear the authenticity and flow of dialogue if you read it aloud. Hearing the words as the characters say them, will pick up whether it sounds too formal, casual or forced (for that character). If it’s difficult to read aloud, then it’s going to sound awkward in the reader’s head too.

What makes dialgue purposeful?

When characters speak, there must be a reason for it. Not because the author wants to fill space or force information onto the page.

Skip conversations about dull daily tasks.
Remove unneccessary parts of of conversations like greetings and farewells. You don’t need to include every part for it to be meaningful and sound realistic.
Eliminate mundane chin-wagging. It might be a part of real conversations, but if it isn’t adding value for the reader, then cut it.

Example
People may greet one another when they first meet, but you don’t need to write every “Hello, how are you?” and “I’m well thanks. How are you?”. Get straight into the meaty parts. The reason the dialogue is there.

Likewise, characters don’t always have to say “Goodbye” when they hang up the phone. It’s implied.

Does your dialogue ring true?

There are no hard and fast rules about how much dialogue to use. It comes down to personal preference and whether characters are alone or with others.

When you add dialogue to a story, don’t get so focused on what is being said that your forget what’s happening around the characters. The narrative around dialogue should be put to use to help readers picture the whole scene including:

What the setting looks, sounds and smells like
Where the characters are located within it
What they are doing
What’s happening around them
Their mood

Dialogue is a wonderful way to add immediacy to a story and make readers feel more involved in the lives of characters; it gets them out of their own heads and actively participating on the page, which is way more interesting that the author telling readers how to think and feel.
It’s worthwhile taking the time to make speech concise, authentic and purposeful. Make every word count.

Bonus exercise

Search your manuscript for places where the Point Of View character is alone and reveals information through internal thoughts.
Try putting them with another person and rewrite the scene, including a conversation between them.

I’d love to know if you feel this improves the scene.

]]><![CDATA[How to Format Dialogue in Novels - The art of clear conversations]]>Fri, 10 May 2024 07:27:36 GMThttps://www.fearlessprose.com/fearlessproseblog/how-to-format-dialogue-in-novels-the-art-of-clear-conversationsAuthor: Sandy Vaile
Previously published on the Writers in the Storm blog on 3rd August 2023.

Dialogue in fiction stories is a reliable way of bringing characters to life and immersing readers in their lives, but for it to be effective, it needs to be understood.

As Michel de Montaigne said in his essay, On the Art of Conversation,

The most fruitful and natural exercise of the mind … is conversation.”

It stimulates thinking, engages facial expressions and has the magic to convey complex ideas to others. In fact, we were communicating verbally long before we decided to write down ideas.

Engaging conversations that add value to narration, need to:

Make it clear who is speaking to whom;
Use succinct and authentic language;
Compliment the surrounding narrative; and
Be correctly formatted and punctuated.

Dialogue doesn’t include private thoughts, dreams or narration.

Make it clear who is speaking

It’s important that readers can easily determine who is speaking, so they can follow the conversation and don’t get the wrong impression of what’s going on in the story.

Ambiguity can lead to misinterpretation, but this can be prevented by:

Separating the speech and actions of each character into different paragraphs.
Not going too long without a dialogue tag to establish who is speaking.

To continue click 'read more' ...

Clear paragraph delineation

The dialogue (and attached narration) for one character must be put into a separate paragraph.

Clear dialogue tags

Here are some tips for using dialogue tags effectively:

Don’t wait too long to identify the speaker. If the dialogue is long and it’s not immediately clear who is speaking, then interrupt it early on to slip in their name or another way of identifying them.
If it’s clear who’s speaking, you don’t need to have a tag on every line. This is especially true when there are only two people having a conversation and it’s easy to keep track of for a few lines.
Often the simplest tag, like he/she said, is best because a reader’s mind will naturally skip over it. Going overboard with adverbs and unnecessary actions can be distracting. You can always enhance it with cues to how they feel about the conversation. Often adverbs can be avoided with a little effort to find a stronger verb.

For example:
“How dare you,” Jane said indignantly. [‘Indignantly’ is the adverb, which is telling readers how this character feels.]

“How dare you!” Jane snapped, a tide of angry red rising up her neck and cheeks. [‘Snapped’ is a stronger verb that tells readers how Jane spoke, and then I’ve added a description of what her physical reaction looks like to the Point of View character.

