We all have our own ideas of drama whether it is getting in a
fight with a friend or arguing with your parents. However, translating
drama into writing does not come as easy as it does in real life. As an
author, you need to capture the emotions and tensions of your
characters that the readers will pick up on! Don’t fret on this task
because Miss. Literati is right on your side. So grab our hand as we
give you a little lesson on how to create believable drama!
Focus on Real Life Issues Pick issues and topics that will your
readers will understand! These can be things such as drama in romance,
school, and home or with peers, parents, siblings, family, and even
villains.
Here is a list of just some real- life issues that involve drama:
Breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend
Getting in trouble by your parents because you went behind their back
Fighting with a friend that betrayed you
Fighting a battle against a villain who captured your village
Skipping school and getting detention by one of your teachers
Finding out your best friend has a crush on the person you liked for years
Use Strong Language. Language plays a critical role in how
“dramatic” a scene in your story is. The language your characters use
determines how serious a situation is and what they think about it.
Also, the words you use affect the tone and overall mood of your novel.
You can create a sense of urgency, fear, angry, distrust, and other
moods by using certain words that have those connotations.
FOR EXAMPLE: Dana loathed Rebecca after learning what happened last night between Emmett and her.
The word, loathed, means to “feel an intense dislike or disgust for”.
Amy understood that her parents would be enraged and resentful if
they found out she had been skipping school for a week to visit Jess, an
older boy whom she admired.
The word enraged means “to make very angry”, while resentful means
“feeling or expressing bitterness or indignation at having been treated
unfairly”.
Create Impact Dialogue. Rather than giving too many details away
to your reader by writing sentences or paragraphs, show your reader the
drama by creating dialogue between characters.
FOR EXAMPLE: “How could you hook up with him?”, Dana said heatedly.
“I don’t know what you are talking about or who him is,” Rebecca indifferently replied.
“Then explain THIS!” screamed Dana as she held out her phone to Rebecca who quickly turned red.
Create Conflict. Not only is conflict going to make your novel
more dramatic, but it is also going to evoke different emotions and
responses from the reader. Maybe your reader is expecting one outcome,
but you write about another. Always remember that when you write about
the obvious, there is no conflict because it is predictable. So take
risks!
FOR EXAMPLE: Amy
skipped school to meet her older boyfriend Jess, and knows her parents
are going to angry, upset, torn, and suspicious. Amy does all she can
to hide the facts from her parents.
The predictable outcome would be her parents find out, ground her, and tell her to never see Jess again.
However, the risk-taking outcome would be that Amy’s parents are the
ones who told Jess to be with Amy to track her behaviors. It was a test
to see if Amy was ready for the bigger responsibilities her parents have
in store for her.
Read Up. Spend time engaging and reading in drama stories and
plays. This will further allow you to see how authors use different
techniques and tricks. When reading, ask yourself how the author created
drama and where did the drama stem from. Also, think of possible
outcomes for the conflict. Was the outcome was as you predicted or
totally different then what you expected?
Written by Nicole Klock
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
5 Tips To Writing An Adventure Story
Who doesn’t love adventure? The thrill, mystery, and suspense of
these sorts of novels are what keep writing fun and interesting! In
fact, one of the best parts about adventure stories is that you can be
as creative and unique as you want. So start packing your backpack or
spaceship, and get ready to go on a quest with the Miss Literati crew.
With these five awesome tips you will create the adventure of a
lifetime!
Daydream. Yes we are telling you to daydream, but we don’t advise you do this in class! When you have some free time or it just so happens that your mind starts to wander, think about your wildest dreams. Where would you like to go? What do you wish you could do? Don’t be afraid of thinking outrageously or crazy because the more outside the box the idea is, the better! Write down these thoughts and collect them so when it comes time to write you have many topics to write on.
QUICK TIP: Some of your ideas can come from actual dreams you have! Keep a journal and pen at hand for when you wake up in the morning, and write down as much of the dream as you can remember.
Location and Motivation. Now it’s time to pick a setting! Do you want your character to travel around the world? Or is the action taking place in their hometown? Depending on your character, either of these scenarios will work! Also, ask yourself why the character is in that setting and what the conflict is. Is your character trying to save her friend? Is she on a quest to find her lost puppy? Or does she want to find the guy she fell in love with in 6th grade years later?
Hero, Villain, Sidekick. In every great adventure novel, these three types of characters are essential to the story. The hero is the one who ends up going on the adventure to resolve some type of conflict, and can be along their sidekick. This sidekick can end up providing emotional support, advice, and a good laugh to the readers and hero! And finally, the villain tries to make the hero’s life more difficult and halt her from solving the conflict!
Maintain the Action. Always remember that your readers are reading your novel to not only be entertained, but to be engaged in the adventure. They want to fully experience the events and situations the characters are thrown into. To give them the experience they want, don’t give too much explanation at the beginning of the novel that will bore your readers or slow down the pace. Then during the rest of the novel all of the events should lead up to the climax!
Sweet Danger. Keep your hero in some type of dilemma that the reader will believe to be dangerous! This will keep the reader engaged and wonder what your character will do and what the outcome is. However, instead of keeping the danger sweet and predictable, twist your events so the reader will be shocked and amazed! Here is a list of novels that will inspire you to create a little hazard of your own.
Peak by Roland Smith
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Psych Investigators Episodes: Episode 1 by Kevin Weinberg
Daydream. Yes we are telling you to daydream, but we don’t advise you do this in class! When you have some free time or it just so happens that your mind starts to wander, think about your wildest dreams. Where would you like to go? What do you wish you could do? Don’t be afraid of thinking outrageously or crazy because the more outside the box the idea is, the better! Write down these thoughts and collect them so when it comes time to write you have many topics to write on.
QUICK TIP: Some of your ideas can come from actual dreams you have! Keep a journal and pen at hand for when you wake up in the morning, and write down as much of the dream as you can remember.
Location and Motivation. Now it’s time to pick a setting! Do you want your character to travel around the world? Or is the action taking place in their hometown? Depending on your character, either of these scenarios will work! Also, ask yourself why the character is in that setting and what the conflict is. Is your character trying to save her friend? Is she on a quest to find her lost puppy? Or does she want to find the guy she fell in love with in 6th grade years later?
Hero, Villain, Sidekick. In every great adventure novel, these three types of characters are essential to the story. The hero is the one who ends up going on the adventure to resolve some type of conflict, and can be along their sidekick. This sidekick can end up providing emotional support, advice, and a good laugh to the readers and hero! And finally, the villain tries to make the hero’s life more difficult and halt her from solving the conflict!
Maintain the Action. Always remember that your readers are reading your novel to not only be entertained, but to be engaged in the adventure. They want to fully experience the events and situations the characters are thrown into. To give them the experience they want, don’t give too much explanation at the beginning of the novel that will bore your readers or slow down the pace. Then during the rest of the novel all of the events should lead up to the climax!
Sweet Danger. Keep your hero in some type of dilemma that the reader will believe to be dangerous! This will keep the reader engaged and wonder what your character will do and what the outcome is. However, instead of keeping the danger sweet and predictable, twist your events so the reader will be shocked and amazed! Here is a list of novels that will inspire you to create a little hazard of your own.
Peak by Roland Smith
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Psych Investigators Episodes: Episode 1 by Kevin Weinberg
Monday, April 1, 2013
Happy Easter! (1 Day Late)
I know it's a day late, but do you honestly expect me to blog on a holiday? :) didn't think so.
HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!
--
Ashley <3
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