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Tag: Writing Skills

Story Circle: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s (Philosopher’s) Stone

Story Circle: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s (Philosopher’s) Stone

The following is derived from Dan Harmon’s Story Circle. Below, the  “Circle” is applied to the book “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Harry Potter, Book 1, Story Circle: A Character’s Zone of Comfort or Familiarity: Harry Potter is an ordinary boy, living a miserable life with his cruel aunt, uncle, and cousin in the Dursley’s house. They Desire / Want Something: Harry yearns for escape and to know more about his deceased parents, whom he barely remembers. They Enter…

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What Book Reviews Can Teach Us

What Book Reviews Can Teach Us

Hello all,  Happy Friday Authors can become obsessed by reviews, but there is more there than good or bad. Reviews give you a lot of insight to what the reader expects in a book. This morning, Amazon sent their latest book reads offer for $1.99. One book caught my attention, not to read, but I liked the cover, so I went to the product page to take a screen shot for my “cover ideas folder.” And, as always, I read…

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Daily Digest: How Much is Too Much Backstory?

Daily Digest: How Much is Too Much Backstory?

Readers want backstory information on characters and events. Having the right amount of backstory is tough, especially when you have so much great material to choose from. So, how much backstory should you include AND how do you effectively add it to the story? Backstory helps create complexity in your characters. [Like an iceberg], ninety percent of any given character … lies beneath the surface. —Megan Burkhart First, Let’s Look at the Pros and Cons of Backstory.