Best of the Archives: Dazzling Dozen, Plus One

Sandra here to welcome one of my favorite guests, Laurie Schnebly Campbell.  She taught us about The Hero's Fatal Flaw and today she is going to give us points for the heroine.  I made a pot of chocolate velvet coffee and have a kettle of hot water going for hot chocolate and tea so grab a cup and let's visit with Laurie.

The Dazzling Dozen, Plus One

by Laurie Schnebly Campbell

We've all heard of the Twelve Steps in the Hero's Journey, right? Maybe even written novels or screenplays using those steps, read Joseph Campbell's book, or taken a workshop on it.

Available on Amazon

Confession time: I've never really GOTTEN the hero's journey. I know there are thousands of writers who swear by it -- there's clearly some value in those twelve steps.

But for some reason, they've just never quite worked for me. My heroes don't meet wise mentors, don't face dark caves, don't return with elixirs... My heroes are just regular guys who hear advice from equally clueless friends, occasionally get rained on at the ball game, and maybe return with a hamburger.

Same is true for my heroines. Swell women, all of 'em, but they're sure not out there staging interplanetary raids and facing down corrupt sheriffs and rescuing secret formulas.

No, their journey is more internal. Even if they're taking off from their everyday life and flying to Cleveland, the challenges they face aren't the kind that'll have movie-goers crunching popcorn at twice the usual speed.

Their challenges are more like our own.

"My husband doesn't understand why I need time to write." "My best friend left the company and nobody else is as close." "I wish I could make Mom understand why I didn't choose her way."

And, like most of our heroines, we occasionally settle for being less than we can be.Of course, by and large, we do a pretty good job of looking out for our loved ones and ourselves. We speak up eventually when something bothers us. 

We try something new every so often; we recognize that even if our dreams aren't practical they aren't stupid. But even so, we don't always live up to our highest self. We're not always the strongest, healthiest, wisest, best person we can be.

And neither are our heroines.

That's where we get to the Heroine's Journey. Just like every action hero goes through twelve steps, a heroine who hasn't yet achieved the victory of being her true self needs to go through thirteen steps.

(Hmm, what does it mean that women have more steps then men?)

Each one of those steps takes her from being a person who depends on others for self-worth to a person who's innately worthy in her own right. She might start and finish the book as a scullery maid, but along the way she'll make a difference in her world and become her own person...usually for the first time in her life.

She'll go through the steps that Kim Hudson, author of The Virgin's Promise, calls the Price Of Conformity, Dressing The Part, Caught Shining, and ten intriguing others. And each one takes her closer to the ultimate triumph.

What's cool about this is that the heroine, like each of us, is involved with other people throughout her journey. Whether they're her parents, friends, co-workers, children, fellow peasants or students or country club members, she's engaged in some kind of society. 

Increasing the tension of the book, the people in this society want to keep her where THEY (often with the best and most loving intentions in the world) think she belongs, rather than where she gradually discovers she can truly become her best self.

So that's where we get the payoff of the lucky thirteenth step -- because once she's her best self, she doesn't just go off and forget where she came from. She makes things better for those around her, as well, and that's what makes her a REAL heroine.

Laurie will get into more detail on that next month in her class with Writer University. The name of the class she will offer in September is  "The Hero's Journey, For Heroines,"  Click on this link to register.

Laurie Schnebly Campbell always wondered what was wrong with her, not really GETTING the Hero's Journey, until she discovered its feminine counterpart. Then she got excited -- not only by the premise, but also by the chance to create a brand new online class for Writer University. 

She can't wait to see who else shares her enthusiasm for characters making discoveries within themselves, as well as within the world...no matter what their gender.

This article appeared in Seekerville September 2012. Remember no comments today so we can catch up on our writing and use what we have learned. However if you do want to ask Laurie any questions she said to email her privately. Go to BookLaurie and click on contact. She will look for emails and happily answer any questions you might have.

Sandra Leesmith writes sweet romances to warm the heart. Sandra loves to play pickleball, hike, read, bicycle and write. She is based in Arizona, but she and her husband travel throughout the United States in their motorhome and enjoy the outdoors. You can find Sandra's books here on Amazon. Three of Sandra's most popular books are also audio books at Audible. You can read more of Sandra's posts here.

Why Fatal Flaws Rarely Are

by guest Laurie Schnebly Campbell

It's pretty rare that someone's inborn flaw is actually fatal. After all, in real life God gives all kinds of second chances -- and even in fiction, we don't generally want our characters dropping dead in Chapter Two.

Well, unless somebody needs to get killed early on for the sake of the plot. For a minor character, as well as for a villain, it's perfectly all right to inflict them with some genuinely fatal flaw.

