Woohoo, today we have the fun and talented Michelle Lim visiting as part of her blog tour for her new book, Idea Sparking.
Michelle is the My Book Therapy brainstorming coach and a romantic suspense writer. She writes a sweeeet villain…
And speaking of sweet stuff, she’s got an awesome drawing going on for a Kindle paperwhite. So be sure to leave a comment below to enter.
Idea Sparking, Villains and More!
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Melissa, thank you so much for inviting me to visit your blog. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you through My Book Therapy and the Deep Thinkers Retreat in Florida.
First, some information about a great drawing!
During my Idea Sparking: How to Brainstorm Conflict in Your Novel Tour I’m having a drawing for a Free Kindle Paperwhite. For each blog I visit that you comment on during my tour, you get one entry. Each day I will post any new tour locations on my blog. The final day to enter is this Friday, November 9th. The drawing and wrap up party will be on my blog next Tuesday, Nov. 13th.
During my Idea Sparking: How to Brainstorm Conflict in Your Novel Tour I’m having a drawing for a Free Kindle Paperwhite. For each blog I visit that you comment on during my tour, you get one entry. Each day I will post any new tour locations on my blog. The final day to enter is this Friday, November 9th. The drawing and wrap up party will be on my blog next Tuesday, Nov. 13th.
Here’s a question for the writers out there: Do your ideas make the prime time? And by prime time, I mean the eyes and ears of editors and agents in the publishing industry.
All of us writers are looking for a unique twist or story to make industry professional’s ears perk, right? After all, who wouldn’t want to get an inside track to publication?
Truth is, it is all about story. Yes, your craft must be honed to excellence, but without a great story you will remain unpublished.
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In Idea Sparking, I provide practical strategies to bring out unique twists and story ideas for your novel.
Villain Scouting is one of my favorite strategies.
As I note in the book, often when we come up with villains, we assume they are the creepy guys lurking in the corner or the vindictive black widow. But there are other types of villains who are valuable to all genres, not just suspense.
A villain is simply someone who goes against our goals and makes life difficult. [Note from Melissa: In which case, my alarm clock would totally count as a villain in my life.]
They are not all the same type, nor do they embody the same danger, but all of us should have someone who opposes our character’s views in a book.
A villain is simply someone who goes against our goals and makes life difficult. [Note from Melissa: In which case, my alarm clock would totally count as a villain in my life.]
They are not all the same type, nor do they embody the same danger, but all of us should have someone who opposes our character’s views in a book.
From the reluctant villain to the dark and twisted villain, there are villain types for all genres to utilize in building story conflict. Whether you are a plotter or a pantser, in my book, you will find strategies you can flip to whenever you hit a brick wall.
NaNoWriMo often brings out these types of brick-wall moments in everyone. Don’t have time to read Idea Sparking right away, that’s okay. There is even a diagnostic tool that allows you to look up the problem you are having with your plot and gives you a list of strategies you could try.
Everyone hits a brick wall, but no one has to stay there.
If you’re a writer: What is usually the most difficult for you in building plot conflict or coming up with story ideas?
If you’re not a writer (or if you are and you just really want to answer this question!): Who’s your favorite villain in a book or movie?
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Michelle Lim is the author of Idea Sparking: How to Brainstorm Conflict in Your Novel. She is also a romantic suspense author whose manuscripts have earned recognition in The Rattler Contest 2012, the Genesis Contest 2011, and the Frasier Contest in 2010. Michelle is the Brainstorm/Huddle Coach at My Book Therapy and serves as Vice President of MN N.I.C.E., a local chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. Check out her blog at: http://thoughtsonplot.wordpress.com/.
Comments 31
I’ve never had a problem being somewhat mean to my characters and making them suffer, and thanks to your book Idea Sparking I now figure out what is the absolutely worse thing I can have happen to them. Thanks, Michelle!
Thanks, Pat. You write amazing suspense! So glad my book helped.
Love that you’re mean to your characters, Pat…and I LOVE that I’m going to get to read the results of that meanness when your books are in print from Revell. Woohoo…still celebrating with you, my friend!
Hi Melissa and Michelle!
Love your “welcome mat” and your vlog. Melissa, you’re so brave. The vlogging thing scares me but I’m going to do one. Soon. As soon as I can get over being self-conscious. Ugh!
Michelle – I had no idea you were an expert evil-writer. I need your help. Why hadn’t I thought of you sooner? What about writing a vigilante character who thinks he’s doing the right thing, but is evil in what he’s doing. He really believes he’s saving people by doing what he does. I’ll email you privately as this evil-doing isn’t something you read about every day.
