Category: Writer’s Resources

Help on writing and the writing life. Grammar, Inspiration, Marketing & Publishing, Prompts, Writing Tips

Fiction writing: The reluctant hero

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Recently, one of my students brought to class an excerpt from a novel he was working on. At more than one point in the story, the main character stands up against the bad guys, members of an outlaw gang.

“Why does he do that?” I asked, to help the writer uncover his character’s deeper motivations. “As we learned earlier in the manuscript, all the main character really wants to do is live on his farm in peace and quiet. Why would he risk confronting outlaws?”

“He doesn’t. Not at first,” the student said. “Not until the romantic interest, the woman he cares about, is threatened.”

“Ah,” I said. “Your protagonist is an example of what’s called the ‘reluctant hero,’ a character who, more than once, refuses the call to adventure before standing up for what is right.

Armed with that additional information about his character, the writer could now create a story with more depth. The concept of the reluctant hero is described in detail in The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler.

Markets: LaChance Publishing and Redheaded Stepchild

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A couple markets I just heard about:

LaChance Publishing (www.lachancepublishing.com) is looking for true stories about dogs that have transformed people’s lives.

Redheaded Stepchild (www.redheadedmag.com) only accepts poems that have been rejected by other magazines. That doesn’t mean you can send them your less-than-well-written poems, however, and expect to have them accepted. On the Redheaded Stepchild Web site, it is stated that the publication rejects 85 percent of the submissions it receives. They accept submissions during February and August only.

Critic file

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Last week, one of my students asked if I had any advice about dealing with her inner critic, which she referred to as “that parrot on my shoulder.”

A talented fiber artist, when Loyce sat down to write, she would hear that inner voice asking, “Who’s time am I going to waste?”

I suggested she try creating a critic file, a technique I’ve found useful over the years.

Whenever I’m working at my computer and hear that inner critic, I immediately create a second Word file, type into it whatever I’m telling myself, and then return to my writing project. If, after a few moments, I hear more negative self-talk, I re-open the critic file, enter into it what my inner parrot is saying, and, once again, return to my writing.

Turns out, my inner critic isn’t all that original. She only has 5-10 phrases she keeps repeating; and with time and the critic-file technique, even those have faded away.