Posts Tagged With: writing

Attach “attachments” to attract readers

Posted on August 13, 2025 by christinedesmetauthor

Attachment (dictionary meaning): anything added or attached; affectionate regard or devotion.

In storytelling an “attachment” means things you add to a character to make them not only distinct but to possibly take away and thus challenge them.

An attachment is part of the plotting exercise, and can also be used in the sales wording for the novel’s back cover or inside jacket.

The attachment—when messed with—is also a handy tool to force change in a character and the trajectory of the story.

Attachments can entertain effectively. They draw in readers.

Example of attachments: In the classic movie The Wizard of Oz the girl Dorothy has an aunt as her advisor/protector (attachment) who is lost when Dorothy is whisked up in the tornado. After she’s in Oz, Dorothy gains three helpful friends (attachments) but almost loses them, and later the Wicked Witch wants to take Dorothy’s dog (attachment from the start) and the new mysterious, magical ruby shoes (attached at a significant plot point). Dorothy is forced to change and grow when those attachments are threatened. We feel for her emotionally.

Attachments help us care about a character, even laugh, as in the dogs, cats, and other pets attached to protagonists in mystery novels and more. Those attachments show up on the cover on purpose—they draw readers.

A bland character might have few or no attachments, but can be improved when you add or change the attachments.

Attachments are planned and planted by wise authors.

A plot may sprout from characters with attachments. A plot may also be improved by revising with a new attachment.

Introduce a supportive best friend early, for example, who leaves before or at the Midpoint Crisis so we can see the protagonist shine on their own. The attachment was necessary in order for readers to witness your character suddenly cope without a buddy. We empathize with the loss of a friend or “going it alone.”

Effective stories strip away or mess with a character’s attachment(s) in order to make the character DESPERATE enough to make decisions, take ACTION, and GROW.

If a character or plot is too shallow or “thin,” add an attachment early on, revise, and see where it takes you.

If critique buddies aren’t connecting with your manuscript, experiment with an attachment or two.

If the publishing and producing worlds aren’t connecting with your character, think about how attachments can bring in needed layering—and fun for the audience. Superman got a dog, after all, in a recent movie.

Attachments are superb when they have “weight.”

Example: Saying a character lives in a two-story house doesn’t have weight. You can’t sell that. Yawn for page one of your novel. Instead, what if your character reveals they saved for years to buy a historic house built by a famous mobster or poet? And they’ve lovingly restored it to its former beauty. Now the house has “weight” for readers. Losing that attachment would mean something to the character and readers.

How would you sell that scenario to an interviewer? Just give us the attachment info: “After lovingly restoring a former mobster’s house for years, Fred discovers…(you fill in the blank).”

Dorothy in Oz had 1) a dog, 2) ruby shoes literally attached, and 3) various friends/mentors who helped her journey. We rooted for those attachments.

What are one to three significant things your character might be attached to that you can use to improve characterization and plot?

Attachments help you create a character that grows and a plot that wins readers.

Quick Fix: Find a character’s “strength anchors”

Posted on June 2, 2025 by christinedesmetauthor

Effective characters deal in inner and outer strengths; the strengths ANCHOR a character’s abilities, actions, reactions, and emotional growth.

At least 5 types of strengths are in our toolbox: Emotional (love, sympathy, etc.), Intellectual (ability to reason, learned qualities), Spiritual (connection to soul or inner refinement/pursuit), Physical (muscles, etc.), and Practical (habits or skills developed for repetitive chores or safety, etc.).

Strength Anchors

We writers spend a lot of time figuring out a character’s “Fatal Flaw” and what’s behind it but a good strength (or more) is needed to overcome the Fatal Flaw.

What I call “STRENGTH ANCHORS” create characters we want to follow.

An anchor is not a quick cliché, but a cliché can be turned into a good anchor if the writer explores it within the story.

Also, characters are not just one strength and one weakness (though one Fatal Flaw is enough for any story).

Think about the array of strengths your character might possess, and which one is needed most and when. Which one must ascend from being a minor strength to become a major one? Perhaps that one should be hinted at in the opening pages. Rudolph the reindeer, for example, showed us his shining beacon of a nose in the opening of the classic annual Christmas TV movie, but he was told it was a weakness and hid it. Then, in the end it finally became a major strength.

On page one readers have to relate somehow to your character. We often try to present trouble and show the “weakness” starting out. An alternative is to show a strength that matters to your plot later. Maybe it’s a strength that only we witness at first. Oh how fun it is for readers to share a secret with your character! That’s a hook.

What is your character’s method or power to RESIST strain, stress, and stupid stuff? That resistance is pretty much the dictionary definition of “strength.”

Donald Maass in Writing the Breakout Novel notes strengths create COMPELLING characters. “The characters will not engross readers unless they are out of the ordinary.”

In Story Fix, Larry Brooks suggests writing a better “ticking clock” to test your character. Panicked characters often reveal unusual or interesting strengths.

In The Plot Thickens, Noah Lukeman notes a writer should create STRONG CIRCUMSTANCES for a character to react to. Good examples are usually found in award-winning books.

