If anyone is going to pull a tarot card to see if she should travel solo around the world with nothing but a laptop, a passport, and a backpack full of underwear, it’s your girl. Will we die? Probably not. The stakes of life and death have to very real and present in order to freak me out. In life, and especially in fiction.

In historical fiction, we see these stakes crop up all the time. And I blame the glut of WWII Hist Fic for this because most of those stories are about spies, escaping a camp, an occupying regime, or a small town overrun by the enemy who is equal parts a handsome soldier and a muhfu*kin killer in a crow’s nest training his Mauser at me.

Come learn the 10 other narrative stakes that always work. Get extra recommendations for the books that absolutely nail it. We’re leading our first workshop - What’s At Stake: How Unputdownable Novels Keep You Hooked July 30th. RSVP now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/whats-at-stake-how-unputdownable-novels-keep-you-hooked-tickets-1991236570184?aff=oddtdtcreator

Take the class: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/whats-at-stake-how-unputdownable-novels-keep-you-hooked-tickets-1991236570184

Reputation is a tricky thing. It’s intangible, but also vital in frequently tangible ways. So how do the stakes of reputation work in romance, and how can you test if you’ve gone far enough for the intangibility to feel pressing rather than an abstract concept?

Want to learn about the 10 other narrative stakes, and get extra recommendations for the books that absolutely nail it? We’re leading our first workshop - What’s At Stake: How Unputdownable Novels Keep You Hooked- at the end of July! RSVP now.

Music I Use: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music

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Artist: : Nick Petrov

Take the class: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/whats-at-stake-how-unputdownable-novels-keep-you-hooked-tickets-1991236570184

Back in the ivory tower days, I ran workshops as part of my creative writing classes. As one does. Not only is workshop feedback massively helpful, but it also showed me where my students had knowledge gaps. Where they instinctually knew something was off, but they couldn’t quite put it into words.

Understanding the stakes, and why they matter even more than plot, was almost like a black hole in their vocabulary. It was something they simply couldn’t articulate. Most of my students would ramp up their plots, add more twists and danger, and still get the same feedback.

Music by https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos

License code: Q5RSYZ7WAI0CH6GN

Artist: : Benjamin Tissot

Last week, Kelly walked you through using Pinterest as a tool for designing and keeping track of characters. This week, I’m doing the same, but for world-building. Need we say more?

Music by Bensound

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Artist: : Nick Petrov

I want the reader to know this character from the way they clear their throat or step out of a carriage. This is where I turn to Pinterest to start creating a board for a fictional character. I know this sounds a little bonkers considering they’re fictional and only live in my head, but I promise it works.

Music: Bensound

License code: PZW2G1CBR9L5A0CC

Artist: : Vital

My very first film collaboration was on my web series, Brains, a zombie series about Alison Sumner (played by me) as she vlogged her college experience after the apocalypse started to let up and the internet came back. We were very much influenced by the narrative vlogs of the time (the series ran from 2015-2017) like The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Carmilla, so naturally much of our time was spent in the character Alison’s dorm room.

Prior to being a filmmaker myself, I didn’t really spend a lot of time viewing media consciously considering the spaces characters inhabited. That didn’t mean I wasn’t absorbing something, though. Here’s what I learned.

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Artist: : Benjamin Tissot

If you write any genre of historical fiction, and that can include romance, fantasy, etc… you already know the power of a great map. Maps aren’t the only visual elements that you can add to your story, but they make it…

1. Way more visually appealing and/or interesting

2. Easier to write

Music: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos

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Artist: : Vital

Asking for feedback article: https://theroguemfa.substack.com/p/how-to-ask-for-feedback-on-your-writing

In-person feedback article: https://theroguemfa.substack.com/p/how-to-give-feedback-in-person

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I suppose we should get this part out of the way first. The more tenderhearted among us will always think you’re a dick, even when they’ve asked for your honest feedback. Even when you’re being helpful and kind, and not at all using “just being honest” as a weapon.

After giving feedback on hundreds and hunnnnnnndreds of pieces of fiction, there are some strategies that help more than others. Hopefully, you’re working with someone who’s given you some guidelines for what they want.

Royalty Free Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music

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Artist: : Aventure

Read the article: https://theroguemfa.substack.com/p/how-to-give-feedback-in-person

If you can’t give feedback constructively, your writing community is unlikely to offer it back in return, which you need in order to become a stronger writer. Just because you’re “right” doesn’t mean it’s a good note, and while it’s straightforward enough to fix a grammatical error, when actually talking to another writer about their work and getting philosophical about it, there are more things you’ll want to consider before opening your damn mouth.

