These Lessons are in no particular order. It is material I covered while hosting a writers group at Barnes & Noble.

Lesson 1.

Story Basics

There are only two types of stories: Stories about relationships and stories about power struggles. Of course, there are relationship stories that contain power struggles, and there are power struggle stories that contain relationships. For example, Henrik Ibsen's, Doll House, is a relationship story, the relationship between husband and wife. However, when Nora leaves her husband, Torvald, she leaves to end his dominance, a power struggle. J.K. Rowling's, Harry Potter, and George Lucas Star Wars, are examples of power struggle stories. Each of these has various relationships with their conflicts, obstacles and resolutions. The power struggles, of course, in Harry Potter and Star Wars is the power struggle between good and evil.

Lets look at what drives a story. A story can be character driven, such as in Stephen Kings Dolores Claiborne. In this story, a mother, Dolores Claiborne, is accused of murdering two people, the first (Dolores husband) eighteen years preceding the present murder. Police Detective, John Mackey, still bitter over not proving she killed the first victim, pulls out all the stops to prove she killed the latest victim, her employer. Dolores is the protagonist driving the story forward, and John is the antagonist presenting the conflict.

Many stories are plot driven. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is an example of a plot driven story Oedipus has no control over the situation; the forces of fate, to kill his father and marry his mother, carry him forward.

Some stories are driven by a particular concept. H. G. Wells, The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes, explores the concept of the out of body experience. Wells story differs from modern stories on this concept by allowing his character to be cognitively and verbally attuned to his present surroundings (his laboratory, home in England) while his visual and tactile senses are experiencing a distant location (on a beach on an Antipodes Island, off New Zealand).

Then there is the environment driven story such as Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. It is the various lands, and all that happens there, or environments that Gulliver encounters that keeps the readers turning pages.

Lastly, there is the event driven story; when the event ends, so does the story. An example of the event driven story is Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution. The event is a trial, and except for the denouement, the story ends with the trials outcome.

What drives a story can usually be found in how a person describes it, for example, Inherit the Wind by Robert E. Lee, is based on the Scopes Trial; an event that actually took place. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince Hamlet tries to prove his father's brother, Claudius, murdered his father. Hamlet takes his vengeance against Claudius. This speaks to the character who drives the play forward.

Six Days of the Condor by James Grady is an excellent example of a plot driven story. Joe Turner is a researcher for the CIA, he is code-named "Condor." Turner reads books to uncover secret plots and dirty tricks, which may be encoded within the publications. He goes out for lunch and returns to find all of his cohorts murdered. He calls for help only to discover that all of his CIA contacts are trying to kill him. Why were his cohorts murdered? Why was the CIA trying to kill him? Do the orders come from the top, or is this the work of a rogue organization within the CIA? Yes, this is a plot driven story. The protagonist is reacting to the devices created by the plot.

Look at stories you have read, or have written and determine what part of the story's structure drives it. I hope that this will assist you in your writing by providing a variety of perspectives, thus spurring more creativity.

Lesson 2.

The Nuts and Bolts of Creating Real Characters

The Physical aspects

It is best to leave physical descriptions to your readers imagination, except for those things required by the story.

However, create descriptions for yourself. Personally, if there is something special about a character which will play a part in the story, I write a note in the margin so I can be consistent and make the character a unique person. Example, John limps because of the beatings he received as a child. Upon re-reading, I sometimes find where I did not take advantage of the particular trait I had assigned the character. At other times seeing the note gives me an idea for enhancing the story.

A good place to find character types or traits to is amongst your friends, relatives, or acquaintances. The quirky aunt whose cigarette shakes in her hand sending ripples of smoke about the room, whi, while, stu, stut, stuttering through one of her tedious monologues, walking about the room touching everything her wondering eye falls upon. She is great with children, and gives you elaborate gifts on your birthday and Christmas. She is opinionated, but shes there for you in the instant you need help. She speaks her mind loudly, no matter where she is, regardless of who is there. She has embarrassed you more than once. And she blurts out these quips, without a stutter! She makes the most awesome apple pie and gives you praise while handing a piece of the gourmet delicacy to an acquaintance who accompanied you to Aunties house. This is a combination of two of my relatives.

Physicality Write out descriptions of your characters. The amount of detail is up to you. I will provide an extensive guide use it to your advantage.

Height: feet and inches, meters, centimeters, short, tall, midget, dwarf, giant

Weight: pounds, kilos, stone, heavy as a truck, a child's weight, [whatever works for you]

Body: lanky, stocky, thin, pear, plum, apple, average, fat, rotund, skin and bone, muscular, broad in the shoulder and narrow in the hip, buxom, flat-chest, well endowed, curves, straight lines, hairy, love handles, sunken chest, ribs showing, tan. Is the greatest asset their stomach or their chest? Big butt, no butt, flat butt, perfect butt? Shakespeare's, Richard III was hunched back and had a crippled arm, but was a great combatant, and a conqueror of women. A tattoo is an emblem, or symbol. A tattoo tells us something about a persons desires, interest, or values.

Legs: short, long, average, knock-kneed, bow-legged, one longer/shorter than the other, other deformity, bony, thick, muscular, hairy, knobby knees, varicose veins. Sitting with legs crossed and swinging a foot is a sign of boredom, but tapping a foot is impatience.

Arms: short, long, average, bony, thin, thick, muscular, fat, hairy, deformed. Dropping ones arms signifies nothing more to say. Raising ones arms to signify what is coming must be heard.

Fingers: short, long, average, thin, thick, hairy, manicured, broken nails, dirty nails, polished nails, deformity. When a person bites their nails they are displaying anxiety, nervousness, or insecurity. The tapping of a finger or fingers to make a point is a sign of impatience. Shaping the fingers into a steeple is taking an authoritative position.

Hands: Hands may be: calloused, rough, smooth, damp, clammy, large, or tiny. Holding onto ones hands or body is a sign of anxiety. Rubbing ones head means the person does not want to think about it, while rubbing the ears or eyes means they do not want to hear it, see it. A person who preens wants to be noticed. Hand and arm movements compensate for the complexity of what is being said, which cannot be explained, at least in a practical time and manner for the conversation at hand. A person who stands with their hands on their hips may be displaying impatience or aggression, while the turning of the hands toward others is a sign of openness or sincerity; it presents a non threatening posture. The act of rubbing ones hands together is a sign of anticipation and a common symbolic gesture used for greed. The clasping of hands behind the head signifies self-confidence, or superiority.

Eyes: color, shape, close together, far apart, cross-eyed, cockeyed, walleyed, deformed, attributes (piercing, warm, cold, inviting, riveting, smiling, dark, bloodshot, mirror to the soul). Rubbing ones eye can mean doubt or disbelief. Averting the eyes away from the speaker can mean not believing the speaker, or lying in reply.

Eyebrows : bushy, penciled, slanting, curved, thin, thick, none, deformity. Eyebrows may be raised in surprise, or furrowed in anger.

Lashes long, short, none, thin, thick. Eyelashes flutter when nervous, or telling a lie.

Face: round, flat, square oval, triangular, angular, scarred, mole(s) pimples, moles, warts, freckled, symmetrical. Turning ones face away signifies disgust or disbelief.

Nose flat, long, short, thin, fleshy, bulbous, wide, large nostrils large pores, broken, bent, hooked. Touching or rubbing ones nose is a sign of lying. A nose may flare when angry.

Cheekbones shallow, high, sharp.

Chin square, rounded, pointed, no chin, dimpled. Stroking ones chin is the sign of making a decision. Many people exhibit tension in their chin, or jaw when angry.

Cheeks -dimpled, sunken, shallow, chubby, fat. Tapping or slightly rubbing ones cheek is a sign of thought. A cheek muscle may twitch when nervous or angry.

Ears big, small, stick out, deformed. They prick up, or twitch when listening to someone else's conversation. They may stick out, have large lobes, or they might be missing. A person may tug on an earlobe when trying to make a decision.

Head: too small or large for the body, oddly shaped. A nodding of the speakers head is to gain agreement. When a listener is bored there may be a tilting of the head to one side and the eyes become unfocused, but a tilted head alone indicates interest.

