Ciao, SEers! The last time we met, we talked about time. Today, we’re moving on to the next of the four elements of setting: locale.
“Locale” is the answer to “where” your story takes place. This is both on the grand scale and on the small.
Grand Scale Locale
When we talk about the grand scale, we’re talking about your global position. Possibly even your cosmic location.
Global locales are simple. Where in the world are you? What continent, country, state, city, and street? We know Sherlock Holmes lived at 221B Baker Street in Victorian London. (Holmes fans might also know that the address was an imaginary one. While Baker Street existed then, the number 221 did not.) Many probably recognize 1313 Mockingbird Lane or 12 Grimmauld Place. What about the Cupboard under the Stairs,4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?
Read the following list of brands and tell me what each company sells:
Apple, Ford, Netflix, Delta, McDonald’s, Pepsi, and The Home Depot.
I’m sure you answered the first question easily. Now try to imagine each of their logos. Can you do it? I bet the answer is once again yes. Do you know why? Because every single company on this list has spent billions of dollars investing in their brand. For a Fortune 500 company, its brand is arguably its single most valuable asset. Think about that for a moment, that a name and a logo—something that’s essentially theoretical—might be more valuable than its cash reserves or its inventory. Why do you think that is?
The reason is a brand transcends any particular product, a company’s employees or CEO, and even its physical presence. A brand exists solely in the minds of the consumer public.
Writers often face physical and psychological challenges that many other professionals don’t experience.
Headaches
Vision
Obesity
Neck and back problems
Muscular disorders
Lack of vitamin D
Depression
Let’s have a look at the different health challenges.
Headaches and Vision problems are often caused by staring into an older computer monitor for hours without resting your head or eyes.
Recommended: Take a break every 30 to 60 minutes to give yourself a short rest, get up, walk around, open and close your eyes, and stretch your body; it is helpful in more than one way, you will see!
Obesity: Many writers claim their creativity flows mainly at nighttime, which isn’t surprising since many writers are working full-time jobs, and in the evening, their families demand their attention. They’ll use whatever time of the day they have left. Unfortunately, when they have peace to write, they barely move during the nighttime…
Creating complex and relatable characters in a romantic suspense novel requires a combination of careful planning and attention to detail. Here are a few tips to help a writer create complex and relatable characters:
Develop a detailed character arc: Characters should change and grow throughout the story. A detailed character arc will help the writer understand how their character will change and develop over the course of the novel.
Create a detailed backstory: Every character should have a detailed backstory that explains who they are and why they act the way they do. This will help the writer understand their character’s motivations and make them more relatable to readers.
Make characters multi-dimensional: Characters should have a mix of strengths and weaknesses and should be capable of both good and bad actions. This will make them more relatable and more interesting to readers.
Use descriptive language: Use descriptive language to create a detailed and vivid picture of the character’s appearance, mannerisms, and personality. This will help the reader see the character as a real person and relate to them.
Create conflict: Characters should have internal conflicts that they need to work through. This will make them more relatable and more interesting to readers.
Use Dialogue: Use dialogue as a tool to reveal a character’s personality, motivation and thoughts. It also helps to create a sense of realism and relatability.
Show, don’t tell: Instead of telling the reader what the character is like, show them through the character’s actions, thoughts, and dialogue.
Be consistent: Characters should be consistent in their actions, thoughts, and reactions throughout the story. This will make them more relatable and believable.
By following these tips, a writer can create complex and relatable characters that will keep readers engaged and invested in the story.
No matter what industry you are in, the tech you use every day requires regular maintenance. You take your car in every few thousand miles. The office copier gets monthly visits from the service tech. And the software you’re using to write your next book gets regular updates from its developer.
But what about your website? When was the last time you looked over the site and made sure everything worked right, that the site looked good, and was up to date?
If you are like most people, your website is probably the last thing on your mind, and with good reason. People rarely visit the public-facing parts of their own websites. So it is easy to forget to update important info and check to make sure it is operating smoothly.
If you haven’t checked your site recently, now is a good time to do so…
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. Happy first day of February. Today’s post is a bit different, but one all writers can relate to.
For me, and many writers, we must write. There’s a driving force within that compels us to put words on paper.
Why do you write?
I asked my Story Empire colleagues and this is what they had to say:
“For me, it’s more compelling than breathing. I can’t not write.”
Harmony Kent
“I want to continue to tell stories that I love telling.”
John Howell
“I write to quell my busy mind. Getting the stories out there makes room for more.”
C. S. Boyack
“When I want to say something poignant about who and why we are, I come up with a story that sneaks it in while (I hope) it draws attention and entertains.”
You’ve penned a book you’re proud of, and now you’re ready to share it with the world. But first, you have a question: Should you self-publish or get a publisher?
Maybe you want to become the next Sarah Dessen of YA fiction, or perhaps you created a series you know will rival the book-to-movie successes of “Hunger Games” and “Harry Potter.”
Either way, you should know that no road to authorship is paved with gold. It doesn’t matter which road you choose — there are pros and cons to both routes.
While authors who self-publish boast the wonders of creative control and higher royalties, they also bemoan the uphill climb it can be to reach an audience. Authors who publish traditionally say mainstream success is the only way to go, all the while they relinquish the ability to have a say in final book decisions and…