tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post7532987975834514775..comments2024-03-29T03:42:04.742-04:00Comments on Author, Jody Hedlund: Obstacles in Stories: 3 Ways to Turn Hills Into MountainsJody Hedlundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-25113174287623380112020-04-01T03:19:01.250-04:002020-04-01T03:19:01.250-04:00Thank you very much for this great post. I read th...Thank you very much for this great post. I read that Post and got it fine and informative. Please share more like that. What are some of the cheapest places to travel to in the world? From Asia to Africa and Europe, <a href="https://www.things-todo.org/" title="Things to do" rel="nofollow">Things to do</a> 's got budget breakdowns for the cheapest places.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08035164273592355585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-45222555223762676692012-08-26T21:10:49.759-04:002012-08-26T21:10:49.759-04:00I agree. Each of our main characters should have o...I agree. Each of our main characters should have obstacles. I think some of the greatest conflict occurs when the obstacles of the two main characters are in opposition to each other. But the obstacles don't necessarily have to be opposite. They can be parallel or intertwined. But having each main character "scaling mountains" makes the story even more dramatic. Thanks for bringing up the point! :-)Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-47389098398598828102012-08-26T07:36:56.104-04:002012-08-26T07:36:56.104-04:00Very interesting, Jody! I believe these obstacles ...Very interesting, Jody! I believe these obstacles apply for more than one character in a story. The same obstacle may be viewed and tackled by different characters with different standpoints. Being acquitted in court may be a huge "obstacle" for the man under trial, winning this very case may be an "obstacle" for the public prosecutor. Would be glad to have your thoughts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-85640509169744011462012-08-25T21:42:14.150-04:002012-08-25T21:42:14.150-04:00Hi Naomi! Glad you came back to share your thought...Hi Naomi! Glad you came back to share your thoughts! I love your insights! I think you're right. A coming of age story will likely have that man versus himself conflict. Some stories do well with that type of conflict, but I think it still has to be woven throughout, making the reader wonder how in the world the character will ever make peace with himself. It is much tougher to accomplish so that we can keep the reader turning the pages! Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-15277804371200557062012-08-25T11:53:21.023-04:002012-08-25T11:53:21.023-04:00Oh!!! ME TOO, SYLVIA!!!! I really hate in when the...Oh!!! ME TOO, SYLVIA!!!! I really hate in when the hero and heroine finally get together two pages before the novel finishes. Then I'm left wondering what happens and if the romance really works out for the best. Jody's book Preachers Bride, was really great at resolving the romance part of the plot without leaving the readers hanging. <br /><br />Sometimes though, if a novel is strictly a romance and not, say, a historical with romantic elements, the publisher doesn't want the romance resolved until the very last page. Because if you have no conflict, you have no more story to tell. It's a hard balance to achieve. Naomi Rawlingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02431203734855694561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-76976133038701069862012-08-25T11:47:26.164-04:002012-08-25T11:47:26.164-04:00Hey Jody, I read this post on my smartphone the ot...Hey Jody, I read this post on my smartphone the other day and had to drop by and comment. I totally understand what you're talking about by having one giant mountain (um, with lots of little drop offs and gullies to climb out of along the way). And I really love the analogy you used to to describe a character's over-arching, impossible goal. <br /><br />I'm much more likely to see a story through to the end when there's one giant, monstrous obstacle to be overcome as opposed to several smaller ones. Although I do wonder if some of this pertains to the type of story that's being told. A journey or coming of age story might have an emotional mountain, but physical hills, if that makes sense. Those types of stories seem to string conflicts together, and can still be really effective if done well. (Just don't ask me to write one). I think Laura Frantz has done a really good job of this with her first two novels, Frontiersman's Daughter and Courting Morrow Little. Naomi Rawlingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02431203734855694561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-60366989882331036522012-08-25T10:04:27.950-04:002012-08-25T10:04:27.950-04:00Hi Jane,
Some readers are indeed captured more by...Hi Jane,<br /><br />Some readers are indeed captured more by character than plot. And they prefer a gentler journey. But I'm afraid our modern generation is mostly growing into an action-oriented readership (which I'm guessing has a lot to do with the development of movies and TV). All that to say, even if we're writing with big obstacles, we can't neglect shaping our characters into the kinds of heroes and heroines that our readers will love. A lot of that reader empathy can happen as we develop the character's goals. :-)Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-28528309935949246612012-08-25T10:00:37.618-04:002012-08-25T10:00:37.618-04:00Hi Traci,