Neck: long, short, Adams apple, turkey neck, thick, thin, a tracheotomy tube. Swallowing or dry mouth is a sign of nervousness.

Mannerisms: (which can make your characters unique.) Many of the mannerisms I use come from people I have observed. As a writer, you should spend much of your free time observing people, observing life. How do they walk, talk, carry their body, and gesture? What are the patterns of interaction between two people, three people, or a group of people? At what number do they break into subgroups?

Walking style: foot dragging, shuffling, heavy footed, even more ponderously, light step, a slight skip in their step, slow and easy, a turtles pace, quickly, rapidly, briskly, always in a hurry, silently, hesitantly, noisily, on their heels, on the balls of their feet, flat-footed. Their gait or step can generate from their foot, ankle, knee, or hip, Their step may be high or low. Their torso might lean forward or backward. They may be stooped, sway, swish, or move slightly robotic. They can walk, face, chest, stomach, or knees first. Characters can glide, or walk with a limp. They may swing their arms. Their palms can be turned inward fingers bent at the second knuckle (military style). A brisk walking pace with good posture is a sign of self-assurance. Walking head down, shoulders slumped shows a lack of self-esteem.

Where a character looks: The character could constantly look around, look straight ahead, or look at the ground? Is there a habit of giving sideways glances? Are the glances furtive, cautious, curious, or searching? Does the character avoid eye contact; look down, around, or to the left or right of the other person in the scene? When a person looks up and to the left, they are using their imagination. This is also, therefore, an indication of lying. A person who looks up and to the right is trying to remember something perceived.

How people carry themselves: People carry themselves in various ways. Some carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, while others walk, sit and stand like they are lighter than air. Shoulders can be down, round, and relaxed, or up back and square in military fashion. They can look frumpy, rumpled, or sagging or rock-solid, impenetrable.

Posture: Posture can be defensive with arms crossed and/or legs crossed. The person might be a tight-lipped communicator. Their stance might include a head drawn, or a slightly tilted back posture. An aggressive posture could include clenched fist, chest forward, head slightly forward with tension in the jaw and neck muscles. They lean forward when responding. A relaxed posture shows no fear (Defensive and aggressive posture can arise out of fear.) arms at or away from the torso, legs uncrossed, no tension in the body. Many people hold their head slightly tilted to one side. Some people stand with their hands on their hips. One character may arise effortlessly from a sitting position, while another may have to push themselves out of a chair. Sweating, twitching, tapping, and swallowing are signs of being nervous, or fearful.

Speech patterns: They can tell the reader quite a bit about a character, as well as making the character unique. People who stutter, saying uhm - ah, er ah, well ah, are unsure of themselves, do not know what they should say, or are uncomfortable with the topic, or (except for stuttering) are searching for the next right thing to say. Those who say, you know, are looking for agreement. Those who use the popular expression, its like . . ., or you can imagine, are poor communicators wanting the listener to fill in what they mean, feel, or felt. Example: It was, uhm, ah, it was really big I ah, er, I thought it was going to kill all of us, you know? I felt like . . . whoa, man! I mean, you can imagine. The person who invariably says, I feel, is prone to act on emotion, and treats their emotional responses to stimuli as valid sources of thought. The person who invariably says I think, relies on what is perceived as factual data and treats emotion only as a value-judgment response to that data. The character who speaks assertively wants to control the situation. The character who speaks in a demeaning tone wants to control the other character(s). The person who speaks in a matter-of-a-fact manner, wants to be understood and believes, with certainty, to be right. The person who speaks loudly is insecure, the person who speaks in a friendly, verbose tone of voice wants to be the center of attention. The person who mumbles, or speaks very low, is insecure. For emphasis a person may pause, or raise or lower their voice.

The six senses: They are a great way to differentiate your characters and make them unique: touch, sight, hearing, taste, smell, and intuition. People rely on some of their sensory perceptions, while other senses serve limited purposes.

Touch - One character may hug or shake hands on most occasions, have a close personal space, be physically aggressive, or use physical metaphors and similes (a sticky situation, a long row to hoe, stay the course, hes rough on the surface, Its like pulling teeth. I feel your pain.) some characters have the need to touch the person with whom they are communicating. They may be the type who point, or poke while talking. Other characters may stick their hands in their pockets, or simply smile and nod when introduced. Some will try to avoid or run away from physical confrontation. Others may have a large personal space, but greet others with a smile and a handshake, then back-off. A character may be (literally) heavy handed, a back slapper, not knowing his own strength. Another character may have a delicate touch, soft touch, sensual touch. My aunt, as mentioned above, has a penchant for touching inanimate objects.

Sight Photographs and videos might be important part of their lives, and they could have a photographic memory. They rely more on what they see rather than what they hear, they speak in terms such as, I see what you mean. and Look, you know what I mean. or That is ridiculous, can you really visualize me in such a situation? A blind person can be unique, having the other senses heightened.

Hearing They listen intently, identify sounds, speak in audiological phrases, metaphors, or similes.

He thundered his frustration at all who were there. Listen. I hear that. Sounds like a plan. Hearing may also be a deficit in the character, leaning forward to hear, looking closely at the mouth of the speaker, repeatedly asking someone to repeat, or may continually say, Huh? What. The deficit may evoke conversations such as: Speaker, I heard you were sick last week. Deficit, Slick! It must have been Rhonda who told you that. I treated her as fair as a sunny day. Speaker, No, she said you sere feeling poorly. Deficit, Treated her poorly! Wait till I give her a piece of my mind.

Taste This person comments on delectable foods and may eat more for pleasure than for nourishment. Always munching on something (peanuts, M&Ms, Lollypop) may be this characters trademark. Metaphorically speaking may say, What a delicious idea. That idea is not at all palatable. There was blood everywhere. When you walked into the room you could taste it. You have very good taste.

Smell The olfactory is important to these people. They can identify perfumes, pipe tobacco, or whatever else needs identification to move the story forward. They would be the first to say, Do you smell that? They make comments similar to these, Something smells fishy. Do not worry, Ill sniff him out. Ill nose around and see what I can find out. They may hold their head a certain way when sniffing out the evidence. Nostrils might pinch together, or flare. The nose may wiggle.

Intuition intuitive people feel it in their gut, and have a sense of what is going on. Quite often they cannot explain why- they just know. They say things like, I feel I'm right. I cant explain it, but I know I'm right. They may have a good or bad feeling about someone.

The opposite side of the coin is, of course, the person who does not have a clue; unless it was something they experienced or learned. They tend to inform. I read about this very thing. Once on Safari in the Congo, the natives used leeches to suck the poison out of my wound. Empirical evidence is their main stay.

These are great tools for differentiating characters, as well as giving them a sense of being. I am sure there are thousands of other actions and indicators that could be used by you as a writer. I have done my best to pass on to you, the ones I have read about, observed and used. Keep in mind, much of the information you utilize in the creation of a character is for your benefit. It is so you understand your character, so you will know what the character will and will not do. How he/she will act, behave, speak, walk, talk, moral fiber, or how it is lacking, and a host of other characteristics. Most of this will be gleaned from between the lines by your reader. However, your characters need more than these innate abilities. I will cover character complexities at another time.

Lesson 3.

Complex Characters

Characters who are in the beginning of and make it through to the last third of your story should be complex. Lesser characters usually do not require as much complexity unless they are used for the purpose of creating the unexpected - a twist in the story - and are going to pop up later on. The complexity gives them validity and the reader invariably wants to know what makes the twister click. Depending on your story, the reader wants to like, love, or hate the twister.

All characters have flaws, they have problems, they are troubled by their problems, they grieve, become frustrated, there are things from their past they will never get over. Characters also have wants, desires, and goals. While creating your character keep in mind their personage must support their through-line (their goal, the thing that drives them in the story.).

You may need to know, where they grew up, what kind of childhood they have or had, their sexual influences and orientation, if they are single, married, or divorced, whether they served time in prison or in the military, their education, vocation, job, hobbies, family, friends, and enemies. Did your antagonist torture cats as a child? Did your hero save a cat in a tree? Why should the reader care about the victim? What is in the victims psychological makeup which makes the reader care, have empathy for the victim?

