PROTAGONIST - is one who plays the main character with whom the audience is most likely to identify with. The Protagonist is in conflict with the Antagonist.
ANTAGONIST - is a character (rival, opponent, competitor, enemy) , or group of characters that is against the protagonist. The antagonist is a threat or obstacle to the protagonist.
TONE and VOICE
Writers develop voices that are recognizable as singers, poets, and politicians. Think of great speakers such as John Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. Their voices reveal attitude. TONE defines the attitude the narrator has about his subject, audience, or himself. Consistency is the key. You don't want to sound sarcastic in one chapter and sob in the another.
SETTING
The description of where the story takes place.
My professor taught me to use my five senses (taste, touch, hear, see, smell) to describe a setting. You want your readers to visualize what you write, so you must give them as much information as possible. Show your readers what you want them to see, don't tell.
Here is an excerpt from Evergreen Uprooted, Memoirs of Secret, Page 1.
Standing in the stairwell on the lower step that day, I looked up
and watched my beat-up mother take the back of her earring and punch tiny holes
in one side of the aluminum-foil top. After
that, she let me suck seventy-five percent of the juice out of the container. Then she took a clear BIC glass-like pen,
pulled out the ink stick, and punched a hole through the belly of the container. She lit a cigarette. The light from the fire shined on her nails. They were bitten down to the base. She sucked in that nicotine that gave her
pleasure for years but caused the color of her teeth to be mustard-yellow, then
put the burnt ashes on top of the tiny little holes punched into the aluminum
foil. Next she planted the crack on top
of the hot ashes. It looked like very
small pebbles. The light from a distant
window in the hallway reflected on one side of her face. I could make out parts of her beaten face. Blue-black swelling puffed her skin and made
her eyes appear twice their normal size.
I watched Mommy take her lighter and set the crack ablaze. I could hear it crackle. I saw the smoke building up inside the
container. The crack had a sweet but
funky odor, kind of like someone who gets up in the morning and without taking
a shower, puts on sweet perfume. The
stench began to dominate the familiar fragrance of the hallway.
I
stood there looking at what had appeared to be Mommy, but now seemed like a
totally different person.~N.A.Z. Pankey
NOW IT'S YOUR TURN
Write about a childhood memory that involved a protagonist and antagonist. Write two or three paragraphs. Use your five senses to describe your setting. You can post your story in my comments section.
Thank you for your support and time. Please pass this blog on to a friend who is interested in becoming a writer or just has a few pointers to share about writing.
GETTING STARTED PART THREE is coming soon.
*I am using my book to demonstrate examples. To read more of Evergreen Uprooted, Memoirs of Secret go to: (Kindle for $2.99 and loan to a friend for Free)
http://www.amazon.com/Evergreen-Uprooted-Memoirs-Secret-ebook/dp/B009HYTC3G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350781086&sr=8-1&keywords=evergreen+uprooted
Paperback
http://www.amazon.com/Evergreen-Uprooted-Memoirs-N-A-Z-Pankey/dp/0615340237/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1350781086&sr=8-2&keywords=evergreen+uprooted
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