with Lyn Cote

December 11, 2008

Hosted by: Jason McDonald

Dancing Word Assistant Editor

Jason McDonald: Lord, thank you for this evening. Thank you that Lyn could be with us tonight, and bless all of the chat participants. Be with those who could not be here tonight. Let us all learn something tonight. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Protocol Reminder: Type "? " for questions, "!" for comments, "ga" for go ahead, and please wait for me to call on you in turn.

Tonight’s guest is author Lyn Cote. Lyn, take it away.

Lyn Cote: I want to introduce you this very handy tool that I use to plan each of my books. It is part of Kathy Jacobson’s A Novel Approach Handbook. (Available in PDF 220 pages for $25 at www.kathyjacobson.com)

You all know that conflict is necessary to have a story. And this grid helps you think of all the different ways to keep your hero and heroine in conflict till the end. I never have a sagging middle because I have all these different ways which the h/h oppose each other.

Let's get started!

1 - Take a piece of paper and fold it in half-lengthwise or set up a page in Word with two vertical columns.

2 - Write the name of your hero at the top of one column and your heroine over the other. To remind yourself that this is designed to highlight their difference, write VS.(versus) between them.

Let me know when you're ready for more.

UCAngel: I'm done

meliaka: got it

Deb Piccurelli: ready

Hope: I have the sheet of paper, and am doing a second in Word

Rumby: Ready

Jason McDonald: ready

Hope: ready

Lyn Cote: 3- Now down the left border, write 7 these terms, leaving room to enter their definitions:

1. Short Range Goal

2. Long Range Goal

3. Conflict of Circumstance

4. Conflict of Personality

5. Conflict of Relationship

6. Emotional Danger

7. Epiphany I'll pause now while you get those down

Hope: For both H & h?

Lyn Cote: Yes, you're pitting them against each other. Hero in one column facing and opposing heroine in other column

Hope: Thanks

Lyn Cote: Each of the 7 gives you another type of conflict. Put the name of the hero at the top of one column and the heroine at the top of the other Then big bold VERSUS each other

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Lyn Cote photo

Lyn Cote