The Inner Turmoil of Your Characters

by S. Dionne Moore

We all have an inner demon, that one area of our life or tragic event of our past that we struggle to overcome. This inner demon doesn’t have to be something terrible; it can be something as simple as pride or a tendency toward selfishness. For many of us it’s more than one thing. Some people wear their inner demons for all to see, or talk about them ad nauseaum. On the flip side, there are those who are reticent to speak of their struggles or who hide them well. In our stories, inner turmoil is an essential element to creating a realistic hero or heroine, and how each character shows or doesn’t show their inner turmoil makes for some great characterization.

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Prequel to The Remnant, by Author Monte Wolverton

The Remnant by Monte Wolverton

By Monte Wolverton

On a sweltering noon in late September of 2062, Bob Day was walking south along the narrow 2nd St. NW in Washington D.C. He was on a lunch break from his job at a small Capitol Hill publisher. He had skipped breakfast that morning and he was ravenous—seriously drooling for a California Chicken Club at Hamilton’s Bar and Grill. Bob rationalized that the avocado would certainly cancel out the bacon. Not that there had been any California avocados for the last 40 years. Now they all came from Mexico or Central America—the world’s breadbasket.

Bob was well aware of the big international standoff that had been going on for a week—something about a Russian-backed coup in Mexico City, and the Pope (who was staying there in the Western Vatican) being under house arrest. The U.S. wanted the Russians out. Other nations had taken sides. Powerful warcraft with armed particle beam weapons were cruising around the skies. It all sounded nuts to Bob, and the D.C. culture made even the most earnest person jaded about such crises. And anyway, skilled diplomats and politicians were surely negotiating some kind of truce—possibly within a few blocks.

Bob pushed open the old oak door of Hamilton’s, stepped into the cool air and claimed a table. He ordered a sandwich and a Widmer Hefeweizen (still made in Oregon, but from Mexican hops, wheat and barley). While he waited, he got involved in a holovideo of an ongoing soccer game floating in the center of the room. Coup notwithstanding, Ciudad Juárez was pummeling Atlanta.

His food and drink finally came. Darn—he had let time get away from him, and he still had 50 pages to edit this afternoon. He wolfed down the Chicken Club and quaffed the beer, scanned his ID tat for the 52 dollar tab and walked out the door. This time he decided to walk south around the block and take 1st St. back to his office.

As usual, a view of the brilliant Capitol dome in the midday sun gave Bob a twinge of pride. Funny thing was, when he looked skyward, he saw what seemed to be two suns. One was the normal sun, high in the southern sky. The other was a pinpoint of rapidly intensifying light directly overhead. Then the air began to shimmer. Cars careened off the street. Pedestrians fell limp in their tracks, and with a wave of searing heat that seemed to catch the very air on fire, the capitol dome began to vaporize.

Bob’ mouth opened but no sound came out. He barely had a chance to experience horror, sadness and pain as everything, including Bob, turned to powder. Next thing he knew, he was in some kind of different place.

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Prequel to The Remnant, by Author Monte Wolverton (Click to Tweet)

New Book Sneak Peek by Monte Wolverton (Click to Tweet)

Author Monte Wolverton

Monte Wolverton is an author, illustrator and syndicated editorial cartoonist. His 2014 novel, Chasing 120, won an Illumination book award. He serves on the boards of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists and Plain Truth Ministries, where he is also as associate editor and contributing writer. His work has appeared frequently in MAD magazine and more recently in Washington (DC) Monthly magazine. He participated in the 2014 St.-Just-le-Martel Editorial Cartoon Festival in France, and in 2015 was invited to serve as a judge for the prestigious Xaimen International Animation Festival in China. He is an ordained minister and holds an MA from Goddard College in Vermont. Wolverton resides in his native southwest Washington State with his wife Kaye.

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Unlocking the Passion

by Author S. Dionne Moore

Almost twenty-one years ago, my daughter was born. The light of my life. As every first-time mother will tell you, she was perfect. A gift. Except, she was born too early. At one pound and fifteen ounces, her condition was fragile at best. We spent seventy-five days in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) as she struggled to breathe, much less suck and swallow, a reflex natural to full-term babies. 

Good days were always tinged with sorrow, and bad days sometimes became the stuff of nightmares. Those times when you entered NICU and saw an empty bed where an infant had been the night before, your emotions rolled between grief for the parents, relief that it wasn't your child, then guilt over your relief. 

When the day came that we brought our baby home, it was glorious. We were filled with joy. We willingly dragged along the heart rate monitor just to have her out of NICU, and a chance for normalcy. Granted, our days were filled with more worry than most new parents, more concerns about our child's growth and development, but the question of life and death had at least been settled.
In the midst of all this I came to the slow realization that I needed an outlet for the coiled knot of hope and fear that had become my constant companion. A hobby that I enjoyed. I turned to writing. A hobby I had not dabbled in since my teenage years. 

I started small. The Preemie Experience was my heartfelt tribute to mothers of premature infants, and the culmination of experiences of other young mothers with whom I swapped stories during our stay in NICU. In that day, Geocities was the way to publish a blog on the Web, and that's what I did with my tribute. To my surprise, I was contacted by an editor who was compiling stories from other parents. She asked if she could use my article as the prologue for her book, Living Miracles: Stories of Hope from Parents of Premature Babies. It was a thrilling moment, and one that made me reconsider old story ideas I had developed in my teens, with a mind to writing a book. 

Brides of Wyoming

My new journey to write fiction began with a lot of learning. Mastering the rules of writing, the best ways to help your publisher market your book, and all about developing story, conflict and characters. After a few years of conferences and meeting with editors and agents, I received feedback from a professional encouraging me to use my sassy, mature, secondary character as a heroine. LaTisha Barnhart was born. Within a year I had finaled in a writing contest with the opening chapter of a cozy mystery in which LaTisha held the starring role. It was for this book, Murder on the Bunions, that I received my first contract.

My journey in writing continues in the form of my newest release, Brides of Wyoming (11/1/2016), an anthology of three romances featuring heroines who must overcome physical and emotional dangers to learn to live and love to the fullest. And as my daughter turns twenty-one and studies for a degree to become a Paralegal, I have to stop and smile. It's amazing how terrible circumstances can unlock an unrealized passion that brings such joy and dimension to our hearts and minds. And my daughter? She has become a beautiful young woman with a sharp mind a quick smile. She is my heart. My joy. My gift.

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Unlocking the Passion by Author S. Dionne Moore (Click to Tweet)

I needed an outlet for the hope and fear that had become my constant companion.~ S. Dionne Moore (Click to Tweet)

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S. Dionne Moore

S. Dionne Moore resides in the historically rich Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, where she indulges her pleasure for history and vacillates between the need to write and the desire to play. Brides of Wyoming is her newest release from Barbour Publishing. 

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Components of a Solid First Chapter ~ by S. Dionne Moore

Born and raised in Manassas, Virginia, S. Dionne Moore moved to Greencastle, PA in 1993, then to Mercersburg in 2008. Moore enjoys life in the historically rich Cumberland Valley where traffic jams are a thing of the past and there are only two stoplights in the whole town. Moore is author of the LaTisha Barnhart Mystery series as well as new historical romance release "A Heartbeat Away."

Leave a comment for S. Dionne Moore and be entered in a drawing for her book. U.S. residents only, please. The winner will be announced on Novel Rocket's Facebook page tomorrow. Be sure to like us there! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Novel-Rocket/129877663761335?ref=hl

Components of a Solid First Chapter

When I judge contests the one element I want to see in an entry is that hint of the character’s goal. I want to have evidence that we have a destination. Whether that destination changes and shifts along the way is not of concern, just let me know where the character is headed, and give a hint of the conflict they’ll have to endure along the way, and I’ll pack my bags and climb on board for the ride. But what I often find in my judging is that the writer introduces a character and describes some surrounding, then the first chapter is complete. 

           

When writing that all-important first chapter, there are elements you want to include. You want to show the pull of emotions drawing the character into a journey of self-discovery. A well prepared first chapter puts the reader right into the head of the protagonist so that they can see what the character sees, know what the character is thinking (intuitively), and want what is best for them.

           

Expectation is foremost when a reader begins a book and the journey to motive begins in chapter one. A character should not know exactly what is wrong with them by the end of the first chapter, otherwise their journey toward epiphany is greatly shortened and the reader has nothing to look forward to. No expectations. Readers want to move with the character through a fictitious journey full of hope, hurdles and, if romance, love, that will ultimately end satisfactorily. 

           

Front-loaded backstory is a sign that the writer is still fleshing out their characters and is often nothing more than a synopsis disguised as a first chapter or, worse, a badly written prologue. Think of how you would talk to someone you are first introduced to. Would you tell them every terrible thing in your life? No, of course not. Some of us don’t even realize the bad things from our childhood that have affected us so deeply until we are far into adulthood.

It is the same in a fictional relationship. The main character will not pour out their entire life’s story in the first chapter. Backstory is essential only to allow you to better understand how your protagonist should act and react in the situations you create. If adding backstory is necessary to understand a character action or reaction, it should be very short and to the point.

           

Writing a solid first chapter is not for the faint of heart. It’s tough work. You need to have a strong idea of where the story and the characters are heading and convey that to your readership in such a manner that is both engaging and sympathetic. Not easy, I know. But work on it by planning ahead. Know your characters before you start.

