WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.560 --> 00:00:10.990 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Okay, okay, can you see my screen? 2 00:00:12.590 --> 00:00:13.440 Dana Pittman: Yes, I can. 3 00:00:13.550 --> 00:00:23.689 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Nice one, awesome. And it looks like we have people filtering in. So that's always good. Let's see. 4 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:43.930 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Alright. Hello, everybody. I can see people are trickling in as expected. So I'm Sarah from pricing a thank you for joining us today. If you can see and hear me, please drop your name and location in the chat as usual. I'm just gonna have a look. See what we've got going on already. 5 00:00:44.567 --> 00:00:48.890 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: We've got Greta from France. We've got 6 00:00:49.080 --> 00:00:52.529 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Christine from Ontario. 7 00:00:52.550 --> 00:01:02.259 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Jennifer from North Georgia. We have candy from North Carolina, Lou from Canada. 8 00:01:03.376 --> 00:01:21.639 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Nice to see you back again. That was awesome. Okay, yeah. Everybody keep putting your names and locations in the chat. That's cool. And before we get started I will just go over our housekeeping items for today. So 9 00:01:21.800 --> 00:01:42.870 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: how to access your replays so replays will be added to the Hub page. Once they're done processing by zoom, the time it takes does vary, but we're usually quite hot on it these days, so we'll put them up as soon as they're ready. If you don't see it, then it might be that we'll put them up on the next day, but it should be up pretty quickly. 10 00:01:43.010 --> 00:01:50.890 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: and then the replays will be available on the pro writing a community page for all members to view by June 28th 11 00:01:51.997 --> 00:02:21.480 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: and then your premium day details. So Monday to Thursday, sessions are free for everyone to attend, and then Friday sessions are limited to our premium and premium pro users only. If you want to, you can upgrade your account to premium premium pro. If you are free. And if you do that before Friday morning, then we will send out an email to you. We'll send out an email to all premium and premium pro users that are registered for the event. On Friday morning. 12 00:02:21.480 --> 00:02:31.020 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: So we won't be sending out before then. So if you're worried that you're not going to have access, don't worry. You'll get it on Friday morning, and if you don't receive an email before the 1st session and you want to join it. 13 00:02:31.020 --> 00:02:43.929 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Drop us an email, and we will get back in touch with you. We need it via email, if if possible so that we can check your account details. So that's fine, and there will be replays for a premium date as well. 14 00:02:44.262 --> 00:03:06.507 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: So if you are looking to upgrade this week. Then we have an offer of 15% off the yearly premium or premium pro licenses. We've got a lot of premium benefits and features that you can. Make the most of that you won't have access to on a free account. And then obviously, also, you'll have the access to the the premium 15 00:03:06.830 --> 00:03:16.979 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: sessions on Friday. We are asking you to use a code this time rather than a link. So the code is cw, 2,024. 16 00:03:16.980 --> 00:03:23.619 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: So cw. Remember, it is crime writers week, and then this offer ends on July 6, th 17 00:03:24.350 --> 00:03:52.249 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: and then, if you want to keep talking crime writing with us, then we have our online writing, writing community, can't. I can't speak today. And you will use your prorating aid login to access it. You can find other writers on there of many different genres, not just crime. But we love talking about crime writing you'll also find some of the speakers. You'll find aid employees like, you know. We're all there. We all hang out there, so come and join us. 18 00:03:53.100 --> 00:04:14.070 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: and then some quick reminders for the session. So we do have a QA. Box for questions for our speaker. So if you do have a question. And you put it in the chat. It might get lost. I'll be watching the chat, but I I might not see it if it moves quite quickly, so I would recommend putting it in the QA. Box for us at the end. 19 00:04:14.070 --> 00:04:26.320 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: And then, if you'd like to chat with other viewers, then please do so in the chat, like, I can see many people already putting their details in there. But yeah, if you want to chat about everything that you're seeing. Then it's a great place to do that 20 00:04:26.771 --> 00:04:41.679 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: and then everything else. So the links to the offers, the replays, the slides. Anything you can think of potentially will be on our crime writers. Week hub and in the participants guide. 21 00:04:42.140 --> 00:04:43.110 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: So 22 00:04:43.260 --> 00:04:48.600 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: thank you for joining us, and let me stop sharing my screen so that I can 23 00:04:48.900 --> 00:05:06.550 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: bring up my details about today's speaker. So today we are joined by Dana Pitman. So Dana Pitman is a U.S.A. Today, and Amazon best selling romance and paranormal romance author, certified developmental editor and the chief storyteller with 24 00:05:06.980 --> 00:05:10.730 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: danger danger tails. That's right. 25 00:05:10.740 --> 00:05:39.139 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Danger tails a boutique romance, developmental editing company in Houston, Texas. She specializes in romance, contemporary steamy billionaire, etc. All encompassing by the Sussex paranormal romance, fantasy suspense thrillers and plotting, and she'd love to chat with you about your novel. So with that over and done with, I will pass over to Dana, and we'll get going. 26 00:05:40.430 --> 00:06:09.739 Dana Pittman: Thank you so much, Sarah, as always. I love doing these talks through pro writing aid, and as I get ready to share my screen. I would love for you to jump into the chat and let me know. Where are you with your novel? Yeah. Are you at the idea stage, or are you writing, or are you editing? Have you tossed it in the trash? Can let us know in the chat? It's always helpful to see where you are, so I know who I'm talking to. 27 00:06:09.740 --> 00:06:19.294 Dana Pittman: and we are going to jump right into me, sharing my screen. Oh, I see! Look! I see, Dana, what all caps! Hi! 28 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:27.089 Dana Pittman: Oh, awesome, awesome! You know what I want to say about this. Talk to me. This is, we're here for crime writing 29 00:06:27.422 --> 00:06:51.999 Dana Pittman: but I believe that this is beneficial to anyone that is a writer. Anytime you're dealing with character development. Then I feel like this goes across the board, and I know originally, the topic was the heart of darkness exploring themes of love and redemption and crime narratives. My bad. Once I started expanding this, I decided I wanted to double down a little bit more. So we're gonna talk about. 30 00:06:52.000 --> 00:07:03.240 Dana Pittman: But we're also gonna just talk about actually, you're gonna see in just a second about getting more from your characters. That's gonna make your crime stories even better. So let's go ahead and get started. 