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Showing posts from September, 2021

The So-What? Factor (Reposted)

I ran across a great article the other day HERE . And almost ten years later (hello 2021), that post is still up! It mentions a bunch of cool things but a particular idea caught my attention. It's the SO WHAT factor. From the post: " It's easy to confuse concept with plot, and that's not it. Because that leaves out something that Lisa Cron's recent book WIRED FOR STORY calls the "'so what?' factor." She goes on to explain that the "so what?" factor is what clues a reader in on the point of the story, the relevance of everything that happens in it, what the story is about ." Basically, why should we care? Empathy is SO important in books. I think empathy and curiosity are the two biggest things that will keep a reader turning pages.  What do you think? If you've got a WIP, check out your first page and ask yourself if it piques curiosity or empathy. Think of a book you couldn't put down. What kept you reading? How

Fictional Heroes who made me say, "Mmmmmm!" And still do! (Repost)

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Good old Uncle Jesse...this is the first fictional character who I remember making my elementary heart pitter patter. Full House was my favorite show, and now you know why. Who could resist a guy like Uncle Jesse? He loved his nieces, played a guitar, rode a motorcycle, had a great sense of humor and of course, there was the leather coat. :-) The character of Rick O'Connell captured my imagination as a teen and made me want to be a librarian, just so I could daydream about some daring, funny adventurer falling in love with me. Damon is one of those characters in need of redemption, but the first thing I loved about him was his loyalty to the woman he loved. It was unshakable. That warms this woman's heart!  I'm 38 now, and Damon still makes me *swoon* Which heroes (in tv or in books) grabbed your attention? What was it about them that made you never forget them?