You should create a physical description: height, weight, age, color of hair and eyes, hair style, body type, shape of face, complexion, preferred clothing. How does the character walk, talk, gesture?

In a sentence define the characters personality. What are the characters likes, dislikes, interest, hobbies, vocation, weaknesses, and strengths? How does the character deal with disappointment, handle success, and react to the unexpected?

Create an outline to find out what makes them complex. While creating this outline you will find there are times when more than a sentence is required. To illustrate the process I will use Jennifer Lattice, a character in my novel, The Stolen Concept.

Jennifer Lattice is a prime suspect in the murder of her ex-lover, Barbara Coin. How did she get to that point in her life? Why should a reader suspend disbelief and accept her as a real person, and a viable suspect, not just the name of a character filling a need in the story? What makes her, Jennifer lattice?

Outline of Jennifer Lattice:

She was born in New Jersey in 1968 and is 32 years of age at the time of the story.

She had attended parochial schools through twelfth grade and has a degree in journalism from Yale.

Her father was a Lieutenant in the mafia at the time of her berth and encouraged her to become a part of the family.

When she was twelve she discovered that she was gay. This was a problem. The family held women to certain standards. They became housewives, business people whom the community respected, they were also chattel for the macho, mafia men. Gays and Lesbians were disgusting freaks.

Jennifer's father, although cold and condescending, protected her. He let his compatriots know he stood by his daughter, and would go to any limit to help and protect her.

Lesson 4.

Character Persona and Conflict

As in real life, characters come in a wide variety of physical and psychological configurations. Their purposes are to make the story interesting, create conflict, and to move the story forward. To suspend disbelief, they have to be perfect for the part they play in your story; choose them carefully.

Before getting into clashing characters, I will point out a couple of characters who are sometimes found in stories. One is the norm character. This character is usually found in comedies. This character is the everyday normal person. The role of this character is to establish a norm by which the reader can judge the degree of funny in the rest of the characters dialogue and actions. It is a character the others can play off, to make a comedic point. This character is sometimes found in other venues such as a story that takes place in an asylum. The norm is usually the crazy person who seems most normal and acts as a barometer by which we judge the actions of the others. We evaluate the actions of the protagonist and antagonist by a character that gives us perspective. The other character is the sidekick. If you are old enough, the word sidekick will bring to mind such characters as Tonto, the Lone Rangers sidekick, Pat Buttram was Gene Autry's sidekick, Gabby Hayes was Roy Rogers sidekick, and Dragnets Sergeant Joe Friday played by Jack Webb always had a sidekick, the last one was Officer Bill Gannon played by Harry Morgan.

The sidekick was the true friend of the protagonist. This character would pose questions that would give us a look into the soul of the protagonist making us empathize with, and like or love the protagonist that much more. The sidekick was also the one who garnered information to move the story forward and the sidekick was always the one who was beaten up or wounded.

I would like to point out that the sidekick is not the only one who allows the protagonist to reveal information to the reader and move the story forward. This role is also filled by the confidant. The confidant is seen sparingly in the story and is used as a device to allow the protagonist (the antagonist can also have a confidant.) to reveal information and move the story forward. In Harold Robbins, The Carpetbaggers, Jonas Cord is the protagonist and Nevada Smith is the confidant. A flat character, is also one who makes it possible to glean information and move the story forward. A flat character is identified as such because nothing is known about this character. This character is predictable. There are no complexities. Calpurnia, the black cook who gives Scout and Jem a window into the black world in Harper Lees, To kill a Mockingbird, and Captain Edwards, in my novel, The Stolen Concept, are a flat characters.

The sidekick died out (literally) in the early seventies. The Dirty Harry series is an example. His sidekicks were dead by the third scene. Star Wars brought back the sidekick. Chewbaka was a sidekick. Skywalker had R2D2 and interestingly, R2D2 had 3CPO. A more recent example of the sidekick scenario is Lethal Weapon. Martin Riggs, played by Mel Gibson was the protagonist, and Roger Murtaugh, played by Danny Glover, was the sidekick.

Detective Murtaugh was not only shot, and beaten up, to move the movie forward; he also asked penetrating questions of Riggs that led the audience to empathize with the wacky Detective Riggs.

Now, lets take a look at characters whose personalities conflict. Characters must clash, or become embroiled in some form of conflict in order for the story to be interesting. For instance in Lethal Weapon, Danny Glover portrayed a logical character and Mel Gibson played an irrational character. These conflicting personalities created conflict between them and made it enjoyable for the audience. In Marsha Normans Night Mother, the character, Mama, is an emotional wreck, but her daughter, Jessie, was matter-of-a-fact and showed no emotion as she explained why she was going to go in her room and commit suicide. Han Solo in Star Wars was the individualist and he was egotistical. His cohort, Luke Skywalker, was altruistic and somewhat shy. Princess Leia was logical and controlling. The three protagonists created a rhythm and variance in pace that kept the audience leaning forward in their seats.

The varieties of personas available to you are as plentiful as the number of adjectives in the dictionary. As you create your characters give each a persona that will clash with their main counterpart. The naive opposite the sophisticate, the curious opposite the indifferent, the apathetic opposite the passionate, the risk taker opposite the unadventurous, the methodical opposite the whimsical, or whatever other antonyms and synonyms provoke the emotions of your reader. Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, was fast-paced and dynamic because of the physical and mental sparring matches between the hot-tempered and over emotional Kate and the level headed but unequivocal Petruchio.

One of the complex characters who creates conflict is called the round character. The round characters persona and background develops as the story develops. This character undergoes a change and emerges as someone with a different perspective, and a change in values. This usually creates some conflict between the protagonist and the round character. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Capulet is a round character. The opposite character is the static character. This character, like the norm character, provides balance and is a barometer to judge the protagonist and the story's progression and direction. It is called a static character, because the character does not change. In Henrik Ibsen,s A Dolls House, Torvald Helmer, Is the antagonist and a static character. Torvald represents the marriage norms of the 1800s and throws his wife out, rather than trying to understand and help meet his wife's needs. Another term for this character is the archetype, symbolizing an excepted concept. Torvald is the archetypical 1800s husband, the businessman is seen as the archetypical representative of greed.

The protagonist is, of course, a complex character. A device used to create complexity is the dialectic arc. The protagonist has gone through a change in basic values and perceptions of life before the story begins. In the story, the protagonist is forced to revisit this previous persona and by the end of the story has reverted to this persona, or developed a new persona. For example, in Casablanca, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) was a freedom fighter before the story begins. He is now a club owner, not wanting to be involved in politics. The arrival of his ex-love with her new husband brings back old feelings and he reverts back to being a freedom fighter to help his ex and her husband escape the Nazis.

Another way to create conflicting characters is through the use of a foil. The foil is a secondary character who clashes with the protagonist or main character. They are opposites. Lieutenant Dan is Forest Gump's foil.

One last point. If the character is there for shock value, toss it in the trash. All of your characters must meet the needs of the storyline, or plot. The characters through-line must meet the needs of the story through-line.

Lesson 5

Journal Writing

In every piece of literature that has ever been written there is something within it that reflects the writer's character, a glimpse of the writer's philosophy, some insight into he writer's values, a miniscule slice of the writer's life.

A broader spectrum of what characterizes a writer can be found in his journal. If you want to know who you are, read your journal.

What journal, You ask? Do you mean to say, you do not write in a journal?

Why should I keep a journal, you wonder?

Let us look at the pros and cons. First of all a journal keeps your mind churning. New synapses are formed creating links between concepts, thus forming greater concepts and new abstractions. Your mind is invigorated; new territory is created for you to farm, making it easier to complete or to perfect your next work of art.

And just how does this happen, you inquire?

For one thing, writing in a journal helps you recall thoughts on a particular subject. recording your thoughts in your journal making it easier to find them when you need them. Brainstorming can provide terrific ideas; put them in your journal. Ideas for what? They may be Ideas for starting a new project, improving an old scene, how to salvage that masterpiece that no one wants.

A journal can be thought of as a toolbox. Here is a short list of tools:

1. Record images you have seen on the street, or in your mind. You drive by in a vehicle and catch a glimpse of two people, something about their posture, and/or motions sticks in your mind like a picture frozen in time. Why? What did the scene say to you? What made it special? Write your thoughts down.

