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We humans share the tendency of presenting a happy face to the world. If you think about it, this proclivity reflects another way of thinking about isolation. When we only let people see one side of us, we are, by definition, isolating ourselves. Yet, if telling the truth opens you up to ridicule or attack, […] The post #16 Isolation: The Many Roles We Play appeared first on Jane Cleland.

Imagine the haunting stories you could write based on these quotes about isolation and the loneliness it engenders. “A prisoner is a man buried alive.” (Charles Dickens, author, after visiting a Pennsylvania prison) “It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely.” (Albert Einstein, scientist) “The mass of men lead […] The post #15 Isolation: Find Inspiration in the Words of These Luminaries appeared first on Jane Cleland.

It’s hard to write about abstractions. It’s not like describing a bridge or a hat. Making the suffering real for readers is a key to writing success. Whether your characters have to endure physical isolation, social isolation, or some combination of the two, you need to select incidents that demonstrate the impact of their condition. […] The post #14 Isolation: Writing Emotional Truth appeared first on Jane Cleland.

Not all isolation can be segregated into neat categories, just as not all conflicts can be limited to one dimension. People often experience a combination of physical and social isolation. Immigrants, for instance, who are fearful of not fitting in, or who are undocumented, may physically isolate themselves, which results in social isolation. In the […] The post #13 Isolation: Combining Physical and Social Isolation appeared first on Jane Cleland.

Consider, for example, Sue Kaufman’s Diary of a Mad Housewife, which looks at the existential anxiety of a frustrated and bored suburban housewife. Or Laurie Halse Anderson’s middle grade novel, Speak, which focuses on a young teen’s severe depression following an acquaintance rape, and the ostracism that followed. With social isolation, your character often suffers […] The post #12 Isolation: Social Isolation, Part Three appeared first on Jane Cleland.

In addition to people who suffer from social anxiety—a difficulty with or an inability to interact with other people, social isolation is common among sociopaths—people who lack empathy. A notable pattern among serial killers, for instance, is that they were isolated from their peers when they were children. Some were fat kids, teased remorselessly. Others […] The post #11 Isolation: Social Isolation, Part Two appeared first on Jane Cleland.

Social psychologists report that we human creatures want to be part of a community. We associate with various groups, all sorts of groups, ranging from religious organizations to non-profit organizations, from hunting clubs to book clubs, and from neighborhood block parties to political parties. Human beings seem wired to socialize. And the research is clear—evidently […] The post #10 Isolation: Social Isolation, Part One appeared first on Jane Cleland.

Let’s consider a powerful example—Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia, which is an example of literary nonfiction. The author, Jean Sassoon, describes a different kind of physical isolation—imprisonment. Sassoon writes about a padded, windowless room where there is no light, where you never see anyone, and where no one […] The post #9 Isolation: Physical Isolation, Part Two appeared first on Jane Cleland.

Physical isolation occurs when someone is prevented from interacting with other people. Sometimes this isolation results from an accident or misadventure. Other times, a person is forced into isolation, say if they’re placed in solitary confinement or kidnapped. A boy’s ability to cope with isolation is at the heart of both The Hatchet, Gary Paulsen’s […] The post #8 Isolation: Physical Isolation, Part One appeared first on Jane Cleland.

Isolation, by its nature, places the focus on one single person, and how that person copes or struggles with the condition can lead to riveting suspense. Some people are terrified. Others become enraged. Some rise to the occasion and escape or manage the stress well. Others freeze or panic. Some people have heart attacks and […] The post #7 Isolation: Isolation Is Individual appeared first on Jane Cleland.

It’s rare that isolation occurs in a vacuum. If you’re enmeshed in some kind of physical conflict, for example, you’re also likely to feel misunderstood (mental conflict), as if no one cares (emotional conflict), and that there’s no hope (spiritual conflict). These reactions, of course, align with MacDonald’s three tension-providing drivers, plus my addition, and […] The post #6 Isolation: Combining Dimensions of Conflict appeared first on Jane Cleland.

In this edition, I’ll review three examples that demonstrate the power of conflict-driven isolation and how it can ratchet up tension and reader appeal. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at SeaMigrations to Solitude The post #5 Isolation: Merging Conflict With Isolation—Examples appeared first on Jane Cleland.

Today we’re going to take a Deep Dive into how to use Jane’s Plotting Roadmap. I created this tool to help myself plot better and more efficiently. I hope it works for you as well as it does for me. The post Deep Dive #1: Jane’s Plotting Roadmap appeared first on Jane Cleland.

Physical conflict occurs when someone is in danger of bodily harm or death. For instance, a boy is lost in a jungle without the means to call for help or find his way out. Mental conflict (which also might be called intellectual conflict) occurs when someone’s views, opinions, or research is mocked or dismissed. For […] The post #4 The Four Dimensions of Conflict Defined appeared first on Jane Cleland.

I’m going to provide an overview of the four dimensions of conflict, the three John D. MacDonald named when explaining how he created suspense in his Travis McGee series—physical, mental, and spiritual— and the dimension I added, emotional. It’s worth highlighting the flexibility these four dimensions provide. For instance, in addition to using each of […] The post #3 The Four Dimensions of Conflict: An Overview appeared first on Jane Cleland.

An article in Slate, “Loneliness Is Deadly,” states that “Social isolation kills more people than obesity—and it’s just as stigmatized.” A New York Times essay, “How Social Isolation Is Killing Us,” made the point that “A great paradox of our hyperconnected digital age is that we seem to be drifting apart… Human connection lies at […] The post #2 Isolation: The Silent Killer appeared first on Jane Cleland.

One of the most reliable ways to ratchet up suspense is to place your characters in danger. When we think of danger, we normally think of physical threats, a guy brandishing a gun, for example, but isolation leads to a different kind of menace, more insidious and complex. Isolation is scary. We humans are social […] The post #1 Isolation: A Tool of Suspense appeared first on Jane Cleland.

Five types of unreliable narrators covering scores of reasons people are unreliable. Whichever specific character motivations you choose, those motivations have to come from a genuine place, somewhere deep inside that person. Remember, all literature revolves around a singular longing, which is revealed through an overarching conflict. All literature has to begin with a conflict. […] The post #17 Unreliable Narrators: Five Categories Conclusion appeared first on Jane Cleland.

Your narrator can appear to be human, but isn’t. She could be a ghost, the devil, or an extra-terrestrial being, for instance, simply appearing in human form. She could also be openly non-human, like a fairy. In creating otherworldly characters, you need to assign characteristics that include their perceptions and values. These attributes will color […] The post #16 Unreliable Narrators: Category 5: Paranormal appeared first on Jane Cleland.