Story Building Blocks: Game On!: 2019

Mastering Horror

This week, we take a look at the Horror genre. From psychological suspense to gruesome terror, readers love to experience fear in the safe environment of a scary story.

The Horror Skeleton

The Horror Structure Subgenre

The Horror Structure External Conflict

The Horror Structure Antagonist Conflict

The Horror Structure Interpersonal Conflict

The Horror Structure Internal Conflict

Top 10 Things That Terrify

A Few of My Favorite Chills

Story Building Blocks Build A Plot Workbook: Horror is available in ebook and print.

The information on genre can also be found in the Story Building Blocks The Four Layers of Conflict in ebook and print editions as well as on my website www.dianahurwitz.com. Much of the material from my Story Building Block books is available in my blog posts and website along with free forms.

Mastering Fantasy

This week, we take a look at the Fantasy genre. It is one of my favorites due to its rich worldbuilding, unique characters, and paranormal features. From wizards and dragons to witches and vampires, Fantasy takes the reader into different realms.

SBB Build A Plot Workbook: Fantasy is available in ebook and print.

Fantasy Subgenres

The Fantasy Skeleton

Crafting Creatures: Ghosts

Crafting Creatures: Witches

Crafting Creatures: Vampires

Crafting Creatures: Fae

Crafting Creatures: Angels and Demons

Writing Steampunk

Myths and Legends

Worldbuilding: Imaginary Creatures

Build A World Map Sites

For more information on worldbuilding, check out the upcoming post Mastering Worldbuilding taken from the SBB Build A World Workbook is available in ebook and print.

The information on genre can also be found in the book Story Building Blocks The Four Layers of Conflict in ebook and print editions as well as on my website
www.dianahurwitz.com. Much of the material from my Story Building Block books is available in my blog posts and website along with free forms.

Mastering Genre "Your Promise"

In the following weeks, I will be highlighting past articles on various topics from the previous years' posts.

The following information on genre can also be found in the book Story Building Blocks The Four Layers of Conflict in ebook and print editions. Much of the material from my Story Building Block series is available in my blog posts and on my website (www.dianahurwitz.com) along with free forms.

This week, I begin with the importance of defining the type of story you wish to tell your readers.

When you choose a genre and subgenre, you make a promise to your reader about the type of story they are settling in for. Is it a cozy or gritty noir mystery? Is it a Hallmark Romance or erotica? Is it a prairie Western or a shoot out between cowboys and aliens?

It is crucial to outline your promise with your blurb/story description. A consumer needs to know what a product is and how it will work. Readers are less likely to choose a confusing product or muddied premise. Broken promises are the number one cause of one star reviews: a Romance that doesn't end happily, a Horror story that isn't scary, or a Thriller that is a snooze. Bait and switch (promising a comedy and giving them a tragedy) ensures the reader forever associates your name with betrayal.

Here is a list of articles on how to keep your promise.

Betraying Your Readers

The Central Question

Genre Roundup Part 1

Genre Roundup Part 2

Con, Heist, and Prison Break Skeleton

SBB Build A Plot Con, Heist, and Prison Break Workbook is available in ebook and print.

Comedy Subgenres

The Comedy Story Skeleton

Injecting Humor Into Plot

Injecting Humor into Dialogue

SBB Build A Plot Workbook: Comedy is available in ebook and print.

The Gothic Skeleton

SBB Build A Plot Workbook: Gothic is available in ebook and print.

Historical Fiction Subgenres Part 1

Historical Subgenres Part 2

Historical Story Skeleton

SBB Build A Plot Workbook: Historical is available in ebook and print.

Literary Subgenres

The Literary Skeleton

SBB Build A Plot Workbook: Literary (Drama) is available in ebook and print.

The Road Trip Story Skeleton

SBB Build A Plot Workbook: Road Trip is available in ebook and print.

Science Fiction Subgenres

Science Fiction Skeleton

SBB Build A Plot Workbook: Science Fiction is available in ebook and print.

The Team Victory Skeleton

SBB Build A Plot Workbook: Team Victory is available in ebook and print.

Thriller and Suspense Subgenres

Thriller and Suspense Skeleton

Making a Thriller Part 1 of 2

Making a Thriller Part 2 of 2

SBB Build A Plot Workbook: Thriller and Suspense is available in ebook and print.

Western Subgenres Part 1

Western Subgenres Part 2

Western Skeleton

SBB Build A Plot Workbook: Western is available in ebook and print.

In the next few weeks, we will highlight four specific genres: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, and Romance.

A Mystery With Multiple POVs

I see a lot of questions about how many POVs a book should have and how to successfully transition through them. So when I began Deborah Crombie's latest book, A Bitter Feast, I decided to outline the POV shifts. When I analyze a mystery, I usually note the clues and suspects and how the finger is pointed, but this is a new release so I didn't want to give away any spoilers.

For my personal taste, I didn't feel all the POVs in this book were necessary. I prefer to stick with the investigators solving the crime. In this case the actual police did very little sleuthing. I'm not really a fan of witness or killer POVs, much less random ones. That said, other than some skimming, I thoroughly enjoyed this entry in the series and will continue to eagerly await Deborah Crombie's books as they are released.

The following is the list of scenes and chapters and the name of the POV character. You can read the book to follow the clues and determine for yourself if you liked the number and variations on POV and frequent scene cuts. I find analyzing other authors' work to be a great learning tool.

Setup: Scotland Yard detectives Gemma James, Duncan Kincaid, and their kids Kit, Toby, and Charlotte are headed to a country home weekend in the aptly named The Slaughters in the Cotswolds. The home belongs to co-worker Melody Talbot's parents (Addie and Ivan Talbot). Co-worker Doug Cullen is also attending. Duncan is dragged into the first murder via a car accident which causes him to be in less than top shape. The local DI quickly decides Duncan isn't a suspect, nor are the occupants or guests of the manor home. Because Duncan, Gemma, Melody, and Doug are police, he allows their involvement. Improbable, but I ran with it because I love the characters.

Chapter 1Scene 1: Vivian Holland (potential perpetrator) a chef providing the luncheon to gain publicity for her restaurant.

Scene 2: Nell Greene (second victim along with Fergus O'reilly first victim)

Scene 3: Gemma James

Scene 4: Duncan Kincaid
Scene 5: Nell Greene

Scene 6: Duncan Kincaid

Chapter 2

Scene 1: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 2: Vivian Holland

Scene 3: Duncan Kincaid

Chapter 3
Scene 1: Gemma James

Scene 2: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 3: Mark Cain (secondary character) local farmer

Scene 4: Ibby Azoulay (potential suspect)

Chapter 4

Scene 1: Vivian Holland

Scene 2: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 3: Gemma James

Scene 4: Vivian Holland

Scene 5: Duncan Kincaid
Scene 6: Gemma James

Chapter 5

Scene 1: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 2: Mark Cain

Scene 3: Gemma James

Scene 4: Duncan Kincaid

Chapter Six

Scene 1: Gemma James

Scene 2: Vivian Holland backstory time shift
Scene 3: Doug Cullen

Scene 4: Duncan Kincaid

Chapter 7

Scene 1: Bea Abbott (witness)
Scene 2: Gemma James

Scene 3: Melody Talbot

Scene 4: Kit (Gemma and Duncan's son)

Chapter 8
Scene 1: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 2: Melody Talbot

Scene 3: Duncan Kincaid
Scene 4: Gemma James

Chapter 9
Scene 1: Duncan Kincaid
Scene 2: Melody Talbot
Scene 3: Vivian Holland

Scene 4: Vivian Holland backstory time shift

Chapter 10

Scene 1: Kit

Scene 2: DI Booth

Scene 3: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 4: Joe (works at Talbot's house, gardener)
Chapter 11

Scene 1: Gemma James

Chapter 12

Scene 1: Gemma James

Scene 2: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 3: Duncan Kincaid
Chapter 13

Scene 1: Vivian Holland backstory time shift

Scene 2: Gemma James

Scene 3: Joe

Scene 4: Vivian Holland

Scene 5: Melody Talbot

Scene 6: Jack (bartender, becomes third victim)
Chapter 14

Scene 1: Mary Thompson (tertiary Character)

Scene 2: DI Booth

Scene 3: Melody Talbot

Scene 4: Gemma James

Chapter 15

Scene 1: Duncan Kincaid
Scene 2: Gemma James

Scene 3: Duncan Kincaid

Chapter 16

Scene 1: Melody Talbot

Scene 2: Kit

Scene 3: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 4: Gemma James

Chapter 17

Scene 1: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 2: Vivian Holland backstory time shift

Chapter 18

Scene 1: Gemma James

Scene 2: Melody Talbot

Scene 3: Gemma James

Scene 4: Roz (secondary character) Addie Talbot's secretary

Scene 5: Melody Talbot

Chapter 19

Scene 1: Gemma James

Scene 2: Melody Talbot

Scene 3: Kerry Boatman (investigator in London)

