Author-Speak Cheat Sheet

Upon occasion, I play golf. Perhaps I should say golf plays me. Either way, there’s a language to this game. Terms that make me grunt, “Huh?” Like: “Pick the ball clean.” “Get down on the ball.” “Play your drives off your left heel.” I can’t blame my game on these baffling words of advice, but they’re not helpful if I can’t decipher their meaning.

Writing has its own language too. I call it author speak.

The judge in my first contest critique had written POV error in the margin of my manuscript. What was it? And how was it an error? Thankfully my critique partner Shirley Jump translated. Laugh if you will, but I still remember the frustration of wanting to know but not having a clue.

For those intuitive writers who create wonderful stories without studying craft, this post is not for you. Hang around and poke fun at those of us who might see value in a cheat sheet. But please keep those smirks to yourself.

Ruthy, I saw that!

For those who appreciate clarity and brevity with a touch of levity—read on. I’m no stand-up comedian, but levity rhymed so I couldn’t resist.

I made some of the terms clickable to prior posts in Seekerville. Here goes:

POV—Point of View=revealing the story world through a particular character’s eyes—usually the character with the most to lose in the scene.

Point of View Switch=Changing the character revealing the story world—either at scene breaks, chapter breaks or seamlessly within the scene.

Head Hopping=moving frequently from one POV character to another in a short span of time.
POV Error=the POV character knows something or thinks something he wouldn’t know or think. Beware of characters describing themselves as in: She ran a brush through her long blond curly hair.

Setting=time and place as seen through the POV character’s eyes—setting can provide conflict if the character feels s/he doesn’t fit. The setting can even be an antagonist. Make the setting as real as the characters. A few chosen words will bring it to life.

Protagonist=the character the story is about. In a romance, both the hero and heroine can be protagonists. Protagonists’ actions drive the plot.

Antagonist=opposition—the character with opposing goals to the protagonist who gets in the way of the protagonist obtaining his goal.

Villain=bad guy—an antagonist has his own goal, ethics, needs and problems.

Back story=past events that shape the character’s actions.

Back Story Dump=the opening of my first book. LOL Withhold back story in the opening. Like peeling an onion, reveal a little layer of character at a time. Keep readers asking questions.

Set up=the first peek at the fictional world and the protagonist—either right before the conflict erupts or right at the time trouble starts. Conflict propels the plot forward.

Inciting incident=the occurrence that brings the hero and heroine together and launches the story—it should give a sense of who the protagonist is and set the tone for the book.

Goal=what my character wants badly—the goal can change or be sacrificed. The POV character needs a goal in every scene that s/he either gets or doesn’t get. Either way, make things worse. Scene goals feed into the main, overall book goal.

Motivation=the reason the character wants what s/he wants—make it strong and make it both internal and external.

Conflict=the fuel for the plot. Along with motivation--conflict raises the stakes and causes trouble for the character—not professional wrestling but it has its down and dirty moments. J

Book-length conflict=a single central conflict that relates back to the main goal—the book length conflict is complicated by internal and scene conflicts. Book length conflict forces the protagonist in a particular direction and challenges him to grow and change.

External Conflict=tangible obstacles to the goal that come from outside the character.

Internal Conflict=problems and issues that come from inside the character.

Episodic writing=unrelated conflict scenes with no rising central conflict—Alicia Rasley said to think sitcoms here.

Scene=character action taken to obtain a goal—with rising stakes that moves the plot forward.

Sequel=character reaction—brief introspection in which the character determines the next course of action. Avoid tea scenes.

Hooks=words/events that pull your reader in and keep him turning pages—use hooks on the first page, preferably in the first sentence. Use hooks at beginning and ending of scenes and chapters and within scenes.

Turning points= protagonist changes course because of plot turns.

Twists=unexpected story events/actions that surprise the reader. And sometimes even the writer.

Point of No Return=protagonist takes an action that commits him to move ahead. There’s no turning back.

Show Don’t Tell=show the character through dialogue, actions and physical reactions.

Climatic scene=confrontation in which the hero and heroine conquer the external hurdles resulting in the resolution of the external conflict. The protagonist must be involved.

Black Moment=all appears lost—the protagonists face despair and conquer their internal conflict and change.

Resolution=the resolution of the internal plot. Shows how the character has changed. In a romance the resolution promises the hero and heroine a happily ever after ending—HEA

It’s my belief that if we just had a perfect cheat sheet, the writing life would be easier. I haven’t found that perfect one yet, but I hope this one makes sense to you. Add other terms that you may need. And keep the list handy.

But remember above all—have a story to tell. Make it unique. Fresh. Twist the clichés. Have fun. Tell the story only you can tell.

For a chance to win a copy of Courting the Doctor’s Daughter, leave a comment. If you've ever been baffled by Author Speak, share your experience.

I brought fruit, various cereals, pastries and coffee…all labeled in plain English for easy recognition.

Janet