31 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:18.259 Dana Pittman: Oh, as a reminder Sarah did say, but you will have access to this slide deck, I know sometimes with zoom sometimes it'll block some of the verbiage on the slides, but you'll have access to that in the hub. 32 00:07:18.380 --> 00:07:28.239 Dana Pittman: So we have one goal which is to write books that readers can't put down and at danger tails. It is our goal to make your stories addictive. 33 00:07:28.290 --> 00:07:51.860 Dana Pittman: So it's time to dive into your characters, vulnerabilities, moral complexities, and hidden motivations. This is what we're gonna be talking about today, and what I'm calling the shadows and secrets, those things that we don't always know as the reader, until we start peeling back the layers of our characters. 34 00:07:51.860 --> 00:08:16.250 Dana Pittman: And this is how we are going to create addictive crime stories that captivate your readers, and that, you know, make them want to share your stories so like. Kevin Hart says, is about to go down, and so how will we do this? So, knowing your characters, shadows and secrets help to create multidimensional characters. 35 00:08:16.250 --> 00:08:44.150 Dana Pittman: If you've been to any of my other talks, whether it's during Romance Week or fantasy week. I've done multiple. I like to kind of build all my talks upon each other. We've talked about characters before, but now we're going to go even deeper into them. We also, it helps you to create emotional stakes with readers that they can relate to. It also helps you to create a plot that's layered with conflict and intrigue. 36 00:08:44.520 --> 00:09:10.950 Dana Pittman: because you'll have a framework to explore your characters. Backstories integrate so integrate subplots seamlessly, and to develop character driven plot Twiz, and I think this is the biggest thing, right? It's it's about having these layers. So that readers are just engrossed in your story. And I think sometimes when you are dealing with a crime story that we can just sort of just. 37 00:09:10.950 --> 00:09:17.300 Dana Pittman: we're just worried about the crime. But as someone who loves romance and supplies is we're gonna talk about 38 00:09:17.300 --> 00:09:42.810 Dana Pittman: about today. You want those layers so that we're guessing right that we're guessing as we move along and getting more and more excited about how you have that brain reveal at the end. Okay? And what's great about this is that it's really practical right? And that's what we want. We want it to be practical. We want it something that we can do, and that we can enjoy doing both as a reader, but also as a writer. 39 00:09:43.540 --> 00:09:54.361 Dana Pittman: So Hi! I'm Dana. And, as Sarah told you, I am a developmental editor, you'll see here all kinds of fun things about me. I am a quilter. I love to knit. 40 00:09:54.970 --> 00:10:24.159 Dana Pittman: I am an empty nester, so we now have a puppy. So now we are puppy parents, and and I absolutely love story like you. I am a writer. I'm writing and publishing often. I mean, after this I will be going back to writing today, and so digging into these different topics is always so much fun, because there are topics that I like to explore and want to get better at, not just as a developmental editor. 41 00:10:24.160 --> 00:10:44.670 Dana Pittman: but also as a writer and yeah. And I love to do this, and looking at all genres because each of your stories matter and your voice matters. So whether we're bringing the diversity in our genre or the diversity in our culture, or the stories that we want to tell. They all matter. So we just wanna make sure we're telling good stories. 42 00:10:44.800 --> 00:11:07.050 Dana Pittman: Here you'll see again that I am a U.S.A. Today. Best selling author and romance and paranormal romance. And here are some of my clients, some stories that I've written, and you can always find me over at danger tells where we have courses and workshops, but also where we now have a community that we're growing and diving into story and publishing together. 43 00:11:07.340 --> 00:11:09.619 Dana Pittman: So let's get started. 44 00:11:10.670 --> 00:11:39.739 Dana Pittman: Crime stories, crime stories can feel one dimensional without emotional depth. And I would like to start here because whenever I get a manuscript, and it is a story where it evolves around the crime, whether it is a romantic suspense or whether it is a thriller. I find that sometimes we can focus just on that layer of the story that we neglect some of the other parts, not realizing that giving those other areas of your story a little bit of Tlc 45 00:11:39.950 --> 00:11:45.619 Dana Pittman: actually makes your crime element better right? It makes the thriller, better. 46 00:11:46.150 --> 00:12:10.159 Dana Pittman: And so to add depth. We're aiming to humanize your stories, to make narratives more relatable and addictive, and that depth is what gives us those layers right? And I want you to keep thinking about that like humanize human eyes. I think, as someone who doesn't like scary stories, but I can't turn my, you know eyes, or from the screen. 47 00:12:10.280 --> 00:12:21.249 Dana Pittman: I always find myself going back to them when I relate to the characters when there's elements that tether me to them. And that's what I'm hoping to be able to share with you today. 48 00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:24.650 Dana Pittman: So we'll focus on 3 areas. 49 00:12:24.900 --> 00:12:37.339 Dana Pittman: Now listen. You can do these a million ways. That's why you can always have these talks about character, right? But we're going to talk about vulnerabilities, moral complexities and hidden motivations. 50 00:12:37.340 --> 00:12:57.390 Dana Pittman: And once we, I'm gonna give you some practical things. I'm also gonna share a couple of examples to hopefully drive it home and make you excited about ending this presentation and going right into your character development or reviewing the stories that you're working on to ensure that you do have that depth for your readers. 51 00:12:57.390 --> 00:13:14.160 Dana Pittman: because at the end of the day we wanna grab our readers by the throat. I don't mean to hurt them, but just grab them by the throat and hold on to them until the story is over. You want them having a reader, hangover, that they cannot stop reading your story, and that they cannot help 52 00:13:14.160 --> 00:13:23.740 Dana Pittman: but share it with others. So reasons you should understand humanizing your crime stories. Number one is about emotional debt. 53 00:13:23.770 --> 00:13:30.670 Dana Pittman: you know, making readers more invested in your characters, and I think whenever you have something that's a crime story, especially if you have 54 00:13:31.663 --> 00:13:48.206 Dana Pittman: a detective or in one of the examples. I'm an FBI agent that I have, you know, that can be kind of sterile, and I think another thing is, you could come up against different cultural things. Different. 55 00:13:49.260 --> 00:14:06.530 Dana Pittman: cause you know, sometimes we have like what cops or whatever that bump up against what people believe about those individuals or that profession. But if you get believe that layer that they can invest in those characters as people, you got them right. 56 00:14:06.620 --> 00:14:15.730 Dana Pittman: 2 is character depth. Again, to have multi dimensional characters, that they have layers, and there are layers that we we want to cling to. 57 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:27.380 Dana Pittman: You have narrative complexity. You know more that you're pulling those layers back. You're having more conflict, more motivation, and the more you can intertwine those, the more the better it is 58 00:14:28.100 --> 00:14:54.080 Dana Pittman: your reader investment. This is a big one for me as a coach, and also as an editor of a like having readers that are captivated, and you retain them, especially if you're someone that decides that you want to self publish. You want people invested in the stories that you tell, and you want to turn readers from just casual readers into fans right that they love the kind of stories that you tell. 59 00:14:54.770 --> 00:15:21.649 Dana Pittman: and then the broader appeal. And I think this has happened so much. Here recently as somebody that's been in publishing especially nd publishing for over 20 years. You see this more now, I think, more than ever about having a wider range of readers, that you can have the ability to extend your story beyond your initial niche, and so having some of those layers that people can attach to. 60 00:15:21.650 --> 00:15:36.530 Dana Pittman: even if they may not be immediately a fan of like for me, steamy romance, but they like your characters. Well, then, you got them right. It's like, got them. You got them on the hook, and so now it's your job to keep them there. 