Understand who they are and what they want--give them a personality!--then take it from there. Most of all, don’t be shy to ask someone to read your chapter for you, or better yet, read it out loud to yourself! You’ll be amazed at what you’ll catch, and hearing your story will tell you whether the words and those clever turns-of-phrase you used really worked or just muddled things up.

           

Whatever you do, don’t stop writing. Don’t freeze up. Stop and think. Get to know your character. Pound out a synopsis. It doesn’t have to be detailed or long, but it should be a general idea of where the story is going. Couple that synopsis with knowing your character as if they were a friend and you will be well on your way to writing an exceptional first chapter that will knock the socks off any judge!

A Heartbeat Away

When a band of runaway slaves brings Union-loyal Beth Bumgartner a wounded Confederate soldier named Joe, it is the catalyst that pushes her to defy her pacifist parents and become a nurse during the Battle of Antietam.

Her mother's mysterious goodbye gift is filled with quilt blocks that bring comfort to Beth during the hard days and lonely nights, but as she sews each block, she realizes there is a hidden message of faith within the pattern that encourages and sustains her. Reunited with Joe, Beth learns his secret and puts the quilt's message to its greatest test—but can betrayal be forgiven?

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Research ~ the Fun Way

S. Dionne Moore resides in South Central Pennsylvania with her family. She is a weekly contributor to The Borrowed Book blog where she offers tips on the writing life, posts recipes, and teaches on various writing-related subjects. She has a passion for history and obscure fact that can be spun into a story and also enjoys gardening, piano and wants everyone to know that if you get to Sharpsburg, MD, you MUST stop at Burkholder's Bakery and try the best chocolate covered, cream filled donuts on the face of the earth. No exaggeration. You're welcome.

One of the reasons I write historical romance is that I love conducting the research. For my May 2013 release, A Heartbeat Away, I traveled to Sharpsburg, Maryland, the setting for the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg, for you southerners).

Sharpsburg is a very small town, unscathed by commercial development, a true gem of history frozen in time by the town's refusal to allow commercialism to mar what they have worked so hard to preserve.

I was taken on a private tour by Bob Murphy of RCM History Tours (RCM Twitter). His prices are very reasonable and he accommodated my desire to walk some of the tour. I stayed at the snug and very clean Mary Hill House.

Now for the pics...

Outside of the church. This is the church Gerta Bumgartner would have attended if not for the battle raging on the top of South Mountain that Sunday.

The inside of the famous Dunker Church

Piper Farm was the model for the house neighboring Gerta’s fictional home. This farm became the headquarters for Confederates Longstreet and Hill during the battle.

Mumma Farm was the only farm burned up during the battle. The springhouse didn't burn and was my inspiration for Gerta’s spring house where the reader first encounters the injured Joe.

Roulette Farm--in my story, the Roulette's are escaping to the caves along the Potomac. 

Caves that are real, I might add.

Bloody Lane, called Hog Trough Lane before the battle

Burnside Bridge from the Confederate side. 

With only 300-400 soldiers holding off over 2K because they held the higher ground.

Antietam National Cemetery

Grove House, Lee's Headquarters in Sharpsburg during Confederate occupation

Do you see the shell stuck in the side of this house? 

Every house in Sharpsburg was used to shelter the wounded. 

McClellan's command was centered at Pry House. Not open for tour at the time of my trip. :(

Uh, this wasn't part of the tour, but was part of the recovery. 

Nutter's Ice-Cream. 4 scoops for $2.95. I was sold!

Have you visited a Civil War battlefield or historic site? If you could visit one historic site anywhere in the world, where would it be? Please join the conversation below in the comment section.

A Heartbeat Away

When a band of runaway slaves brings Union-loyal Elizabeth "Beth" Bumgartner a wounded Confederate soldier named "Joe", it is the catalyst that pushes her to defy her pacifist parents and become a nurse during the Battle of Antietam.

Her mother's mysterious good-bye gift is filled with quilt blocks that bring comfort to Beth during the hard days and lonely nights, but as she sews each block, she realizes there is a hidden message of faith within the pattern that encourages and sustains her.

Reunited with Joe, Beth learns his secret and puts the quilt's message to its greatest test--but can betrayal be forgiven?

Sandra D. Moore is a transplanted city girl and glad of it! She enjoys ferreting out little-known historical details and crafting a story around them. Her new releases include Promise Brides (3-in-1 historical romances set in PA) of which two stories are ACFW Carol Award Finalists. In May 2013, A Heartbeat Away, Book 7 in Abingdon Press’s Quilts of Love series, releases. Murder on the Ol’ Bunions released from Smashwords as an ebook in March 2012 followed by Polly Dent Loses Grip and for the first time ever, Your Goose is Cooked, the third and final book in the LaTisha Barnhart Mystery series. To learn more about Sandra and her cozy mysteries and historical romances, visit her website here, Twitter or Pinterest. 

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