Chapter 20

Scene 1: Vivian Holland backstory time shift

Scene 2: Melody Talbot

Scene 3: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 4: Kerry Boatman

Chapter 21

Scene 1: Vivian Holland backstory time shift

Scene 2: Melody Talbot

Scene 3: Gemma James

Scene 4: Vivian Holland

Scene 5: Melody Talbot

Chapter 22

Scene 1: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 2: Melody Talbot

Scene 3: Kerry Boatman

Scene 4: Vivian Holland backstory time shift

Chapter 23

Scene 1: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 2: Melody Talbot

Scene 3: Gemma James

Scene 4: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 5: Vivian Holland backstory time shift

Scene 6: Gemma James

Scene 7: Duncan Kincaid

Chapter 24
Scene 1: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 2: Grace Holland (Vivian Holland's daughter)

Scene 3: Gemma James

Scene 4: Kit

Chapter 25

Scene 1: Vivian Holland backstory time shift

Scene 2: Gemma James

Scene 3: Duncan Kincaid

Scene 4: Melody Talbot

Scene 5: Vivian Holland

I picked up Mourn Not Your Dead, the fourth installment of the best-selling Gemma James & Duncan Kincaid mystery series by Deborah Crombie while browsing the shelves in a Barnes & Noble. Since I like to start at the beginning, I went back to titles 1, 2, and 3 then kept up from there. I fell in love with the characters instantly and each mystery is well crafted. Visit her website to check out her books: deborahcrombie.com . If you aren't familiar, I suggest buying all of them. It will make for a satisfying binge. I'd read them all again.

A Tale of Two Dystopias

I recently read these two series back to back. The first is Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken.

In Darkest Minds, the US government inserted a chemical into the water system which gave children different powers as they approached adolescence, if they survived at all. Their solution was to put them in camps to "heal them." Parents were told it was a viral outbreak and, fearing their children would die, had to turn them over to be cured. Of course, the government had other plans. Each child developed a different power and was assigned a color at the prison camps: Greens were ultra smart. Blues were telekinetic. Reds were fire throwers. Yellows could emit electrical charges and affect electrical systems. Oranges could control minds.

Ruby (one of the few Oranges left alive) and her allies Chubs, Liam, and Zu attempt to avoid recapture to free the kids still being held in camps. They encounter various antagonists along the way with the overall goal of overthrowing the main antagonist, the corrupt president who weaponizes them instead of "curing" them.

Bracken's effective descriptions of kids forced into camps resonates with our daily news. It is a chilling reminder that once we accept any justification for imprisoning people, it can lead to further justifications for doing so.

She deftly captures teenagers forced to grow up before they should have to in a world where adults can't be trusted.

The second series, Insignia by S J Kincaid, dispenses with illusions of government and openly places the power where it really resides: with corporations who own the most resources and have the most money. Multinational corporations control the solar system and use taxpayer funded militaries to fight a proxy World War III in space.

Tom Raines is a scrawny fourteen-year-old outlier with high level virtual reality gaming skills. He is drawn into a government program where teenagers are implanted with neural enhancements that give them superior strength and senses and neural ports that allow them direct access to computers.

His contempt for authority and rules gives him an edge when fighting. But it also makes him the perfect weapon against the multinationals.

Kincaid does an excellent job of crafting realistic teenage interactions between Tom and his friends Wyatt, Vikram, and the opposition's best, code name "Medusa." They may be thrust into an adult situation, but they still read like teens. I think she did an excellent job of presenting a young man's point of view and voice.

With anxiety-provoking daily headlines, one might ask, "Why read dystopian fiction. Isn't it depressing?"

My answer is this: they give me hope that heroes will emerge and send the message that we can save ourselves if we have the will. I need to see the good guys win.

When I started my young adult series Mythikas Island back in 2008, I had the same message in mind: that the children are our future and they have the power to change it, no matter how badly the adults have corrupted it.

We need to invest in our young people instead of dismissing them. They are far stronger, more creative, and more impassioned than they get credit for. They can make a difference. It encourages me to see so many young activists, inventors, and business entrepreneurs making waves in our world today. I salute and stand with them.

Choosing Points of View

How many point of view characters should a story have? The answer is: how many do you need to do the job?

When you choose one POV, the verbal camera records the entire story through a single character's lens. The reader can, in essence, become the character. This creates a very intimate experience. Many readers enjoy it, others don't.

The difficulty is that the reader cannot know anything the character doesn't see, hear, overhear, intuit, or conjecture. Benefits of a single POV is just that: limiting what the reader knows. You can create a sense of claustrophobia or terror. You can utilize an unreliable narrator. The reader follows the clues along with the character, leading to twists and surprises.

Sometimes you need to shift the verbal camera between one or more characters so the reader is privy to information the main character is not. This can add to the suspense factor if handled well.

