Character-Brain, Plot-Brain: The Irresistible Novel

Venturing into week 22 of The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke requires a couple of short lessons on brain chemistry. In order to write a novel that is irresistible for readers one must understand the basic way a reader’s brain functions. In order to write this portion of his book, Gerke enlisted the advice and research of a man named Dr. Zak who is a  founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies.

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In the last chapter, Hacking Your Reader’s Brain, the author discusses the secret to hooking a reader. The secret he revealed is creating compelling characters and a plot rich in struggle. Characters are most compelling when their vulnerability is evident. Reader’s identify with protagonists who have major odds against them and who face situations with which many readers can sympathize. When a reader meets a character struggling with loss, need, or pain they quickly form a connection and investment in that particular character. Once you’ve built that connection the reader will continue to read your book to see whether or not the character will defy the odds against them.

When it comes to plot be sure to fill the pages of your book with struggle after struggle and vary between large scale and small scale struggle from the character’s perspective. If a reader senses that little conflict is taking place they check out emotionally. You want to create a plot that causes the reader’s heartbeat to race and oxytocin to release in their brains.

My Current Project

When it comes to compelling characters I feel that I’ve placed a lot of attention on the vulnerability of both of my main characters. Both have things they lack and want. Both are seeking to feel loved. Both have messed up in some major ways before the story even starts. From the point where each is introduced it is obvious that these characters’ lives are far from perfect and they are seeking the same things as the rest of humanity.

As far as my plot I have also tried to fill my manuscript pages with many struggles. This is an area I could continue to refine, but for now some major struggles include: addiction, loss, rejection, and love.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Introducing a New Fashion Series

Some of you have noticed that I’ve been rather mute in the social media world this week. School has started and my daughter began preschool. I’m currently working on finding a groove that works for me in order to keep up with my school work, family time, and writing. Thank you for your patience this week. I truly appreciate it.

To make up for my lack of content this week I want you to know that behind the scenes I’ve been orchestrating a new project. This is something I really wanted to do last spring, but waited to commit until recently challenged by my superintendent to document the good, bad, and ugly about teaching.

Starting this past Monday I will have 180 days in this school year and I plan to document a little bit from each of those days. Some days all I will do is snap a picture of my ensemble for the day. Other days you may get a little peak into my life as a teacher as well as my wardrobe. I will not overload your newsfeeds with these photos and blurbs. A daily dose of The Ameri Brit Mom (Teacher’s Edition) would be a bit much. Instead, I plan to wait until Wednesdays to publish my musings from the past week.

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As much as I love clothes I don’t have a huge budget. I like to make wise purchases and love a good bargain. A goal of this series is to empower women (and men) to stretch their wardrobes to get the most from affordable pieces.

In the photo above I am wearing an Irma Top from LulaRoe and coral jeggings from Walmart. The whole look was under $50.

I’ve been in love with fashion for many years. For me, it’s way more than looking presentable at work or social functions. It’s about confidence.When you put effort into the process of getting ready each day you set yourself up for a productive and positive day. Slopping a last minute outfit together ten minutes before leaving the house leads to a day of feeling rushed and slows down your momentum.

As a teacher I need every ounce of enthusiasm I can muster each day. As much as I love the job it had its tiring points. Teacher to-do lists are seemingly unending. Exhaustion comes with the territory, but is far outweighed by the meaningful connections made with students every day in the classroom. Instead of rolling out of bed and heading to school looking like a hot mess, I’m committing to starting my day with positive vibes.

Next Wednesday you will see my first week of Dressing and Educating. I hope you are looking forward to it as much as I am.

The Ameri Brit Mom

 

24 Book Challenge: A Book By An Independent Author

The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This is book #10 from The Ameri Brit Mom 24 Book Challenge in 2016. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, or outside influences.

Title: Dreamlander

Author: K.M Weiland

Publisher: Pen for a Sword Publishing

Copyright Date: 2012

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Last fall I admitted to doing something for the first time in years in my post The Great Book Abandon. As an adult I’ve always had a hard time quitting a book before finishing it. I don’t do it often, but sometimes it has to be done for my own sanity and love for reading.

Before I even begin to tell you about Dreamlander I must admit that I didn’t make it to the end of the book. I blame my inability to stick with it on several things. I really hate to put a book down once I start it, but at the same time I was wasting my time putting off this book when I could have been reading something I really enjoyed.

