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I'm Candance. I like to Create Worlds.


A few More Worksheets

11/16/2018

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Three more worksheets added for your writing needs. Creative Processes differ from writer to writer, so I have added three more worksheets of varying degrees. From intensely in-depth to short and sweet. 

All three are available in  both Printable and Fillable formats. I have also included a link to PDFEscape which has an online platform that allows you to easily fill out the form since Chrome and Edge can be iffy depending upon the extensions one has. 

Please let me know what you think! And for those that have used my previous worksheets, I would really like to hear some feedback....Please?
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How much is too much?

11/15/2018

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WHEN DESCRIBING YOUR CHARACTERS...

I have been hiding from my story for a while now and in the mean time I have been building plot and character worksheets. I might be having a bit too much fun, but I am learning as well. Among the worksheets already floating about the internet, there are those that are brief and leave little room for exploration while others dig very, very deep. So, this raises a question. 

How much is too much?

The answer? There is no answer. 

There are  7.7 Billion people in this world. About 72 percent of them read. And everyone of that 72 percent have their own preference as to what they like to read. That includes description. There are those that would rather have every detail explained to them while others wish to be left to their own imagination.

Since most writers are not paid by the word anymore for the most part, there is no excuse to spend five pages describing fog or a dead turtle in the road. But if you would want to make sure your reader knows that your character is 5'4" with short red curly hair, freckled skin from head to foot, emerald isles green eyes, and thin pink lips, then make sure to include such details about your character throughout the story. Just try to resist doing it all in one paragraph if you can. 

When presenting your character to a reader, you should not describe them as such. 
Nora Kennedy was a woman of five feet and four inches with short curly hair, freckled skin from head to foot, green eyes, and thin pink lips. 
Instead, try something like this. 
Nora Kennedy was short, petite, and full of spunk. Everyone adored her untamed spirit and crafty wit. Her short red curls bounced jovially as she gestured wildly with her arms in her usual animated way. Her wonderfully round eyes, as green as the Emerald Isles to the west, were as wise as they were innocent. When she glanced your way, no heart could resist their endearing playfulness.  Though freckles were not popular and many women spent hours trying to erase theirs, Nora's freckled skin was far from unattractive. Scattered about from head to foot, those tiny dots  only added to her sprightly character. 

The world never stood a chance when her face debuted on the silver screen, playing the role of sweet Sarah Doyle. Though she only played the part of young, optimistic girl surviving day by day on the hard streets of Victorian London, her natural charm and easy smile made you believe that darling Sarah was in fact a real live girl and twisted your heartstrings enough to make you want to run out to find her. 
Not perfect, I know, but you get the picture, right? Not only do you get a vivid image in your head about what the character looks like, but you also get a sense of her personality and how others respond to her. It also makes the readers want to get to know her more. Who is this woman behind the beloved character? Is she as endearing as everyone believes she his? No one is perfect, so what skeletons hide in her closet? 

Now that the reader is intrigued, what more could they learn about Miss Nora Kennedy? From her name, it is obvious that she is Irish. From her description, you know she is pretty and that she is charismatic. Moving forward, the reader will want to know more about the character's personality...but the juicy stuff will be in the revelations of  her secrets, fears, and flaws. That is what people can relate to. No one is perfect and we get some sense of reassurance when we learn that everyone else out there, factual or fictional, is just as flawed. That is what make us human. 

What is also rewarding is watching (reading) how the character triumphs over their imperfections. Whether it is self-love or a love in others, a David versus Goliath, or just a betterment of circumstances, everyone loves a victorious outcome for the most part. 

How much detail you put into your character is up to you as the writer. There is a market out there for it. Like I mentioned before, there are readers that like a lot of details while others do not. 

As a writer, it needs to be clear that you cannot make everyone happy. Not everyone likes romance, fantasy, thrillers, horror, or science fiction. Diversity is what makes the world go round. Just like there is no such thing as a perfect person, there is no book out there that is loved by every single reader out there. That is why it is up to us to give readers options to choose from such as genre, style, and format. 

Best of luck to you. I do hoped this helped. Happy Writing!

For more help in Character Development, please head over to Writing Tools to check out my various worksheets!
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Lost in Development

11/9/2018

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The Planner's Blackhole...

I have tried being a Panster. Moving forward with story with little to no preparation. 

But then I wind up going back and rewriting this and rewording that. I need a plan to move forward with confidence and direction. So, I break out the spreadsheets and the worksheets, piece together my plot (hook, plot points, pinch points, climax, resolution...) and create every imaginable character that will populate my story (from the scullery maid to the heroine). 
The developmental stage of planning and developing is my favorite part. It is nowhere near as intimidating as writing a hundred thousand word novel. It's my safe place. All the while, in the back of my head, deep in the bowels of my subconscious, I know that if I want to achieve my dream of being an author...I have to step out of my safe place and explore my talents with the written word. 

What if no one loves my characters the way that I do? What if no one finds the same wonder in the world I created as I do? What if I am horrible at writing and incapable of doing my story justice? When the trolls come out from under their broken, miserable bridges to reaffirm every one last of my fears with their hateful comments, can I handle it? 

It's terrifying...and I know that I am not alone. We all struggle to find the right words or the right place to start our tales. Some can overcome the suffocating doubt that haunts most writers and not only finish their stories, but send them out into the world for all the lovers and the haters to consume and pass judgement. I admire those authors. Sometimes, I even envy them.

I have no words of wisdom to free me or anyone else from this feeling of 'how do I know if I am good enough?' or 'am I just wasting my time writing something no one will want to read?'. All I can say is that if you feel a story deep in your heart...than the only way to do it justice is to write it. You don't have to publish it or even let it see the light of day, but your characters are speaking to you and they want to know you hear them. So, listen. 

I always do something that has to do with writing, that keeps me connected to the literary world. I create my worksheets, fill out the blanks, and create worlds of my own design populated with imperfect people seeking their own sense of self. I write two chapters, and than disappear back into my safe place of development. No one ever sees the development stages of a novels creation. The hours of research, the notebooks full of facts and ideas, or the whiteboard burdened with scribblings of an untamed imagination. No one sees it, and therefore no one cares. It's a freedom I don't feel when I write. Especially if I am writing something I hope to one day publish. 

But I still write. Every day. It is something that I will do till my dying breath. It is what makes me happy (not everything that makes you happy has to be pleasant). 

Anyways. I am floating in a planner's blackhole filled with facts, spreadsheets, and unseen worlds. There I will remain till I find the rope that will pull me free and ignite the confidence I need to achieve my lifelong dream. To transition from a writer trapped in her head to an author brave enough to face her fears. 

Take care fellow writers, and keep those fingers on the keyboard (or pen)!

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Fill-able PDF: Worksheets

11/4/2018

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As Promised ^_^

All three pages of the Scene Cards, the Updated Character Sheet, and Plot Worksheets have been created as Fill-able Forms! They are not perfect, but pretty decent. Each line is a separate line, so please keep that in mind when typing in your information. 

You can find the download link under Writing Tools.

For those who are having issues with Chrome and are not able to fill out the form, please go HERE and add this extension to your Chrome. It allowed be to fill the form after doing so!

The forms DO work in Microsoft Edge (though it makes it appear a little fuzzy).

I do not have Firefox, so I am not sure if it will work in that browser. 

I hope you are charging through NaNo triumphantly, and that these help you through your journey! 

Happy Writing!!!


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Plot Sheets

10/30/2018

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Plot Sheets are here!!

The First part of the Plot Sheets. The Second part will cover the Three Act Plot and so on.  

So far, you will find:
  • General Plot Arc
  • ​Set Up: The Hook
  • Set Up: The Opening Scene
  • Conflict: An Overview
  • Rising Action: Climbing to the Climax
  • The Turning Point/Climax
  • Falling Action: What Happens After
  • Resolution: The End

​To Come:​
  • Plot Points
  • Pinch Points
  • MidPoint

 I know NaNo is coming up and am trying to get these done as fast as I can. I hope these prove useful and that you find them enjoyable to play with!

Printable Sheets are under Writing Tools!
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Hello!

10/25/2018

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Come in! Come in!

I thank you for coming to my little site. My friends on Writing helping Writers inspired me to do so and I thank them! 

Here, I want to talk about things that writers talk about. Character descriptions, narrative hooks, novel vs novella, and so much more!! I love creating worksheets, which you will find under the Writing Tools navigation link above. I have ideas for some more and will keep it putting more up as the days go by. 

Eventually, I would like to add some of my own work (excerpts, of course) and also have a section on book recommendations. Though I love a great novel, the book recommendations will be more geared toward writing reference material. Ones that helped me out and others that look pretty on my shelf and that is about it. 

I hope you find this site helpful. Happy Writing!
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