Showing posts with label characters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label characters. Show all posts

June 19, 2020

No new stories only repeats of the same plots.

The storytellers have for centuries, forever, told traditional stories that have a simple plot: “Once upon a time there lived so-and-so in a land far away.” The time, characters, place settled then to the event to solve, climax, and conclusion. Simple!

The ancient fable Hare and the Turtle,
The set-up – careful Turtle slower that the over-confident Hare;
event - a race;
final event – arrogant Hare (nemesis) falls asleep;
climax- slow, plodding Turtle (protagonist) wins;
and conclusion – Hare can’t believe the Turtle won, and neither can the Turtle believe she won.

The basic plot remains the same, speaking to our genetic bodies. Verbal stories are inbred into our spirits, souls, and physic centuries before writing, photos, movies, or computers. The bones of our stories connect to our bones. We have heard stories for eons in many versions. Writers and storytellers tailor narratives for us; they enhance, fabricate, and re-image the characters and places, and use basic plots. Think about all novels and movies based on The Hare and Turtle. The same simple plot satisfies the teller, writer, listener, reader, and viewer.

August 1, 2019

My writing taking me by surprise!

Read other bloggers.



Well, not writing specifically; verbal storytelling came in with a blast. Twenty years ago, the computer I used wiped from within and the floppy disk all my children's stories, a first draft novel I finished, and a family tree I had spent 3 years compiling.

 As I recovered on my couch, a thought ran through my mind, "Time for you to stand up and tell a story." To stand up and tell one of my creative stories, never. A disgusting, impossible idea, farther more where to start.

I never heard a person tell stories, only lectures about specific subjects. (This was before YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, google blogs, before the cell phones and the videos we watch.) I did find a program at a Park and Recreation Center. Finally at Dominican University in San Rafael, I found a whole series on "How to Tell a Story." Verbally telling was precisely like writing a story; characters, plots, and scenes. And, there were thousands of public domain free stories, the TRADITION TALES, from all over our world to preform.

SO, I stood up and told a story.


NOW . . . TODAY - I write traditional fractured stories. That means I re-write or re-tell folklore by adapted, enhanced, re-imaged, embroidered, modified, elaborated, and embellished characters, scenes, and make subplots. I fabricated to suit my time and to create a better read. All folktales, fairy tales, legends, fables, myth are analogy, metaphors, or simile we use in writing. Traditional tales are the bones of today's movies and novels.


March 3, 2019

Main Character, Not the Narrator

Read on wattpad
A dialogue is not spoken by my main character in the story, Vasalisa, the Frog Princess. My enhancement and re-imaging creates an inactive persona, a damsel in distress. With Vasalisa having an absent voice, I wrote concerns for her and her struggle through contact with other characters.


As for the writer, fun to conceive what other characters see, hear, and feels about a main character's struggles and concerns while helping this silent distressed character, who is stronger than any of these think.
Read Blogs at IWSG


Soon pre-sales for PURSUED will be posted on Amazon and Smashwords.com.

March 2, 2019

I use my feminine propective as an writer.

My feminine protagonists are the narrators in first voice and the present tense
BECAUSE as a child and young adult, I was a
--> female; second to a male;
--> lady; second to a lad;
--> woman; second to the man;
--> she or her; second to he;
---> heroine; second the hero!
Always second to male, lad, man, he, and hero, who were and still are the main narrators. He leads and solves the problems and dilemmas of our the world, unfortunately.

A girl and young adult pushed from the frame because of my sex. I needed a place in the story, in the plot. So I write from my feminine irrate voice - about strong maidens or older matrons, who battled against oppression by cause by 'him'.

I write about strong maidens or matrons who overcome tyranny and suppression by facing ignorant dominance. My protagonists make change in their worlds for us to witness so we can make changes in our feminine lives.


READ blogs.

In my last piece, PURSUED, a Russian Folktale, the ugly frog skin of a princess is burnt by a selfish prince, a fool. This young male needed to view what his enchantment was.The fool does not understand balance and equality in a partnership only that female's beauty is for his prestige.

A villain, a male antagonist, can devour a story. A heavy, destructive, villain dominates. I figure she or her needs to conquer his hateful messages as does Faery Rhyonna, who rids Zzuf from her realm.


December 21, 2017

Interview, Part 9 - FIRE, the Hunger

The best question, how does the storyteller work up their stories.

First to find stories liked, then print them out, and read over and over to see if plots are suitable. Then I make what I called a ‘Summary Page’: how long the story is, my first sentence, my last sentence, a summary of the plot, and where I told the story, adding notes about the telling that I need to remember. 


