Writing this type of deep emotional fear can work for your book, even in a comedy. At its core, the Wedding Crashers movie tackles themes of acceptance, loneliness, and aging.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Bonus assignment: Write down the physical reactions you’ve experienced when facing your own fears and ways you were able to calm. How can you apply these to your characters? Maybe they want to avoid a person or place or event. How will it affect other aspects of their life? Will it challenge your character throughout the story, making them deal with what they hate most and hope to avoid?
Day 31
Villains, Antagonists and Monsters, Oh My!
For the purpose of simplicity and clarity, we will refer to your fictional bad guy/beast as “villain” or “he/she/they” from here on out.
Villains can be a perfect foil for your main characters. Any bad guy, beast or antagonist can be a villain, and it’s important that your bad guys are just as fleshed out and defined as their “good” counterparts, because their beliefs, experiences and expectations will determine every decision they make. You can even build your villain the same way you build your hero and heroine, using the same character building questions found on Day 9, as well as RANGE found on Day 10.
We suggest asking additional questions of your villain.
What will it take to defeat this villain?
What’s something really likable about the villain?
What kind of bad are we talking about here? Criminal? Straight up evil? Or does circumstance force him to do bad things?
Is this villain redeemable?
If your villain is a monster, we have even more questions.
What type of creature? Animal? Otherworldly? Experiment gone wrong?
What is the creature’s physiology?
What are the creature’s physical, mental and emotional strengths and weaknesses?
Your assignment: Double your daily word count today. Write roughly 500 words of your novel.
Day 32
Multidimensional Side Characters
You’ll find side characters in most fictional books. These characters can help breathe life into the story as they interact with the main characters. Often, readers may gravitate to a certain side character, and even start a cult following that turns into spinoff opportunities, like Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad.
Here are our best tips to crafting vivid side characters, who might even end up being the star of your next book.
Does the character have a shared memory with the main character? Let him/her think about it.
How does the side character react emotionally to different situations?
Mystery. Does the character do something the hero can’t understand?
JILL: To make my side characters as realistic as possible, I try to give them as rich a life and backstory as I can without going over my word count or overshadowing my main characters. The hero in the book Lord of Rage has two younger brothers. They are heartbroken boys who’d lost their parents and were being raised by their distant and cold older sibling. As Osborn learns to love and forgive, his relationship with his brothers changes and grows. The brother also provided some comic relief, and I have readers ask me to write their stories.
GENA: Nowadays, I prefer to leave my side characters a bit of mystery, feeding out just enough details to intrigue. I hope! 1. It gives readers something to think about once they finish the book and 2. It gives me room to play with the character’s backstory if I decide to give them a book of their own. Too many times I’ve spilled too many details about side characters and trapped myself on a specific path, giving me no room to play. I’ve even hurt and offended longtime, dedicated readers by changing a character’s path without fully fleshing out why or easing into the change—don’t make that mistake!
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Bonus assignment: Make a list of secondary characters who will appear in your story. Also note their relationship to the main characters, physical descriptions and what they’ll add to the story.
Day 33
Characterization: Shared Experiences
Think about the closest relationships you’ve experienced over the years. Chances are good that you two have visited important places together and your plans have gone awry. You’ve shared laughter and arguments. Witnessed accidents, mistakes and victories. Depending on how long your characters have known each other and the type of relationship they have, they’ll have shared experiences. You can use those shared experiences to highlight or fracture a bond, show new aspects of their personality, or explain why these characters are like they are.
Think about some of your favorite characters in beloved books or movies. How did the author or director create these types of shared experiences? Flashbacks? Action scenes? Dialogue? Did it work? Did it fail? What kind of overall impact did it have on the character and/or story arc?
GENA: I remember a time Jill and I were inside a fancy museum. She was fascinated by the art and telling me the history of some of the pieces, and I was responding. Really. Hmm. Yes. When she turned around to ask me a question, she spotted me powdering my nose and checking my teeth in a compact mirror, and we both burst out laughing. The experience showcased one of our differences—I like pretty art, she likes boring art, and that will forever be my takeaway—but also brought us closer together. We still tease each other about it. Professor Facts and Miss Mirror.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Bonus assignment: Create a shared experience between two of your characters.
Day 34
Everyone Argues
If real people argue, and they do...a lot...chances are good that your characters will argue about something sooner rather than later. How will your story people handle the argument?