Here’s a trick: Create a stronger character using what I call “STACKING” of strengths. If we say things commonly occur in “threes,” try it for strengths to round out a character. “Stacking” makes characters surprising and interesting. No character has just one strength anchoring them.

Consider 12 ways to create “strength anchors” that matter:

– What did they learn from a past action?

– Pride fueled by a good memory of an event or accomplishment?

– Admiration for somebody and how they act?

– A meaningful symbol (the flag etc.)?

– A skill they have or decide to acquire? What motivates that?

– Do they experience an unexpected result after an action taken?

– Does another character leave a legacy your character wants to follow?

– What about an animal adding dimension?

– Perhaps they draw a special strength from nature? The land? Space?

– Strength from history and knowledge? A feeling of owing the past?

– Does a religion or belief system bring strength?

– What about a strength from the character’s younger years? Was that strength forgotten until now? Why?

Readers talk about strong characters. Get them talking about yours.

Categories: Quick and Easy Writing Fixes | Tags: writing, writing-tips | Leave a comment

Passion (by any definition) wins over gatekeepers & readers

Posted on May 12, 2025 by christinedesmetauthor

Literary agents, editors, producers, and readers look for “passion” in writing.

Agents rejecting a submission often say, “I just wasn’t passionate enough about your material.”

Solution? Take “passion” seriously. It means having a deep respect for something or someone, and also writing and storytelling.

Passion is evident from page one onward in bestsellers such as The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, or James by Percival Everett, or in nonfiction such as Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Many authors in your favorite genre write with true passion. What sets them apart? Vigor!

“Vigor” occurs by working on one more draft, whether it’s Draft 2 or 10. Vigor in verb choices, better action, and more meaningful dialogue and characterizations win over readers and agents every time.

Vigor means the author is vigorous in weeding out mistakes. No matter how skilled you are, it’s wise to hire a line editor before sending material into the world and especially before publishing it yourself.

Sloppiness cancels out vigor and passion.

The dictionary notes passion can be an “extravagant or strong fondness or enthusiasm for anything.”

How and why might we be enthused about your characters on page one? What’s fresh? And authentic? If your opener is ordinary or derivative of other books, change it and find your voice. Be you. Dredge into your own experiences, your childhood, your schooling or travels, or go exploring now and enjoy research.

Passion has its own type of special effects. A character’s personality must come through instantly.

Passion shows a character’s conviction about something but this is NOT about preaching, which can kill a manuscript.

We like characters that believe strongly in something or someone, even if they are wrong at first. Passion—however misguided—makes them interesting and sets up a mystery or at least a big quandary.

For an easy page-one rewrite, answer this: What is it YOU (in memoir) or CHARACTER (in a novel) believe in strongly? Don’t save truths for the big middle blowup or the end. Passion makes us pay attention. Be evocative or provocative. Surprise us. (For examples read the opening pages of the books I mentioned.)

Another passion exercise: Add a talent or expand your character’s talent.

Readers are interested in skills and talents or the lack thereof because we relate. The more relatable, the easier your sale. Let’s say your character never played guitar in your first draft. You never played guitar. Do a little research. Now have your character grousing on page one about their guitar lesson. How would that change things? A reader or agent will pay attention to your fresh, honest stuff.

It’s always fun in early pages to mess with a simple passion. Push it. Write outside your usual “box” or “lane.” Does your character love plants to excess? Have a neighbor’s dog break in and ruin them all, preferably within the first three pages. The literary agent will likely continue reading.

Can a passion turn into an obsession for a character? Yes. A positive can turn into a negative, depending on type of character and conditions. In general, “passion” is positive while obsession is more negative. But a character can be passionate about one thing and obsessed by another and still be loved, funny, strong or whatever you make them. Try the combo!

If writing with “passion” feels awkward, try starting with “enthusiasm.” Enthusiastic characters are more willing to act and speak with passion.

Passion will elevate your writing in an instant. Get passionate.

Categories: Quick and Easy Writing Fixes, Uncategorized | Tags: book-review, Books, fiction, writing, writing-tips | Leave a comment

Dialogue should do 3 things because readers want 6 things

Posted on March 8, 2025 by christinedesmetauthor

Dialogue can do things that description and action can’t do.

There’s an intimacy with dialogue because we “hear” it as we read or we step into the character roles and emotions. Magic! What a feeling!

Dialogue draws attention—even offers a “rest stop” for our eyes—because of the white space around it in your novel, script, memoir, or short story.

Dialogue helps pacing for reasons including those mentioned above.

Ineffective dialogue—including with punctuation errors or the over-usage or inappropriate substitutes for “said/says”—can kill your prose style and storytelling goal.

Sometimes a project receiving multiple passes can be saved if only the writer would work on the dialogue. This post is about how to start.

Writers I’ve worked with and other authors I admire who have been successful know dialogue does at least three things:

Reveals character,
Moves plot forward, and
Tells the reader or audience something new or needed

How does dialogue do those things? Does it do them at all and consistently?