Vary the type of dialogue tag you use (e.g. he said, actions and narration) so they don’t become repetitive.

You can also use thoughts, actions, body language, facial expressions and thoughts by the Point of View character in the surrounding narration, to not only make it clear who is speaking, but how they feel about it and what else they’re doing.

For example:
“Um, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His face flushed and gaze darted towards the exit.

“Like hell,” Jane said, stalking towards him with clenched fists.

Minimise narrative and tags before dialogue because it detracts from the key information and speed readers may miss it.

How to handle multiple speakers

Of course, things become more complicated when there are three or more characters participating in a conversation.

When there’s a crowd:

You will need more dialogue tags to help readers identify who is speaking, but mix up the type of tag, so you’re not saying he said/she said all the time. For instance, also use actions, body language and facial expressions to show how they are reacting to what’s being said.
Consider whether all of those characters really need to be involved. Can fewer characters present the same information? Does each one have something valuable to contribute or are they just there filling the room?
You can sometimes move the Point of View character’s attention to the speaker physically or through their thoughts.

Correctly format and punctuate dialogue

Joining dialogue to tags

Dialogue should only be joined to a tag with a comma if the tag is something that can actually be said, e.g. he said, she whispered, he yelled, she mumbled.

“Hey, Dan, wait up a minute,” Jenny called as she jogged across the oval. [‘Called’ is something spoken.]

If the tag can’t be said, then you must use a full stop to separate them, e.g. he grunted, she waved, he chewed on his lip, she glanced around the room.

“Gosh, I didn’t expect to see you here.” Dan stopped walking and smiled. [‘Stopping’, ‘walking’ and ‘smiling’ aren’t something that can be spoken.]

Punctuation

The punctuation related to dialogue goes inside the quotation marks, except when em dashes are used like brackets for non-spoken narrative that breaks dialogue (see the example below), or the tag is situated before the dialogue.

Tag before – Sally called across the oval, “Hang on a minute, Dan.”
Tag after – “Hang on a minute, Dan,” Sally called across the oval.
Tag in the middle when it can be spoken – “Hang on a minute, Dan,” Sally called across the oval. “I need to talk to you.”
Tag in the middle when it can't be spoken – “Hang on a minute,” —
Sally waved from across the oval— “I need to explain.”

Capitalisation

The beginning of a dialogue sentence should be capitalised, even if there was a tag before it.

“A snake just slithered behind the shed.”
Sally said, “A snake just slithered behind the shed.”

Tags that are joined to dialogue with a comma because they can be spoken, are not capitalised unless they are a proper noun; even if the dialogue ends with an exclamation or question mark.

“A snake just slithered behind the shed,” said Sally.
“A snake just slithered behind the shed,” Sally said.
“A snake just slithered behind the shed. What do you think we should do?” said Sally.

Quotes within quotes

When quoting someone within dialogue, use a different style of quotation mark, e.g. if you’re using double quote marks, then change to single, or if you’re using single quote marks, change to double.

"Look, I specifically heard Mum say, 'Don't go to that party' and you still went."
‘Look, I specifically heard Mum say, “Don’t go to that party,” and you still went.’to edit.

Download and keep the handy examples below.

When interrupting the flow of dialogue

Refer back to the above rule about whether it can be spoken and therefore be joined by a comma. If not, separate it using a full stop or em dash. For example:

“I just can’t believe I forgot to bring it,” Sally said. “I even wrote a note to remind me.”
“I just can’t believe I forgot to bring it,” Sally said, “after writing a note and everything.”
“I just can’t believe I forgot to bring it,” —Sally was flustered as she searched her handbag for the offending envelope— “after writing a note and everything.

An ellipsis ( … ) signifies that words are missing, i.e. when speech trails off, and goes inside the quotation marks.
An em dash ( — ) signifies speech is cut off, i.e. when someone interrupts it, and goes inside the quotation marks.
A hyphen signifies stilted speech, like stuttering, e.g. “I h-h-haven’t seen it, honest.”

When you have a long passage of dialogue

There might occasional instances where you have a very long amount of dialogue from one character, and this can look cramped on the page. You can break it into paragraphs without breaking the dialogue.

“[Paragraph of dialogue that will continue in the next paragraph has no closing quotation marks.]
“[Each subsequent paragraph of dialogue has opening quotation marks.]
“[The final paragraph of dialogue has closing quotation marks.]"