61 00:15:37.460 --> 00:15:58.340 Dana Pittman: So an overview of what we're covering, we're gonna talk about understanding what those shadows and those secrets are. We're going to explore vulnerabilities, more complexities and hidden motivations. And then I'm going to share this through 3 specific subplots that I wanted to talk about, which are love, redemption and mentorship. 62 00:15:58.340 --> 00:16:13.000 Dana Pittman: Now, I'm not going to go into all the details of each one of those, as far as the reader expectations. But the examples that I'm going to give are going to lean towards that way both in a couple of movie examples as well as novel examples. 63 00:16:15.340 --> 00:16:16.220 Dana Pittman: So 64 00:16:16.470 --> 00:16:39.849 Dana Pittman: identifying your core motivations for your characters in this element. I always like to think about what personal experiences or fears could realistically cause these vulnerabilities in your characters, and so, when you are looking at them and looking at them as people right. 65 00:16:39.850 --> 00:17:07.750 Dana Pittman: that we're looking for their weaknesses, their fears, and any emotional wounds that make those characters human and relatable. In our last session we talked about villains, you know, whether you're talking about your protagonist, or whether you're talking about your villains, or even your victims like. What are those layers to those characters that make them relatable to your readers? 66 00:17:08.270 --> 00:17:26.839 Dana Pittman: And and to understand, like, what psychological drives are? There know what those basic fears are in emotional wounds and how they affect the behavior. And I'm going to keep it 100 with you. When I 1st started writing, I always thought that this was the hardest 67 00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:49.489 Dana Pittman: part for me, because I always feel like my emotional vocabulary was very limited right? But now we have so many resources that we can tap into. And it's something that now I love to to explore because it does give my characters this ability. When readers tell me that I feel like I know this person 68 00:17:49.490 --> 00:17:52.080 Dana Pittman: right? It's because of that 69 00:17:52.260 --> 00:17:53.070 Dana Pittman: and 70 00:17:54.550 --> 00:18:22.359 Dana Pittman: and you want to not just identify those elements. But you want to pinpoint events and circumstances in that character's life that could have triggered it. And whenever I'm working with my clients I would always like to tell them. Think of 3 big moments that happened to them around these sort of weaknesses or fears, or their wounds, that either caused them to come about or cemented them 71 00:18:22.360 --> 00:18:37.429 Dana Pittman: or that character, and knowing them, even if all of it does not spill onto the page. It really does help you in both a way, as a writer of knowing your characters, but also bringing those characters to the page 72 00:18:37.550 --> 00:19:07.300 Dana Pittman: and the example that I'm putting here, even though we won't talk about it today. Cause I wanna ensure that we have enough time for questions is the 6 20 man? This is one of the stories that I think really does help. And you're going to find, as we move forward, that almost every one of the examples have an overlaying element of these different subplots which I thought was amazing when I write the stories for the examples. So yeah, check out the 6 20 man. 73 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:19.750 Dana Pittman: So the second, which is identifying moral complexities. And here I like to think what situations could realistically 74 00:19:19.870 --> 00:19:20.960 Dana Pittman: bores 75 00:19:21.587 --> 00:19:36.109 Dana Pittman: your character to confront their moral beliefs and make difficult choices. Look, stories are all about choices and us is seeing them confront choices, or even come up against the things that they fear 76 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:41.039 Dana Pittman: or why we're stuck to the page cause we want to know what they're gonna do. 77 00:19:41.160 --> 00:20:03.179 Dana Pittman: And we want all the T right, we want to be front and center. So here, you want to think about integrating those more complexities into your characters because it has depth and realism highlighting their internal struggles. And you like that back and forth. It helps us to see whether they've had that development and that growth 78 00:20:03.700 --> 00:20:33.459 Dana Pittman: towards the end of your story. And so you want to know what common ethical dilemmas and how they impact their decision making. And for every character this is going to be different. And you may even find the more that you explore this, the more that you sort of branch out even as a writer of those that you address, or even there are some people where they love to kind of camp out on certain ones, so that when you look across their catalog of books 79 00:20:33.460 --> 00:20:41.459 Dana Pittman: they have that sort of same sort of dynamic that they're exploring, but just from a different angle. 80 00:20:42.260 --> 00:21:06.889 Dana Pittman: And so here you wanna pinpoint situations in your characters, life that could could trigger those more complexities, especially if they're the ones really that they need to dislodge, or those ones that keep them sort of trapped in their way of thinking, in their way of dealing with the world, especially in crime like, you can really deal with a lot of this because of 81 00:21:07.230 --> 00:21:09.400 Dana Pittman: usually they're wounds right? 82 00:21:10.460 --> 00:21:29.100 Dana Pittman: And I'm gonna talk. Give some practical things on all of these. The story here that I wanted to share, which is, is under the supplot of mentorship that I have is called the girl who lived by Christopher Grayson again, we're not gonna talk about this one in detail, but this is a great example 83 00:21:29.100 --> 00:21:43.979 Dana Pittman: of those, the those layers of the moral dilemma, but also of looking at the mentorship subplot. And again, the final examples are going to cover all of the subplots. But this is one that you really yeah. 84 00:21:44.030 --> 00:21:58.589 Dana Pittman: take a look at it. And I'm gonna just tell you in advance you're welcome. So the last one is identifying hidden motivations. And I love this one in crime. The question here for me is always 85 00:21:58.590 --> 00:22:17.590 Dana Pittman: what personal experiences or deep seated desires could realistically drive these hidden motivations, and I always find that in a crime stories, whether they're mystery, thriller suspense, that the hidden motivations are probably one of the greatest motivators. 86 00:22:17.790 --> 00:22:41.790 Dana Pittman: And the type of stories where it's almost like boom! Bang! Pow! That people think that it's all like a guns ablazeing, but it's usually some deep rooted motivations that they don't feel comfortable with exposing. But it is a true motivator, for why? They're in the predicament that you present to us in your story. 87 00:22:42.590 --> 00:23:07.280 Dana Pittman: And so here, uncovering those hidden motivations reveal a deeper, re deeper reasons behind your characters actions that it's not just surface level again, that we're adding more. And it's not just because it's my job. Or this is what I do. But there's some think there's those underlying currents that drive them in this story. 