Learn more about The Rogue MFA and our community here. When you’re ready to rock, join our Writing Community Hour over on The Rogue MFA YouTube channel (which meets every other Thursday evening at 4pm PST/ 7pm EST), where we’ll be building routine and community with YOU. Subscribe to get notified, and if you’re even a little bit interested, please fill out our quick survey so we can expand these in the future with you in mind.

Music I Use: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos

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Artist: : Lunar Years

Art is subjective, and it’s also intensely personal. Intellectually we all understand these things, and that criticism and notes are a necessary part of improving your craft, but emotionally it can be tough to stop ourselves from arguing against every possible suggestion. I feel you, defensive dudes. I am you. If you called me argumentative in front of my mother, she’d ask if you were really talking about her daughter, because “argumentative” is putting it way too lightly.

Feel like you’re not getting much/enough out of feedback sessions with other writers? Let’s talk about it.

Rogue Writing Community Hour dates and links: https://theroguemfa.substack.com/p/community

Music: bensound.com

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Artist: : The Fable

If you’re in a writing group, looking to form one, or if you’re asking beta readers for feedback and don’t know how to direct them, this is for you. Guidelines aren’t just helpful. They establish expectations and set the tone. So, along with your creative work, you’re going to create a document that will consist of four parts.

Music I use: Bensound.com

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Artist: : Diffie Bosman

Learn more about The Rogue MFA and our community here. When you’re ready to rock, join our Writing Community Hour over on The Rogue MFA YouTube channel (which meets every other Thursday evening at 4pm PST/ 7pm EST), where we’ll be building routine and community with YOU. Subscribe to get notified, and if you’re even a little bit interested, please fill out our quick survey so we can expand these in the future with you in mind.

Some of my favorite stories have the most vivid and complicated characters, and I’m guessing yours do too. When a character is so singular, we can’t help but fall in love. Last week, Bri set us up with a character interview (link above!). And today, I’m going to show you a few pillars of character development that will help you turn your red-headed orphan into Anne of Green Gables.

AKA - WHY are we filling out that character interview in the first place?

Character interviews (plus a template!):

Fix that saggy middle:

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Artist: : Diffie Bosman

For me, all stories are rooted in character. Even if the spark of my idea as captured by my Dump Doc is a situation or trope, it can’t become a novel for me until I personally fall in love with who’s in that situation or dragged through that trope kicking and screaming.

As a result, fleshing out characters is just as important to my writing process as the outline phase, which I’m on the record saying is what I consider my first draft. But most standard character design templates are either complicated for the sake of complexity, or too vague to function, and rarely get to the true core of who these people are and what makes them tick.

Royalty Free Music: https://www.bensound.com
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Artist: : Telune

I struggled with theme for a long time. I just wanted to torture fake people with wild scenarios and then make them kiss. What do you MEAN I need a point for the suffering beyond that I’m a sick freak?

Well, it turns out that I’m still a sick freak… for thematic and character-driven structure. It’s incredibly satisfying (and makes far more sense to my particular creative brain) when I can align the point of my story to the very skeleton that supports it, therefore making character arcs more intuitive and meaningful.

Music by: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
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Artist: : Nick Petrov

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Our goal is to get through the center of your novel, and not with a heavy Phew! at the end. But with intention. In a way that keeps readers engaged in your story, and that makes the ending believable and feel earned. Not only will structure give parameters around which story elements go where, but most importantly, it helps you through that dastardly middle where everything tries to go sideways. Or worse, stalls.

Kelly uses A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles as an example- spoilers abound if you haven't read it yet!

Music: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
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Artist: : Benjamin Tissot

Kelly, too, loves historical fiction. And yet it can be a little daunting at the outset. Not only are we writing a whole freakin’ novel, we have the added layer of research. You might only have the items on your writer’s wish list to go off of, or a vague description of your characters or plot. You could start there.

But I’m guessing you're reading because you’ve done that in the past and quickly found yourself mired in notes and research while muttering, “Where did I put that?”

Music: bensound.com
License code: 66R28D1QQBEX1Z4T
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot

Article version/full workbook:

Music: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: DPIA675JSSIYE2VX
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot