Donna McGoldrick

It’s the beginning of a new year and with that comes new goals. With S.M.A.R.T. goals, you control your course. If you’ve been in the writing community for a while, you know what S.M.A.R.T. goals are all about. Just in case, here’s a quick reference.

• Specific: Write down exactly what you want to achieve. You believe in the goal if you make it clear and specific. A specific goal will answer the question – What will I accomplish in 2023?
• Measurable: It’s important to know if you’re making progress. You need a way to stay on track, and stay motivated. Measure your progress with milestones, a series of steps that will add up to the completion of a goal.
• Attainable: The goal must be attainable within your capabilities. This is where you plan your work, then work your plan. Develop new attitudes and new skills to make it happen.
• Realistic: Focus on what the goal means to you. Do you have the ability and commitment to make your goal a success? Make your plan realistic based on your abilities and skills.
• Time-Based: Put a deadline on your goal. A time-frame gives you a sense of urgency to take action. It also helps monitor your progress.

The concept of writing S.M.A.R.T. goals is very important for accomplishing individual goals.

The most important element in storytelling is conflict. Without it the story will fall victim to the “sagging middle.” Conflict creates tension and drama while it focuses on the action and suspense to follow. Your story must begin with a problem and a goal. You build up the tension by preventing your characters from reaching their goals and making the problem more difficult. The drama begins from the difficulties they face. By ending a chapter in the middle of a conflict, you will intrigue the reader to turn the page.

Conflict is found in the difference between their personalities, actions to obtain their goals, and the effect their actions have on each other. Most beginning writers have a tendency to make their characters too perfect. Don’t fall into this trap because a perfect character has no story to tell. Arguing constantly is not conflict. Your characters need specific traits showing what they will and won’t do to solve their problem. That means you’ll need to flesh out your characters in detail with a profile chart. If your character decides to act on a situation, then something specific happens. On the other hand, if the character decides not to act, then something entirely different should happen. Due to the consequences of their actions, suspense builds. For every action, there should be a greater reaction from the forces against your character. This is the cause-and-effect strategy. By solving each problem that comes their way, your hero and heroine will show character growth.

There are two types of conflict, internal and external. The internal conflict occurs within the character and keeps the couple from committing. The external conflict is the situation that brought the characters together and what happens to them during the journey to reach their goals. Remember, in romance it’s the internal conflict between the hero and heroine that is the driving point of your book. It’s not easy keeping internal and external separated because the internal conflict leads to more external conflict. The tension builds upon the other until your story is wound so tight that something has to break. This is the crisis of the story. The black moment occurs right after along with the resolution and the end of the book. Be sure that all loose ends are tied up during the resolution.

People read for the entertainment. One sure way to keep your reader turning the pages is to leave her in the midst of a conflict.

            While writing a story, you want to make sure your facts are in order. Once you’ve plotted out the details, take the time and do the much needed research.  

            How do you know if you need a Sheriff at the scene of a crime, or the local police department?  What happens when they get there?  Who pronounces your character dead?  Answers are easily found in three areas of research.

            Interviews

            You don’t have to be published in order to interview someone in a particular profession.  Most law enforcement officials don’t mind helping out unpublished writers.  Whatever profession you’re writing about, interview someone that holds the job.  The most important thing to keep in mind is to always be professional.  If you can, make an appointment to see them.  Be appreciative of their time and thank them.  Always ask if you can call on them again.  Sometime during your writing you’ll always have one more question.

            I needed to know the hierarchy chart of a small town police force.  Since I live in a small town, I went to the city hall and walked into the local police department.  The Chief of Police was the only one in at the time, but he was happy to help me out.  I also have a friend who works for the Sheriff’s office collecting evidence from crime scenes.  During a football game I asked him questions about his job.  He likes talking about his job and offered a lot of good advice that was useful my story.

            The key to interviews is to have confidence in your work, and people will respond.