2. Record voice patterns for future use. You overhear someone speaking in a restaurant. There is something unique about the persons voice pattern. Is it their tone, rhythm, pace, possibly their idiomatic expressions? What ever it is, capture it on paper.

3. A particular persons body language seems to jump out at you. You are fascinated by their stance or movement; write it down. There is a character in something you will write that can make use of one or more of these devices.

4. The facial expressions you see can be ideal for your next character: the eyebrow movement, curl of the lip, the face of stone, questioning eyes. Note that jewel in your journal.

5. You notice how a particular person walks, perhaps an uneven step, or light and bouncing one, even though the person is carrying way too much weight. Perhaps a small slender person is lumbering along under the weight of the world. These are physical traits for one of your characters.

6. Emotional displays can be fascinating. You had not thought of using these in your work perhaps - repugnance, or inducement, for example, but there they were being used in real life. Put them in your toolbox.

7. Overheard conversations can be a boon to a writer. What concepts or images did they bring to mind? You probably thought of a better uses for them than the banal perpetrated by the speakers.

8. Don't forget about TV, radio, plays, and literature. Don't plagiarize, but do use concepts, and any fresh perspectives that jump into your mind.

We write about what we know, we reach into our knowledge base to fill pages with our wit and wisdom. When we write in a journal, we are recording our personal experiences, the fountain from which our creativity flows, and in the process, we are learning about ourselves.

On the down side . . .? You tell me. Why would you not want to improve your writing?

Lesson 6

The plot is what happened in your story

It covers the tale you weave in the sequence in which it happens. This is not necessarily the story you tell. For instance, when you use flashbacks the readers becomes privy to new knowledge and circumstances when you are ready to reveal it to the readers, not in the sequence in which it took place. When there are subplots, the readers are lead subplot to subplot and must organize the events in their minds in order to follow the plot in a logical manner.

I should define story line or through line. The story line or through line is a synopsis of the plot. For example, John (The protagonist.) wants to marry Jane (The antagonist.) who hates John because she believes he is responsible for her fathers death. John has to prove he is not responsible for her fathers death. As a matter-of-fact, he tried to prevent her father from being killed. Jane has contacted the authorities and has a restraining order against him and has hired private investigators to prove Johns involvement in her fathers death. So, the through line gives us the detail of who, what, and why of the protagonist and antagonist. It points out the protagonists goals, and describes the central conflict. It is basically, what you would tell someone if they asked you, What is the story about?

Writers opinions on how to set up and develop the plot for a story varies according to what works best for the particular writer. Some writers have a story line in mind and start writing. The plot, for the most part, develops itself as the story progresses. As the story progresses the writer must stop occasionally and determine the specifics and the direction of the plot and remain true to the through line. For The John and Jane story, the writer would, for example, have determine whether the fathers death was accidental, murder, or suicide. Reader would have to believe Johns pursuit of marriage was based on logic, not the deranged desires and beliefs of a stalker, unless that was the writers intention.

Other writers create an outline of their plot with the use of the arc, defining the beginning, middle and end. Some writers go to the extent of creating this arc for each chapter and creating an outline for the entire story.

The important thing is to remain flexible. You created the plot, it is yours to change. Plots or their outlines usually go through several changes during the writing process. Recognize when something is not working and get rid of it, even if it is your best idea so far, or contains words and phrases that you just love to death. Don't let these little jewels kill your story.

The setting for your story (Where it takes place) and the background (The events, or history that led up to the beginning of your story.) should be something with which you are familiar.

Exotic settings, and historical backgrounds only work if you have done ample research. Your readers let you know if you are faking it. Some writers spend years researching before putting finger to keyboard.

The easiest way, and usually the best way to develop a plot is to base the plot on what you know. Use places that you are familiar with. Develop characters based on people you know. You may not know someone who was accused of being responsible for the death of someone else, but you probably know someone who pursued a love affair and possibly someone else who was vilified or at least whispered about as having been involved or responsible for someone else's troubles. Go to your quiet place and get inside these characters, feel what they must have felt, experience their joy and pain. Live their worst and highest moments, then write it down.

Remember that time when your sibling, or the neighborhood bully knocked you off your bike, or the person where you work plotted against you to further themselves? Were talking about terrific angst, conflict, the beginnings of a great story. The difference is that the bike incident becomes the protagonist or a victim being pushed in front of a car or train. Did the bully or sibling get away with it?Not this time! The worker becomes a mole in your organization, trying to have you fired in order to take your place in a sensitive position. The world balance of power may hang in the outcome.

Perhaps you or maybe a cousin suffered child abuse. You have a protagonist and an antagonist, there is conflict, you have a plot. This time the story unfolds the way you want it to unfold, not only that, it ends the way you want it to end.

You can also build your characters on people you know, or even people with whom you have had limited contact.

That guy you passed on the street with the quirky eye, or the aunt that has the habit of opening her mouth and looking at everyone before starting to speak. What about the person you know that is always full of energy and is always upbeat?

The point is, you have so much going for you when it comes to the setting, background, characters and plot that you don't have to look outside your state, city, or neighborhood.

Lesson 7

Using Symbolism to Highlight Your Theme

Before getting into symbolism, I would like to define theme: An idea, point of view, or perception embodied in a work of art. (Websters Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary). In Star Wars, the theme is good versus evil. Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot's theme is, when people do not take responsibility for their own lives, they force themselves into a position where they must rely on others for their survival, and they live in misery because of their lack of mental and physical effort. All of Beckett's plays are heavy with symbolism. For example in Waiting for Godot the play opens on a deserted road that gives one the impression that the road leads nowhere, symbolizing the futility of the lives lead by Estragon and Vladimir, the protagonists. The road is a physical symbol. Estragon worries about physical pain; his boots hurt his feet, while Vladimir suffers mental pain or anguish, because nothing can be done, a phrase that is repeated throughout the play. The hurt and suffering are symbolic of the physical and mental misery of those who rely on others for their well being. The pain and suffering are emotional symbols.

Theme may also be symbolized through biblical references, which are spiritual symbols.

The title of your story is a great way to symbolize your story. Moliere's The Misanthrope, the story of a mans (Alceste) misanthropic life is the result of his excessive virtue and therefore scoffs at those who are less virtuous.

The names of your characters can symbolize their nature or symbolic of the context in which you employ the characters. In the TV show Frazier, Daphne (Jane Leeves) was desired by Niles (David Hyde Pierce). Throughout the season, Niles desires remained unattainable. In Greek mythology, Apollo desired the nymph Daphne, but Daphne remained unattainable. In the following season, the producers had to satisfy the viewers and allow Daphne and Niles to become a couple. What is called the obligatory scene.

The setting a natural symbol is illustrated by Alfred Hitchcock's --

the wet street in the dark of night symbolizing the danger and intrigue of the event that was about to unfold.

Objects and events can symbolize concepts portrayed in the story. Director Mike Nichols uses the symbolization of drowning on several occasions. In the movie The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) dreams he is drowning at the bottom of a swimming pool, symbolizing his drowning in frustration because he feels trapped in a world of middle-aged insecurity. In Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?, George (Richard Burton) and Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) are drowning themselves in alcohol.

A character's professional status can symbolize power the CEO of a corporation, security a policeman, evil the Borg, or whatever fills the need in your story.

Sometimes an author will refer to another work to symbolize a concept. How often have you heard titles used to express a concept, such as, its a Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet, Director) to mean everything is wrong and you are totally frustrated, or this is a Catch 22 (Joseph Heller, Director) situation, meaning damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Another symbolic devise is using the plot structure of a famous work, such as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, which was the plot of West Side Story, and thousands of other stories. A theme based on the mythology is another symbolic devise. For example, Pandora's Box where evil is unleashed on the world through ignorance or carelessness. The movie Backwater, directed by Jim Gillespie uses the Pandora plot. A gateway to hell is accidentally opened and the fight to drive evil back into hell ensues.

Symbolism makes the concepts you present standout. Just be sure the symbols are not too cryptic. Be sure to use symbols your readers recognize.