88 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:26.789 Dana Pittman: And so understand in knowing those basic and hidden motivations, and how they shape your characters. Behaviors, right? This is how we get it from thought or from a character profile to being on the page. 89 00:23:26.790 --> 00:23:44.109 Dana Pittman: Okay, again, pinpointing those triggers. And and every time you see in the slide deck of like identifying what those trigger points are, the more you layer those, the better it gets right. It's almost like, when we talked about before 90 00:23:44.110 --> 00:24:05.379 Dana Pittman: asking multiple times, why, why, why, you're going deeper and deeper and deeper into that characters, understanding of who they are, how they show up in the world, how they see the world, how they behave, and that influences everything that you do from the beginning of your story until you get to the end. Okay. 91 00:24:07.050 --> 00:24:29.689 Dana Pittman: the example that I want to share here, which is a romance subplot is the witness. By, nor Roberts. And yeah, that's a that's a good example for you to take a look at all of the books that I share in these examples are under kindle unlimited. If you have Kendall unlimited, and they all are also available in audio books. So you're welcome. So 92 00:24:29.690 --> 00:24:53.259 Dana Pittman: what I wanna do now is, I'm gonna share 2 examples. One example is going to be a book. And another example is going to be a movie, because I want us to see all 3 of these layers I want us to look at actually, which I'm calling the triple. But all through the layers of the hit a motivation the more complexities. 93 00:24:53.260 --> 00:24:57.370 Dana Pittman: And and I almost forgot one already. 94 00:24:58.010 --> 00:25:00.410 Dana Pittman: Oh, and the core motivations. 95 00:25:01.290 --> 00:25:22.400 Dana Pittman: seeing all 3 of those levels, and also seeing how those 3 level levels can affect the 3 different subplots of rodent redemption, romance or love story depending on how you write your story and also mentorship. So the 1st one that we're gonna talk about is 96 00:25:22.520 --> 00:25:36.619 Dana Pittman: cold and deadly. And the second one that we're gonna talk about is bad boys for life. I know I just had to. Okay. So I'm gonna change my screen view for just a second. And yes, we are. Gonna have time for questions. But I wanna 97 00:25:36.930 --> 00:25:41.299 Dana Pittman: share this because I didn't want to forget anything. 98 00:25:41.880 --> 00:25:43.119 Dana Pittman: Okay, let me 99 00:25:43.140 --> 00:25:45.099 Dana Pittman: share my screen. 100 00:25:49.710 --> 00:25:50.540 Dana Pittman: Okay. 101 00:25:51.910 --> 00:25:53.800 Dana Pittman: I'm going to make this like this. 102 00:25:54.760 --> 00:26:11.950 Dana Pittman: This is something that I did not put into the slide deck because it was my notes, and I didn't want to forget anything but if you go to my website and go to my blog with the announcement about crime Writers Week, you'll see where you can download these as Pdfs. 103 00:26:12.190 --> 00:26:33.960 Dana Pittman: So in code and deadly it is. I guess it's classified as a romantic suspense. And in this story you have Ava and Dominic or FBI agents, and the story starts off with the death of both of their mentor. And yeah, I apologize in advance. If there's spoiler alerts. 104 00:26:34.710 --> 00:26:53.459 Dana Pittman: Yeah, that's all I can say about that. But in this story you it is a romantic so it has a happily ever after. But in this story you actually see all 3 layers of the subplots. And I wanna 1st look at the characters. 105 00:26:53.880 --> 00:26:58.379 Dana Pittman: So, with the help of our our friend Chad Gpt, if you don't like it. 106 00:26:58.440 --> 00:27:10.529 Dana Pittman: I don't know what to tell you. But I really I wanted to make this character profile. And so for ava it is so amazing when you go to the story. She is 107 00:27:10.530 --> 00:27:30.760 Dana Pittman: kind of this. She's a rookie. She's gung ho! About finding out the details behind the death of her mentor, who has been they ruled his case as a suicide. And she does not believe that he has died by suicide. 108 00:27:30.760 --> 00:27:44.459 Dana Pittman: and even though everyone including the other officers or the agents who were his Mentees and the higher ups. They all believe that I didn't believe his name was Vince. I'm always in bad with character names. I apologize. 109 00:27:44.560 --> 00:27:50.138 Dana Pittman: but that he died by suicide, and she doesn't believe it. And in the beginning 110 00:27:50.540 --> 00:27:54.230 Dana Pittman: part of her vulnerabilities are that number one. 111 00:27:54.370 --> 00:28:15.320 Dana Pittman: You see a lot here, but she feels like she's a rookie, and no one's gonna listen to her, and she sort of kind of goes in this like a bull in a china, how to say in a china store where she just wants to get to the bottom, and all of her intentions are good, but kind of how she goes about. It isn't so good which causes her to sort of lose control. 112 00:28:15.760 --> 00:28:27.600 Dana Pittman: and also because of where we get to later are a lot of her hidden motivations and part of her hidden motivations is that 113 00:28:27.640 --> 00:28:36.189 Dana Pittman: her mentor who's passed away has actually been the man who's been in her life since she was 7 years old. 114 00:28:36.220 --> 00:29:03.140 Dana Pittman: and their connection is one that no one knows except for her and her family, even to the point where, when she's asking about it, the other ages want to know well where they did. They have this side thing going on because he, his wife, is passed away, and he was single. And she's this beautiful woman, and it's like no, she just wants justice because she knew this man, and he would never kill himself. 115 00:29:03.870 --> 00:29:28.180 Dana Pittman: Now, in this particular story, I'm not gonna go into all the details about Dominic. I'm gonna show a little bit. But I absolutely love that Tony Anderson did in this story is that the complexities that that ava experienced are counteracted by those that Dominique experiences who is a fellow agent, but he is a 116 00:29:28.830 --> 00:29:35.525 Dana Pittman: negotiator, he's a negotiator, and he also was a 117 00:29:37.280 --> 00:29:48.809 Dana Pittman: a mentee, or was guided by the same mentor. But where Ava was? So Gung ho! About him, her mentor not dying by suicide. 118 00:29:49.100 --> 00:29:57.500 Dana Pittman: Dominique sort of just accepted it, thinking that you know that they had done their job and did their due diligence, and the evidence spoke for itself. 119 00:29:57.510 --> 00:30:02.520 Dana Pittman: But deep down he had hidden issues, a feeling as if 120 00:30:02.850 --> 00:30:28.647 Dana Pittman: he should have questioned it more, or he should have been there more for his mentor, and not been so busy with his career that he sort of had almost like, you know, when people retire, they're still your friends, and they're close. So you change jobs. There's still your friends, and if you got together you'd have a great time, but he didn't look after him, so he really couldn't tell of whether retirement had made his his mentor 121 00:30:29.320 --> 00:30:52.389 Dana Pittman: a lot more, maybe depress or a recluse. And so when ava sort of busts in on the scene, he doesn't know how to take it, and they both are going through this journey together. Some of his issues are not just it has here past betrayals, but also that he is just like Ava, where he may not be a rookie. 122 00:30:52.390 --> 00:31:16.220 Dana Pittman: but he has these political connections that people always believe in some ways that he got to where he is, because his father is the governor, and that his godfather is the President, not because of who he is and what he's done. And so he walks this really fine line, which sort of topples, topples over for him into those moral complexities 123 00:31:16.460 --> 00:31:37.189 Dana Pittman: for Dominique. Now, why am I saying all of this? Because part of this is like understanding and seeing how there's these divisions in each one of the areas that I'm giving you to take a look at and explore. But there's also these areas where there is clear overlap where some bleed right into the others, that there are these 124 00:31:37.590 --> 00:31:50.790 Dana Pittman: vulnerabilities, but those vulnerabilities kind of bring in those hidden motivations, and that they sort of also cause there to be those more complexities. Right? It's almost like the chicken and the egg. 125 00:31:51.100 --> 00:32:10.670 Dana Pittman: But even as I'm telling you these things, it's hard to talk about one without talking about the other, and as someone who is an editor, but also is a writer I love when that happens, because there's no clear cut way that makes it right or wrong. It sort of just makes it human 126 00:32:10.670 --> 00:32:31.760 Dana Pittman: and good storytelling that you can see Dominic struggling even at a point in the story where he could use his influence to save Ava's job. And he's at this like precipice, like he never wanted to do that, because it'd be almost giving into people sort of whispering about that 127 00:32:32.190 --> 00:32:43.220 Dana Pittman: behind his back that he got there, or that he's asking for favors. He wants everything to be on the merit of his work, and it's kind of the thing that he's wrestling with. 128 00:32:43.490 --> 00:32:50.359 Dana Pittman: Now I'm gonna go back a little bit in this story, and I want to look at this also from the area of the subplots 129 00:32:50.640 --> 00:33:11.590 Dana Pittman: again, because this is romantic suspense. We have the wonderful thing of having the happily ever after, which, as a romance writer, I absolutely love. But you also have the layer of them being colleagues and them both being agents. That adds a whole nother layer, not just the attraction, but the fact that he's her boss. 130 00:33:11.981 --> 00:33:34.699 Dana Pittman: That she's a rookie that he's a seasoned seasoned agent. They're not even in the same departments per se, but that they come together because this man was very instrumental in their lives, even to the point, as the story goes on, that there are times where Dominique words, things and request certain favors. 