cj Sez: I was
reviewing some notes I have and the following paragraphs jumped out at me for
today’s blog. I think we can agree that
novels need a theme, a premise on which to hang the action and plot points. An
overall theme continues as a thread through the novel. It lets a writer connect
the dots of subplots to the main plot.
Caveat: A cliché is, by
definition, a trite and overused expression, a figure of speech that has become
tiresome.
One way to get a handle on finding your
theme/premise might be to describe your novel in one sentence, as with a
cliché.
The neat thing is, once you’ve discovered
that one true sentence for your novel, you can polish it into a marketing
blurb.
Consider this theme/premise/cliché for a
romance story: “Love will find a way.” Then every time you put an obstacle in a
character’s path on the way to happily ever after, that obstacle can be
overcome with some kind of act of love . . . even self-love (conceit, egotism)
is fair game.
In the premise/cliché, “All’s fair in love and war,” the character is free to do
whatever s/he can in order to capture the heart of a lover.
For a love story, that beautiful,
angst-filled drama which doesn’t always end happily ever after, a perfect
cliché might be, “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.”
Or this tired, old saw for a YA or memoir:
“A coming of age story.” That keeps the threads of the story tied to some
agonizing affliction and growth of young people over a longer time span.
Find your cliché and tape it to your desk.
It’ll keep you focused on the theme of your story, despite all those wonderful
obstacles you throw in the path of the protagonist.
NOTE: Several writer coaches/experts advise
against the use of any clichés in the story’s narrative. That said, I think
there are ways to use them—for example, you might have one particular character who loves to rattle
off clichés.
§§
Writerly info:
On Jane Friedman’s
blog: “One Well-Chosen Detail: Write Juicy Descriptions Without Overwhelming
Your Reader,” by author and writing coach April Dávila.
§§
Did you know that the first “general day of thanksgiving
and prayer” was established by Presidential Proclamation in 1789?
And since we won’t be together on the holiday . . .
§§
Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,
and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
Books are always great suggestions for gifts, and Christmas
is THE gift-giving holiday of the year. I have stories in several anthologies
with Christmas as the theme. Here are two to put on your shopping list:
From funny, to sad, to romantic, there’s something here to tug at everyone’s heart strings. My short story, Puppy Love, is included. Buy Button::
This anthology has 70 stories written by adults recounting
their extraordinary childhood Christmas memories.
My story, written under my
maiden name of Marilyn Olsein, is titled “Dancing with Daddy,” and relates how
six-year-old me reconnected with my Swedish father after a major upheaval in
our lives.
The anthology is free on Kindle. Buy Now
My novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are
fast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen of
romance.
The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and
bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.
Little note: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author and
owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my books in stock. TO
ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us If she happens to be sold out, shoot me an
email. I have a small stash (with a discounted price plus shipping).
➜ Amazon: Amazon Central Author Page
➜ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor
➜ BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson
➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6
A friend in need is a friend indeed. There's a cliche for you, cj, and it embodies your true spirit. I'm going to use your cliche approach on the next Cat Callahan book. Thanks
ReplyDeletecj Sez: You just made my day, Rebecca, maybe my whole year. Makes me very happy that you found a nugget on Lyrical Pens that you can use. Thanks for posting!
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