There are several ways to utilize multiple points of view.

One method is to pull the camera back to third person distant or omniscient point of view. The verbal camera is not connected to any one character, so it can zoom in and out anywhere at any time. It can record the conversations, actions, and thoughts of any character. The key is to keep the reader aware of the camera's shifts.

Another method is to switch between several first-person accounts or third person point of view narrators.

Think of it like a relay race. Each member of the team should have a purpose and relate their portion of the the journey. There should be a good reason for them to participate. Whether it is different combatants, friends, foes, antagonists, or love interests, their scenes should count.

In a Con, Heist, and Prison Break you may wish to switch between participants whether it is members of a crew or friends and foes implementing a con. A single POV may not be enough to pull off the stunt.

In a Literary Drama, you may shift between family members, friends, foes, or even try to gain empathy for the antagonist using his POV.

In a Mystery, the reader usually experiences the story along with the sleuth, but you may have more than one investigator. Some mystery writers like to show the antagonist's point of view in a few scenes and show the murderer killing the next victim.

In Thriller & Suspense tales you may want the reader to have information the main character does not. You can supply this by moving the verbal camera between characters, often at a remove in third person.

In a Historical or Western tale, you might shift the verbal camera between struggling townspeople. You can explore the different sides of a racial or ethnic divide. You may switch between your protagonist and other characters involved in subterfuge, love affairs, espionage, or intrigue. Using more than one POV or omniscient POV, allows the reader to traverse areas beyond the main character's domain.

In a Horror story, we a rarely experience the swamp monster's or ghost's point of view. But you might wish to move the verbal camera from victim to victim or explore the sadistic antagonist's rationale or the haunted location's backstory with verbal film clips

In a Team Victory, you may wish to include both coach and team member's POVs, perhaps even their competitors' behind the competition efforts to win.

In Romance, the reader normally sticks with the protagonist, but you can move the verbal camera to take in efforts by the love interest or the friends who support them (and have their own romantic interests) or foes who work behind the scenes to break them up. The caveat is to follow the expectations of the subgenre or imprint requirements.

In Fantasy and Science Fiction, it is common to move beyond the protagonist as the main battle encompasses different layers of conflict and multiple fields of battle. The antagonist is often a POV character as well as key allies on both sides of the central conflict. There can be multiple teams competing against one another. Secondary characters may have hidden motives and shifting loyalties. Focusing the camera on their efforts can illuminate or mask the reader's understanding of what is in play.

Like a relay's hand-offs, transitions between team members should be smooth. Avoid giving the reader whiplash by rapidly switching POVs within a scene. It is critical that the reader can tell which team member is holding the baton. Make sure you clarify each hand-off with transitions. It is a good idea to switch scenes when you switch points of view. Some writers using omniscient move within the scene, but they are also often guilty of head-hopping.

It is a cop out to throw POV characters in for a scene or two to avoid the hard work of presenting the information to the reader through your existing team members. It is like tapping a member of the audience to run a leg of the race.

Also avoid the urge to add a secondary POV character because you enjoy him and want to gift him with a moment in limelight. If he isn't part of the relay team, give him his own race in another story. Otherwise, the reader wastes time trying to figure out why that bit player was crucial and waits for him to return. Annoying detours take the tension out of the race.

Each team member should progress the story and add new information. Repetitive actions and information reveals are like watching replays. Unless reviewing the information twists it or sheds new light, it isn't necessary. That's not to say a group cannot meet up and share what they (and the reader) have learned. They can. But keep it short and simple.

It can help to list each player and jot down notes about their part in the relay. What actions do they take? What information do they discover? How does the character help or hinder the progress toward the overall story goal or specific conflict? How does his participation affect the speed and trajectory of the story?

At the end of the first draft, if you find a character's POV doesn't really add anything, either cut him or rewrite his part to give him a valid reason to participate.

All of the POV team members can meet up at the end for the celebration or be dismissed along the way, but don't forget to wave goodbye to them. Make sure the reader knows the character has exited the story and avoid "But what about Bob?" dangling threads.

Further Reading:

Understanding Scene Goals

Do You Need A B Story?

Stirring the Plot: Friends and Foes

Animated Book Covers

A new trend in marketing is to create an "animated" book cover for use on social media and other advertising venues. In essence, it is turning your cover image into a GIF (graphic interchange format).

You don't have to be a programmer to create a stunning moving photograph.

Here are a few examples:

To add these examples on Blogger, I used "insert image," then chose the URL option and entered the http address of the images.

Here is a list of resources you can use to create GIFS.

