Tag: StoryCoach

Edge Coach—Mastering Character Goals in Fictionary: A StoryCoach’s Guide

EDGE COACH - TUESDAYS
Welcome to Edge Coach, my Tuesday focus on professional story development. As a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, I share techniques to strengthen your writing and engage your readers. Whether you're revising your first draft or polishing your final one, Edge Coach offers practical guidance for your story.

Today, we’ll explore how Fictionary’s Character tab helps you track and strengthen your character’s journey through their goals and motivations. This powerful set of tools ensures your characters drive your story forward with purpose and impact.

## The Foundation: Character List and POV

Before diving into goals, establish your story’s framework:

– Use Character List to track every named character

– Mark POV (Point of View) clearly for each scene

– Ensure POV choices serve your story’s purpose

## Goal Tracking: The Heart of Character Development

Fictionary provides multiple layers for tracking goals:

### POV Goal

– What does your POV character want in this scene?

– Is it clearly shown through action or dialogue?

– Does it connect to their larger story arc?

### POV Goal Internal

The emotional driver behind your character’s actions:

– What internal need motivates them?

– How does this goal reflect their wounds or desires?

– Where does internal conflict appear?

### Goal Related to Plot

Connect character desires to story movement:

– How does this scene’s goal advance the main plot?

– Are character and plot goals aligned or in conflict?

– Does each scene goal build toward the story goal?

## Stakes and Consequences

### What if Goal Fails

Fictionary prompts you to consider:

– Immediate consequences of failure

– Long-term impact on character arc

– Ripple effects through the story

### Impact Tracking

Two crucial elements:

1. Impact on POV Character

– Personal consequences

– Character growth opportunities

– Emotional fallout

2. Impact on Protagonist

– How secondary character goals affect your protagonist

– Relationship dynamics

– Story momentum

## Knowledge and Movement

### POV Knowledge Gained

Track your character’s understanding:

– What do they learn in each scene?

– How does new knowledge affect their goals?

– Does information change their motivation?

### Character in Motion

Ensure active character engagement:

– Physical movement that reveals character

– Goal-driven actions

– Dynamic scene presence

## Putting It All Together

When reviewing your manuscript, use these elements to:

1. Verify goal consistency across scenes

2. Strengthen motivation-action connections

3. Ensure satisfying character arcs

4. Track subplot impact on main story

5. Maintain tension through goal conflicts

Remember: Every scene should move your character either toward or away from their goals. Fictionary’s Character tab helps you track this movement with precision.

## StoryCoach Tips

1. Review goals scene by scene first, then look at the larger pattern

2. Check that internal and external goals create tension

3. Verify that knowledge gained affects future goals

4. Ensure character movement serves goal pursuit

5. Track impact ripples through your story

Your characters’ goals drive your story. Use these tools to make every scene count.

Use the Contact form to schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.

Edge Coach—Scene Structure: A Story Coach’s Guide

EDGE COACH - TUESDAYS
Welcome to Edge Coach, my Tuesday focus on professional story development. As a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, I share techniques to strengthen your writing and engage your readers. Whether you're revising your first draft or polishing your final one, Edge Coach offers practical guidance for your story.

As a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, I often find scene structure at the heart of story problems. Let’s explore what makes a scene work with specific examples.

The Core Elements (with Examples)

1. Character Goal

Weak Example:

Sarah goes to the coffee shop to think about her problems.

Strong Example:

Sarah rushes to the coffee shop to confront her brother before he leaves town with her inheritance.

2. Conflict

Weak Example:

The coffee shop is crowded and Sarah has to wait in line.

Strong Example:

Sarah’s brother sits with their mother, who doesn’t know about the stolen money. Any confrontation will shatter their mother’s already fragile health.

3. Outcome

Weak Example:

Sarah decides to leave and try again tomorrow.

Strong Example:

Sarah chooses protecting her mother over confronting her brother, but photographs him meeting his accomplice—evidence she’ll use after their mother’s recovery.

Common Problems and Solutions

1. Missing Goals

Weak Scene:

John walks through the park, noticing flowers and thinking about life.

Revised Scene:

John searches the park for his daughter’s lost medical alert bracelet, knowing her severe allergy could turn deadly any moment.

2. Insufficient Conflict

Weak Scene:

Mary asks her boss for a raise and gets it.

Revised Scene:

Mary asks for a raise, knowing her boss just lost two major clients and is considering layoffs, but her son’s surgery can’t wait.

3. Unimpactful Endings

Weak Scene:

Tom finishes his homework and goes to bed.

Revised Scene:

Tom completes the forged admission essay, torn between his father’s expectations and his own integrity, then sees his father’s proud smile—making tomorrow’s confession even harder.

Today’s Exercise

Take your current scene and map it:

1. Goal: What does your character want RIGHT NOW?

Example: “To get the damning letter before his wife finds it”

2. Conflict: What stands in the way?

Example: “The letter is in his wife’s office, where she’s currently meeting with clients”

3. Outcome: How does it change things?

Example: “He fails to get the letter but discovers his wife already knows—and has evidence of much worse”

Remember: Every scene should raise questions even as it answers others.

Need help strengthening your scenes? Schedule a Story Discovery Session to discuss your novel’s structure.

You’re invited to schedule a consultation.

Book a 30-minute appointment
Pay for your appointment

Note: If this is your first appointment, you do not have to pay. I offer a FREE—initial consultation.

Edge Coach—First Pages: What Story Coaches Look For

As a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, I often see beginning novelists struggle with their opening pages. Today, let’s explore what makes those crucial first pages work—and what might be holding yours back.

Let’s start with an example:

Weak Opening: “Sarah Jones had always loved the ocean. Growing up in coastal Maine, she spent summers watching waves crash against rocky shores while dreaming of adventure.” Why it doesn’t work: Background instead of story

Strong Opening: “Sarah’s hand trembled as she gripped the ship’s radio. Three hours into her first solo sailing trip, and the storm warnings changed everything.” Why it works: Character in action, immediate tension

Key Elements Story Coaches Evaluate:

  1. Opening Hook
  • Does your first sentence create curiosity?
  • Are readers immediately engaged?
  • Does something happen or change? Common Issue: Starting with background instead of story momentum
  1. Point of View (POV)
  • Is your viewpoint character clear?
  • Are we grounded in their perspective?
  • Do we experience the scene through their senses? Common Issue: Shifting perspectives or distant narration
  1. Character Introduction
  • Do we meet your protagonist in action?
  • Are they facing a challenge or decision?
  • Do readers have a reason to care? Common Issue: Character descriptions without purpose
  1. Story Question
  • What makes readers wonder what happens next?
  • Which story questions emerge naturally?
  • Is there clear tension or conflict? Common Issue: No compelling reason to turn the page

FICTIONARY KEY ELEMENTS: Using Fictionary’s storytelling elements, I evaluate:

  1. Opening Scene Function
  • Introduces main character
  • Establishes tone
  • Sets story in motion
  • Creates story questions
  1. Scene Entry Point
  • Character doing something
  • Clear setting anchors
  • Immediate conflict
  • Sensory details
  1. Scene Tension
  • External pressure
  • Internal conflict
  • Time constraints
  • Stakes matter
  1. Character Goal
  • Clear motivation
  • Visible actions
  • Specific obstacle
  • Meaningful outcome

EVALUATION EXERCISE:

  1. Read your first page aloud
  2. Mark with different colors:
    • Character actions (blue)
    • Background info (red)
    • Dialogue (green)
    • Setting details (yellow)
    • Internal thoughts (purple)

Analysis Questions:

  • Which color dominates?
  • Where does true story action begin?
  • When do readers first care?
  • What makes them want more?

Coming Soon: Watch for more professional editing insights in future Edge Coach posts, where we’ll explore:

  • Transforming weak openings
  • Layering in background naturally
  • Building organic tension
  • Creating compelling hooks

Need help evaluating your first pages now? Schedule a First Chapter Focus session to get professional guidance on starting your novel strong.

You’re invited to schedule a consultation.

Book a 30-minute appointment
Pay for your appointment

Note: If this is your first appointment, you do not have to pay. I offer a FREE—initial consultation.

Sharpening the Edge—Layering Character Backstory: Scene 13A Revelations

Current progress:

Deep in phase one edits of Novel 12, today I tackled Scene 13A: Doubts in Action. My goal? Adding crucial layers to Alexis’s backstory that drive her current decisions.