What writer’s conferences are you all going to in 2013? Any?
Michelle
Two Michelles!
I’m not entirely sure which conferences I’ll be at in 2013, but I know for sure I’ll be at ACFW. Whenever I get married, I’ve decided to write it into the vows that my husband will be cool with me going to ACFW every year until I die… 🙂 The rest of the conferences will depend on my budget and time off work. 😉
Should’ve asked, what conferences are YOU going to?
Would be happy to help, Michelle. I’m going to the Great Lakes get away and ACFW..from there not sure yet..how about you?
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My “favorite” villain is usually the one I’m readin about at the moment. There is a lot of them, really. Creepy ones, hateful ones, “sweet” ones… 😀
As for the movies? Cruella De Vil 😀
Sophie T
Cruella De Vil. Now the song’s in my head. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Sophie!
LOL! Good to see I’m not the only one who loves villains.
My “favorite” villain is usually the one I’m readin about at the moment. There is a lot of them, really. Creepy ones, hateful ones, “sweet” ones… 😀
As for the movies? Cruella De Vil 😀
Cruella DeVil, Cruella DeVil. If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will…
Hehe.
I can’t wait to get a chance to read your book, Michelle. And I was so happy to be there when you saw it for the first time. What a special moment.
(And yes, Mel, my alarm clock is a villain in my life too!!)
Talking about alarm clocks and villains at the same time reminds me of one of my favorite villains–Captain Hook. Such a great character. Such voluminous hair.
The evil alarm clock wins the day. I loved meeting you in Dallas, Lindsey!
Yes, Melissa, I’m just crying over no more political commercials. Crying, I tell you. 🙂
Michelle, the book looks fantastic! And I like the way you define a villain. Makes sense!
I hope you’ve got a box of Kleenex handy for all those tears, Jill.
Which reminds me of my favorite thing one of my coworkers says a lot:
I don’t have tissues for all your issues.
Which has nothing to do with anything. I just like to say it. 😉
Jill, its amazing how many villain types are out there. Looking for inspiration requires only a glance back at high school. Or the recent political adds.
Good post, Michelle!
I’m a writer, so I’ll answer your first question. I have ideas all the time for book plots. For me, the challenge isn’t coming up with the ideas, it is deciding which ideas truly merit the time and attention it takes to write a book. We’re talking months — sometimes years — of time; and I don’t want to waste the time I have left on this earth writing things that aren’t worthy of the time– and the gracious attention– of other people.
Readers have a distinct way of telling writers that they think their ideas are worthy, too: They just stop reading if they think their time is being wasted. I feel I’ve let a reader down if he or she doesn’t finish a book I’ve written.
Latayne, I can understand that feeling of not wanting to waste time. Throughout the writing of my first couple books, I remember thinking so many times that I seriously wished I knew if anything would come of them…because I didn’t want to waste time reading something no one else would ever see.
Then again, maybe there’s value in writing it even if it’s just for me…?? I don’t know. But still, I can empathize. 🙂
You are so right, Latayne. Readers need us ro wow them by page one.
Hi Melissa and Michelle!
I’ve always found that the Wicked Witch of the West was always one of the scariest villains to me. I think it’s because we see her as Miss Gulch (a real person) in the beginning of the movie. Miss Gulch takes Toto away to have him “destroyed” – heartbreaking. Then, later she is the wicked witch…green and all. Mean and evil…
She IS scary…and you’re right, the fact that we see her as a real person probably has something to do with it. Well, and the fact that she’s green.
I can almost hear her laugh. Great example, Loree!
Right now the villains I’m writing about are the opposing sports teams… Who woulda thought I’d be writing sports for the newspaper? Well, it’s only temporary, but I’m enjoying using aggressive vocabulary anyways…
Maggie, oh please, please tell me one of those teams is the Estherville Midgets. Because that’s my favorite team in NW Iowa. Scratch that, it’s my favorite team anywhere. And I love the thought of you using aggressive vocabulary. Ha!
And…I need to see Baby Ray again. 🙂
That sounds like a lot of fun! I love sports. What is your favorite, Maggie.
You do write sweet (& scary) villains, Michelle. Please bring 1 of your books for me Sun.–thanks.
Wait, you get to see Michelle Sunday? No fair. 🙂
Waving to Michelle, my agent-mate! It’s so good to see her here. Thanks for hosting, Melissa.
For me, villains are the hardest to write fresh. For some reason, my mind always goes to the cliched “bad guy.” Sounds like Michelle’s book would be great for breaking out of that habit.
I bet Michelle’s book would totally help. She’s awesome. Her bad guys are awesome…and…bad. 🙂