131 00:33:35.153 --> 00:33:48.570 Dana Pittman: Trying to protect Ava's job. It's actually there's so many layers to this story. It really is a good read, even if you don't like romance. There is steam on the page. So spoiler alert on that. 132 00:33:49.530 --> 00:34:10.053 Dana Pittman: You also see redemption. There are parts of Dominic's journey, and I and Chat Gpt didn't pick up on this, which is. That's why you gotta do your own due diligence. But but there's redemption, I believe, on both Dominic and Ava's parts. But for Dominique I believe that it's more so about 133 00:34:11.620 --> 00:34:22.869 Dana Pittman: This, this needing to prove himself and being a part of this case, really does humanize his experience as an agent. 134 00:34:22.870 --> 00:34:48.430 Dana Pittman: And what I absolutely love that this author did is that while you're watching him go through this very emotional and taxing journey, you also still get to see the strength of him, and as a negotiator, both as a professional and just in who he is, and navigating these situations, but they both go through a redemptive journey. 135 00:34:48.429 --> 00:35:05.499 Dana Pittman: You also see the mentorship. Eva comes in. Listen. She's coming in hot, like the story. Says she's coming in hot. She she wants everything now she's impatient, and she begins to know it, and she takes a lot 136 00:35:05.863 --> 00:35:30.230 Dana Pittman: from Dominic, and how he navigates situations as a negotiator to help to help her get to her true goals without her ruffling so many feathers, even though a lot of it is because of her gender, her age, those things she cannot help, but she can help how she goes into situations. And so there is parts of that mentorship that honestly are. It's 2 ways 137 00:35:30.520 --> 00:35:47.249 Dana Pittman: right. It's kind of on the where she can take some from him of calming down, and he can take some from her of like not being so jaded and not leaving, you know, and not taking things just for face value and 138 00:35:47.850 --> 00:36:04.074 Dana Pittman: And there's a layer of this story. I wanna make sure I'm watching time. There's a layer of the story that I absolutely love, that weeds in all of these these subplots of how will I say it? Where 139 00:36:04.790 --> 00:36:13.339 Dana Pittman: Tony Anderson does a great job of taking all of these elements and almost weaving them in so seamlessly that it's 140 00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:15.760 Dana Pittman: hard to pull them apart. 141 00:36:16.080 --> 00:36:25.369 Dana Pittman: and I love, seeing that that as they start really facing these conflicts and challenges especially because we have the romance thread 142 00:36:25.500 --> 00:36:46.340 Dana Pittman: that it's hard to extract them. And as someone who normally I like romantic suspense, but I don't always get into the nitty, gritty. Yeah, this is bullish blind blood, everything, you know all of that stuff but I was invested. I was invested in both of their journeys, and seeing the justice 143 00:36:46.732 --> 00:37:07.139 Dana Pittman: happen for Vince, and seeing the influence that he had over the characters, and how they had a greater mission other than themselves, and again weaving in those layers. And so, if you ever have the chance to read this, I, as you can probably hear my voice, I highly recommend it. 144 00:37:07.140 --> 00:37:27.750 Dana Pittman: and you are going to get the roller coasters of both the romance and the suspense, and quite honestly, it is a thriller. It has an amazing roller plot. You will not see it coming on so many levels. So yeah, you're welcome when you read it. The last example that I'm gonna go through 145 00:37:28.070 --> 00:37:55.460 Dana Pittman: bad boys for life. If you haven't seen this movie, where have you been? They just released another one in the franchise. I haven't seen it yet, but this is one of the greatest stories. If you ever want to explore if you are a fan of Dan Harmon's a story circle, or if you are a fan of the heroic journey, and you want to see it in action. Watch this movie. You see it written all over it. And I 146 00:37:55.460 --> 00:38:11.569 Dana Pittman: I could only imagine you know, they took so long to do the script, and you see why. But I really want to pinpoint just one character, which is Mike Lowry and he is a detective, and in, if you haven't watched the movie. 147 00:38:12.860 --> 00:38:14.819 Dana Pittman: Always forget Marcus. 148 00:38:15.100 --> 00:38:37.810 Dana Pittman: Mike Lowry and Marcus are partners, their cops and bad boys for life. Marcus is tired. He's like we need to retire, and Mike Lowry is struggling. He is on that. Mid age, middle. What is it called midlife crisis, or something? He still wants to be up in the club, riding his sports car, you know. 149 00:38:37.820 --> 00:38:39.820 Dana Pittman: doing him. 150 00:38:40.390 --> 00:38:41.830 Dana Pittman: But in this 151 00:38:41.840 --> 00:38:46.469 Dana Pittman: us installment of the franchise I felt like it really did 152 00:38:46.700 --> 00:39:07.560 Dana Pittman: human eyes, the guy that always is seen as the playboy, that is, fly, that he has money, that everybody sees him as good looking, that they gotta have at least one shirt off, you know, moment in the movie. In this particular installment they gave him so much depth like I didn't know which one to grab for. 153 00:39:07.560 --> 00:39:19.789 Dana Pittman: And so I'm gonna go down to his character profile a little first.st Actually, yeah, actually, I'm gonna go to this one for him. I'm gonna I'm gonna you guys can see all of this so that you 154 00:39:20.130 --> 00:39:23.629 Dana Pittman: I'm gonna jump around. But you'll have access to these. 155 00:39:25.238 --> 00:39:46.599 Dana Pittman: He has this. Actually, I'm I'm gonna he has this fear of aging, but it's also connected to his love of his profession living on the edge this life or death. And again. This is a spoiler, alert within the first, st like 20 or 30 min of the movie he shot 156 00:39:47.200 --> 00:40:11.029 Dana Pittman: shot. And I thought, you gotta be kidding me like he's on life support at the beginning of the movie. And for a man who's already struggling with whether to be youthful and he's dying his beard and doing all these things. He has a life or death moment upfront. And what they did with this script in this movie is they really wove in? 157 00:40:11.990 --> 00:40:36.129 Dana Pittman: Yeah, I just love this movie. They wove in the layers of of the fact that he never been married, and the fact that he never had a child, and these were all the things that we've known about him over the franchise. And in this movie we realized everything we thought about Mike being the Playboy, and why he was doing it had so many layers underneath. 158 00:40:36.180 --> 00:40:42.550 Dana Pittman: And so part of this in this particular movie we get to see a love story. 159 00:40:42.700 --> 00:41:05.480 Dana Pittman: both in the hope of one with one of fail or agent that he had a relationship with, but because of his playboy ways it didn't work out, but also a cautionary tell of a love story which begins to be in this case another thriller plot of someone who is hunting him down. 160 00:41:05.670 --> 00:41:07.989 Dana Pittman: Yeah, I hate that. I have to get the spoiler alert. 