Lesson 8

Plot Development

The plot is what happened on your story. It covers the tale you weave and the sequence in which it happens. This is not necessarily the story you tell. An example is the use of flashbacks. When you incorporate flashbacks, the reader becomes privy to knowledge and circumstances when you are ready for them to have that information, not in the sequence in which the events took place. When there are subplots, the readers are led from subplot to subplot and must organize the events in their minds for them to follow the plot in a logical manner.

I should also define the storyline of through line. This is a synopsis of the plot. For example, John (protagonist) wants to marry Jane (antagonist) who hates him because she believes John is responsible for her father's death. John has to prove to Jane that he is not responsible for her father's death. In fact, he tried to prevent her father from being killed. Jane has contacted the authorities, has a restraining order against him and has hired a private investigator to prove john's involvement in her father's death. The through line or storyline gives us the detail of the WHO, WHAT AD WHY of the protagonist and antagonist. It points out the protagonists goals and describes the central conflict.

Writers' opinions on how to set up and develop the plot for a story varies according to what works best for the particular writer. Some writers have a story line in mind and start writing. The plot, for the most part, develops itself as the story progresses. The story develops to a point where the writer must stop and determine specifics for the plot to keep the through-line going in one direction. In the John and Jane example above, the writer would have to make a determination as to whether the father's death was accidental, murder, or suicide. The reader would have to believe that John has good reason to believe his pursuit of marriage is based in logic, not the deranged desires and beliefs of a stalker, unless that was the author's intention.

Other writers create an outline of their plot with the use of the arc, defining the beginning, middle and end. Some writers go to the extent of creating this arc for each chapter and creating an outline for the entire story.

The important thing is to remain flexible. You created the plot; it is yours to change. Plots or their outlines usually go through several changes during the writing process. Recognize when something is not working and get rid of it, even if it is your best idea so far, or contains words and phrases that you just love to death. Do not let these little jewels kill your story.

The setting for your story (Where it takes place) and the background (The events, or history that led up to the beginning of your story.), should be something with which you are familiar.

Exotic settings and historical backgrounds only work if you have done ample research. Your readers will let you know if you are faking it. Some writers spend years researching before putting finger to keyboard.

The easiest way, and usually the best way to develop a plot is to base the plot on what you know. Use places with which you are familiar. Develop characters based on people you know. You may not know someone who was accused of being responsible for the death of someone else, but you probably know someone who pursued a love affair and possibly someone else who was vilified or at least whispered about as having been involved or responsible for someone else's troubles. Go to your quiet place and get inside these characters, feel what they must have felt, experience their joy and pain. Live their worst and highest moments, then write it down.

Remember that time when your sibling, or the neighborhood bully knocked you off your bike, or the person where you work plotted against you to further themselves? We are talking about terrific angst, conflict, the beginnings of a great story. The difference is that the bike incident becomes the protagonist or a victim being pushed in front of a car or train. Did the bully or sibling get away with it?Not this time! The worker becomes a mole in your organization, trying to have you fired in order to take your place in a sensitive position. The world balance of power may hang in the outcome.

Perhaps you or maybe a cousin suffered child abuse. You have a protagonist and an antagonist, there is conflict; you have a plot. This time the story unfolds the way you want it to unfold, not only that, it ends the way you want it to end.

You can also build your characters on people you know, or even people with whom you have had limited contact.

That guy you passed on the street with the quirky eye, or the aunt that has the habit of opening her mouth and looking at everyone before starting to speak. What about the person you know that is always full of energy and is always upbeat?

The point is, you have so much going for you when it comes to the setting, background, characters and plot that you do not have to look outside your state, city, or neighborhood.

lesson 9

Improving the Craft

The quality of your writing can improve through continual practice and editing. There are many sources available to help you improve your craft. Subscriptions to magazines such as Writers Digest and The Writer have excellent articles on improving various aspects of your craft. Each magazine will have several articles in each issue dealing with various elements of writing. For instance, the May 2005 issue of The Writer has an article concerning Building a Legal Thriller, another dealing with What a classic short story teaches you about writing, and The # 1 Mistake Fiction Writers Make and How to Avoid It. The May 2005 issue of Writers Digest offers Character Description Made Easy, Keys to Short Story Success, and Avoid These 5 Worst Article Endings. They are a worthwhile investment. Even if you only write for your own pleasure, the self-satisfaction of improving your work is priceless.

It is also worthwhile to invest in books that deal specifically with your writing preference. For example, I mainly write murder mysteries and I have purchased several books dealing specifically with the writing of murder mystery stories.

Books that deal with writing in general that I have found helpful are The first Five Pages by Noah Lukeman, The Elements of Expression, The Elements of Authorship, and The Elements of Editing by Arthur Plotnik

As in all other fields, computers and on-line services have been the proverbial gold mine when it comes to researching material for your writing and for finding training courses for writers. My personal choices are www.writers.com and www.thenatureofwriting.com.

Lesson 10

Choosing Your Words Carefully

A word, while denoting one thing may connote another. Your writing style, the type of story in which you use it, and the context within which you use the word, colors its meaning. Then there is the reader's cultural background, knowledge base, value system and everything else that makes each reader a unique individual. These characteristics affect the reader's interpretation of your words.

The easy part is choosing your words based on your knowledge, writing style, type of story and context of usage. For instance, suppose you are writing a comedic piece involving a character who makes light of the protagonists art collection citing trivial considerations. The protagonist refers to the character as a pettifogger. This is a funny sounding word and it denotes the characters action. The main definition of pettifogger is, a petty, quibbling, unscrupulous lawyer. (American Heritage Dictionary). But the context within which the word is used, colors its meaning to the second definition offered by the dictionary : one who quibbles over trivia. (American Heritage Dictionary). You could have used the term, crass connoisseur, but the hard consonants are more fitting of sarcasm, or of a more serious context, or setting.

In reference to the reader, the best you can do is to know your audience. If you are writing about a legal situation, pettifogger, used to connote trivial quibbling may be seen as a sarcastic slam if your character is a lawyer.

Jargon can add authenticity to your work and dispel disbelief. When your characters are in the legal profession, for example, a sprinkling of legal terminology adds credibility to your characters. In my short story, The Ceremony, the justice of the peace uses the term, en medias res, showing he was knowledgeable to some degree in matters of law, though his rationale in allowing couples to marry was skewed. The use of jargon not only gave the character a degree of credibility, it also allowed me to create an impression of the character that I wanted to convey to my readers: namely, he was a knowledgeable and fairly rational purveyor of the law.

A caution on using jargon. Be sure to go lightly. Don't lose or confuse your audience through the overuse of jargon. For instance when my character uses the phrase, en medias res, I follow it up with its meaning in English. The character reiterates, I am in the middle of the proceeding.

Finding the right word can be crucial to getting your message across to your reader. However, it is also crucial that your readers understand what you are trying to say. For example, The perilous of the cataclysmic event were those who were caught directly in hurricanes path. The phrase, The people who were directly affected, takes up more type-space than perilous, but your readers don't have to stop reading to look up the seldom used word.

Words with impact.

Our teachers taught us in composition and journalism courses to use the most dynamic words to express our selves. We have been told to grab our readers by expressing our thoughts with action words of greater impetus, force and authority. I remember on one occasion, raising my hand and asking, There are only so many words, wont we wind up reaching a limit on what is considered the most forceful word and everyone will be using it, thus losing its impetus?

No, the professor stated. that will never happen.

Well, guess what? For about the last twenty years, everything has been IMPACTED! No longer is anything affected, effected, influenced, swayed, afflicted, moved, stirred, roused, fired up, excited, stimulated, caused, induced, exploited, brought to bear, completed, produced, invoked, put into action, put into force or set in motion. When you pick up a newspaper, or magazine, listen to the radio or hear it or read it on any form of visual electronic media, you find that all of these great words have been replaced with the word, IMPACT.

Please don't follow this trend. Use the word that best describes the action you are referencing. If your subject was emotionally devastated by the results of the trial verdict, say so.

Please don't do as many reporters have done: You could tell that the defendants parents were impacted by the verdict. After twenty years of hearing that words overuse, I want to impact the reporter who mindlessly uses it because some professor said so, some twenty years ago.