A couple of warnings

Breaking up dialogue too often or with large sections of narration can cause its message to be disjointed, and will slow the pace.
Beware of overusing names in the dialogue, because this sounds unrealistic, e.g.:

“Hi Sally, it’s great to see you.”
“You too Jane. How has your week been?”
“Fabulous, Sally.”

When using dialogue to reveal information, like backstory, make sure it is relevant to what’s going on in the narration and doesn’t sound forced. For example:

“Hi Jane. As you know I’m a horse-riding instructor and got my certificate in 2015. What do you do for a living?” [Awkward. People just don’t talk to one another like that.]

But look at the same information revealed using a more conversational tone:
Jane picked up the photo of a younger Emily atop an impressive black horse. “Wow, I didn’t know you rode.”

“For years.” Emily said. “Actually, I’m a riding instructor. Got my certificate just last year. What do you do for a crust?”

Bonus tip for quotation marks

I recommend authors use double quotation marks (“) no matter where they are planning to submit their work, because it provides flexibility.

It’s easy to use the Find and Replace function to replace all double quotation marks with singles. However, if you have used single quotation marks, the Find feature will pick up all of the apostrophes too, so you’ll have to manually change each one.

Tedious!

Your fiction stories will ultimately benefit from succinct, purposeful, authentic and well formatted dialogue, because those things enable readers to easily understand what’s being said, by whom.

They also bring the narrative to life by immersing readers in characters’ lives and moving the plot forwards.

If you are stuck in a rut of writing novels you never finish, never submit or aren’t sure how to fix, then it’s your lucky day. Join Sandy Vaile's Facebook community for heaps more tips, resources and free events.

]]><![CDATA[Format Internal Thoughts in Fiction]]>Thu, 30 Nov 2023 18:04:26 GMThttps://www.fearlessprose.com/fearlessproseblog/format-internal-thoughts-in-fictionAuthor: Sandy Vaile
First published in Hearts Talk ezine in August 2023

How to write character thoughts without irritating readers

One way to bring readers closer to fictional characters is to get inside their heads and show their thoughts, to provide intimacy and insight to readers. But is the only way to do this to italicise them? If not, what other options are available to authors?

Formatting internal thoughts in fiction is a subject that causes a great deal of confusion.

It raises so many questions like: Should you differentiate thoughts from the rest of the narrative? If so, how? And if you don’t use direct thoughts, will it distance readers?

In this article we’re going to explore:

What internal thoughts are (and what they’re not).
What options are available for formatting thoughts.
What thoughts look like in different Points of View.
How each method influences the distance between readers and characters.

To continue reading click 'read more' ...

What are internal thoughts?

Internal* thoughts in fiction = The Point of View character’s subconscious commentary.

These include opinions, feelings, judgements, beliefs, contemplations, self-assessments and ideas other characters can’t hear.
They do not include spoken words (dialogue).

[*Note: Yes, I realise ‘internal’ is a redundant word, but it’s important to clearly separate what’s going on inside a character’s mind from what is spoken, which is why I’m not a fan of calling thoughts ‘internal dialogue’; however, ‘inner monologue’ is a good alternative.]

The emotional impact of character thoughts

We all think things we’d never say aloud, so including these insights in our stories is a great way to heighten the impact of conflict.

Revealing a character’s private thoughts adds depth to a story because it enables readers to gain insight into how that character’s mind works and why they make certain decisions. They get information other characters don’t have, giving them a unique perspective of what’s really going on in the character’s life.

Internal thoughts are valuable for letting readers know where the character stands emotionally. Emotional impact is what leaves a lasting impression, so we want to make the most of it and explore each aspect of their emotional journey thoroughly, expose their past traumas, false beliefs and fears, wringing out every bit of suffering and indecision.

Without any character thoughts, authors would need to rely on dialogue and body language — both of which are awesome — but may result in a more distant experience of the conflicts in the story.

Let’s take a look at these examples from Inheriting Fear by Sandy Vaile.

Example without the character’s thoughts:With her eyes ahead and ears trained on his retreating footsteps, she breathed easier as each second passed. Walking the bike track at night certainly had its hazards, but it just wasn’t worth getting the motorbike out of the shed and donning all the gear to go a few hundred metres.

Example with the character’s thoughts:With her eyes ahead and ears trained on his retreating footsteps, she breathed easier as each second passed. Walking the bike track at night certainly had its hazards, but it just wasn’t worth getting the motorbike out of the shed and donning all the gear to go a few hundred metres.

Besides, she had as much right as anyone to be there, and she’d made herself a promise a long time ago to never let anything or anyone stop her from doing what she wanted. Fear was just an emotion and she could overcome those with steely resolve.

How to format internal thoughts in fiction

The way thoughts are formatted in fiction can be the difference between an annoying add-on and being immersed in the character’s life.

When done poorly, it can result in psychic distance between readers and the Point of View (POV) character, which means the reader is no longer immersed in the story world and experiencing the action personally, but is focusing on being told a story by the author, or trying to figure out why the format of the text has changed.

Luckily there are multiple options available to authors.

Italicising thoughts.
Adding thought tags.
Integrating thoughts with the narrative (my preferred option).

You may have noticed I didn’t include First Person POV here, and that’s because there is no need to distinguish thoughts in this case, because all of the narrative is within the POV character’s mind, so there is no need to differentiate.

As with most things, once you choose the format you are going to use, be consistent throughout the book.

Now, let’s explore each option in more detail.

Italicising thoughts

This is used when writing in Third Person POV to physically show readers that the character is a separate entity from the narrator.

It’s a mistake to assume that showing direct thoughts this way automatically closes the distance between the reader and character. It’s more complicated than that and requires an active style of storytelling as well. Less is often best, so save it for dramatic moments when there is no other way to get that deep connection with the character’s mind.

When using this format, the italicised thought is treated similarly to dialogue in that it is written in present tense, first person, regardless of the tense and POV of the surrounding narrative. It is also usually put on a new line, unless there it’s very short (in which case I question whether it’s needed).

Example:
Sally drew in a startled gasp. Should I admit my deceit or continue the charade? Either way we’ll still be in this predicament, so no point in making the boss furious.

Adding thought tags

A thought tag is very much like a dialogue tag in the way it is used and punctuated, but the text isn’t spoken aloud so it isn’t encased in quotation marks. Writing ‘he/she/they thought’ is a way to clarify which text is a direct thought when writing in Third Person Omniscient POV.

Example:
Using the above example, I’ve limited the thought to one sentence and left the rest as narrative.

Sally drew in a startled gasp. Should I admit my deceit or continue the charade, she thought? Either way they would still be in this predicament, so there wasn’t any point in making the boss furious.

You can also italicise the direct thought to avoid the confusion of readers not realising it’s a thought until they get to the end of the sentence; however, I feel this makes the thought tag redundant.

Sally drew in a startled gasp. Should I admit my deceit or continue the charade? she thought. Either way they would still be in this predicament, so there wasn’t any point in making the boss furious.

Integrating thoughts with the narrative

While none of the above-mentioned ways of formatting thoughts are wrong, integrating them with the narrative is (I believe) the most unobtrusive when writing in Third Person Limited POV. The author is still telling the story, but doesn’t get in the way of readers experiencing what characters experience. It doesn’t look different to the surrounding text or remind readers a narrator is telling the story.

Some of the tentativeness around this format stems from the belief that it breaks protocol in some way. However, the beauty of writing in Third Person POV is the flexibility to move from a distant to a close perspective. It’s called Deep POV when an author eliminates anything the character can’t see, hear, feel, know or taste, so readers experience the story world as though they are the character.

Example:
Continuing with the above example, the information revealed here isn’t something we desperately need to get inside the character’s mind for to increase the dramatic impact. So, I would rewrite it as part of the Third Person POV narrative.

Sally drew in a startled gasp. Should she admit her deceit or continue the charade? Either way they would still be in this predicament, so there was no point in making the boss furious.

Can you use two formats in one story?

You can use two different styles of formatting thoughts in one book, but be clear about when you are going to use each one, so you can be consistent.

For example:

When writing in Third Person Limited POV you might choose to integrate most thoughts, but support this with occassional italicised thoughts when you need to communicate something dramatic and really want to get inside the character’s head.
When writing in Third Person Omniscient POV you might choose to italicise thoughts so they stand out from the narrative, but support this with thought tags to clearly identify which character is thinking.

Hazards of writing internal thoughts

Overusing Italics

Wielding italicised thoughts can be addictive, but when short sentences are peppered throughout the manuscript it can have the opposite effect to what was intended. Instead of bringing readers closer to the characters, it can make pages look disjointed and pull readers out of an immersive experience. Once you master Deep POV, you will be able to create that close connection without italics.

Labelling Emotions

When delving into a character’s mind, avoid relying on labelling emotions. Where possible, go to the extra effort of creating a situation and tone where readers understand what the character is feeling without the label.

It takes time for people to move past strong emotions and have the self-awareness to analyse them. So, if something happened in our distant past we might have the personal insight to say we were angry or sad back then. However, in the heat of the moment when intense feelings are flooding our body, we are more likely to focus on the manifestation of those feelings and react with a physical expression or negative and repetitive thoughts.

Over Reliance on Internal Thoughts

As with any part of writing, how much of your character’s thought to include is a delicate balance. It is more common in some genres. If you find you’re using a lot, consider other ways to reveal the same information, e.g. discovery or another character having a conversation with them.

The last word

Internal thoughts are a powerful device for authors to convey character emotions and motivations, which can be wielded to create a multifaceted person readers will want to spend time with. Character’s minds hold a treasure trove of unspoken desires and inner conflicts, which, when revealed, enables readers to experience a deep connection with what is driving the character and why. The unfiltered consciousness offers a glimpse into their hearts and minds, adding a valuable level of emotive drama to the narrative.

Ultimately, it’s your prerogative to choose the style of formatting internal thoughts that suits your story, but aim to make the reader experience effortless and immersive.

If you enjoyed learning new ways to format character thoughts in your manuscript and would like to delve deeper, grab Sandy Vaile's free Character Profile templates for main characters, secondary characters and world building.

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Purpose

Exercise

Reflect

Bonus Character Profile Template

Vague Idea to Compelling Concept

Why do you want to tell this story?

Whose story will this be?

What story are you telling?

Understand Project Boundaries

Make a Plan to Write

Essential Novel Survival Concepts

​Replace Tired Clichés with Fresh Imagery

Engage All Five Senses

Avoid Description Dumps that Slow the Pace

Revitalise Descriptions Through Movement

Choose Meaningful Details that Add Depth

​Choose Emotive Verbs that Affect Readers

Stop believing the myth of inspiration

Start building a writing habit

Trust your process

Stop shying away from meaningful tasks

Get expert guidance early on

The Evolution of this Story Revelation

What Does this Look Like on the Page?

The Significance of Character Motivations

Benefits of Driven Characters

How to Leverage Situations to Reveal Information

Write Compelling Scenes from Emotional States

​Link Internal and External Plot Threads

Scene planning process

The Ultimate Scene Planning Mindset

Five considerations for assessing the validity of a story idea

Why an idea doesn’t equate to a compelling novel

Define the Story’s Purpose and Marketplace

Create a Compelling Protagonist

​Clarify the Central Concept

​Write a Compelling Summary

Assess its potential

Unleash your story’s potential

Drawbacks of Non-Verbal Communications

Go for the Simplest Solution

Format Social Media Posts

Formatting Text Messages

Format Emails

Format Chat Room Transcripts

Format Letters and Diary Entries

Why Bring Non-Verbal Communications Into a Story?

What dialogue is (and isn't)

What makes dialogue impactful?

What makes dialogue concise?

Edit out unneccessary words

What makes dialogue authentic?

Create a unique character voice

Don't underestimate subtext

Hot tip for checking dialgue authenticity

What makes dialgue purposeful?

Does your dialogue ring true?

Bonus exercise

Make it clear who is speaking

Clear paragraph delineation

Clear dialogue tags

How to handle multiple speakers

Correctly format and punctuate dialogue

Joining dialogue to tags

Punctuation

Capitalisation

Quotes within quotes

When interrupting the flow of dialogue

When you have a long passage of dialogue

A couple of warnings

Bonus tip for quotation marks

How to write character thoughts without irritating readers

What are internal thoughts?

The emotional impact of character thoughts

How to format internal thoughts in fiction

Italicising thoughts

Adding thought tags

Integrating thoughts with the narrative

Can you use two formats in one story?

Hazards of writing internal thoughts

Replace Tired Clichés with Fresh Imagery

Choose Emotive Verbs that Affect Readers

Link Internal and External Plot Threads

Clarify the Central Concept

Write a Compelling Summary