161 00:41:08.020 --> 00:41:14.349 Dana Pittman: but I'm not going to tell it. I'm not going to tell it, but the point is hunting him down to the point of leaving him for dead 162 00:41:14.420 --> 00:41:19.580 Dana Pittman: as someone that is targeting a cop. Right? A detective 163 00:41:21.140 --> 00:41:42.279 Dana Pittman: part of this redemption story is once Mike knows who is hunting him down, he's told. Don't go investigate. Don't go away. Investigate, but he can't. He can't let it go. They gunned him down in the middle of the street in on! What is that big street in Miami? Somebody's put it in the chat 164 00:41:42.360 --> 00:41:43.580 Dana Pittman: and 165 00:41:43.630 --> 00:41:45.239 Dana Pittman: guns him down. 166 00:41:46.380 --> 00:42:15.090 Dana Pittman: And throughout the story. Part of this is he's wrestling with life or death he's wrestling with who is targeting him. And all the while this is something about him that no one knows, not even Marcus, his best friend and partner, I think, for over 20 years and and this really does for his character. It's almost like this full circle moment, especially if you've watched the rest of the franchise. 167 00:42:16.060 --> 00:42:17.339 Dana Pittman: And so 168 00:42:18.440 --> 00:42:22.759 Dana Pittman: And it's sort of peeled back for him that he was in love. 169 00:42:23.210 --> 00:42:39.180 Dana Pittman: He was in love and in the, in fell in love undercover, and the person that he is that everyone knows was kind of created by a woman that he fell in love with, that he shouldn't have fell in love with because he was undercover 170 00:42:39.270 --> 00:42:40.365 Dana Pittman: and 171 00:42:41.810 --> 00:42:45.089 Dana Pittman: and so that I won't give stuff away. But but 172 00:42:45.200 --> 00:42:55.910 Dana Pittman: but this is all a part of behind the smiles, the flashy suits that I don't want to be tied down was that he was in love, and to do his job. 173 00:42:56.150 --> 00:43:02.459 Dana Pittman: and to ensure that there was justice he had to turn over the woman he loved. 174 00:43:03.490 --> 00:43:25.629 Dana Pittman: To to go to prison, and it sort of just severed that area of his life, and that in this story he sort of again is coming back, and if you don't see it, just like the cold and deadly, these elements are woven together, those vulnerabilities, those hidden motivations. Those moral complexities. 175 00:43:25.630 --> 00:43:37.499 Dana Pittman: even to the point where he had to decide. Okay, I love her. But to do my job and to do the thing that I was called here to do, and to ensure that no, the greater good is served. 176 00:43:37.500 --> 00:43:48.049 Dana Pittman: I have to forego what I want for a greater good, and it honestly comes back, and I mean in the form of bullets for him and his colleagues 177 00:43:49.270 --> 00:43:57.560 Dana Pittman: here for mentorship. It brought those layers out. I think it also brought out a layer of him that could have seemed 178 00:43:58.520 --> 00:44:01.249 Dana Pittman: not childish, but 179 00:44:02.780 --> 00:44:27.750 Dana Pittman: self serving maybe a little bit selfish, and it helped that he had those mentorship moments with the other younger agents that are coming in, and we also see him come to grips with this aging thing and making room for younger agents to come in all while at the at the climax of this story. He's battling it out like 180 00:44:27.750 --> 00:44:39.471 Dana Pittman: he's fighting for his future, literally against his past. And so, if you, I would say, if you haven't watched this movie, watch the movie. 181 00:44:40.090 --> 00:44:50.289 Dana Pittman: watch the movie, then come back and look at these layers. And one of the things that I will say to as I go back, and then we'll get ready for questions in a minute. 182 00:44:51.120 --> 00:45:14.929 Dana Pittman: Is that as you listen to what I'm saying like, don't take my word for it like, go back and take a look at this for yourself, and see if you see those layers, and see how it gives the story, this depth and this richness, like. How many times do you know of people who feel like they lost their one true love? And now they don't wanna love again, or they feel like they've done something 183 00:45:14.930 --> 00:45:24.920 Dana Pittman: that's so unforgivable that there's no more for them to contribute in this area of their life, and what we get to do as writers 184 00:45:24.920 --> 00:45:29.700 Dana Pittman: as we get to take those moments and translate those into words. 185 00:45:29.840 --> 00:45:35.490 Dana Pittman: to help people see their way through those things, and I think it's an amazing gift. 186 00:45:36.250 --> 00:45:56.580 Dana Pittman: I put here a few more examples since I did put book examples in the rest of the Powerpoint. These are 3. Listen. Y'all. These are my jams. Okay, 3 other movies that you could take a look at to help you look at those layers, all the triple layers on the development of your characters, but also on those subplots. 187 00:45:56.610 --> 00:46:07.800 Dana Pittman: And so before we get to the questions, you might be thinking house way. Dana, you've said all this. You've talked about the questions, or you talked about the examples. How do we do it? 188 00:46:08.120 --> 00:46:31.469 Dana Pittman: If you are wanting to work on those vulnerabilities. I recommend you writing a vulnerability profile. You want to create a profile for your character that lists those vulnerabilities. What are those reasons behind it, and how they affect their actions in the story. Now, remember, you are not required to put every one of those elements on the page. 189 00:46:31.510 --> 00:46:46.670 Dana Pittman: I'm gonna say that a million times it's for you to know as the words are coming out your fingers right on onto the page. But to know what is behind and in in the depths of your character. 190 00:46:47.450 --> 00:46:54.679 Dana Pittman: for your moral complexities, you want to look at what are your characters, moral conflicts. 191 00:46:54.720 --> 00:47:14.369 Dana Pittman: and what are the reasons behind it? One of the examples that I gave you for Dominique about feeling like, because his father was the governor in this very influential politician, and the fact that his godfather was the President, and it was commonly known that line that that moral line for him was a 192 00:47:14.630 --> 00:47:17.020 Dana Pittman: hard line, and there are times. 193 00:47:17.290 --> 00:47:36.129 Dana Pittman: time and time again in the story where he has to bump up again. So when do you use your influence for the service of someone else? And is it really you using your influence, or are you speaking up for another agent because you have the ability to do it, and that you should do it. And what does that look like? 194 00:47:36.750 --> 00:47:50.960 Dana Pittman: And again, how does it affect their actions and their decisions? You're gonna find that a lot of those dilemmas and those moments of choice in your story are predicated on these elements. 195 00:47:51.990 --> 00:48:11.460 Dana Pittman: and for those hidden motivations. Again, you want to go into. What are their hidden motivations? We find out for Ava that our hidden motivation was that her mentor was there for her when she was 7 years old, and I'm not going to tell you why, because I'm hoping that this makes you read the story. But he was there her whole entire life. 196 00:48:11.490 --> 00:48:37.879 Dana Pittman: and she felt like she failed him, but she could not say that as an agent she felt like she had to be tough. She had to be present. She had to be on her a game, but that is really what drove her, and that was the reason behind it. And so how does it affect their actions in their decision making and knowing that for each one of those for your characters just gives you that richness. 197 00:48:38.270 --> 00:48:44.903 Dana Pittman: Now, before we turn over to the questions, I have a bonus here that I thought about. This is why we had to update 198 00:48:45.190 --> 00:48:58.630 Dana Pittman: was like, after reading all of these stories and thinking about the stories that move me the most in the movies, we found that these things are woven together, the ability to construct 199 00:48:59.131 --> 00:49:17.679 Dana Pittman: either a sub plot or your characters character journey, or their art of their story, where it's almost impossible to pull those individual threads without unraveling the the story right. I'm a knitter. If you 200 00:49:17.680 --> 00:49:35.879 Dana Pittman: click one string and pull, listen, you better catch it. And so the the bonus is finding ways. When you sit down to brainstorm your story and think through things of finding ways where it's sort of like woven together, where there's no division. 