But we can’t stop there.

We also need to give some flaws to our MAIN characters…and then watch ’em struggle.

If that prospect delights you, skip the next few paragraphs. If you cringe at the thought of your beloved hero and/or heroine suffering, here’s some advice:

As pleasurable as it may be to envision perfect people whose lives are full of happiness, that doesn’t add up to a very compelling book. Most of us, just like most of our readers, know that life can be painful and difficult at times…and that every once in a while, we behave in some less-than-heroic way.

A character who lacks the self-confidence to speak up about some uncomfortable issue?

A character who knows there’s no reason to envy Big Sister but does so anyway?

A character who wants to lose ten pounds but can’t resist the post-workout snack?

We can relate to people like them.

So watching their fatal flaws (such as fear, or envy, or gluttony) get them in trouble confirms what we know about life.

And that makes it all the more rewarding, all the more uplifting and thrilling and just plain satisfying, to see them overcome those traits in time to bring about their happy ending.

WHAT FLAW SHOULD THEY HAVE?

Those of you who already know about Enneagram theory (ennea, pronounced ANY-uh, is the Greek word for nine) will remember how each personality type has its own unique strength…which, taken to excess, can also be a weakness.

And here’s what those are for each of the nine types. I'm giving examples for male characters, but they work equally well for women:

ONE: ANGER

The righteous Reformer wants to do right, think right and BE right at all times. Setting very high standards for the world (and for himself) earns him a white hat. However, he gets angry whenever anyone (including himself) doesn’t live up to those high standards...so you can see the problem.

TWO: PRIDE

The helpful Nurturer does a fabulous job of looking out for loved ones and anyone else who crosses his path, so he’s great to have on your side. However, he takes such pride in being needed that he might work to make people dependent rather than independent, creating room for conflict.

THREE: DECEPTION

The golden-boy Achiever always looks fabulous / successful / brilliant, and can light up a room just by walking in. (Think movie star or handsome prince.) Thing is, that glittering facade might not be totally accurate in every respect, and he doesn’t know how to reveal anything else.

http://www.freestockphotos.biz/stockphoto/15548

FOUR: ENVY

The never-afraid-of-emotions Romantic sees great, sweeping visions of how life could be, and his creative passion gives the rest of us something to dream about. But since everyday life rarely measures up to those great visions, he’ll feel envious every time he compares reality to the ideal.

FIVE: AVARICE

The analytical Observer puts thoughts ahead of feelings, focusing on whatever most interests him and staying detached from petty concerns about popularity or money or fame. He’s greedy for privacy to pursue his studies, and that detachment frustrates anyone who wants his attention.

SIX: FEAR

The skeptical Guardian resolutely does his job, but he’s constantly aware of potential dangers and ready for fight or flight (usually bouncing between both options). Keeping security as his top priority can be useful, but such vigilant caution can be taken too far…in either the fight or flight direction.

http://www.freestockphotos.biz/stockphoto/15564

SEVEN: GLUTTONY

The ready-for-anything Adventurer embraces life in its greatest variety, keeping all his options open in the quest to enjoy every possible new experience, person and place. But since he’d rather not settle for just ONE of anything, anyone expecting some commitment will be in for a long wait.

EIGHT: LUST

The natural Leader has a lust for power, which keeps him in control of every situation he encounters — if he can’t control it, he won’t go there. Whether out in front or behind the scenes, he wants to protect his inner core at all times, which leaves him unable to risk any (yep) vulnerability.

NINE: SLOTH

The easygoing Peacemaker is great at building a consensus, making everyone feel appreciated, keeping the group happy, and going along to get along. He minimizes any potential conflict by never expressing his own wishes, instead relying on whatever’s comfortable — TV, food, you name it.

 

http://www.freestockphotos.biz/stockphoto/16633

Keep in mind that most real-life people have already done a pretty good job of overcoming their flaws. It’s only the fictional characters who need to grow & learn & change…so they’ll come up against all kinds of conflict on their way to the happy ending!

WHAT COMES NEXT?

If you'd like more information along these lines, you can get it next month in my email class (with always-optional homework) on “Nine Flaws, Nine Triumphs” at rwamysterysuspense.org/node/112  OR anytime (with 90% different information than the class) in my “Believable Characters: Creating with Enneagrams” book.

THAT'S THE PRIZE…

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41c96f9fAkL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

...for whoever’s comment wins the Seekerville drawing tonight, and THAT leads us right into the ready-for-comments

QUESTION

In a character you’re reading or writing about now, can you spot some trait with good & bad qualities as two sides of the same coin? Who is this person, and what's their trait?