Craft Challenge:

Adding backstory without disrupting the scene momentum presents a common writer’s dilemma. Too much explanation kills pacing; too little leaves readers disconnected. The key lies in weaving past details through present action.

Writing Insight:

This morning’s breakthrough came through action-reaction sequencing. Instead of explaining Alexis’s history, I let her reactions to current events reveal her past. Each choice she makes hints at previous experiences, layering her character while maintaining scene tension.

Try this technique:

1. Identify a character decision

2. Link it to past experience

3. Show the connection through reaction, not explanation

4. Keep the story moving forward

For example, when Alexis questioned Pastor Josh and he gave her the standard “God works in mysterious ways” response, her hesitation revealed more about her history than a full paragraph of explanation could.

Remember: Strong characters aren’t built through exposition—they’re revealed through action.

You’re invited to schedule a consultation to discuss your character development challenges.

Book a 30-minute appointment
Pay for your appointment

Note: If this is your first appointment, you do not have to pay. I offer a FREE—initial consultation.

December 1st: The Pencil’s Edge Begins Its New Chapter

Welcome to the transformed Pencil’s Edge! As someone who wrote his first novel at age 60 and is now working on number twelve, I understand both the courage it takes to begin and the guidance needed to finish. Today marks an exciting evolution in my ability to help others on their writing journey – I’m now a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, focusing exclusively on helping beginning novelists find their voice and strengthen their stories.

Whether you have just a spark of an idea or a complete first draft, The Pencil’s Edge is here to support your journey through five focused categories:

Sharpening the Edge

Join me in real time as I share insights from writing my current novel. You’ll see the challenges, breakthroughs, and solutions as they happen. Currently working through Chapter 17, I’ll show you exactly how I handle scene structure, character development, and plot momentum.

Edge Coach

As a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, I’ll share professional insights into story structure, character development, and scene crafting. From your first scene to your final chapter, learn techniques that will strengthen your writing and engage your readers.

First Edge

Specifically designed for beginning writers, this category offers encouragement, practical guidance, and permission to write imperfectly. Remember, every novelist – even those with dozens of books – had to write their first scene. Let’s start yours.

The Pencil’s Philosophy

Writing is more than a craft – it’s a journey of discovery. Here, we’ll explore how writing connects to deeper understanding, how questioning leads to growth, and how stories can transform both writer and reader.

Edge of Reality

Our monthly feature examines current events through a writer’s lens. We’ll explore how real-world stories can inform our fiction and deepen our understanding of both craft and human nature.

New Content Schedule:

– Monday: Craft and insight posts

– Wednesday: Story coaching and technique

– Friday: Beginning writer focus and encouragement

What This Means for You:

1. Regular, focused content to support your writing journey

2. Professional guidance for your first novel

3. Community support and encouragement

4. Clear path from idea to completion

Ready to Begin?

Schedule a free consultation to discuss your story ideas. Whether you’re just thinking about writing or ready to start your first chapter, let’s talk about how I can help you begin your journey.

Join me in embracing The Pencil Driven Life – where writing becomes a path to discovery, growth, and authentic expression.

Your fellow writer,

Richard

Evolution of The Pencil’s Edge Blog

For the past year, I’ve shared daily chapters from my novels, allowing you to experience my storytelling journey. Today marks a significant change as I transition my blog, now called The Pencil’s Edge, to focus on helping others write their stories.

As a newly certified Fictionary StoryCoach Editor, I’m excited to transform this space into a resource for beginning novelists. Instead of sharing my past works, I’ll be offering:

  • Real-time insights from my current novel writing
  • Professional story coaching guidance
  • Beginning writer encouragement
  • Writing craft development
  • Monthly explorations of story through current events

For those following “The Boaz Scholar,” you can read the first ten chapters here. The complete novel, along with my other works, remain available here, and at Amazon.

This change aligns with my commitment to helping others write their first novel. After completing eleven novels and beginning my twelfth, I’m ready to share not just my stories, but the craft and courage needed to write them.

Thank you for your understanding during this transition. I’m excited to help you write your own stories.