  Drama
This week: Beware of the Wimpy! Edited by: Joy  
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“We’re past the age of heroes and hero kings. … Most of our lives are basically mundane and dull, and it’s up to the writer to find ways to make them interesting.”
John Updike
“[The writer] has to be the kind of man who turns the world upside down and says, lookit, it looks different, doesn’t it?”
Morris West
“The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.”
Philip Roth
“There's no such thing as perfect writing, just like there's no such thing as perfect despair.”
Haruki Murakami
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This issue is about dealing with the weak spots in our writing.
Your Drama Newsletter Editors: zwisis kittiara Joy
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
Note: In the editorial, I refer to third person singular as he, to also mean the female gender, because I don't like to use they or he/she. |
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
We have so much to learn as writers, even if we have already written countless short stories, several novels, and numerous pieces of non-fiction. In writing fiction, although we inhabit every character, scene, and situation, sometimes, the story still feels pathetic. Why is that?
I don’t know all the reasons why any writer writes something totally or partially weak, but I am sure almost all writers sometimes end up with feeble spots in their work. Still, the readers may read the story voraciously because, despite the brittle and blah areas, there may be something brilliant or captivating about the whole thing.
I think the deformity blame in any fiction points to the protagonist first. A protagonist may be without a backbone, whiny, codependent, or an enabler. If not given a chance to better himself, this wimpy protagonist is neither interesting nor attractive. Worse yet, readers won’t empathize with a wimpy character, since empathy starts to work because of the reasons or background of a character’s problems. For empathy to continue and for the protagonist to conquer his problems and drive the plot to some greater universal or personal good, the story needs pressure from other events and characters.
A wishy-washy character can be worked with only if he’s given an opportunity to be heroic, to sacrifice for the good of others, stand up for the oppressed, or turn the other cheek with high ideals and without being forced. In other words, he can change, must change, and needs opportunities to change. He also needs a burning desire, a lofty one, to propel himself into action.
One question a writer needs to ask himself with this protagonist is: Are other characters always solving his problems? As writers we may not be aware that we are letting the other characters steal the scene continuously even if we have formulated a strong character sheet for the protagonist.
The writer can also redeem a protagonist with not too strong a backbone by giving him a sense of humor, a positive outlook, or an innocent beautiful soul. Then by eliminating every viable solution or escape from his problem or moral dilemma, which is probably anchored in his external world, the character could be empowered into heroic action.
As much as protagonists need opportunities to be heroic, antagonists or villains are more frightening when they are indifferent to the pains of others. Mistakenly, writers show villains as deriving pleasure from giving pain, while indifference always hurts more since people are complex beings.
Weakness is not only for the characters, however. The problems with the plot can also add to the flabbiness of the work. The questions to ask in this area can be:
Are the plot twists too predictable or too ridiculous?
Is the action in the scenes caused by the events that have preceded them or has it happened haphazardly?
Is the story honest about life or some aspect of it, and do the characters act in believable ways according to who they are?
As to tension in the story, to make up for the lack of it, adding more external or unrelated action can lower the quality. Instead, increasing the escalation of the already present situation or promising more danger and then acting on that promise will help. In addition, repeated reminders of the protagonist’s goal or desire and making dialogue worthwhile by it adding to the story’s progress will animate an otherwise stalling plot.
Until next time… 
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 This Issue's Tip: To keep up with the data of a long story or novel, if you record characteristics, names, locations in a profile folder you will find the continuity of the work will take care of itself.
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Quick-Quill 
When I began to read this NL I knew I had to put in my story. It's a ghost story! It was published years ago as part 2 of a 6 part series about a ghost detective who can't "rest" until he solved his last 6 open cases. I love the premise and was thrilled they picked my story, based on a true event.
Compelling and relevant. Thank you for sharing your story.
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BIG BAD WOLF is hopping 
Some characters are haunted by what they wish they could have done. In "Drive Angry", an undead murderer wishes that he could have protected his daughter. Now he's engaged in a race against time to save his granddaughter from a worse fate.
The brave undead. Thanks for this story,
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Lyn's a sly fox 
Thank you so very much for adding Blog City to your list of editor's picks. We strive to help our bloggers grow in their writing with positive encouragement. We value your presence in our community, your contributions are deeply appreciated.
Lyn
Thanks very much, Lyn.
Yes, I do like Blog City a lot and appreciate all that you do for it.
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Drama: August 20, 2014 Issue [#6486]
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