I think learning how to write is a litt...Hi Traci,<br /><br />I think learning how to write is a little bit like learning a foreign language. When we first start, we can hardly make sense of anything and we're just putting words on the paper. But as we add in new techniques little by little, we gradually begin to understand what it takes to craft a well told story. Until eventually we've become quite fluent and the techniques flow more naturally (and we don't have to stop and think about them quite so much). :-)Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-87986446323957044092012-08-25T09:58:01.221-04:002012-08-25T09:58:01.221-04:00Thanks for the kind words, Cally! I actually formu...Thanks for the kind words, Cally! I actually formulated this post after reading a recent book that didn't hold my attention. And I asked myself why. This post came as the result! :-)Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-67023307601453521352012-08-24T16:02:41.740-04:002012-08-24T16:02:41.740-04:00Great post Jody. You're right on about the ch...Great post Jody. You're right on about the challenges, but it's the characters that keep me turning pages. If I don't love them enough, then finishing the book is going to be tough. If I do love them, I'll put up with almost anything. Sometimes, I find myself at the end of a first chapter conflicted about whether I want to keep on reading. The author has done a great job of employing in media res to drop me down in the middle of a real conflict or crisis, but there's not a character involved that I really care enough about to invest my time into.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-24686825360329907792012-08-24T04:33:53.134-04:002012-08-24T04:33:53.134-04:00When you first start writing, you don't realiz...When you first start writing, you don't realize how important those mountains are. I think in our journey to publication, we discover just how steep and jagged things need to be in order for the hero/heroine to win the day. Thanks, Jody!! Great article!!Traci Kenworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07336373871521363649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-72934898285846393202012-08-24T00:59:57.249-04:002012-08-24T00:59:57.249-04:00Jody, you do such a great job of explaining these ...Jody, you do such a great job of explaining these concepts. I realise now that this is exactly what was lacking in a novel I recently beta read, but I didn't articulate my explanation nearly as well as this post does. I clearly need to send that writer in the direction of this post! Cally Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313803959936813426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-69524861766674167522012-08-23T16:51:06.580-04:002012-08-23T16:51:06.580-04:00Hi Heather! I'm sorry you've found yoursel...Hi Heather! I'm sorry you've found yourself in a difficult situation with having to give feedback on a book that isn't enjoyable. I've been in those situations before too, and it's hard (especially when they're already published and it's too late for the author to make any changes). In that case, I tell myself that I'll do my best to point out the positives, because some readers might really enjoy that author's style. On the other hand, I try to learn what I like or don't like and apply that to my own writing, which is what it sounds like you're doing. I wish you all the best!Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-69208373442304164972012-08-23T16:45:55.884-04:002012-08-23T16:45:55.884-04:00Hi Sylvia!
Thanks for adding your perspective! So...Hi Sylvia!<br /><br />Thanks for adding your perspective! Sometimes I feel the same way and want a little more to the romance too, to be able to savor their relationship! I try to really weave the romance throughout my book, rather than waiting until the end. That way the reader gets a good dose all the way through. :-)Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-8872999225246733652012-08-23T16:36:31.253-04:002012-08-23T16:36:31.253-04:00Hi Becky,
Glad the post came at the right time! I&...Hi Becky,<br />Glad the post came at the right time! I've found that during editing I usually end up cutting between 5-10K. But always add at least that back in. It is indeed a process! :-) But if we're all about making our stories better, then we have to do whatever it takes!Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-13223064480119610762012-08-23T16:29:08.679-04:002012-08-23T16:29:08.679-04:00Hi Jennifer! Sounds like you have your characters ...Hi Jennifer! Sounds like you have your characters facing some pretty big obstacles that carry through the whole book! And that's really what we need! Also sounds interesting, Jennifer! Wishing you all the best with it!Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-77047036963247387752012-08-23T16:24:04.293-04:002012-08-23T16:24:04.293-04:00Thank you, Ganise!! I'm glad the post brought ...Thank you, Ganise!! I'm glad the post brought a smile to your face! Blessings on your day too! :-)<br />Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-22195577493258104192012-08-23T13:43:20.153-04:002012-08-23T13:43:20.153-04:00Hi, I'm reading a memoir that an author from S...Hi, I'm reading a memoir that an author from She Writes put up as an ebook - she offered it for free and said that it was a memoir geared to creating sympathy for people suffering from mental illness. Because I'm writing a memoir about abuse I received and it includes therapy I downloaded her memoir. I've been reading pages and pages - it is a telling of her life's events, but the focus is not on what she implied it would be. Last night I glanced at where I was in the book and was dismayed to find I'm only a third of the way done. She is showing every detail of almost every day of her life. I'm asking myself why keep reading? I'm trying to because I want to encourage her, but it is obvious that she did not have an editor look at her book. I'm going to try and finish it, but am losing steam. While her story is important, how many times does one have to go out with a guy, get drunk, get stoned, and destroy one's life over and over again in prose. She would have done better to pick a few representative situations and show, not tell them, and then point out that this pattern was prominent for many years before .... My hope was that she was going to show how she got healed from this. I'm wondering if that would happen.<br /><br />One thing she did well was to include notes from her doctors and some journal entries. But she is not a famous actor or personality (not someone who most people will want to read tons about) and I'm afraid her book will be thousands of pages long - the e-reader won't tell me. I'm trying to figure out how to gently make a few suggestions. I don't want to hurt her.<br /><br />In my story my mother filled two notebooks of hundreds of "visits" of my father to my room. I'm including a few, but pointing out the fact that mom filled out two notebooks. The reader is smart enough to figure out the content of some of the other "visits." Since my goal is to show healing is possible, I want to keep the focus and not take rabbit trails. <br /><br />Have a blessed day.<br />HeatherHeather Marstenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17442467779057850945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-29878872048672902242012-08-23T12:42:21.023-04:002012-08-23T12:42:21.023-04:00That's fine, but I like more of the other side...That's fine, but I like more of the other side of the mountain. Way too many books leave the reader wanting more romance with the couple after they have gotten together. I dislike it when the couple faces all these obstacles and finally get together- on the last page of the book. I want the book to go on longer. We want a chance to savour the romance between the couple after they are in love and have admitted it to one another. I want a wedding and a little of the honeymoon. Something relaxing and enjoyable after the wild ride of the rest of the book. Sylviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18184999232100292027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-39471216369453183992012-08-23T12:06:40.784-04:002012-08-23T12:06:40.784-04:00Becky, I'll slow down my travels so you can ca...Becky, I'll slow down my travels so you can catch up. Then we can trek around together. :)<br /><br />The "freak out" moment is SO pivotal! It's that breath-holding moment where the reader stops everything and yelps! <br />Must. Read. MORE!Jennifer Majorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12696261499182486196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-10875610902268629172012-08-23T11:50:17.526-04:002012-08-23T11:50:17.526-04:00Jennifer - it seems I'm stalking you today.......Jennifer - it seems I'm stalking you today....<br /><br />Jody - This is a great post for me today! I'm doing (yet another) edit/revision and realized that my main characters need to have a "freak out" moment. So instead of cutting 5000 words, I added 3000... but the story is much more punchy now! Unfortunately, that means that everything that comes AFTER that freak out has to be updated/edited/revised.... What a process.<br /><br />But I'm glad I did it. I like my leading man much better now!<br /><br />Blessings,<br />BeckyBecky Doughtyhttp://www.beckydoughty.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-87793955282669238422012-08-23T08:38:20.172-04:002012-08-23T08:38:20.172-04:00One of the mountains in my MS is the hero's et...One of the mountains in my MS is the hero's ethnicity and the era in which the story is set. From 1860 to 1868, nothing got shot as fast in Arizona and New Mexico as a young, male Navajo. From 1868 on, it wasn't much better. So within the first few pages, we know who's on the run and in trouble just for breathing. My heroine is a wealthy, white woman in Boston who is treated rather poorly by her husband. There's another mountain. So we have colour, class and distance. Practically a mountain range, don't you think? And one more for the road? She's terrified of men. Jennifer Majorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12696261499182486196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-37948757821203462362012-08-23T06:50:00.169-04:002012-08-23T06:50:00.169-04:00Good morning, Jody!!
I was really foward to encou...Good morning, Jody!! <br />I was really foward to encouraging you today! Go, Mrs. Hedlund! You're doing a fantastic job and may God bless you.<br /><br />I had to smile at the 3rd paragraph (I think). SO true! <br /><br />Excellent points, friend. <br /><br />Blessings on your day, everyone else. <br /><br />Hugs, <br /><br />Ganise <br />Ganisenoreply@blogger.com