tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post4157416511021155679..comments2023-10-23T12:40:22.672-07:00Comments on The Writers Alley: Showing C.A.R.E. in Your First ChapterSherrinda Ketchersidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581676437345249386noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-43553986037479730412012-07-03T05:00:14.475-07:002012-07-03T05:00:14.475-07:00Hey Pepper,
I think a relatable main character is...Hey Pepper,<br /><br />I think a relatable main character is THE most important, although all the aspects you mention, build on each other. My hardest is plot, arresting the reader's attention.Marney McNallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15911027511162235861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-8267342812901462292012-07-03T04:46:17.632-07:002012-07-03T04:46:17.632-07:00Cool, Ava!
I've seen my name in print my whol...Cool, Ava!<br /><br />I've seen my name in print my whole life... in restaurant menus ;-)Pepperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02771295798003844102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-82987074879822265862012-07-02T20:45:25.683-07:002012-07-02T20:45:25.683-07:00Thanks, Pepper. Funny you should mention the name....Thanks, Pepper. Funny you should mention the name. Last fall I attended a conference and met Gail Gaymer Martin. When she autographed my copy of one of her books, she grinned and said "Ava" was the name of the heroine in her current WIP. <br /> <br />Just picked up that very book last week--in the LI series-- "A Dream of His Own." I can't tell you how weird it is to see my name printed over and over in those pages. It's a name on the rise. Hope you have a lot of success with your "Ava".Ava Walker Jenkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12968305681481056689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-34334772633321602812012-07-02T20:16:39.654-07:002012-07-02T20:16:39.654-07:00Thanks, Ava.
Btw - I have a character in the work...Thanks, Ava.<br /><br />Btw - I have a character in the works with your name.<br />It's such a pretty namePepperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02771295798003844102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-50984037456354906892012-07-02T20:11:12.859-07:002012-07-02T20:11:12.859-07:00Great checklist and easy to remember. I would have...Great checklist and easy to remember. I would have loved to hear that lecture, too.<br /> Character relate-ability is top of my list and something that is starting to come easier.<br />Hands down, the easiest for me to write and describe is setting. <br />Thanks, Pepper, for the reminders.Ava Walker Jenkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12968305681481056689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-72186612458215947852012-07-02T20:06:41.022-07:002012-07-02T20:06:41.022-07:00Wonderful Gabrielle.
I write where I live too. Is...Wonderful Gabrielle.<br /><br />I write where I live too. Isn't it so much fun!Pepperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02771295798003844102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-12959997938073385932012-07-02T20:05:59.172-07:002012-07-02T20:05:59.172-07:00Joanne,
Creating a sense of place can be really c...Joanne,<br /> Creating a sense of place can be really challenging, but what a reward!Pepperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02771295798003844102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-5942140567925324962012-07-02T20:05:17.773-07:002012-07-02T20:05:17.773-07:00Sherrinda,
It was a lot of fun! :-)
And I would ha...Sherrinda,<br />It was a lot of fun! :-)<br />And I would have loved for you to be there!Pepperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02771295798003844102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-12246680684144497292012-07-02T20:04:04.481-07:002012-07-02T20:04:04.481-07:00Melissa,
AGREED! I must care too!Melissa,<br />AGREED! I must care too!Pepperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02771295798003844102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-61417199129298619602012-07-02T20:03:36.080-07:002012-07-02T20:03:36.080-07:00Thanks, Cindy.
It was fun to create! :-)Thanks, Cindy.<br />It was fun to create! :-)Pepperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02771295798003844102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-47546481976199916312012-07-02T20:03:11.984-07:002012-07-02T20:03:11.984-07:00WTG Susan,WTG Susan,Pepperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02771295798003844102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-3243665329031115522012-07-02T20:02:47.903-07:002012-07-02T20:02:47.903-07:00LOL, Beth...
A.R.E.
or
C.R.E.