If I have enough stories on a theme like the FIRE stories, I make a frame, bridge, or a segue through them. That means I plot out each story; have 'character bios' as on FIRE, humans, gods, hummingbird, beaver, Grandma Spider, monkeys, hunters, Bertha Digby. Then make a 'motivation sheet' on each character about their driving concerns that moves the plot forward to the next story. 


The beginning, the gods have FIRE and humans and animals want its warmth and light. So, the middle events: Hummingbird gives to the Pines, Beaver gives to all trees, Grandma Spider throws light to the night sky. Until the climax event, a hunter steals the FIRE from the monkeys to the final event, FIRE burns up the forest. The ending conclusion, Bertha Digby replants the forest for all of us.

If you join my newsletter called the EVENTING. . ., I talk about writing and storytelling. As a new subscriber, you receive the Story Charts used for plotting, character motivation, scenes, framing or the segue, with the bonus of the hero’s journey. There are 12 charts in all. The charts were compiled from storytellers, who shared how they organize their stories. I give this information to whoever wants to craft their best stories to tell or write, please honor this.


November 26, 2017

Interview - Part 6, FIRE, the Hunger



Are you satisfied with the way the stories follow each other?

Yes, I have made a specific point to use the animal's or the human’s desire for FIRE at the beginnings and FIRE’S horrible appetite at the end of each story to weave into the next story so the characters push the plot along. This is called bridging or the segue, in which ‘FIRE, the Hunger’ is desired for the warmth and light, and how each character managed to secure their desire, or not and the following tragedy FIRE starts. There is a difference in time when the Greek and Roman gods secure FIRE for their followers and how the animals secured FIRE in the folktales from the Americans, the ancient of all worlds.

August 1, 2016

Describing fantasy characters or beasts!

in the air, a plant seed spirit floats
in the air, a seed spirit floats
the plant spirit lands and sets out roots
landing, the spirit  grows
When describing a fantasy character think movement. Move their wings, feet, arms, faces, ears, eyes, heads around in your mind as you see the beastie. Then think of the voice or noise it makes. Best of all, become the creature; you are the actor: stand up, and talk, move as you want the creature to act. The more you move, the more you speak as the character or beastie, the better your description of the character in your verbal telling as well as your written words. When you charge the looks or emotions of a fantasy character, put in hints of the movements and voice, you visualize. Seed us clues along the way to create surprise. (Remember, do not describe all at once, which is boring and has no suspense). All of us have some idea how to visualize a griffin, dragon, monster, wizard or witch, warrior or princess in our minds; we need just a bit of your imagined details and off we go into our minds to enjoy your story.

August 24, 2015

Computer as a peer character

My work partner is my computer.

What a complicated character is the computer. Not an old character, most likely about 36 years old. Its development was a bit older so lets say about 42. So what does this character do for storytelling 1) writes, 2) records, 3) video tapes, 4) prints projects, 5) shares links, shares messages, and shares emails around the virtual expandable vast web. Only beware of the bugs and don't get caught while surfing, although fun, or observing what others have pinned to their nets, remember on a web, one side is sticky one you can get stuck, and held.  

The Producer for BobbieTales,  Bobbie Kinkead

May 27, 2015

The director throws the image!

SUCCESS!
The reader, listener, or viewer need a stage. An artist paints images within or around a frame to bring the viewer inside and hold them, same with a photo. The writer has written words symbols that pull together and create images of person, voice, and scene/place on a flat page. The storyteller, who faces the audience, has that audience looking at them while acting the voices and gestures of characters. A storyteller directs the voice, words, gestures, and body movements.  The goal is to keep the listen/viewer in their own minds while the storyteller directs the video/movie of the story. The place, the clothing, the character the viewer/listener supplies to the story. Writing a story is like this and depends on a voice in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person and in present or past tense to immersed the reader into the scenes. The readers lifts the story off the page to play in their minds as they read. A writer need to fill in the image with more word symbols while the storyteller uses tones of voice, face expression, hands, and body gesture to direct actions. The character is not on the stage, or painted on canvas, or worded on a page; character and plot are in the mind of the listener/viewer. When the viewer looks at a picture, one is in for the moment and makes-up the story, most times without a plot. 
Using all three is an exciting way to process a story journey. The joy is creating the story.

The Producer for BobbieTales

May 15, 2015

Characters have public persona!