Arguments can spring forth for different reasons. Falling in love, finding a dead body, exploring a new planet—these types of things engage deep, primal emotions which can lead to quick tempers and an even quicker spout of thoughtless words. Maybe your main character is in some kind of physical discomfort. We all know someone who becomes a real beast when they are hangry. (Cough Gena cough). Work and family stresses can also needle your characters. Past mistakes can come back to haunt them. Anything can sour their mood!
Whatever the reason for the emotional upheaval, you need to know how your characters will deal. Are they quick-tempered and ready to rumble, or easy-going peace seekers? What pushes their hot buttons? Do they forgive and move on or hold a grudge?
And what happens after the fight? Do they hold a grudge? Can they go back to the way things were?
Developing a connection between characters means more than a simple “I’m sorry.” For the relationship to heal, should there be true regret and forgiveness? What about a commitment to working together, taking a step toward rebuilding trust?
Pro-tip: Sometimes short, choppy sentences can help convey action and sharp emotion. And don’t forget the multiple ways to signal irritation, anger, or upset. 1. physical action, like teeth grinding, 2. physical reaction, like a racing heart 3. facial expression, 4. word choice and 5. tone of their thoughts.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Bonus assignment: Write a full scene with your main characters arguing. Think of it like a mini-story within your story; there should be a beginning, middle and end. Identify any key emotions the characters experience during and after the argument. Hurt? Injured pride? Loss? Euphoria? Glee? Wicked delight? Do your characters understand their own feelings? How do they recover from the fight? Is it physical or with words? Do your characters name call, curse or yell?
Day 35
Reflect and Catch Up
JILL: I prefer two methods of organizing. Notecards and to-do lists. I keep a stack of index cards nearby at all times, and post them on a bulletin board in my office that is within eyesight of my computer. These index cards are usually
about characters: name, hair color, style, personality traits, etc. RANGE and SEARCH go on the bulletin board, too.
For my to-do lists, I love using the “Notes” application with the bubble and check mark. I relish checking those bubbles off–I feel so accomplished every time I complete something! I also enjoy being able to access that list from every one of my digital devices. I try to keep my to-do list as “tasky” as possible—things I can do to improve my story. Like doing a word search for an overused phrase or step-by-step instructions to fix a plot hole.
The best way to make your lists work for you is to personalize them. I’ve tried filling character sheets, keeping lists on the fridge and specialized apps on my phone, but in the end it was the simple bubble and index card method that worked best for me. Gena logs everything into a notebook and will add tabs to help her find the information she’s looking for. Maybe a three-ring binder or specialized organizational tool will be good for you. Now go discover what works best for you.
Side note: The next handful of assignments will focus on list creation.
Day 36
Map Your World!
As you write and develop your story world, keep a map or rough outline of the town/kingdom/realm you are building. Depending on your story, this can save you a frantic search through your manuscript or notes just to reminder yourself whether the library is located on Main Street or if the Province of Fleur is mountainous or flat.
If drawing isn’t your thing, consider creating note cards with facts in bullet points for each location. As you flesh out your world, be sure to add the new details to your map or cards. That way, you’ll never forget that the town library is in a red brick building within walking distance of your hero’s childhood home, or that the school’s parking lot is full of potholes.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Bonus assignment: Using the list of places your characters will visit throughout your novel, draw a map of your world/city/town. Keep this list and map handy because you’ll refer back to them the deeper you get into your story.
Day 37
Character Names
You’ve already started your novel and named your characters. And, though we’ve talked a little about character names, we want to delve deeper today. Sometimes, after you get to see your character in action, their original name no longer fits. Thankfully, there are many ways to find a new and perfect name. You can use baby books, websites, or even watch the credits of different movies and TV shows to pick out the names you admire.
JILL: I prefer to use names I picked out when I was pregnant, but didn’t ultimately give to my children. I also like to find an underlying meaning for a character’s name that might not be obvious to the reader, but helps my writing on a subconscious level. Lord of Rage is a retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The hero Osborn is a berserker and bear, and his name, along with his brothers’, were various plays of the word bear in other languages.
GENA: Like Jill, I sometimes choose names with meaning. Torin = watchtower. In my Lords of the Underworld series, he guards his friends by sourcing info through computer hacking. Maddox—mad—deals with rage issues. Strider takes great strides to win any battle. In my Forest of Good and Evil series, Farrah is Snow White, the “fairest...fair...Farrah” of them all.