Dreamlander started out really strong. Chris was asleep and somehow the things happening in his dreams seemed to be affecting his real life. Later, Chris learns that he has the power to travel between reality and the dream world and becomes an imperative part of the battle going on for power in the dream world. For the first fifty pages I was engrossed with Chris’ story, but after that point he enters the dream world and things got a little less exciting for me from that point on.

Reasons I chose Dreamlander: When I was working on my first draft of my novel I read a book called Structuring Your Novel by K.M Weiland. In her book she referenced Dreamlander often and it piqued my interest.

Reasons I abandoned Dreamlander: I’m not a huge fantasy fan (which is weird because several of my book challenge books this year have been fantasies.) I lose interest pretty quickly in a made up world if it isn’t done the way I think it should be. (I can be a selfish reader.) And this particular fantasy novel has over 1700 pages in its iBook form!

So although I didn’t make it to page 1757, I still count this book in my challenge. I do so because I spent a lot of time and energy working through this book and I learned a lot as a reader and writer from its pages. It can be just as hard to walk away from a book as it is to finish it sometimes, but in the end I had to make a choice. Sorry, K.M., I plan to give another one of your books a try in the future! You are a great writer. Fantasy just isn’t my favorite genre.

The Ameri Brit Mom

 

Hacking Your Reader’s Brain: The Irresistible Novel

The second part of The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke opens with the Greatest Commandment in Fiction: You must engage your reader from beginning to end. The rest of this book is dedicated to helping writers ensure that they are creating that connection between reader and novel. In the process he enlisted the research of Doctor Paul J. Zak, founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, to study the science surrounding reader engagement. Dr. Zak makes some very interesting points about the way stories affect the human brain and why readers feel more connected to some stories than others.

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Hacking Your Reader’s Brain

One of the most effective ways to build reader engagement is to connect your reader to your protagonist. Scientists have a name for this when it is done correctly they call this transportation. If you can create a character so believeable for your reader then they begin to transport themselves into the mind and body of that character. They are drawn into the story as they begin to subconsciously take on the persona of the character. Transportation can be observed when a reader’s heart rate increases as the character faces peril within the story. Readers are drawn to emotional content and dramatic structure.

So find a way early on in your novel to introduce a high stakes conflict full of emotion and drama. Starting a book with introductions may end up boring your reader and when a reader is bored they aren’t engaged in the world of your novel.

My Current Project…

I’ve written and re-written my first chapter half a dozen times. Each time I’ve gotten closer to the engaging opening that any novel deserves. My first copy used the first chapter to introduce backstory and setting, but the more I’ve read and researched the more I’ve realized that we need to see our character struggle right from the beginning.

Speaking of my novel–I still have a couple of Beta Reader spots open. I’m looking for a couple of people to read through the story before Sunday September 11 making corrections and responding to different parts of the story. If you are interested in joining my team please let me know! Thank you for all who have already chosen to support me in this way. Writing a novel is hard and I could never have done it without the help of my writing community!

The Ameri Brit Mom

 

 

Five Minute Friday: Lift

This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is Lift. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:

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Over the course of the summer I have struggled with some serious allergy complications. I’ve seen several doctors, been prescribed countless medications, and even limited my exposure to the outdoors. I’m not 100% yet, but I’m much better than I was in May. It was during this season of my life, however, that I took the opportunity to try something new.

I’ve always been a runner. My exercise of choice has always involved lacing up a pair of running shoes and taking to the streets. This spring I even ran a Quarter Marathon (my first race since giving birth in 2012.) The trouble with running and allergies is that they don’t go well together. As my allergies were worsening this summer I went on a few runs where I had to stop because I couldn’t breath. It had become difficult to take deep breaths which is something imperative for distance running.

With the coercing of one of my doctors I decided to step away from running for a bit. I wasn’t banned from all exercise, but running was one of the worst things to participate in while nursing a chest infection and being prescribed daily albuterol.

At the time, I was in pretty decent shape. I could have just said, “Forget exercise,” and slipped back into one of my funks where I stop taking care of myself physically, but instead I decided to try a new method of exercise. My friend and I started using the app, SworkIt. This app helped me to build some strength in my arms, legs, and core without using any type of equipment. I highly recommend it because I saw results very quickly after using this daily.

In the beginning of the summer I was in England. While there I took part in a weekly Hoola Hoop Fitness class with my mother-in-law. Being a part of a fitness class for the first time inspired me to find a class when I returned to the states. I loved the positivity of working out with other people. As a runner I was a lone wolf. Something about being able to look across the room and share a look of agony with someone else helped to get me through each workout. There were other people in the room keeping me accountable and feeling the same pain as me.