We take snap shots.
A public persona is how you let others view you, your 'story', which is mixed with a public slant, the 'take' of a viewer, which is your, an adapted personality, the actor. Basically, you as a storyteller, a writer, an artist, or all three, who creates your public persona, 'STORY' which your public sees and hears.
 --> So beware! Do you know yourself in the public eyes! That persona is important when starting a professional career, especially on the Internet. With all the places to market yourself as the creator of ebooks, blogs, podcasts, webinars, videos, book tours; you build that persona. Your photo, still or playful, one or many views give snaps of you. Be appropriate! There is a history forming about you. The colors you wear:  just black or a rainbow, mode, pastels, or just pink. Most important is what you say:  innocent kid-like, intellectual or shy, sexually teasing, professional with humor, or mysterious vage. Words, written or spoken, add to your persona, a voice talking for, to, and with fans, readers, listeners, and supporters, encouraging them, putting down life, critical, or adapting to changes, and actions. They watch and listen building your appearance/character/persona by what they see you played.
-->  Beware, I have a friend that got locked into what was not and has played that part, never being true to the audience, which causes injuries. If you are a strong women and play weak, you will give a wrong picture. If you are a shy person and nervous this is seen. If playing expert but not knowing what is; or always correct, pushy; or maneuvering to be first and in front, or lecturing. These characteristic are observed. Style your public persona/character to be sincere, trustworthy, helpful, maybe humorous, and maybe a bit mysterious? Do not get stuck in who you are not.
 --> Watch yourself in videos and selfies, do them privately, practice. Check who you play, what type of character you see, be critical; you wear this persona all your career! Standing up to tell a story in front of listeners who are observing you as the characters is a great way of understanding persona and yourself, as the narrator, the creator -->You are the BRAND!

The Producer for BobbieTales


August 14, 2013

Clarion's write-a-thon June 23 to August 3, 2013

Another Clarion write-a-thon came and is gone. Book III of the Elfin Letters finished! AS IT IS Now, Magic,


After intense writing for 28 days, plotting, characters sorted, corrected names, and the Lassies' letters in order, very important, I finished 22 chapters of AS IT IS, Now MAGIC. The letters from the Lassies tell of the Elfin magic in Rainbow Village and the spirited folk around the gardens. The hardest decision was what villagers to be in the story. One winner was Alfegar the pixie, he does bring his special magic and humor to the Member's Circle. Also for spice a few seedy spirits arrived via the INBetween into the gardens.

The point of the story is that the Elves learn about their magic, good and bad; and what they give to the Lassies, good and bad; who else is attracted by this magic. 

Summer writing CAMPNANOWRIMO April 2013


The month of April I spent editing and rewriting  Rhyonna's Fright, my faery story. Rhyonna has been with me since fourth grade when living in Colorado Springs and play at Fountain Creek (now a freeway). Faeries flew around and danced and sang while my friends and l built forts, hunted frogs, blood suckers and minnows. We built dams and swung on a wire rope hung by men who made the railroad tracks from Cripple Creek to the Golden Cycle Mill, that processed real gold. I do have my first  illustrations. Rhyonna's story grow with my daughter and her friends' interest and help  in writing classes and critiques.

I had a jolly time with Rhyonna, who is willful and a risk taker, all part of her charm, she plotted most of her story. Characters like this are wonderful.

January 23, 2010

The thinker at work on the 'where'!


The where! Here I am again in my head going over and over the place of the story - this voice and that voice of the characters here and there. Oh! there's the character.

WHERE IS this character?

I see her dancing in the sky. I'm carefully observing what the character looks like, and how does she move, what age. Opps! That's me! I'm looking around thinking. Where? There she is, young about 10 years old, dancing on a dry dirt path, yes, with her friend. Or, is that her brother? Yes, her brother who is younger. They run to catch huge green grasshoppers. The dirt path is dusty and long. Now I see the overview: the long dirt road through the field of tall dry grasses in front of them, the old brick train buildings behind and to the left, and the trees and creek to the right. They are running on the old train road in the old forgotten train yard.

Okay that is the physical place?
How is the character feeling about the path, her brother, and the grasshopper? How she feels is the emotional place for the reader or listener --- the audience.

Where is her mental place?
Okay, I'll float awhile gathering the moment. Happy, tired, excited, or maybe mad? No, she is happy running and dancing. The air is hot, she is sweating. No breeze, still and hot! Only for wind created while running. Opps! the grasshopper she holds spits on her hand, now she jumps, screaming, ICK! No, water to wash he hand. Her brother, much younger, comes over to help. He wipes the 'tocacco' off. She feels love and trust for him. They are on a journey alone with no mom and dad to their grandma's house. They run fast afraid of many bums, which live there. They have seen them and hear the stories of their gangs. The girl is very thirsty and getting tired from the running, now dancing. Although happy to be with her strong brother, they are in a race to reach Grandma's and to enjoy her fresh baked cinnamon rolls with butter which always wait for them.