            Books / Articles / TV

            The Howdunit Series, published by Writer’s Digest Books, provide a wealth of information with titles like Scene of the Crime, Police Procedural, Cause of Death, Amateur Detective and Murder One.  You’ll find several true crime novels written by Anne Rule.  There are a lot of on-line workshops by various writing organizations that feature professionals of forensics, the FBI, and law enforcement.  TV shows like Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Forensic Files are very helpful from evidence collection to how forensics help nail a killer.  You can catch these shows on the cable channels A&E, Discovery and Court TV.

            The Internet is a great place for research but keep in mind the source.  Not everything out there is true.  Listed below are a couple of resourceful sites with good information and articles.

• http://www.feinc.net/
• http://www.fbi.gov/

            Hands On

            The most inspiring research of all is the hands-on method.  A road trip to a location you intend to write about.  Write down the sounds, the smells and take pictures of things you need to describe later.  Sign up for a kickboxing class because you need to describe the moves your heroine will make to defend herself.  Or use it for your own personal workout.

            Now that the majority of the research is done, restrain yourself from using everything you’ve learned.  Research is not a way to show how much you know, but to help portray an entertaining story with accurate details.

Welcome to my site! Within this space I’ll post writing related articles, conferences that I attend, and anything fun I might want to add. I write mystery and suspense stories, and I’m an active member of Sister’s in Crime, Guppies, Dallas Area Romance Authors, and Romance Writers of America. I hope you find my site useful as I add book reviews and articles. This site is an ongoing work in progress. Thanks for stopping by.

Writer’s Voice

When I had the crazy idea I wanted to write a story, I studied all the elements of writing. Read the “how-to” books on plot, characters, setting, GMC, and revisions. I attended writing conferences where I heard the phrase find your voice. Agents and editors said they wanted manuscripts with a fresh voice.

Voice? What is voice? I set out in search of this elusive concept.

Over the years I learned the definition of voice is simple, though achieving it, not so simple. I can honestly say I haven’t mastered it, yet.

A writer’s voice is unique like a fingerprint. It’s the combination of a writer’s upbringing, belief system, education, and interests.

In order to find your voice on the page, you must first understand the elements that go into voice.

Vocabulary (A writer’s choice of words)

This is the foundation of voice and contributes to all of its elements. Words are the writer’s basic tools that create color and texture to the written work. Specific words bring the reader into the scene, enabling full participation in the writer’s world and help shape the reader’s perceptions. Effective voice is shaped by words that are clear, concrete and exact. Words that invoke a specific effect.

Syntax (Sentence structure)

Syntax is all about structure; the way words are arranged within sentences. It ensures the coherence of your subject, verb and object, and the relationships that tie them together. It’s a subtle element that most readers aren’t aware of, but it’s one to which writers must pay attention. How craftily the writer puts words together, shows their personality in the writing and a level of skill.

Details (Facts, observations and incidents)

The information chosen by the writer brings descriptions to life. It focuses the reader’s attention and invites the reader into the scene.

Description is the most important role in a writer’s voice. Not enough descriptions will leave the reader questioning where they are and too much drowns them in unimportant details. It’s important writers find a balance between too little and too much.

Imagery (Verbal representation of the five senses)

Imagery depends on vocabulary and details, but it takes description to another level. It’s a method writers use to paint pictures of scenes and characters in the mind of their readers. It contributes to voice by evoking a vivid experience and conveying specific emotions.

The emotions of the writer has everything to do with his/her voice. What the writer feels is telegraphed onto the page. Writers with a strong voice allow emotions to drive the story, which impacts the choices they make. When you tap into your emotions, your voice engages the emotions of the reader.

Tone (Expression of attitude)

The combination of all the elements (vocabulary, syntax, details and imagery) come together to create the tone. Just as the pitch and volume of someone’s speaking voice carries a difference in tone, the choice of words in descriptive details and the way sentences are structured creates a vibrancy in our writing.

Voice is how a writer tells the story. Voice is the writer’s personality and style in the form of words on the paper. Voice is literally everything when an editor or agent is considering your manuscript.