Today I want you to consider the matter of charm in a
story. They say if you show a gun in the first chapter it best be used
later. I call that a reflection. Here's my idea: never have a singular
reference of importance in a novel. Always reflect upon it or show it in a different form
later in the story. For instance, the poem I showed last week had a veiled
reference early in the book. Readers like closure and tidying up loose ends. This
week I present a work by one of my critique group partners. Tricia Hopper
Zacher is a brilliant author who employs all the tools of the craft and puts her heart into her stories. I'm sure anybody who likes women's fiction
will love this story:
Tricia Hopper Zacher: The "What Ifs" of Writing
I am often asked how come up with my story ideas. In Many a Sudden Change the story started with a simple "what if" from my daughter. One day while enjoying an afternoon together the conversation veered toward her autistic son and the challenges of raising him. She asked, "What if" something happened to her and her husband, who would take care of him?
In my mind, there was no question. I knew I would be willing to take on the responsibility. But, would every grandmother? At the time he was still very young, and a handful, often prone to raging fits. He was a big boy and very strong. Raising him was not for the faint of heart. The challenges would need to be balanced with love and acceptance.
In my book, Many a Sudden Change, the grandmother Clarice does not feel capable of raising her grandson Eric on her own when her daughter dies, nor does she understand his special needs. She convinces herself it would be best to contact his estranged father in hopes he will want to raise the boy.
So that's how I started. Stay tuned to find out how the character of Matthew, the father, turned out to be a Marine serving in war-torn Afghanistan.
The book is already available on Amazon in paperback and for those of you who read ebooks it is available for pre-order and will launch on July 19th.
In my mind, there was no question. I knew I would be willing to take on the responsibility. But, would every grandmother? At the time he was still very young, and a handful, often prone to raging fits. He was a big boy and very strong. Raising him was not for the faint of heart. The challenges would need to be balanced with love and acceptance.
In my book, Many a Sudden Change, the grandmother Clarice does not feel capable of raising her grandson Eric on her own when her daughter dies, nor does she understand his special needs. She convinces herself it would be best to contact his estranged father in hopes he will want to raise the boy.
So that's how I started. Stay tuned to find out how the character of Matthew, the father, turned out to be a Marine serving in war-torn Afghanistan.
The book is already available on Amazon in paperback and for those of you who read ebooks it is available for pre-order and will launch on July 19th.
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