Tangled: The Boxed-In Effect

Earlier this year, our very own Pepper dissected the plot of the movie Tangled. If you missed it, you can rewind here.

I just now got around to watching the movie last weekend. I know, I know, I'm way behind the times. But wow, what a movie! I can see why Pepper was inspired to post about it, because it inspired a post from me too.

As I watched this movie, one particular theme shouted at me from the screen--the concept of being boxed in. This theme came out in three primary ways.

The Initial Condition of Rapunzel

The whole premise of the movie is that Rapunzel is a lost princess who was stolen from the castle as a baby. She's being raised by the woman who stole her and she now lives in a tall tower, which she's ordered to never leave. Her life revolves around being boxed in--both physically and emotionally.

Relationships and the Can't-Trust-Anyone Dilemma

As the plot unfolds, she and handsome thief Flynn Rider join forces. But they face opposition from not only one direction, but ALL directions:

Rapunzel's "mother". Flynn's old cronies whom he cheated and who now have it out for him. The king's men who are chasing Flynn for his thievery. The crazy horse who later becomes an ally.

The viewer has all these opponents scrolling through the back of their minds as they watch. At any given moment, we wonder when one of these adversaries will make things interesting.

Flynn and Rapunzel truly are on their own. No one can be trusted. They're boxed in relationally.

Physical Danger--A Literal Representation of Their Internal Struggle

The boxed-in concept is well established in the viewer's mind. So to hone it even further, the writers of the movie provide physical action that represents the internal struggles of our beloved characters.

Flynn running from a crazed horse and getting stuck in Rapunzel's tower. Rapunzel and Flynn being trapped in a cave as it fills with water. Flynn escaping prison with the king's horses trapping him from both sides. These are just a few of the many examples of being boxed-in physically.

Bravo to the writers of Tangled for creating this boxed-in effect throughout the movie...on all levels. I was swept away in it and when the movie ended, I wondered how it could be done so fast.

So what does this mean for our novels?

The power of theme can't be underestimated. Think about the internal struggle your main characters face. Then build conflict and challenges that grow organically from it. Provide physical representations of the internal struggle, and you'll have a breathtaking combo.

How much does the theme of a book or movie stay with you afterwards? Can you think of other examples that use this type of effect?

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Sarah Forgrave is a stay-at-home writer-mom who feels blessed to pursue her calling and passion. She writes contemporary romance for the inspirational market and is a regular contributor to the webzine Ungrind.

To learn more about Sarah, visit her personal blog at:
http://www.sarahforgrave.com/blog

Fairytale Endings - Are They for You? (and a giveaway!)

I'm a big fan of happily-ever-afters, which is a great thing with romances big in the market. Happy, satisfying endings are very popular, particularly in the CBA, but are they for everyone?

So what makes up an ending? Because, as I re-read the previous sentence with the words "happy" and "satisfying", it's becoming more and more clear that those two don't necessarily go hand-in-hand.

Characteristics of a Satisfying Ending

A Resolution

In order for readers to be satisfied with an ending, the main conflict needs to be resolved. Sure, there are people out there who still do cliffhangers, but those are few and far between (or part of a series). And not only that, each story needs to have its own resolution.

So if the main character is searching for something, they need to find it somehow. If they're lacking something, they need to gain it somehow. If there's a problem, it needs to be fixed.

Growth

Having a character experience growth is a strong and important way to satisfy readers. We all read about and learn about character arcs because they're important. Readers want to see characters in a different place at the end of the novel as they were in the beginning - and hopefully that's a better place.

A Purpose

This category sort of wraps in the first two elements of a satisfying ending and tosses in a few others. A purposeful ending is one that's well thought out. If there's a theme to your story, it can be revealed or summed up here. A purposeful ending isn't a one-page wrap up that solves all the problems of the novel without any real effort. In fact, a purposeful ending isn't always expected. In other words, it's not the easy way out. Sure, in romances certain endings are often expected (i.e. the hero and heroine make up or reunite or admit their love) but they can still stray from being cliche.

As a fan of happily-ever-afters, I like to see a story ending well--meaning, the characters are happy, they find what they're looking for spiritually, emotionally, etc., and their future looks amazing. However, those elements aren't the only ones that make up a satisfying ending for everyone.

What do you think? Are there certain elements necessary to creating a satisfying ending? And are you a fan of happily-ever-afters?

Also, if you want a chance to win, Driftwood Lane, a romance by one of my favorite authors, Denise Hunter, who always makes me smile with her happy endings, leave a comment and your e-mail.

Setting Manuscript Goals

With each new manuscript I write, I learn more about myself as a writer. I learn my strengths and weaknesses, and basically what makes me the most productive as a writer. And we all know as writers, being productive in every sense is a good thing.

So what are good goals to set before beginning each manuscript in order to be the most productive we can be?

Word Count

Before I begin writing, I estimate approximately how long I want my novel to be. It doesn't have to be exact, though a general range is a great idea. I also estimate the approximate day I want my novel to be finished, and from that I establish a word count goal I need to meet each week in order to finish that novel on time.