Just don't seem ...LOL, Beth...<br />A.R.E.<br />or<br />C.R.E.<br />Just don't seem to fit as well :-)Pepperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02771295798003844102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-87513789998857073022012-07-02T20:02:16.657-07:002012-07-02T20:02:16.657-07:00Jill,
One of the things I've heard most throug...Jill,<br />One of the things I've heard most throughout this writing gig is to 'hook the reader'.<br />And it's true for me as a reader too.<br />I want to be caught - whether it be by the plot, characters, or simple beauty of the writing, I need to be caught :-)Pepperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02771295798003844102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-89368295726358053052012-07-02T14:58:34.993-07:002012-07-02T14:58:34.993-07:00You've given some great examples, Pepper! C.A....You've given some great examples, Pepper! C.A.R.E. is easy to remember and so important - all of it! I love the idea of radiating a sense of place (and Laura is soooo good at that one!) - I write about the area I live in and it's so easy to establish a sense of place because I know it so well and love it completely (mosquitos, blizzards and all). After I've created that place, it's so much easier to set characters into it and arrest the reader's attention!Gabrielle Meyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12479898337766911768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-19918824239143971322012-07-02T13:23:21.759-07:002012-07-02T13:23:21.759-07:00What a super acronym, Pepper! Gonna remember this ...What a super acronym, Pepper! Gonna remember this one for sure.<br /><br />I'd say my biggest struggle is the sense of place. It's way too easy to be either too descriptive or not enough. But I need help with pretty much all of them. That's why I'm learning!Joanne Sherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03892365662470655717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-1959321531253057752012-07-02T08:28:33.722-07:002012-07-02T08:28:33.722-07:00Love the post, Pepper! I would have loved to have ...Love the post, Pepper! I would have loved to have heard you give this talk. :)<br /><br />They are all important, but caring for the characters is a MUST. If you don't care about the character, then what's the point in reading about them? I need to work on this one, definitely!Sherrinda Ketchersidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07581676437345249386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-68798004682754191222012-07-02T08:14:46.377-07:002012-07-02T08:14:46.377-07:00This is all so good, Pepper! All four are so impor...This is all so good, Pepper! All four are so important. I definitely think caring about the character, for me, is the most vital thing. Even if the plot starts with a bang, if the character doesn't in some way grab my sympathy, I just don't really care. :) <br /><br />Great examples, too!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17620457068731162013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-34065337162247961862012-07-02T07:00:41.422-07:002012-07-02T07:00:41.422-07:00Good post, Pepper! This is a great way to teach th...Good post, Pepper! This is a great way to teach the basic and most important parts of a story. I think I need to work on grabbing the readers attention right away. I still struggle with that sometimes :)Cindy R. Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13488732331021750408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-38668036998047772502012-07-02T07:00:15.253-07:002012-07-02T07:00:15.253-07:00I have reached a point where I've revised my f...I have reached a point where I've revised my first chapter so many times that it is probably about as good as I can make it. But these are great things to think about! I think these will help me go through that opening one more time and make it even a little better. <br /><br />Thanks!SFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126306619182458823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-12242427647720570892012-07-02T06:33:44.694-07:002012-07-02T06:33:44.694-07:00Terrific acronym, Pepper!
How to choose the most i...Terrific acronym, Pepper!<br />How to choose the most important one out of the four ... can't do it, you'd end up with a misspelled word!<br />;o)Beth K. Vogthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04032849469366266791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-34394682692633797872012-07-02T06:28:52.033-07:002012-07-02T06:28:52.033-07:00Thanks for this great post! I think all four of th...Thanks for this great post! I think all four of these elements are crucial, but it is always very important to grab the reader's attention right away. Having some sort of conflict in the beginning usually pulls the reader in.<br /><br />Mostly, I need to work on an emotional connection. It is mentioned on the first page of my current story that the main character's father had passed away. I guess one could consider that intriguing, yet I still think I need a stronger emotional connection.Jillianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17132663863438948786noreply@blogger.com