My professors were right about words changing in usage. Be aware of this fact in your writing.

For example, if your story takes place in 1985, and your character admits to a mistake, he/she may say, Oops, that was a brain fart. However, My bad, would be a timely error.

A word of caution. Using the exact word to express action can be carried too far. You want to give your readers enough information to allow their imagination to kick onto action, but not so much information as to rob them of a certain amount of their own mental embellishments. For instance here is a scene from my short story, An Affair of Honor: Margarita must confront her father, who has forbidden her to see Peter, again. Peter, did not want to lose the woman he loved, and was worried about the outcome of a confrontation between his love and her father. "Trust me my love, your presence inside the walls of this hacienda, at this time, would be unwise and short lived."

Peter, with a great dramatic flourish, and a broad smile quoted: "With loves light

wings did I o'er perch these walls, For stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do, that dares love attempt. Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me."

Margarita, smiling back at him responded, "If he doth see thee, Romeo, he will fill thy butt with a 12 gauge load of rock salt! I will call you after dinner. Now go!" She stood there with her hands on her hips, smiling but looking resolute.

Peter finally acquiesced. He gave a long low bow, his left leg stretched back, and the sweeping flourish of his right hand almost touching the ground. As he walked off toward home he continued to quote: "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow."

Peter obviously did not want to leave, and at the same time, he didn't want to turn the amour of the exchange into an argument. He had to console himself and not feel as though he was deserting her when she would need him the most. I let the readers knowledge of the character complete the image. Shakespeare, I believe, had a greater impact on the reader than any long, drawn-out narration I could devise.

Note: this is also a strong symbolic reference.

Lesson 11

Hooks, forwards, and Foreshadowing

The American Heritage Dictionary defines a hook as "a means of attracting interest or attention; an enticement. A catchy motif or refrain." It is the reason the perspective reader doesn't put the book back on the shelf to choose another one; it is the reason the reader continues to the next chapter and the next, even though the last one wasn't quite there for the reader. For me, the most memorable hook was the opening line in Ayn Rands Atlas Shrugged: Who is John Galt? I immediately wanted to find out. It was the opening line. Why did she start with this question? The next paragraph didn't address the question. I was hooked! John Galt is not mentioned again until page 12. The same sentence, Who is John Galt? This time, however, a character in the story uttered the sentence. It seemed to be used as an expression to mean, who knows? As the story continues, various characters supply the reader with a variety of myths concerning John Galt, clues to his identity, clues to the concept represented in the character, John Galt. This was a powerful hook used skillfully throughout the book.

The American Heritage Dictionary provides a couple other interesting definitions: foreshadow and forward. Lets first take a look at Foreshadow: To present an indication of a suggestion beforehand; an indication or a warning of a future occurrence. In Daniel De Foe's Robinson Crusoe, Crusoe makes daily trips to the shore to look for ships; one day he finds footprints and markings made by boats pulled ashore and signs of cannibalism. This is definitely a foreshadowing of something, most likely, foreboding to come.

Forwards: "To help advance; promote. To cause to move ahead, as toward a goal." (American Heritage Dictionary) A forward is more direct. It can be meant to move you on to the next paragraph, chapter, or perhaps several chapters forward. In Chris Van Allsburg's The Polar Express, the boy is lying quietly in bed on Christmas Eve. He is anticipating the arrival of Christmas. A train pulls up in the street in front of his house, so he puts on his slippers and robe, and then goes out of his bedroom window.

The conductor says, "All aboard."

The boy runs up to him and asks, "Where are you going?"

"Why to the North Pole of course."

Then the boy tells us, his audience, "I took his outstretched hand and he pulled me aboard."

Did I want to read further? You bet it did. That little paragraph advanced the story, moved it forward. It took a little boy, laying quietly in bed and sent him on an adventure in the middle of the night. I had to find out what happened after the child boarded the train.

So lets hook our readers in the first paragraph, keep the story moving forward, and hold the readers interest through foreshadowing.

Lesson 12

Why Was My Story Rejected?

The best answer to this question, in my opinion, is Noah Lukeman's The First Five Pages. I will relate some of the problems Mr. Lukeman tells us to avoid. When the editor receives your masterpiece, will your opening grab or bore the one person who will determine if your work goes into the trash or is passed on for a second review? Do you have a hook to make the editor want to read further? Grammar is important; if the editor finds two grammatical flaws in the first five pages, there will most likely be one hundred and twenty more by the time three hundred pages are conquered.

Some of the problems encountered by editors are: Comma overuse, example - My brother, George, started his own business (No commas before and after George.) George, my brother, started his own business (Correct comma usage.). Verb/subject agreement - an example - Neither Bill nor his friends knows why she left (incorrect). Neither Bill nor his friends know why she left. This is correct because the plural, friends is closest to the verb. Neither his friends, nor Bill knows why she left (also correct). The dangling participle, example - Screaming helplessly, the plane taxied away from the gate, unaware of my fate (The plane screamed?) The plane taxied away from the gate as I screamed helplessly for it to wait. Now it is clear who screamed. Run-on sentences, example - I wanted to save him, he wanted to die. There are actually two sentences spliced together with a comma. I wanted to save him. He wanted to die. However, too many short sentences make your writing sound stilted or choppy. A better solution would be: I wanted to save him, but he wanted to die. The overuse of the modifiers, adverbs and adjectives is a common problem. For example - She softly rested her magnificently beautiful head against his muscular, tanned chest, her silky blond hair radiantly cascading down across her face, covering his perfectly chiseled abdomen. The reader is looking ahead, skipping words, looking for the outcome. Better = Her hair caressed his body as she rested her head against his bare chest. The rest of the descriptive exposition can be metered out, describing your characters as you write further. Don't overload your reader with detail by throwing it all out there in one shot.

We are also guilty of excessive wordage; example - He rose from where he was sitting and cheered for his team when they finally scored. Better: He stood and cheered when his team scored.

Not considered so critical anymore is the proper usage of who and whom. A rule of thumb: If it can be replaced with he or she use who. If it can be replace with him or her, use whom. Then there is the I and me foible; Jerry and me went to the store. NO. If you take out the other person and say or write the sentence which pronoun would you use? Me went to the store. NO. I went to the store. YES.

Sometimes we aren't sure if we should use that or which when departing information to our readers. So here is another rule of thumb. If the clause refers to information crucial or pivotal use, that; example - Even though he was shot, it was poison that killed him. The word which is used when the information in the clause is not critical or pivotal; example - The poison killed him, which is understandable. In this case, which refers to the entire preceding clause and doesn't refer to critical or pivotal information provided in the other clause?

Another pair of troublesome words are insure and ensure. You insure something for its monetary value. You ensure that something or someone is safe from harm, or to make certain. If you follow this rule, your success will be assured.

The list goes on and on; there are numerous other mistakes we can, and do make. It is up to us to self-edit, or enlist someone else to edit our work. The alternative is a cringing editor immediately tossing the manuscript into the garbage.

Lesson 13

Before you submit...

You have worked all hours of the night for months, driven on by your characters and plot. At last, your final masterpiece is complete, and now it is only a matter of spreading your work to every bookstore you can find.

Yet, before you begin emailing your manuscript to that long list of publishers you have been gathering, have you:

Run spell-check?

Had a person read through your work, noting inconsistencies?

Taken into account that reader's advice?

Had another person read your manuscript?

Taken into account that reader's advice?

Looked through your manuscript for the proper forms of words, grammatical errors, and whether you were consistent in character voice?

Set this manuscript aside for one to two weeks, and then reread your work, checking over it once more?

Run spell-check one last time?

Looked into possibly having a professional editing service look at your manuscript? (Often money well spent)

Regarding Your Submission

Okay, so you have done all of the above and feel that your work is now truly complete. After all, it is your third draft, isn't it? You are ready for that publisher, right? Not so fast! Have you:

Researched each publisher to make sure they produce your genre of fiction?

Checked to make sure your chosen publisher is accepting submissions?

Read the submission guidelines? All of them? Even the one about no simultaneous submissions?

Crafted a query or introductory letter to accompany your submission? If yes, have you scrutinized it as closely as your manuscript?

Made sure that you are sending your submission to the correct person in a form that publisher accepts?

Awesome! Now you can go ahead and send your manuscript. Now wait. Go do something else with your life. Write a sequel. Join a gym. Attend a writers' conference. Do something other than watching the mailbox.

As soon as you get your first rejection, yes rejection, if the publisher was kind enough to note why the manuscript was not accepted, check to see if they are correct.

Error Checklist for Writers

These are common errors in writing for publication. Do not do these things! (And yes, certain of these will not apply to electronic submissions. These assume you are preparing hard copy for an editor you don't know.)

When you know of more specific style requirements or preferences, naturally you should use them. In particular, various academic disciplines and scholarly publications often have specific style guidelines which may differ from these general guidelines and from one another.

Manuscript format

• Hard copy not sent with disk submission, contrary to guidelines.

• Paper color other than white.

• Paper size other than 8 1/2" by 11".

• Erasable bond type paper.

• Onionskin paper.

• Ink color other than black (worn-ribbon gray won't do).

• Original of "bubble jet" or "laser jet" sent instead of non-runny photocopy.

• Corrections made by striking over wrong letter (if typewritten).

• Flaky, powdery cover-up corrections instead of lift-off or Liquid Paper corrections.

• Paper weight less than 20 pounds (substance 20). Okay, you probably can use 18 weight copier-quality paper.

• Less than one inch margins (top, bottom, right, left). Headers don't count against the margin, i.e., the header goes in the margin.

• "Camera ready" (desktop publishing) format.

• Wrong font (Use Courier 10 pitch, that s 12 point, or Pica)

  • Proportional spacing.

  • Too small (less than 12 characters per inch).

  • Too large (more than 10 characters per inch).

  • Weird typeface (Script, Orator without true lowercase, Contempo, etc.).

• Right justified (right margin comes out even).

• Line ends in a hyphen or dash.

• Paragraphs not indented.

• Paragraphs indented other than exactly 5 spaces.

• Other than exactly two spaces between sentences.

• Titles entered in font different from body.

• Titles quoted or italicized or entered in all caps.

• Other than double spacing between lines.

• Extra space between paragraphs (except for occasional breaks in the story).

• Italic font used instead of underlining.

• Boldface font used.

• Dash formed with dash character instead of two or three hyphens.

• Slips or other nonstandard paper inserted in MS.

• MS stapled.

• MS bound (unless a script).

• Pages numbered somewhere other than upper right corner or top middle of page.

• Author's true name and address not in upper left corner of first page.

• Footers.

• No header (slug line) on pages after page one.

• Header not suppressed on page one.

• Text begins less than one-third down page one.

• Cover sheet on short story or article.

• Chapters do not begin on new pages.

• Text does not begin on page one.

• Many penciled corrections in short manuscript.

• Penciled corrections not properly made.

Style

• Comma or period placed outside of closing quotation marks.

• Frequent use of italics for no good reason.

• Inconsistent formation of possessives of plural nouns.

Blunders

• "It's" written for "its" or vice versa.

• Trademark not capitalized or used as a verb.

• "Affect" and "effect" confused or similar blunder with common words such as "lie," "lay," "set," or "sat."

Submission mechanics

• Submission not sent to editorial address.

• No cover letter.

• Cover letter more than one-half page long.

• Phony or pretentious letterhead.

• Name of editor or magazine misspelled.

• Obvious grammatical or spelling error in cover letter.

• Demanding or defensive tone in cover letter.

• Insufficient return postage.

• Inadequate return envelope.

• "Finished" art included with submission.

• Did not query when requested to do so in guidelines.

• Simultaneous submission to an editor who does not look at them.

Story faults

• Does not observe taboos or length requirements given in guidelines.

• No hook on first page.

• Second person.

• Present tense in narrative.

• Use of characters owned by another.

Lesson 14

Misused words

Accept, Except:

Accept is a verb meaning to receive. Except is usually a preposition meaning excluding. I will accept all the packages except that one.Except is also a verb meaning to exclude. Please except that item from the list.

Affect, Effect:

Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence. Effect is usually a noun meaning result. The drug did not affect the disease, and it had several adverse side effects.Effect can also be a verb meaning to bring about. Only the president can effect such a dramatic change.

Allusion, Illusion:

An Allusion is an indirect reference. An illusion is a misconception or false impression. Did you catch my allusion to Shakespeare? Mirrors give the room an illusion of depth.

Capital, Capitol:

Capital refers to a city, capitol to a building where lawmakers meet. Capital also refers to wealth or resources. The capitol has undergone extensive renovations. The residents of the state capital protested the development plans.

Climactic, Climatic:

Climactic is derived from climax, the point of greatest intensity in a series or progression of events. Climatic is derived from climate; it refers to meteorological conditions. The climactic period in the dinosaurs' reign was reached just before severe climatic conditions brought on the ice age.

Elicit, Illicit:

Elicit is a verb meaning to bring out or to evoke. Illicit is an adjective meaning unlawful. The reporter was unable to elicit information from the police about illicit drug traffic.

Emigrate from, Immigrate to:

Emigrate means to leave one country or region to settle in another. In 1900, my grandfather emigrated from Russia. Immigrate means to enter another country and reside there. Many Mexicans immigrate to the U.S. to find work.

Hints:

Emigrate begins with the letter E, as does Exit. When you emigrate, you exit a country.

Immigrate begins with the letter I, as does In. When you immigrate, you go into a country

Principle, Principal:

Principal is a noun meaning the head of a school or an organization or a sum of money. Principle is a noun meaning a basic truth or law. The principal taught us many important life principles.

Than, Then: Than is a conjunction used in comparisons; then is an adverb denoting time. That pizza is more than I can eat. Tom laughed, and then we recognized him.

Hints: Than is used to compare; both words have the letter a in them. Then tells when; both are spelled the same, except for the first letter.

There, Their, They're:

There is an adverb specifying place; it is also an expletive. Adverb: Sylvia is lying there unconscious. Expletive: There are two plums left. Their is a possessive pronoun. They're is a contraction of they are. Fred and Jane finally washed their car. They're later than usual today.

Hints:

If you are using there to tell the reader where, both words have h-e-r-e. Here is also a place.

If you are using their as a possessive pronoun, you are telling the reader what
"they own. Their has h-e-i-r, which also means heir, as in someone who inherits something. Both words have to do with ownership.

They're is a contraction of they are. Sound out they are in the sentence and see if it works. If it does not, it must be one of the previous versions.

To, Too, Two:

To is a preposition; too is an adverb; two is a number. Too many of your shots slice to the left, but the last two were right on the mark.

Hints:

If you are trying to spell out the number, it is always t-w-o. Two has a w which is the first letter in word. The opposite of word is number.

Too is usually used as also when adding or including some additional information. Whenever you want to include something else, think of it as adding; therefore you
also need to add an extra o.

Your, You're:

Your is a possessive pronoun; you're is a contraction of you are. You're going to catch a cold if you don't wear your coat.

Hints:

Sound out you are in the sentence. If it works in the sentence it can be written as
you're. If it sounds awkward, it is probably supposed to be Your.

EXAMPLE: You're shoes are muddy. "You are shoes are muddy" does not work, so
it should be written as: Your shoes are muddy.

Words that don't sound alike but confuse us anyway:

Lie, Lay:

Lie is an intransitive verb meaning to recline or rest on a surface. Its principal parts are lie, lay, lain. Lay is a transitive verb meaning to put or place. Its principal parts are lay, laid.

Hint: Chickens lay eggs. I lie down when I am tired.

Set, Sit:

Set is a transitive verb meaning to put or to place. Its principal parts are set, set, set. Sit is an intransitive verb meaning to be seated. Its principal parts are sit, sat, sat. She set the dough in a warm corner of the kitchen. The cat sat in the warmest part of the room.

Who, Which, That:

Do not use which to refer to persons. Use who instead. That, though generally used to refer to things, may be used to refer to a group or class of people. I just saw a boy who was wearing a yellow banana costume. I have to go to math next, which is my hardest class. Where is the book that I was reading?

Problem phrases:

Supposed to: Do not omit the d. Suppose to is incorrect.

Used to: Same as above. Do not write use to.

Toward: There is no s at the end of the word.

Anyway: Also has no ending s. Anyways is nonstandard.

Couldn't care less: Be sure to make it negative. (Not I could care less.)

All walks of life: Not woks of life. This phrase does not apply to oriental cooking.

Chest of drawers: Not chester drawers.

For all intents and purposes: Not intensive purposes.

irritate - to create or cause a negative condition

aggravate - to increase the severity of an existing negative condition

Lesson 15

What kind of story is it?

Have you ever been asked this question and you respond with a description or story synopsis because you are not sure how to classify the story? You may say something like, This girl and boy grew up together and were the best of friends, then the girl went to college and the boy went to Vietnam. The girl became a war protestor, and the boy became a war hero. Each hated what the other stood for. They ran for the same political office in a no holds barred contest. They were so adamant about winning; they began tossing ethics aside costing them the help and advice of their top aides. This opened their eyes to their own faults, which allowed them to see some similarities in each others views. A new respect grew and a new relationship blossomed. The movie ended leaving the possibility of a romantic relationship in the minds of the romantics and disappointment in the minds of the purist who believe their side caved in. It isn't really a love story, however, a relationship rekindles. Most of the story revolves around the battle to see who wins. Keep in mind, the story started out with a best friend scenario and then ends with a renewed friendship. So, you can safely respond to the What kind of story question with, It is a relationship story that revolves around a dynamic power struggle, or something to that end. Why is this a good or safe response?

Because,there are only two types of stories: Stories about relationships and stories about power struggles. Most stories are about relationships. Of course there are relationship stories that contain power struggles, and there are power struggle stories that contain relationships. For example, Henrik Ibsen's Doll House, is a relationship story - the relationship between husband and wife. However, when Nora leaves her husband, Torvald, she leaves to end his dominance, a power struggle. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and George Lucas's Star Wars are examples of power struggle stories containing various relationships with their conflicts, obstacles and resolutions. The power struggle, of course, in Harry Potter and Star Wars is the classic conflict between good and evil. Not all power struggle stories are about good and evil. Glen Gary Glen Ross is a power struggle for who keeps their job.

Lets take a look at what drives a story. A story can be character driven, such as in Stephen King's Dolores Claiborne. Dolores Claiborne is presented as a sometimes bitter, sometimes tender, and at times maniacal mother accused of murdering her husband and her employer. She is a powerful force who fights the revenge driven Detective Mackey to control her world and save her daughter from her pedophile father. This is a relationship story; the relationship between Dolores and her daughter. There is also a power struggle between Dolores and the detective which provides conflict that kept me glued to the pages.

Many stories are plot driven. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is an example of a plot driven story. Oedipus has no control over the situation; he is carried forward by the forces of fate to kill his father and marry his mother. This is definitely a relationship story.

Some stories are driven by a particular concept. H.G. Wells's The Remarkable Case of Davidsons Eyes, explores the concept of the out of body experience. Wells story differs from modern stories on this concept by allowing his character to be cognitively and verbally attuned to his present surroundings (his laboratory and home in England) while his visual and tactile senses are experiencing a distant location (on a beach on an Antipodes Island, off New Zealand). It is a relationship story; his friends help him through his transcendental experience.

Then there is the environment driven story such as, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. It is his travels throughout various lands, and all that happens in these strange environments that keeps the readers turning pages. This is also a relationship story. It is the relationships which he develops with the inhabitants if the various lands that keep him alive and move the story forward.

Lastly, there is the event driven story; when the event ends, so does the story. An example of the event driven story is Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution. The event is a trial, and except for the denouement, the story ends with the trials outcome. It is the depth of the relationship between husband and wife, which provides a twist in the story.

What drives a story can usually be found in how a person describes it, for example, Inherit the Wind by Robert E. Lee, is based on the Scopes Trial; an event that actually took place. In Shakespeare's, Hamlet, Prince Hamlet tries to prove his father was murdered by his fathers brother, Claudius. Hamlet seeks to prove it was Claudius's doing and takes his vengeance against Claudius. This speaks to the character who drives the play forward. Six Days of the Condor by James Grady is an excellent example of a plot driven story. Joe Turner is a researcher for the CIA, he is code-named "Condor." Turner reads books to uncover secret plots and dirty tricks which may be encoded within the publications. He goes out for lunch and returns to find all of his cohorts murdered. He calls for help only to discover that all of his CIA contacts are trying to kill him. Why were his cohorts murdered? Why was the CIA trying to kill him? Do the orders come from the top, or is this the work of a rogue organization within the CIA? The protagonist is reacting to the devices created by the plot.

Look at stories you have read or have written and determine what part of the story's structure drives it, as in the synopsis of the relationship story I used in the first paragraph. Hopefully, this will assist you in your writing by providing a variety of perspectives, thus spurring more creativity.

Lesson 16

What Drives the Character in Character Driven Stories?

Character driven stories require dynamic characters. After all, they are the force moving the story forward and you want to keep your readers interest peaked. Lets take a look at what it takes to create a character who keeps the readers attention riveted on the pages of your story.

The protagonist should have at least one inherent quality that defines the character. Your protagonist may be highly intelligent like Rex Stout's, Nero Wolf, have a simplistic honesty like Winston Groom's, Forrest Gump, be witty like Loretta Chase's, Jessica Trent in Lord of Scoundrels, or whatever trait makes your character unique. This is called the voice of the character, or how the character relates to others in the story as well as to the reader.

The protagonist must have an ultimate goal. This is what drives the character from page 1 to its last line of dialogue or action followed by the words, THE END. The protagonist should also have minor goals to give the story depth and complexity. Complexity rounds out the character by creating a multidimensional being with likes, dislikes, problems, comfort zones, faults, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as morals, ethics, and principles which allow the reader to like the character and empathize with the character.

Of course, it would be a boring story if there were nothing to challenge the protagonist. The protagonists major and minor goals must, have seemingly, insurmountable obstacles. The obstacles can be physical, psychological, or both. They can be the result of acts of others, nature, or the creation of the protagonist. The one thing the obstacles will have in common is conflict. The obstacles, thus the conflicts, must be believable to the reader, that is, the reader must be able to relate to the conflicts. In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, the goal of Atticus Finch is to convince the jury that it was the girls father who beat her for trying to seduce a black man named Tom Robinson, and she was lying about Robinson beating and raping her. The obstacle was the white prejudice which presupposes in any crime involving a white person and a black person, the black person is automatically guilty. The external conflict which arises out of this obstacle is Atticus attempt to keep Robinson alive as the white people try to kill him. The minor goals are protecting his son Jem's and his daughter Scout's innocents, while teaching them proper moral and ethical values. Another minor goal of Atticus is maintaining his value system under the pressure of his peers to cave in to their demands of maintaining the status quo. Yes, pretty heavy minor goals.

Quite often, internal conflicts play a major role in a story. For example, in Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth is torn by the guilt produced by his sense of good and evil. He must serve his king, Duncan, but kills Duncan to prove himself to his wife, and to become king. He also struggles with and hallucinates over killing Banquo.

In any conflict there is something to be gained or lost. The strengths and weaknesses of the protagonist and antagonist determine the outcome of the conflict. What are the protagonists and antagonists vulnerabilities? Does the protagonist lose something of utmost importance, thus setting up the conflict? If so, does the protagonist recover the lost, or recover from the lost? How does the outcome change the protagonist?

In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in The Sun, the death of Mr. Younger brings an insurance check for $10,000 dollars to the family. Mama wants to buy a house in a white neighborhood, her son Walter wants to open a liquor store. He takes some of the money, without permission, for the liquor store, and loses the money when he lets a friend take the money to invest it. In the process, loses the confidence and respect of his family. He realizes he was not acting in the best interest of the family and standing they is up to Mr. Linder, who wants to keep them from moving into the white neighborhood. He pulls the family together, regaining their respect and becomes a better man. Walter loss the family's money creating conflict, was vulnerable to his so-called friend, because his weakness was in his experience in the social-economic world, but his strength of character pulled him through and he was able to save his family by providing the cohesive ties which pull a family together and everyone gained from his final actions.