tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post1804986831647497904..comments2022-03-03T09:41:38.893-06:00Comments on BE A REAL WRITER: MEET SANDRA ORCHARDJessica Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18320362797117599955noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-39585305629396941202013-08-20T11:52:44.560-05:002013-08-20T11:52:44.560-05:00So true. Every main character needs a goal. And if...So true. Every main character needs a goal. And if it puts him/her at odds with the others, even better. ;-PMisha Gerrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06364173848456424521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-46222251605117257482013-08-09T18:23:48.252-05:002013-08-09T18:23:48.252-05:00Yay, Amber!Yay, Amber!Sandra Orchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01236883194496601011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-36424389971070415842013-08-09T18:23:33.075-05:002013-08-09T18:23:33.075-05:00Glad to hear you found it useful, Ann!Glad to hear you found it useful, Ann!Sandra Orchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01236883194496601011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-11191246765612819822013-08-09T15:53:14.372-05:002013-08-09T15:53:14.372-05:00Love this, Sandra! This gave me good things to thi...Love this, Sandra! This gave me good things to think about, and I think I can honestly say my next hero does have a great concrete goal to carry him through. But that is only because I have learned how to do that from you. ;) You're the best! Hugs!<br />AmberAmber Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12732638199138689844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-91079440190920427652013-08-09T15:18:40.417-05:002013-08-09T15:18:40.417-05:00We might be dancing around a semantics question, s...We might be dancing around a semantics question, since different authors and how to books have different names for similar things. Since I write inspirational romantic suspense or mysteries, I'm juggling a lot of threads. There's an internal character arc and the external arc of the mystery, as well as romantic arc and a spiritual arc, which is usually closely tied to one or all of the above. Ideally, they are all closely tied. That is to say that the external arc leads to an internal shift that gives the character what is missing in himself or herself, which is reflected in the relationship and enables a resolution of the external conflict. Continuing series with a sleuth protagonist, for example, would have a much smaller character arc in any given story in the series, otherwise, he or she will come off looking like a total mental case. Romance novels obviously put a lot of emphasis on the internal shift (and so, in answer to your question, would probably appear to be the "problem" that the story is centered around). Action novels, like action movies, spend a lot less time on the internal, and so we generally tend to look at the "problem" of the story in terms of the external...related to the huge public stakes (meteors hitting the earth, rather than a relationship that won't matter if you can't stop the meteor). <br /><br />A non-romance example that still involves relationships might help to illustrate what I mean. In the movie, Lethal Weapon, with Mel Gibson. Riggs (Gibson) is grieving the death of his wife and taking tons of chances with his own, because it has no value to him anymore. Murtaugh gets saddled with him as a partner and the external thrust of the movie is that they have to stop a deadly drug cartel. Over the course of the movie, Riggs has a lot of internal growth, most importantly that he learns to value life, including his own. But the internal shift that matters to the external plot is that he needs to learn to trust and so does Murtaugh. Once they learn to trust, they can work together as a team. Once they work as a team they can succeed at taking down the cartel. Then...you see at the end the effect of the story on his life (perhaps the equivalent in Christian fiction of the spiritual epiphany), the revelation of the theme--choose life. He visits his wife's grave and talks to her. Then he gives the special bullet he'd planned to kill himself with to Murtaugh, who invites him to join his family for Christmas dinner. <br /><br />Okay, I think that was another whole blog post. LOL Sandra Orchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01236883194496601011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-6901037324655708772013-08-09T14:41:23.430-05:002013-08-09T14:41:23.430-05:00Enjoyed this post. Even the comments have been hel...Enjoyed this post. Even the comments have been helpful! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01678055083376238443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-10741120888960990912013-08-09T14:08:45.253-05:002013-08-09T14:08:45.253-05:00I'm another one who struggles to articulate th...I'm another one who struggles to articulate the character goals, and I like how you've broken this down to urgent and within the scope of the story timeline. Do you differentiate between a character's story goal and his/her problem? Is the problem internal instead?Janet Sketchleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09024075743751774466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-13134040360127457362013-08-09T12:09:11.267-05:002013-08-09T12:09:11.267-05:00Isn't that the truth for all of us, I think?! ...Isn't that the truth for all of us, I think?! You're welcome, Janet. I have several prominent post-its that never leave my desk. They include: "make it matter" and "need a clearly defined goal for the hero to reach" As Linda said, I think I'm going to add to that "the harder the better". Poor guys, how we love to torment them. :)Sandra Orchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01236883194496601011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-81607300504426213102013-08-09T12:06:44.309-05:002013-08-09T12:06:44.309-05:00So true, Linda! So true, Linda! Sandra Orchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01236883194496601011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-89035246953639037242013-08-09T11:14:14.463-05:002013-08-09T11:14:14.463-05:00Great interview! And the post is one I need to rem...Great interview! And the post is one I need to remind myself of with every new story, Sandra! Thanks for the reminder. Janet Lee Bartonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16739543925563799938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-66488106113391716452013-08-09T10:48:01.022-05:002013-08-09T10:48:01.022-05:00Timely and useful post, Sandra. Thank you. The mor...Timely and useful post, Sandra. Thank you. The more important the goal is to the character, the better the story. Just last week my agent and I were discussing my hero's goal which felt too easy and wimpy to me. Now, I've beefed it up and made it HARD. I love making my characters work for what they want. :-) And I think readers like reading about the struggle.Linda Goodnighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03180677262384855235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-14374990049627260242013-08-09T10:25:20.673-05:002013-08-09T10:25:20.673-05:00I thought I'd mention for the benefit of blog ...I thought I'd mention for the benefit of blog readers...<br />For one more day on my Facebook page (the top pinned post), I'm collecting nominations from people for a friend or loved who'd they'd like to see receive a complimentary copy of my book. I thought it would be a fun alternative to the usual kind of giveaways. If you'd like to nominate someone, please pop over from the link in my bio. Then check the "other" folder of your FB messages Sunday afternoon to see if your nominee was one of those selected. Thanks! Sandra Orchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01236883194496601011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3136238339104839493.post-63186484731718204232013-08-09T08:11:11.069-05:002013-08-09T08:11:11.069-05:00Hi Jess, thanks so much for the invitation to be y...Hi Jess, thanks so much for the invitation to be your guest. I'm delighted to hear that the post resonated with you. Sandra Orchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01236883194496601011noreply@blogger.com