|
Audra, the jilted bridezilla in Head over Heels, is getting her own story! It was a challenge to take an unlikeable character from one novel and find out what drove her to be that type of pouty, aggressive character. So I did. Audra seemed to have everything — intelligence, good looks, money — but on closer inspection, her life wasn't as rosy as it seemed. You can find out how she gets a second chance at love in my new release, By the Book, which is available for pre-order now. Versions will be avialable for both paperback and eBook readers. 
0 Comments
Romances are a new genre for me, and I hope you enjoy this one!
One advance reviewer described it as "funny, charming and heartwarming" and another said "It was a smooth read, quick and flirty and fun."* I'm planning a series, each providing a "happy fix" escape from reality with lively characters, setting you can relate to, humor, and of course, a happy ending, so if you like fun romances, join my mailing list! *Review quotes from Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228883352-head-over-heels
 I found this great site for book recommendations. They allow authors to post five book recommendations with a theme.
Though this was an intriguing idea (and it's always nice to get some more publicity!), it was also a fun challenge. Which books should I recommend? Being an avid reader as well as a writer, I’ve read an eclectic array of books, spanning biographies, historical fiction, mystery, fantasy, and romance (normal and paranormal). When I thought about it, the books I love the best have stories with characters who are witty or have humorous points of view. For example, in Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, it is Eleanor’s unique way of making her way in the world that makes what could be a sad story into a delightful one - one that gives the edges of your mouth an upward curl. Check out what I’ve recommended at Shepherd.com. You might be surprised. Thanks for reading! Can you think of a book that you would have included in this list? Let me know in the comments. Character names can add or detract from a story. When you're writing and you don't know what a character should be named, don't let that stop you -- just insert NTK (name to come). Why NTK? It's a combination of characters that is rarely used so it make it easy to use the search and replace function to add in the name you come up with later. I learned this too late, in the case of the sticky Bob. I used the name Bob for a character who I introduced in my second novel, Unexpected Impact, then decided to change his name to Chuck. I never realized how many words have "bob" in them until I tried to do a search and replace. I resorted to the old fashioned way, Bob by Bob. After publishing, I got a note from a reader that pointed out several Bobs remained. It was nice of them, and I always appreciate hearing from readers! But it still was a bit embarrassing since I thought between myself and my beta readers, we had found all of them. If you'd like to see who Chuck is (and check if you spy any remaining Bobs) click here for links to where you can buy the ebook. Or join my mailing list and I'll let you know when I have special promotions running. :)  Note: those are not what my nails look like. But the reading glasses are similar!
Thanks for reading and have a great day! Nancy Do you have a favorite teacher that inspired you? Thank them in the comments! Thanks for reading! Nancy I just enjoyed reading The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. The characters are well drawn, odd yet believable. Bits of humor added to the winsome way the story is told. Are you a Shakespeare lover? Do you have sisters? Then you'd probably like it.
Valentine's Day focuses on love, and especially romantic love. So for those who aren't in a romance, it can be depressing. It was for Sophia. One Valentine's Day, she was newly divorced and working at a new job where she hadn't had a chance to make any friends yet. She walked by the receptionist only to see candies and vases of flowers. The woman in the cube next to her received a dozen roses. Then the guy on the other side spent hours talking about what his girlfriend was going to do for him (a bit too loudly so she couldn't help hearing). So she wrote this post -- something for all of you who don't have a special someone, or whose special someone isn't around or isn't the romantic type. It's also good to read if you're just looking for something uplifting . She titled it -- Things I love that have nothing to do with Valentine's Day. 1) Sunsets over water  2) Sunsets just about anywhere 3) Cherry tress in bloom   4) Birds chirping
5) Daffodils in bloom 6) The way babies smell when they've just had a bath 7) Going for a long walk in a quiet park on a warm spring day 8) And last but not least -- Pushing the publish button on a blog post! Thanks for reading -- I have a hunch that she didn't get them all -- what would you add? Nancy  Have you ever read a story that didn’t have some kind of villain? It’s tough to write a gripping story without someone that provokes conflict. That makes it a challenge when an author like me tends to develop too much empathy for my characters to make them real villains. For example, Liza in Cinnamon Bourbon and Deception was supposed to cause problems but she had too much spunk and refused to cooperate. You’ll see more about her in the future, but for now, back to the antagonists, or bad characters ... Both bad and good characters need to exhibit a mix of good and bad quirks to make them interesting, but villains also have evil motivations. Consciously observing and incorporating negative behaviors from real life as well as fiction helps to make my intended “villains” more viable and even the “heroes” more believable – and sometimes adds a bit of humor. Which would make a character unlikeable? Irritating or untrustworthy? Take a look through the list below and vote by leaving a comment below. 