201 00:49:36.680 --> 00:49:45.229 Dana Pittman: It's just part of their journey, because we are not one layer. Right? We have all these layers. And again we get to do this as writers. 202 00:49:45.370 --> 00:50:04.300 Dana Pittman: And so the best stories are those that reveal the complexity and depth of their characters, making them as real and multifaceted as the people we encounter in our own lives. I always think that is the best compliment a reader can give you like, I know these people. Okay. 203 00:50:04.470 --> 00:50:05.600 Dana Pittman: And so 204 00:50:05.670 --> 00:50:26.279 Dana Pittman: we're about to go into Q&A. But what we've done is we looked at understanding shadows and secrets. We looked at vulnerabilities, moral complexities, hidden motivations, and we also looked at examples of love, redemption and mentorship through those examples. And now we are going to go into the Q. And A. 205 00:50:30.130 --> 00:50:46.739 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Awesome stuff that was amazing. I love this when you said about where have you been? If you hadn't seen bad boys, I'm like, cause, yeah, I need to see those movies. They do look amazing. So. 206 00:50:46.740 --> 00:51:12.920 Dana Pittman: Yes, it is, is one of those, I think is slept on because it took so long to to to release it. But if you follow Will Smith's journey before they were doing it. He was doing a lot of work with Michael Haig and going into the heroic journey and really understanding story flow and arc. And I think it's 1 of those rare stories where you really can see the influence of writing 207 00:51:12.920 --> 00:51:17.889 Dana Pittman: on storytelling on the big screen. It's a really great example. 208 00:51:18.310 --> 00:51:20.227 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: So well, I know what I'm doing this weekend 209 00:51:20.877 --> 00:51:40.529 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: awesome stuff. Okay? So questions and answers, I'm just going to, because I I still always seem to figure. I'm just gonna drop the links in the chat before we get going, so that everyone can grab all the information. Just also, in case anyone has to hop off before we finish. QA. As well. So 210 00:51:41.572 --> 00:52:08.859 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: we have a handful. But if you guys wanna carry on adding them, and then we will work through as many as we can. So the 1st one that we have you mentioned using Chat gpt a couple of times, I think. About creating or helping with character profiles. Is that something that you do a a lot? And and how would you go about recommending people to do that if they wanted to. 211 00:52:09.120 --> 00:52:29.740 Dana Pittman: Yes, y'all don't give me did listen. I I could talk days about it, but I would say even if you're nervous about it, I think. Always see, Chad Gpt is like a writing partner and as in you, starting to brainstorm and being able to have a conversation 212 00:52:29.810 --> 00:52:47.110 Dana Pittman: about your story at any time of the day or night, and so going in and saying if I was at the let's say, for example, the story of ava you know. What are some of the what are some of the hidden motivations that she could have 213 00:52:47.110 --> 00:53:10.370 Dana Pittman: for pursuing this case, even though she knows it could ruin her career. She's a rookie. She's trying to get her feet underneath her, but at the same time she's willing to stand on this moment, even if it could mean her career, the thing that she's wanted to do since she was 7 years old, and time and time again in the story, she shows that so it could even be a conversation. 214 00:53:10.370 --> 00:53:17.970 Dana Pittman: What are some of the ways that I can show her confronting this vulnerability, or what are some of the ways 215 00:53:18.310 --> 00:53:30.149 Dana Pittman: that her vulnerability could clash with Dominique's vulnerability. And and there's books that you can look for, whether they're flaws or conflicts. 216 00:53:30.150 --> 00:53:52.560 Dana Pittman: But I feel like having one thread about your story that you're working on in Chat Gpt is just a great way to where you really can get beyond being surface level and like this this one I'll give you all for free. It will help you if it's an area that you're just not that good at right, and you want to get better. But you're not there yet. 217 00:53:52.560 --> 00:54:08.410 Dana Pittman: And so, having those conversations and fleshing it out, will help you with just sort of discovering and and then, as you move forward, that if you're paying attention, you get to get a little bit better at it. Every story that you create and write. 218 00:54:08.860 --> 00:54:26.089 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Perfect hopefully that helps tyre so Linda asks, Do you have a form for setting up the vulnerability? So you're talking about. This is about the vulnerability profile. That that's the point that this one came through. So I guess that's what we're referring to. 219 00:54:26.429 --> 00:54:36.619 Dana Pittman: Not a form. But I would say that you can ask those 3 questions that I had towards the end of the slide, and then I would say, Don't like 220 00:54:37.410 --> 00:55:02.139 Dana Pittman: be like the 2 year old, right? The 2 year old is like, What's that? What's that? Why why start doing that start doing that with your story? If you think you know your character, ask, why? Why do they feel that way? Why do they feel like they have to take on the world. Why do they feel like no one shows up for them? Why do they think all men are dogs like whatever the the lie. 221 00:55:02.487 --> 00:55:16.049 Dana Pittman: That they've told themselves, and one of the things I always tell my clients is like the the the lie that most characters and we live by as people we don't know. It's a lie, because it's been affirmed. 222 00:55:16.402 --> 00:55:28.280 Dana Pittman: and the reason why we felt like it's been affirmed is because maybe we didn't have all the information, or maybe we weren't trusting the right people, or maybe we weren't in the right situations, or maybe we weren't in our right mindset. But we believe it. 223 00:55:28.560 --> 00:55:49.510 Dana Pittman: And why do we will believe it? And once you start digging into that, why, why? And so, when you think about those vulnerabilities really start thinking about those things that they want to hide from the world. But it tugs on them, you know. Sometimes we think it's silly like. Well, because I'm short, or because I'm thick, or because I'm black, or because I'm a woman like why 224 00:55:49.980 --> 00:55:59.019 Dana Pittman: we don't come out saying, Oh, because I'm thick, or whatever people don't like. Whatever you know, I'm giving that example in story world. It may be 225 00:55:59.230 --> 00:56:01.180 Dana Pittman: that I have to take care of me. 226 00:56:01.410 --> 00:56:12.010 Dana Pittman: We see that all the time. Why, they've been in cases, or they've been in scenarios and situations, and you begin to define what those are. And here's the other kicker with all of this. 227 00:56:12.150 --> 00:56:18.590 Dana Pittman: If you ever get stuck on on what to write on the page. This is the stuff you write about. 228 00:56:18.660 --> 00:56:35.760 Dana Pittman: This is the stuff that they're processing, that they are learning and evolving, especially if you have a character driven story. So the more you know this, it helps when you get to those moments in writing that it's a little bit easier for you to see your way clear from beat to beat of your story. 229 00:56:36.670 --> 00:56:59.649 Dana Pittman: so you don't have to have specific questions start with those of what they are. How did they? What was the moments that triggered it? And then how does it cause them to act or behave or respond in situations because of it? Is the starting point, and then to start being a 2 URL. Why, why. 230 00:56:59.930 --> 00:57:04.066 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: I love that. Yeah, it's it's great, and it's the 231 00:57:04.740 --> 00:57:11.990 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: the what's it called the unreliable narrator in all of us that you know we can relate to, I guess. 