Now the story unfolds.
Next, dear writer, what do the characters look like?

October 11, 2009

The thinker at work on novel ideas.

Theirs, His, Hers, Mine and Ours!


Oh my, here I am - think, think, thinking - voices of characters going through my head which to use? Who is the strongest? Do I want the strongest? Who are the rest? Why are they important?

REALLY whose story is this!

To whom are we talking with or at or to. WOW!

I can see why I look dizzy, maybe skeptic, humorous, HO, WHOA! What about the lack of spelling skills, the spilling of word mistakes all over the pages? That is under the control of editor!

I see I am a little wicked or possibly determined. There is light on my head, notice the darkness around me. That darkness is the doubter. Who said that? NO! The mistakes come from my fingers not focusing on what I'm typing, or that child poet inside that likes to mix the 'by' with 'my', and the 'bit' with 'bite' when I'm thinking, not the editor, she is always right. I like her, a bit bitter and opinionated, however, always checking to see if I'm in her world and that I'm wording correctly so others may read the story. The one playing images with words is my poet having fun. YES, she is child and I need her play, especially in November during the Month of Novel Writing.

Actually, I need the whole staff, the dreamer, the doubter, the critic, editor, poet, here and with energy and enthusiasm. We got stories and images to craft into words. Our job to announce who is the narrator! Who is she? What age? Where is she? And what is her attitude? And to whom she tells her story.


June 3, 2009

Storytelling helps the writing!


Oral story, the oldest form of storytelling, vibrates
in our bones. We tell stories all day to many
people. Writing the stories follows the same
structural processes of plot, characterizing, and
scenes as a verbally told story but we use word
symbols for the voice symbols. In verbally told
stories we can use body movement and facial
expressions for the characters. For both crafts,
concise, clear words paint images and bring the
characters alive to hear and see.

When crafting the ‘oral story’ the first sentence is
the set-up -- the when, where, who, and what:

Once upon at time so-and-so lived somewhere and felt something. In a picture
book the first three illustrations are the set-up (when, where, who, and what). In
a chapter book or middle-grade novel it's the first page, and in a young adult or
adult novel the first chapter is the set-up for the story. Then the listeners or
readers are lead by words to the emotional event -- the why: a conflict, problem,
or puzzle to resolve.

Clear, accurate words direct and focus the journey. Plotting starts. For the
youngest audience, one character interacts with someone or something in three
to five scenes. For the more mature audience, many characters interact in the
main plot with subplots traveling an A to Z path with many emotional events.
The storyteller or writer intrigues the audience with twists and mystery to
enhance the story.

Carefully selected written or verbal words focus the characters in action. The
characters move, react, and talk -- not telling but showing the characters in the
scenes. Words connect images to the listeners or readers. The present or simple
past tense makes the drama stronger. The characters push the plot forward.

The emotional actions, reactions, and dialogues of the characters reach out and
emotionally cord, bonding to the listeners or readers, who then plug into motives and feelings of the characters’ or their own. The charge is the emotional impact of conflict, adventure, or the puzzle. The audience is glued into the story waiting for the final charged event -- the how. Satisfying stories have a solution for the audience. The conclusion shows change in the characters, and the ending brings the audience back to their world.

A story can be told in five sentences or written into hundreds of pages to enjoy
for days. To know how your written story affects readers, tell the story to
listeners and watch their expressions. The facial expressions will tell if the story
is good, or needs more work.

STORY seems so simple, however; STORY is complicated on many levels.
Here are websites that post events and classes, fests, and workshops for
storytelling, ultimately helping in crafting the written story.

Stagebridge is a school for seniors in acting and storytelling. In one semester you'll experience teachers and their special skills and styles.You learn how to have fun while developing stories. Check their website stagebridge.

Storytelling Association of Alta California has a calendar of events for storytelling. STORYLINE (SAC newsletter) is a $30 yearly subscription, which lists all upcoming
storytelling events. Check out SAC Facebook

SAC Storytelling Festival, 2010 was the 25th celebration Bay Area Storytelling Festival, which is a feast of stories told by selected professional storytellers. Check out BASF for next years events.

National Storytelling Network, NSN for a listing of event and storytellers.

A MUST! An archive of stories since September 2006! A feast for the ears! Jackie Baldwin's radio show, Story-Lovers World!, airs every Sunday from 5-6 p.m. Pacific time on public radio station KSVY in Sonoma Valley. Contact to Jackie visit her website story-lovers.

Bobbie Kinkead is an illustrator, author and storyteller, can be viewed at following web addresses to learn more about BobbieTales and her work: