FAIRYTALES WITH BITE
Playing the Game means to me how your characters act in their fictional life. Do they play the game well (i.e. do they act honestly and honourably or are they cads?). How do your honourable characters handle those who will cheat and scheme? Do the latter win through their cheating or do the honourable ones win eventually? One thing I love about fairytales is that justice does tend to win out. The villains get their comeuppance and so on. Perhaps this is how we can tell it is a fairytale given what life can be like at times!
THIS WORLD AND OTHERS
In The Way We Are, I look at whether nature, nuture or a mixture of both make us what we are. I believe it is always a question of both incidentally. I ask what are the mistakes that have shaped us/our characters and which have changed the way we see the world? Why are your characters the way they are? (“Just because” isn’t a good enough answer!!). The great thing with answering a question like this well is it will then give your characters the depth that will make them appeal to your readers so it is worth digging deep and finding out why your characters “tick” the way they do.
CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY
My post tomorrow is unique in that I review three short plays in one post! The plays were huge fun and I take the chance to look at why they work in terms of being able to identify with characters, sympathetic portrayals and so on. More tomorrow…
FACEBOOK PAGE – GENERAL
I share news of a book signing event coming up and I am in the pages of a national magazine today too. Writing Magazine has a subscribers’ section where you can share your latest writing news and I, of course, have shared news about From Light to Dark and Back Again. I also shared news of the classes I ran for the Southampton (UK) Writers’ Circle. (One nice thing is I know my publisher also subscribes to WM so she will be pleased when she spots this, especially as there is a nice picture of the book too!).
FACEBOOK PAGE – FROM LIGHT TO DARK AND BACK AGAIN
As well as the news above, separately on the book’s FB page, I discuss what makes the perfect start to a story. Have a look and see if you agree!
Incidentally there is an Email button on this page so if you would like to contact me directly, this is probably the best way of doing so.
Is everything in your fictional world as serene as it looks or are there hidden depths? Image via Pixabay
Allison Symes: Collected Works 