On a practicality standpoint, try to avoid giving too many characters names that are similar, begin with the same letter or rhyme. This can confuse or downright annoy some readers. (As always, there are exceptions to the “rules.”)
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Bonus assignment: Make a list of other possible names for your characters. Research the meaning of those names to see if anything sparks your imagination or helps you flesh out the character’s personality traits.
Day 38
Unique To Your Characters
By now, you know when and where your characters live. You’ve realized the story realms they’ll venture. Tomorrow, you’ll get to create unique words they can use in their everyday life. For today, let’s talk about what makes the book’s setting special to your characters specifically.
The places we visit can evoke different emotions in us, depending on our past experiences. Even if something is new, it can remind us of something we loved and lost/want and need. In other words, your setting can be a catalyst for anything! A memory flashback. A spot, a clue or dead body is found. An ambush. A breakdown. A rejuvenation.
Does your main character have a favorite spot they like to visit? Is there something they’ll notice thanks to a past experience that others might overlook? Do they have a routine jogging route a kidnapper could utilize? Do certain locations rouse different emotions?
JILL: In Naked Pursuit (also known as The Wrong Bed: Naked Pursuit, now a movie from Lifetime) the hero wakes up with no memory of what happened in the days before. Before that, he totally avoided visiting his hometown, and his boyhood home, for reasons revealed later in the book. To anyone else, that house has no real meaning. To him, it’s everything. But now he’s in trouble and feels responsible for the woman handcuffed to him, so returning home for help is his first instinct.
Your assignment: Double your daily word count today! Write roughly 500 words of your novel.
Bonus assignment: Think about the places your main characters will visit within your story world. Create a list of 5 unique descriptions those characters might notice or memories they’ll encounter while standing in that location.
Day 39
The Jargon of Your World
GENA: In my book, Playing With Fire, the heroine (Belle) drinks a spiked mocha latte and develops superpowers over the four elements. Now a (sexy) government agent is hot on her trail and she’s on the run, trying to survive. (I just gave you my elevator pitch. You’ll learn about those later in All Write Already.) Soon Belle learns there’s a whole other realm out there, one filled with all the superheroes of myth and legend.
This “realm” exists alongside modern society, so it needed words to distinguish it from the natural world. I’m not talking descriptive words, but actual words used by my characters in their everyday lives.
I created “PSI.” Paranormal Studies and Investigations.
PSI had a motto: To the rest of the world, we are ghosts. Nonexistent.
PSI needed opposition, so I created “OASS.” Observation and Application of Supernatural Studies.
People with superpowers are referred to as “paras” and they had terms for those without a supernatural ability.
Even if your book is set in the contemporary world, your narrator will use specific and unique words associated with their job, family, or some other aspect of their life.
A lawyer might use trial language in everyday life. “I object!”
A doctor might say “STAT” to non-medical family members.
Someone who watches reality TV will understand more pop culture references than someone who never watches TV.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Bonus assignment: Create a list of unique words your characters will use throughout your book.
Day 40
More Than Just Sight
When writing, you can utilize the five senses to elevate a scene to the next level, adding realism and grounding the reader in the familiar. Think SHTTS. Sight, hear, touch, taste, scent.
JILL: Think what now?
GENA: This is MEMORABLE, Jill. Go with it.
JILL: And that’s why mnemonics work. When you want to add realism to a scene, think NOW IS THE TIME FOR A SHTTS. (Sigh)
What textures do your characters feel/encounter? Silk? Rough calluses? What do they taste when they eat? Or when they kiss? How does their personality affect what they see? Do they focus on the positives or the negatives? What sounds do they hear? Are locusts buzzing? Cars honking? Dogs barking?
Make sure the verbs associated with the fives senses aren’t used repeatedly. Something that is easier t
o do than you think. These words include look, see, hear, taste and smell. Be aware, and when you can use a more dynamic word—go for it.
Examples:
He looked around the room for his prey.
He searched the room for his prey.
She felt his body heat against her skin.
His body heat seeped past the thin cotton of her T-shirt.
Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.
Day 41
This Way Or That Way?
There are many different ways to write a novel. Some authors write their first draft in longhand, then type everything in a document, giving them their first chance to edit. Others prefer to type everything from the start, using Word, Pages, Google Docs, or writing software like Scrivener. Another favorite is using dictation.
All Write Already: Year Of Your Book Page 6