Laurie, eager to see some characters for books I'll get to enjoy soon or a year from now!

http://joinazima.org/real-people-like-azima/

Laurie Schnebly Campbell loves giving workshops for writer groups about "Psychology for Creating Characters," "Making Rejection WORK For You," "Building A Happy Relationship For Your Characters (And Yourself)" and other issues that draw on her background as a counseling therapist and romance writer. Learn more about writer and speaker Laurie at http://booklaurie.com

Preparing for Productivity

by Guest Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Have you ever done a 50,000-words-in-a-month sprint? How did it work out for you?

 (freestockphotos.biz) http://www.freestockphotos.biz/stockphoto/14633)

I've never tried that myself, but friends who've done it report what sound like pretty typical pros & cons -- often in the same year.

            "It kept me productive long enough to finish the draft."

            "I didn't have enough time to build a cohesive story."

            "People understood and respected that I had to work."

            "All I accomplished was a bunch of disconnected scenes."

Sprinting can be a great way to sustain productivity. We all know it's hard to get pages finished when the kids are clamoring for snacks, when the boss is asking for an extra-hours project, when everything from the closet is now in the laundry basket.

 (canva.com free photos)

So it makes sense that people who attempt a 30-day book address such issues in advance by

            * stocking the house with groceries

            * clearing the calendar at work

            * taking the laptop to the laundry room

            * and so on.

(If you have any tips like those, I'm going to ask for them soon.)

Practical planning is important, absolutely. But without the second aspect of productivity, it won't do much good.

What happens next?

It's one thing to tell a 50,000-word story. It's another thing to tell the kind of story that people (who don't know us) will want to read.

(photo of my own bookshelves)

When you look at the total number of authors -- 473 so far -- who've sold or self-published a book they started during National Novel Writing Month, it averages out to just under 28 people a year.

Why so few?

Well, of course not every participant CARES about publishing. All they want is the satisfaction of completing their story, which is certainly something to feel good about.

But what about writers who'd like to see their book read by others?

That's where planning helps.

Veterans already know this. Even if they don't yet know where the story will be published, they have an idea (before they ever start writing) of what kind of story it'll be.

 (canva.com free photos)

            * Historical, contemporary, futuristic?

            * Inspirational, mystery, romance?

            * Thriller, fantasy, women's fiction?

            * Children's, YA, new adult?

            * A combination?

Beginning writers sometimes say "I don't know what kind of story this is; I'll let the publisher choose." And sometimes they get lucky, because they've written a story that'll fit perfectly into a specific marketing niche.

Other times, not so much.

What about the plot & characters?

Here, again, not everyone knows from the start who they'll be writing about or what'll happen with those people. "If I knew that," one friend explains, "I wouldn't have any reason to write the story."

So she goes through 15 or 20 drafts, watching her plot and characters take shape, and enjoying the process no matter how long it takes.

 (canva.com free photos)

She agrees the process isn't especially productive in terms of getting books to readers, but it satisfies her...and that's what matters.

For people who prefer getting books to readers, though, productivity comes in handy.

Do you know any writers who could use some productivity tools? If so, I've got a free class for them next month.

Why it's free:

Last week's sermon was on sharing your

            * treasures

            * time

            * talent

Mine is pretty much teaching fiction writers. So, knowing I'd be blogging at Seekerville, I realized this would be the perfect place to offer:

(canva.com free photos)

Mention "free class" to anyone who might benefit from Novel Writing Month Prep at WriterUniv.com next month. On Thursday I'll draw names from whoever emails me (Book Laurie [at] gmail.com) they're interested, and 15 of 'em will get a comp for the October 10-21 session.

I promise NOBODY will go onto any kind of email promo list, because that'd be counter to the whole spirit of giving!

And now, a question:

Remember back at the beginning when I asked what kind of tips you've found for improving your productivity? They can be practical or story-related or anything else that comes in handy...I'm looking for items I can quote to people in that October class.

Since everyone finds different things useful, the more choices they see the more likely they'll find something that resonates with them. Our goal here is LOTS of ideas, and repetition is fine because it shows something extra-useful.

(canva.com free photos)

So if you'd be willing to share any tips at all, please do. (Somebody who does will win free registration to "Blurbing Your Book" next June or "That Fatal Flaw" next September.)

And for everyone who comments, here's a big THANK YOU for helping other writers find ways of being more productive!

BIO: Laurie Schnebly Campbell loves being around writers, because nobody else GETS what it's like to spend time building relationships with characters and their stories. When a neighbor who'd written 50,000 words each November admitted she's never yet created a book anyone wants to publish, Laurie developed a "Novel-Writing Month Prep" class for writers who need a few basics -- and this opportunity to blog at Seekerville came along at exactly the right time for sharing it.