OCTOBER MAY , 2020 2020
CHARACTERIZATION INSPIRATION : AN EXERCISE By : Alice Orr
It means that the story does not come alive on the page . Which means , first and foremost , the characters don ’ t come alive on the page . They have surface , and maybe a glimpse of something underneath , but not enough more . In my experience , as first a book editor then a literary agent myself , this is the reason for most fiction manuscript rejections .
Strong stories begin with strong characters . I don ’ t believe that there ’ s a chicken versus egg relationship between character and plot . Effective plot grows out of effective characters , not the other way around . Building effective character starts at the beginning and does not end until THE END . In between , you must Go Deep , Deeper , Deepest — into her heart and into ours .
Biography : Alice has spent most of her professional life in publishing , as book editor , literary agent , workshop leader , and author . She ’ s published sixteen novels , three novellas , a memoir ,
and No More Rejections : 50 Secrets to Writing a Manu-
script That Sells . Her current work in progress includes Hero in the Mirror : How to Write Your Best Story of You and a second memoir titled Escape Route .
Alice Orr Contact Info :
Website & Blog Facebook Twitter Amazon Author Page
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