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Blog: Mel's Muse - Archive for February 2010

Godparents - What Should They Do? Anna Ford And Martin Amis At Loggerheads

Posted: Friday, 26th February 2010

Godparents - what are they and what is expected from them? In times of falling church numbers, it may seem almost anachronistic to be asking. However, it appears to be a hot topic!

ANNA FORD ON MARTIN AMIS’ ROLE AS GODFATHER

I arrived home from holiday today and, within ten minutes of stepping through the front door, received a phone call from the producers of the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘PM’.

Articles on related themes: Speaking Engagements; Radio / TV; Family & Parenting; Life, Faith & Other Stuff

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EBOOK PRICE-FIXING: Who Gets Hurt in the End?

Posted: Thursday, 18th February 2010

I'm delighted, today, to include an article by Angela Hoy, on the topic of price-fixing the unit cost of e-books - a practice which will, ultimately, lead to a monopoly and, therefore, destroy choice for the end-user - readers!

Do let me know what your views are. Comments are moderated, and your contact details will never be revealed to any third party.

By Angela Hoy, Publisher, BookLocker printable version | Share on Facebook

----- This article can be reprinted/redistributed freely, as long as the entire article and bio are included. -----

price fixing (n.

Articles on related themes: Current Affairs; Writing & Publishing A Book

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Fictional Characters With Personalities That Build Conflict

Posted: Saturday, 13th February 2010

Conflict is as crucial to the narrative and structure of a novel as characters and dialogue. The author of fiction needs to ensure that the obstacles which prevent a character from achieving the story goal are driven by their own personality, plus that of other characters. That is, the personal relationships through which the characters interact. As I have written in earlier articles, without conflict there is, quite simply, no plot. Read What Makes A Story A Plot? to see what E.M.Forster has to say on the subject.

Consequently, we have been looking, recently, at plot summaries to see how best to use characters to build suspense.

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Creating Character Led Conflict In Your Novel

Posted: Monday, 8th February 2010

Last month I began what turned out to be a series about Transactional Analysis. It was what I call a combi-article: one designed to help real people with real needs, but also to inform the creative writing of authors of fiction. Titled Conflict Resolution: Relationship Psychology – And Creating Fictional Characters, my intention was to show that there are a number of ways to heighten the suspense in your novel.

Articles on related themes: Creative Writing; Character; Plot

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Transactional Analysis: Getting Off The Drama Triangle Part 2

Posted: Thursday, 4th February 2010

The Drama Triangle is a model of dysfunctional relationships, in which I might see myself as occupying one of three roles: Victim; Rescuer; or Persecutor. As Victim I require you to become my Rescuer. If you don’t comply, I may become a Persecutor, accusing you of neglecting my needs. If you choose not to be my Rescuer you may, instead, become a Persecutor, accusing me of failing to take responsibility for myself, and thus putting me back in the role of Victim. You may then feel guilty and become my Rescuer after all.

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