V = Victory

Victories should be included in every tale. Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying you must have a happy ending, but if the main character never succeeds at anything, never accomplishes anything, then the story will become stale and fall flat.

Sometimes victory comes at great cost. These victories are a great way to add tension to your story.

In "WIN", my main character sees first hand what victories can accomplish, and cost, people.

All ten tales in our anthology show great examples of victories, some of them small ones, some of them larger, and some of them still being struggled towards.

What are some of your favorite examples of victory in stories?

N = Normal

Today we (Mel and Sylvia) wanted to discuss the word "normal".


Hello everyone, Mel here.

Just like a science experiment needs a control to make it valid, a story needs a normal; a typical person or scene so that when the atypical arrives it will be recognized. But what if the normal was the
story? What if the character was just a regular guy, a girl next door type? What if it was your best friend, or you?

In "Haunted," the main characters are John and Andy. Both are normal. Both have jobs and dreams. Both could be your best friend. Both could be you.  My story is the normal. That’s the problem. When and if you read it, you’ll understand.

Until then,

MEL


Sylvia here -

As society changes, so does our definition of normal. However, it is usually perceived to be "conforming to some preconceived standard of the usual or expected." If you live long enough, and you pay attention to what's happening around you, you'll witness a shift in what is deemed as "normal".

In "WIN", the story begins with one set of standards for "normal", but the situation changes drastically by the end of the tale. Just as in real life - expectations and circumstances change. The definition of the word may remain the same, but your views of it will NOT.

How often do YOU use the word "NORMAL"?

*DON'T FORGET  - EVERY COMMENT OFFERS YOU A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE COPY OF PARALLELS TO BE GIVEN AWAY AT THE END OF THE "A TO Z CHALLENGE."

J = Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition – comparing two items side by side in an effort to point out the ridiculousness or power of one of those things.

I once had a professor tell our class that if we ever used this word, then we didn’t really understand what it meant. No offense to that professor, but I believe society understands this term very well, we just don’t use the term in our every day vocabulary.

The truth is that beauty and ugliness coexist in every setting. The constant contrast gives each one more power than it would have alone.

Authors use this in their writing when they want to heighten the tension, or bring special attention to a scene or character.

Examples:

   1)      In dialogue - “I hate loving you,” or “I love to hate him.”

   2)   Novels, movies, plays, and even comics often feature characters with opposite attributes or personalities in order to create interesting conflict - Betty and Veronica, Felix Unger and Oscar Madison, Beauty and the Beast, Carl Fredricksen and Russell, Buzz and Woody, as well as so many others.

   3) Opposing forces of good versus evil - even within the same character is another popular choice.
   4) Setting and circumstances can be opposites as well.

I  In "WIN" I used human fascination with technology, and contrasted it with a groups inability to access that technology. How might those people be different? Which would be better for society - more or less technology? 

The Parallels anthology explores these aspects through ten different tales. We hope you’ll dive in and share your thoughts with the authors. How did our use of juxtaposition help or hinder the stories?

What are some of your favorite examples of juxtaposition in other books and movies?

Don't forget, every comment you leave is a chance you have to win one of ten copies of Parallels: Felix Was Here.