Tuesday, September 20, 2022

3T Writing Tidbit

One of the things I struggled with for many years was perfecting the pitch.

Here's a simple outline: 

  • Who is the protagonist and why do we care?
  • Where are they starting from?
  • What changes (and gets the story moving)?
  • What's their goal now (outer goal)?
  • What's getting in the way of the goal?

Wizard of Oz:

Who is the protagonist and why do we care? A young girl with a dog (pets engage our attention).

Where are they starting from? A rural background. A neighbor threatens her dog.

What changes (and gets the story moving)? A tornado hits, sending the girl to a strange, colorful place.

What's their goal now (outer goal)? Get home

What's getting in the way of the goal? Only one person can send her home and he's at the end of a journey.

Running away from a horrid neighbor who's threatening her dog, young Dorothy Gale is swept away by a tornado from her Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz. Now to return home, she must go on a quest to find the Wizard, the only person who can help, aided by three weird and wonderful fellow travelers she meets along the way.

Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.  

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

2T Repeat Performance

I've done a number of blog tours over the years, posting on different sites. Now I'm bringing them to you!

Originally published March 20, 2012 for the Samhain Blogs

I recently discovered the "Stats" widget for my blog--delight! Now I could see what was popular with readers.

But the results shocked me.

Not the #1 position--my monthly giveaway is always fun, and of course all-time top honors went to Vivi Andrews's guest blog. But #2 for both 30 days and overall was a writing post from 2009 entitled A Pearl for Your Fantasy. A writing post. Not juicy news, not sexy pics. A writing post. So of course my big burning question was--

Why?

A Pearl for Your Fantasy. The words are powerful. Pearl, a gem, conjures glossy images of beauty and prestige. Fantasy is a word sparkling with potential, a golden-sanded beach, a bearskin rug in front of a roaring fire, a sleekly muscled torso on a favorite romance cover. (Here's my favorite :)
 
And let's face it--when I think pearl, I'm not only thinking pearl o' wisdom :) Combined, Pearl and Fantasy mean beauty and strength, attraction and love--the core of romance. 

What pearl fuels your fantasies?