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Gut Punch: Using Emotional Conflict as Plot
When we start writing, we have an idea of how our readers will react to our stories. Do we want them to laugh? Cry? Gasp? Compose angry letters in their heads because how dare we? And what is the key to making that happen in the story? We create our characters and their internal journeys with this in mind, then we place them in a plot that we hope will get the point across. (And get everyone – them and the readers – to the satisfying end of the book.)
Your plot is the vehicle your characters use to experience and move through their Arcs. The plot is about how they learn and grow (fall then rise) or lose their way (rise then fall). Even if your book is about People Feeling Things, there has to be some plot that ignites the change they go through.
This workshop will discuss the ways to use Emotional Conflict – your characters’ inner life – to plot your story. How do we select the right vehicle for these characters? How do we use their internal conflicts to reflect an exterior plot to get them where they need to be? We’ll examine the difference between internal conflict and external trauma and how they can bring a reader closer to the character – or drive them away. The end goal as always is – to gather the tools you need to write your best book!
Instructor Bio:
Tere Michaels writes happily ever afters in the big city – with heaps of snark, angst and humor. Her focus is on characters and all the ridiculous ways they trip through life and love. She has written fifteen books including her popular Faith, Love & Devotion series, and the superhero saga, The Vigilante.
She has been presenting workshops on the writing process for over ten years.