Giphy: Twitter shows the animation. Facebook links to the Giphy site and offers a "preview" but the GIF won't play.

Gifmaker: You can create and reduce the file size of a GIF

DP Animation Software

GIF maker Imgflip Make GIFs from videos, pictures, or other images

Make A Gif

Further reading:

Derek Murphy How to Make An Animated Book Cover

How to Make a GIF

How to Create Animated GIFs on Photoshop

How to Add GIFs to Blogger

How to Make, Send, and Share GIFs on iPhone

Crafting Creatures: Angels and Demons

Demons are largely associated with the judeo-Christian concepts of heaven, hell, god, and the devil. Angels abide in heaven with god, demons exist and are at the beck and call of satan, who was himself a "fallen angel."

There are many different versions of the tales from the Bible to the comic book characters Lucifer and Constantine. They can include spirits, succubi, incubi, seraphim, and cherubim. They can be human-like or monsters. The battle between good and evil makes for high stakes fiction.

Here is a list of questions to consider when crafting your angels and demons.

1. Where did their powers originate? Have they been around since time began or was there a point of origin? Are they the children of Eve, Lilith, God, Satan, etc.? Is there more than one type of angel or demon?

2. What is your construct of the story world? Are you basing it on the Judeo-Christian demons and angels or other mythology such as ancient Babylon, Inuits, native American lore, Buddhism, Islam, or Zoroastrianism?

3. Is a demon born or formed? What happens when demons or angels and humans reproduce, if they can? Can demons and angels reproduce with each other?

4. Are angels and demons immortal? If so, at what point do they stop aging or how do they age? Are they always born and made as adults? Do they physically age?

5. Can angels or demons be killed? If so, how and what happens when they die? Can they be banished from the earthly realm by a spell or ritual such as exorcism?

6. Do they have vulnerabilities such as religious icons or objects?

7. Are there costs associated with their powers? Is their energy drained? Do they need to "recharge" by some method?

8. What can your angels and demons do?

Control the elements of fire, air, water, earth
Grow or wither people, plants, or nature
Move things with the mind, wave of the hand, or incantation
Transport/teleport things or people
Telepathy
Mind control
Move through time and space
Kill, maim, or make others ill with their bite
Heal wounds, regenerate, or reanimate
Enhance senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch
Superhuman powers such as excessive strength, speed, agility, intelligence
Shape shift
Fly
Powers of seduction

9. Do they reside only in heaven or hell and visit or can they live in the human realm?

10. Are there objects or rituals that attract them, bind them, or exorcise them?

11. Can they consume human food? Do they need any form of nourishment?

12. What is their hierarchy? Who do they answer to or do they have some autonomy?

13. Are they representative of a specific religion that binds them to codes of behavior? Are they bound by loyalty or vows?

14. Who sees them? Everyone everywhere? Certain groups or places? Only certain sensitive people or targeted individuals?

15. Do they have paranormal allies or enemies?

16. What do they look like? Do they have a supernatural appearance that is hidden by magic, spells, or glamours?

17. Do they have pointed ears, wings, tails, birthmarks, skin lesions, or tattoos? Are they short or tall? Beautiful or hideous?

18. Are their wings retractable or always out? What do their wings look like? Can they shape shift at will or is something required for them to do so? Do they become animals?

19 Do they have specific clothing, robes, armor, weaponry, jewelry items, etc.? What happens to their clothes if they shape shift?

20. Can they summon food, clothing, shelter, and other aspects of human living at will to appear human?

21. Are they battling for the fate of humanity or more distant observers who are not supposed to interfere?

22. Do they have specific tasks such as bringing the dead to heaven or hell or exacting reward or punishment on living humans?

23. What rules must they follow and what happens if they break them?

Further reading:

Worldbuilding: Myths and Legends

The Fantasy Skeleton

The Horror Skeleton

The Thriller and Suspense Skeleton

Demonology Wikipedia List

Demonology Jewish Encyclopedia

Deliriums Realm List of Demons

List of Angels and Fallen Angels

Hierarchy of Angels

You might also be interested in:
Story Building Blocks Build A World Workbook in print and ebook,
Story Building Blocks Build A Plot Workbook Fantasy in print and ebook
Story Building Blocks Build A Plot Workbook Horror in print and ebook
Story Building Blocks Build A Plot Workbook Thriller & Suspense in print and ebook

Search This Blog

Mastering Horror

Mastering Fantasy

Mastering Genre "Your Promise"

A Mystery With Multiple POVs

A Tale of Two Dystopias

Choosing Points of View

Animated Book Covers

Crafting Creatures: Angels and Demons

Get new posts by email: