Five Reasons Why I Love to Write Fiction

Since this is my first post, I thought I’d start with a subject that I’m most passionate about …  fiction writing … why do I love it so much?

Marlene Cronkhite

I love the Suspense

Creating a story with dynamic characters and a definite stream of uncertainty, danger, doubts, and cliffhangers, is the ultimate in fiction writing.  I’ve found suspense can be very subtle, like a soft spoken comment, or it can be a condition with clear and present danger.  Nathan Bransford, in his blog, describes three genres: Thrillers have action. Suspense has danger, but not necessarily action. Mysteries have mysteries, i.e., something you don’t know until the end. I’ve been known to use all three of these in one genre, which I call Mystery. But regardless of the genre, it is rewarding to know that no matter how repugnant the suspense, if you want the reader to focus on it, and it’s an important part of the story, then use it. One of my writing mentors at Writer’s Village University had it right when he said: if it has the potential to yank the reader’s brain out through his eyeballs, show it in depth. In other words,  it’s a good thing.

Characters, the good the bad and the ugly

Molding and creating real life characters is the essential part of what makes a story come to life — I love them all, even the bad guys.  It’s like creating the good, the bad, and the ugly, each character with his own persona; each with a tangible history, a cause and effect that motivate actions and dialogue. If I create a believable history for my characters, then they become real people and will usually grow on their own throughout the story. For more on character creation, Holly Lisle’s, Create a Character Clinic is a must have book for your shelf .

Setting the backdrop

I love a strong setting, one that can determine the plot, the mood, and the atmosphere. In some stories the setting is as important as the characters themselves.  Monica Wood, in her book, Elements of Writing Fiction/Description, says it this way:  One way to make a setting come alive is to describe one thing in relationship to something else. As an example, the size of a tree becomes more vivid if you describe a bird’s nest nestled in its branches. I love this idea…so simple, yet it works.

Plotting the plot

Although I spend a lot of time developing my character’s biography, especially the hero, I’ve found that the bad guy is the pivotal character in my mystery novel, and it’s the bad guy’s motive that is actually the force behind the story.  Whether he is a murderer, or a swindler who exploits little old ladies, searchingf for his ruling passion usually pays off. One of the best books on plotting a mystery novel is James Frey’s,  How To Write A Damn Good Mystery. The part I found the most helpful was The Plot Behind the Plot.

My Writing Friends

My friends in the writing arena at WVU are truly special. The courses, the groups, the feedback, the interaction and camaraderie, I feel blessed to be a part of it.  My home group at WVU is called Hemingway Hall — I want to thank David, Ralph, Gin, Anna, Lisa, and Hugo, what a wonderful group of writers you are.

Charity Tahmaseb also comes to mind when I think of special writer friends;  She may not even know it, but I consider Charity one of my best mentors.  Charity, along with co-writer, Darcy Vance, are both very talented. They have a new Young Adult book out right now that’s sizzling! You just can’t pass up, The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading. It’s hot!

Authors on Writing

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