Employ any or all of these 6 tricks or skills to flesh out a story for readers:

1) Power and power plays

Who is in charge of the scene or chapter? How do we know? Who speaks early on with intention? Does somebody ask a question—always a great technique?

2) Attitude

Allow a character to express worry or any emotion through word choices and the cadence of their words.

“Worry” propels story because, after all, plot is about a problem or goal needing attention. Readers are drawn to those who are worrying; we’re empathetic and sympathetic creatures. Humor also draws attention, try being funny—you are funnier than you first think.

3) New stuff flying at us all the time

Stories excel after a character reveals new information. Bring in the “new” through dialogue constantly. Have you fallen into too much chatting? Repeating things? Find a way for a character to announce surprising information.

4) Passion

How deep is the character’s conviction for what they’re saying? How do we know? Can you improve word choices?

Would using questions help? Instead of swear words (often a cheap trick), try shaping a question or statement with something profound or a confession. Or reveal a secret about their personality or problem.

5) Sex and other basic needs

Relationships, romance, love, sex, money needs, food and housing needs—talk of such things never fails to engage readers.

Do you have a character willing to nudge or force another character to talk about those aspects? Sympathy and empathy are powerful tools. Sometimes a writer needs to add a character like a grandma or friendly shopkeeper who can ask about important needs in a mentor-like way.

6) Subtext

Subtext is the meaning beneath the words. Try having characters occasionally speak in ways to get what they want by not talking about it directly. If a child says, “Cake shouldn’t be left out for a second day or it spoils,” the child’s subtext is perhaps “Can I have another piece of cake right now, Dad?”

Subtext operates like a “hint.” A character might say “I’m all right” but your description or action portrays them as a mess. Subtext works in humorous exchanges, too, and in horror. Criminals will talk “nice” but the unspoken meaning is “You’re in trouble.”

There you have it—the dialogue “3 and 6.” Your task:

Examine your project. How are you utilizing the 3-and-6? Is there at least one page where you can improve dialogue?

How do your opening pages stack up with “3-and-6” techniques?

Categories: Quick and Easy Writing Fixes | Tags: creative-writing, dialogue, fiction, writing, writing-tips | Leave a comment

Quick Fix: Humor—that little “Extra” for the sale

Posted on November 8, 2024 by christinedesmetauthor

A touch of humor sells a novel or memoir, even when you are writing about the most serious of topics or in a serious genre.

Humor provides a moment of relief. Humor is memorable. It resonates with us long after we’ve finished a novel, memoir, or watched a movie.

Every Writer Has What It Takes To Be Humorous.

Humor draws on our backgrounds, our cultural understandings, our knowledge of history and facts. Humor is also often just about being honest. And being brave enough to try it.

Have you had lackluster or no response from agents or readers to your manuscript? Humor can save your project and it’s simple to learn and use.

I encourage you to find a way to put humor on your opening page or certainly by page 2. Here are ways to do that:

Try the “Rule of 3” from Comedy.

A list of three things should end with something surprising or different. That’s the “punch-line effect.”

Example: “Charley loved dogs, cats, and alligators.” If you put the “unexpected” as the third item it allows for humor AND resonance with readers. You can then continue writing about Charley in a surprising way, or not. No matter what, your readers are now intrigued.

Perhaps you are writing a serious thriller. You say humor seems an odd choice for page one or two. That choice is not odd at all. Let’s say this is on page one of a suspense book about a thief:

“Charley felt he was ordinary. He hated his job as a financial adviser, enjoyed a cranberry cocktail after office hours while he polished his weapon, and collected cookbooks he stole from historical libraries.”

Charley feels he’s ordinary but we know he’s not. Why is he collecting cookbooks? There’s the 1-2-3 momentum on page 1 or 2! Readers—who might be an editor, agent, or reviewer—will be intrigued and read on.

Let’s Explore Two Other Easy Humor Techniques.

Go back to the alligator guy. Your next sentences might be these:

Charley Smith was a Wall Street banker of golden reputation with a problem—his pet alligator had outgrown Charley’s penthouse. Alligators in the Excellent Tower were illegal, and harboring such animals would doom his reputation. Charley loved Ansel the alligator but lately Ansel had been eyeing the dog and cat as if they were a French dish just waiting to be served with croissants and Champagne.

That passage illustrates these tricks that create humor: EXAGGERATION and a PERSONAL CONNECTION/IMPRESSION.

I gave the alligator a name for a more personal connection for readers, and brought in a comparison to French dining for a bit of exaggeration. If you had only said “Charley had an alligator in his penthouse,” that falls flat and misses the opportunities for humor.

Have you noticed, too, how bringing in these tricks “loads” your page with more storytelling weight? In short order, we feel 1) ATTITUDE, and 2) your STYLE, and 3) a sense of A WRITER BEING IN COMMAND of their prose and ability. Editors, agents, publishers, reviewers, and readers like those things.

There are many, many other tricks for creating humor.

Good how-to books on how to create humor include The Comic Toolbox by John Vorhaus.

Categories: Quick and Easy Writing Fixes | Tags: book-reviews, Books, fiction, humor, writing | 1 Comment