1) Lying - A character can get caught in a lie and then become caught in a web of further lies. This can be funny if it’s a silly lie; many sitcoms are based on this. George Costanza was always getting caught up in his lies. But when a character is an expert at lying, telling stories and distorting facts to another character’s disadvantage, they’re on their way to being a villain. 2) Denial and Blame Shifting - Even when there is clear proof or recorded evidence, the characters lies without flinching. Nothing is ever the character’s fault. When caught in a lie or other situation where they are at culpable, they find a way to blame others. “No, sir, I didn’t kill the chicken”, he said, dusting a feather off his pants. “It must have been that immigrant you hired, I’ve heard people say he’s always eyeing the chickens.” 3) Never admitting they are wrong - When denial and blame deflection doesn’t work, villains rarely admit guilt or say they are sorry, and if they are forced to, they say it in a way that’s really not an apology. “I am sorry – sorry I ever let him talk me into playing this game in the first place.” 4) Switching the Topic - This is a sophisticated tactic where the character, in order to avoid having to answer for something they’ve done, will change the topic or reframe the situation. They attempt to confuse or humiliate other characters -- to keep them preoccupied, confused or put them on the defensive. For example, a slight suggestion that changes the character’s original plan would be met with “you are always criticizing, big stuff” or “your face has big brown smudge on it”, or “is this like the time you told me to get off at the first stop?”. 5) Projecting - This is a tactic in which the character accuses another of doing exactly what they are being accused of. For example, a dishonest character may start a rumor to label another character as dishonest to deflect from their own lying. “I don’t know if it’s true, but I think Jimmy cheats at poker.” He said as he slipped the ace into his sleeve. Or when they exhibit horrible behavior to someone and they are confronted, they’ll act insulted and attack the assertive character, accusing them of not being “nice”, while claiming to be the victim. 6) Generalizing and Exaggerating - The character can use words like “it’s a disaster,” “this is tremendous,” “we are in a big, fat, ugly bubble,” “it’s unbelievable”. He/she also loves to use the language of “everyone” or “many people” as in “everyone tells me she’s a witch” – a claim that is very difficult to prove or disprove or fact-check. This trait can range from humorous to abusive, depending on how the character relates to others in the story. 7) Yelling and Interrupting - A voice can be a tool of violence in a scene. A villain or bad character can use their voice a weapon in order to ensure that they are the ones heard most. They will confront anyone who tries to stand up to him/her by raising their volume. This is particularly effective on soft spoken or risk-adverse characters. If volume alone doesn’t do it, expert interruptions combined with some of the techniques above can confuse and even overpower the other characters. 8) Fear-Mongering - A character can attempt to provoke fear, exaggerating the worse case scenarios, gross generalizations and misperceptions. This is a very powerful tactic of manipulation, as it is very hard to stabilize an atmosphere of terror. Think of characters that incite lynch mobs, genocide, or demonize people who are “different”. The worst villain incites the fear, but steps aside to let the mob do his dirty work for him. 9) Body Shaming / Belittling - Body-shaming is a tactic that can cause another character pain. When directed at a vulnerable area, they may be too humiliated to speak, advocate, or appear in public. Belittling is psychologically making the person feel small or unworthy. It can be subtle: “Sure I’m interested in your 'little' project”. 10) Physical intimidation – using size or proximity to another character to make them uncomfortable or threaten them. He leaned over her shoulder to see what she was writing, his thick hand resting heavily on her upper arm, moving toward her chest. On the lighter side: All of these can be bad, but can these characteristics be humorous rather than abusive? When mixed with other good traits and used lightly, a character who lies, denies or generalizes can be funny, especially if they don't mean to hurt others. But it depends on their relationships. If the character has or wants real power over the other characters for evil purposes, combining several of these traits can result in a certified villain.  Do you agree? Please vote and comment below.
Thanks for reading! |
Nancy MacCreeryInsights on writing, characters, humor and other tidbits from the author of the "Scoops and Schemes" series of novels. Join the conversation on Facebook !
Nancy's books are available for Kindle, Nook and other e-readers. Find retailers here.
Categories
All
Archives
August 2026
|
RSS Feed
Are you part of a book club? Contact me to schedule a book talk or for a book club kit. |