232 00:57:11.990 --> 00:57:20.740 Dana Pittman: Exactly because no one wants to say that I believed a lie. But at some point in your life it may have been true, and it just may not be true. Now. 233 00:57:20.740 --> 00:57:21.440 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Yeah, who's your. 234 00:57:21.440 --> 00:57:34.520 Dana Pittman: Different person. Right? You have different tools. We are governed by the things that we were young, and we brought that into our mindset. But wait. You're an adult now. So why do you? Why does it? Because it really hit on something. What did it hit on. 235 00:57:35.060 --> 00:57:37.779 Dana Pittman: What? What did that trigger? And this is why 236 00:57:37.840 --> 00:57:59.090 Dana Pittman: I love writing stories cause I get to ask all these questions, and it just helps me be a better person, you know. I ask the questions to write a better story, but it helps me to be a better person, because you realize, like all people just don't go around and they wanna harm people or they just wanna be this way. There were things that cause them to be that way whether they are wrong. Right? 237 00:57:59.640 --> 00:58:00.920 Dana Pittman: That's their truth. 238 00:58:01.090 --> 00:58:02.590 Dana Pittman: And we get to explore that. 239 00:58:02.900 --> 00:58:03.597 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: I love that 240 00:58:04.405 --> 00:58:21.229 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: awesome. So we found a couple of questions I saw in the chat as well people asking if the templates that you were showing would be available for them. So I know that you're sending us the slides. And then can they go to your website. And you said about the blog, I think. 241 00:58:21.557 --> 00:58:42.180 Dana Pittman: Both. So there, you'll have the the slide deck. And I'm gonna send this updated one as well. And then if you go to my website right now and at danger, Telscom, just go to my blog and the announcement for crime writers Week. I just put in the handouts there because I I just did them at the last minute. 242 00:58:42.340 --> 00:58:48.644 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: That's but that's fair, awesome love to live dangerously. There you go. 243 00:58:49.469 --> 00:59:15.830 Dana Pittman: And I would I wanna add one more thing to that, too. And when you look at the the printouts on bad boy and code and deadly. You can go through and look at those individual vulnerabilities that were pulled up. And just get an example. And I think sometimes what will happen if if you are like. I was where my vocabulary that I felt was limited. You may know what it is, even if you don't have the words for it 244 00:59:15.910 --> 00:59:24.189 Dana Pittman: right? You know what something feels like to to feel hurt. Well, maybe you give it another word where it's disappointment 245 00:59:24.250 --> 00:59:48.599 Dana Pittman: or that there was a little level of expectation that wasn't met, and the more that you start exploring those, then you have the opportunity to expand that emotional vocabulary, but doing something like this helps you to start saying, Oh, I get that. And sometimes you find that you've been writing it all along, even though you didn't have that sort of vocabulary to connect with. And now you could be more intentional as you move forward. 246 00:59:48.800 --> 00:59:55.110 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: I like that. I always feel like I struggle with the like. Like. You say the words. 247 00:59:56.450 --> 01:00:06.099 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: I know how the character is supposed to feel in that moment, because I know how that feels. But putting that translating that from an emotional sense into words is just 248 01:00:06.200 --> 01:00:10.110 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: yeah. It was one of the biggest faces of friction for me, I think so. Yeah. 249 01:00:10.110 --> 01:00:23.609 Dana Pittman: Well, yeah. And that's where something like Chat Gpt is amazing. Because you can say, Okay, I know this is what they feel. How does that show up? How could that show up in the story? What are some of the things that are common characteristics of having this sort of 250 01:00:23.670 --> 01:00:33.689 Dana Pittman: wound character wound or personal wound. And yeah, and I was the same way, like I used to have to go on and give me the emotional chart. 251 01:00:34.300 --> 01:00:55.949 Dana Pittman: I would have it by me, cause I just didn't trust if I was mad, happy, sad, like it was very, you know. It was very straightforward, but just the more that I've written stories, the more I wanted to explore the like the rainbow of emotions. And it just makes writing fun. 252 01:00:56.140 --> 01:01:12.660 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Yeah, absolutely awesome. Well, we're just over the hour. But we do have one more. And it looks like it's it could be potentially quite a quick one. So Martin asks if you have several books out in a series, is it okay to add more layers to the character to the characters later in the series. 253 01:01:13.230 --> 01:01:22.720 Dana Pittman: Yes, I would say, if you know that you're going to write a series, especially when well, I'm assuming that when you say that you have characters that are a part of 254 01:01:23.130 --> 01:01:46.409 Dana Pittman: the entire series, like that same character, shows up. And so what you may do is, if you know you're writing a series. Give them a spectrum that you want to explore, and sort of. Just give them bite size pieces in each book, just like we are as people right like. There are certain things that we explore as high school, or when we were in college, or when we were in grad school, or when we were parents. 255 01:01:46.410 --> 01:02:03.769 Dana Pittman: or when we're married right, that there's this evolution. And I think that really helps. If you have a mindset of that early, if you know you want to have a series, especially in like crime, right? If you have the same protagonist, and they're going to show up over and over again. So it's like, what part of them evolves in this story 256 01:02:04.042 --> 01:02:09.209 Dana Pittman: like, where are they? Where they? Where do they begin? And where would you like for them to end. 257 01:02:09.210 --> 01:02:16.949 Dana Pittman: and you may have that when you go into the next door there's a little bit of regression, or they maybe, you know, because they find that they are challenged with 258 01:02:17.120 --> 01:02:30.399 Dana Pittman: seeing whether they have really learned the lesson, but knowing where they are, helps you so that this character is always sort of evolving, and it makes us excited to be on the journey with them right. 259 01:02:30.400 --> 01:02:38.710 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Absolutely awesome, cool. Well, we have achieved inbox 0 in terms of questions and answers, which I think is probably us first.st 260 01:02:38.710 --> 01:02:39.320 Dana Pittman: Is. 261 01:02:39.320 --> 01:03:04.320 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: I'm gonna blame the fact that it's quite late. Or in other people's time they might be really busy right now. But I'm sure that people will get in touch with you. Via your website and and let you know if they've got any other questions about this but yeah, I just wanna thank everybody, especially everybody who's still here, cause we rolled over a little bit. But I wanna thank everybody for coming and thank you again, Dana. You have been amazing 262 01:03:04.320 --> 01:03:14.320 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: and so insightful, and I definitely want to hear from you again. So I'm just going to quickly pop the links back in the chat while I say goodbye. 263 01:03:15.910 --> 01:03:43.769 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: and yet don't forget you can see the replay of this on the hub you'll also be able to access the slides. Obviously, you've got the links there so you can go and find out everything you want about Dana and danger tails, which sounds amazing. I'm definitely gonna be doing that after this. So awesome. And yeah, thank you, Dana, for joining us. Thanks everyone again, and we will see you guys in the next one. 264 01:03:44.670 --> 01:03:45.150 Dana Pittman: Bye. 265 01:03:45.150 --> 01:03:46.236 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: But now.