For my current WIP, I made a spreadsheet for the first time with Xcel. With it, I am able to simply and quickly input my progress each day and let it tally (weekly and overall) my progress. It's been a great tool to keep me on track.

Know the Story

Whether a beginner or a long-time writer, being more productive with your writing time means knowing your story. For some of us, extensive plotting is involved and for others, it's a lot more basic.

Regardless of how extensive our approach, there are a few elements of a story it truly helps to make a goal to know before beginning.

Goal and motivation for main characters - it doesn't have to be a major outline or character sketch, but at least a general sense of what our characters want and why they want it.

A general feel for the direction of the novel - major plot points and even a vague idea of the ending.

Your purpose in writing the story - to reveal a theme, to entertain, to touch readers, etc.

Small Goals

I've learned some of my weaknesses as I move from one manuscript to the next and one of my big issues is repetitive words. I've begun keeping a sheet of words I use too often so that I can either try to avoid them or be able to look for them when I'm doing the edit.

We all have our weaknesses, so being aware of them is so valuable. And...that brings me to the next goal.

Improving From the Past

Again, we learn from each manuscript we write. Becoming aware of these mistakes, whether through our own realization or through advice from critique partners or editors, is so beneficial as we continue our writing journey. We can make general or specific goals to grow from what we've learned and make every additional piece of writing better than the last.

These are just a few tools I use as I begin each new story. I'd love to hear goals you set as you begin each new manuscript, and what helps you to be as productive as you can be.

Scoring a Well-Rounded Manuscript: Writing Techniques

This final post of the Scoring a Well-Rounded Manuscript series deals with the back row of pins a bowler is trying to knock down. Or, in writing terms, more important techniques that can be employed in your story. Like in the game of bowling, these elements of a story might be small elements or not as readily thought of, but they're just as important to creating a well-rounded manuscript. (If you want to read the other posts in this series, you can check out Voice, Characters and Plot, or Setting, Backstory, and Hooks.)

Pacing

Dictionary.com says simply that pacing is a rate of movement. It's the tempo of a story, combining chapters, scenes, paragraphs and so on to relate the story at a certain speed. And hopefully that speed is satisfactory, slowing down when necessary and speeding up when necessary - a pace that keeps a reader reading.

Tips on pacing:

* Put in plot changes, large revelations, etc. at strategic times, spreading them throughout your novel. Or, in smaller doses, give a scene with some action, followed by a scene with some reflection or smaller revelations, and so on.

* Utilize hooks and read-on prompts in scenes and chapters to keep the reader reading.

* Use techniques like narrative to slow down the pacing, or dialogue and action to speed it up.

Sentence Structure

This element is on a smaller scale, pertaining usually to paragraphs and individual scenes throughout the entire manuscript, but keeping sentence structure in mind is a great way to get a more well-rounded manuscript.

Tips on sentences structure:

* Vary sentences in paragraphs, alternating and changing up subjects and nouns, etc. so the story doesn't sound monotone.

* Utilize individual sentences. Making an impact with a single sentence separate from a paragraph changes pacing, like talked about above, and keeps the sentence structure looking and sounding varied.

* Try posing questions for thoughts and don't be afraid of fragments every once in awhile.

Strong Verbs

Giving a manuscript as much as you can will get you further with agents, editors, and readers. Sometimes this includes small things like verbs.

Tips on strong verbs:

One thing we all know is to avoid the passive. Particularly the word "was". Sometimes it's necessary and that's fine, but if it's not, replace it with something else. You can do a search for passive verbs and try to find new ones that will make sentences stronger and make more of an impact on readers.

Avoid cliches if you can. These aren't necessarily the same in everyone's writing, but there are particular phrases that are either very common in a lot of work you read or very common in your own writing. Try narrowing those down - i.e. his eyebrows rose, she grinned, she was so scared her knees shook - and replacing them if you can. Use an arch of an eyebrow or a quirk of a lip, anything that puts a new spin on an old take.

Read other books. Sometimes simply reading other books and examining the verbs another authors uses and how they work with their story will help spurn some extra creativity.

Tone/Theme

Another great element of a well-rounded story is that it serves a purpose in some way. This can come in the form of a particular overall tone or a theme.

Tips on tones and themes:

Ask yourself if you're trying to teach a lesson or have a moral for the story in some way (which doesn't have to be over or preachy). Sometimes the theme of a story is forgiveness or unconditional love. Decide if this is a direction you want to go in before or as you write the story so it can be a subtle thread throughout the book. Sometimes these are even based off of Bible verses.

Giving your story a particular tone, a way you want it to make a reader feel, is another thread that can unwind throughout a book. Adding in particular scenes or certain vocabulary (for a darker or lighter tone) are great ways to make the reader feel something.

Knowing your reader or the publisher you want to submit to will help you understand the writing style, even tones and themes that will appeal to that particular market.

These final elements are great ways to help round out a story, or get that strike. You can help your manuscript be fuller and more appealing to readers. Are these techniques ones you focus on when writing/editing or are there others you feel are especially important to making your work shine?