My Aunt Andrea is an exercise enthusiast. She has been that way as long as I can remember. When I was growing up I used to go to her Jazzercise classes and babysit the children whose mothers were working out. She has since quit the Jazzercise scene, but has opened her own fitness group in my hometown. She is the co-owner of the group. They rent an old church basement and each day one of the three teachers hosts an evening class.

About a month ago I decided to give her class a try. My first class was a cardio class. It was so much fun. Andrea pushed me in new ways that I’ve never been pushed before. Sure, I can go out an run ten miles, but some of her cardio routines seemed harder than a long distance run.

Next, I tried a strength class. And I lifted handheld weights for the FIRST TIME! Someone should have told me that lifting is addicting. I never understood the Crossfit Movement until I felt the ache of having lifted. Now I want that every day!

I’m excited that I’ve found a new way to exercise and tone my body. Each day my allergies are getting better and I’m able to do more and more. I do plan to reintroduce running into my routine, however, I am excited to be able to switch between multiple workouts.

For those of you who are local readers and may want some information on Andrea’s class send me a comment or email and I will gladly pass it on!

 

Four Ways to Wear a Cargo Vest This Fall

The temperatures are currently hot and steamy here in Ohio. Even though summer is in full swing right now I can’t help but notice that the calendar says fall is on its way. With the start of the new school year only days away I’ve been playing around in my wardrobe with fall outfits.

A few weeks ago I received my Stitch Fix #7 and decided to keep my new Jahana Cargo Vest by Market and Spruce. This fall, cargo vests are going to be a staple in many wardrobes so I thought I would capture a few different ways to wear a cargo vest as we venture into the changing of the seasons here in Ohio.

Pair a cargo vest with…

1. A simple fall dress

2. Flannel

3. A loose Tshirt

4. A striped, knit top

Tales of the Injured Elbow

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As I enter into my final week of summer vacation I find myself changing many of my plans. I had planned to take my daughter swimming everyday and to many parks in the evenings. I wanted to give her daily opportunities to soak up the sunshine while we still had a chance to do so together.

However, on Saturday morning I was on my way to a writing review session with my sister when my husband sent me a message: My daughter was swimming and popped her elbow out of socket and he was headed to the Emergency Room. (Not the message any parent likes to hear.) I contemplated turning back and canceling my meeting, but within a few minutes my husband assured me that the doctor had popped it back in to place and all was well.

She was tough and barely shed a tear through the process.

Later that night we got an invite to a pool party the next day. The voice in my head told me not to take my daughter because of the events of that day, but knowing that it may be one of her last opportunities to go to a pool party this summer I let her make that decision. Of course, she said her arm was fine. (After it was reset by the doctor she really didn’t complain about it.) I thought it was just some freak accident and we were out of the woods.

I think you all know where this story is going, right!?!

We get to the pool party and my daughter is off like nothing can hold her back. She’s swimming with cousins and having a blast when all of a sudden….yep, you guessed it–her elbow popped out of socket. She whined a bit, but didn’t cry. After a few minutes of dangling her arm and trying to pop it back into place ourselves we decided she needed to be seen by the doctor again.

We got her out of her purple Sofia swimsuit and headed toward the Emergency Room. Right as we checked in the doctor from the previous day came out and helped our daughter get her elbow back in place. This time, he wanted her to keep it wrapped for seven days and restricted her swimming and park play during that time as well. Seven days puts us right at the start of the school year so that means I will have to change my plans a bit to accommodate for her injury.

Before we were discharged from the hospital the doctor talked to us about Nursemaid’s Elbow. Now that her elbow has dislodged a couple of times it is more likely to happen again. That socket is weak and needs time to get stronger. It doesn’t take much for it to dislocate (a little hyper extension or a hit in the right place.) It’s a common childhood condition, but I had never heard of it before this weekend. If any of you have experienced this with your child I’d love some advice. We have learned how to reset it at home so hopefully we won’t have to head back to the Emergency Room with this issue again.

As my daughter rests, I’m working on new plans for this last week at home that will be safe for her little injury.

The Ameri Brit Mom

24 Book Challenge: A Book Recommended By a Friend

The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This is book #11 from The Ameri Brit Mom 24 Book Challenge in 2016. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, or outside influences.

Title: The One and Only Ivan

Author: Katherine Applegate

Publisher: Harper 

Copyright Date: 2012

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My husband recommended this book to me a few months ago. It is one he plans to read with his fourth grade students this upcoming school year. This was a quick and easy read appropriate for use in the late-elementary classroom. It only took me two days to read through all three hundred pages of this text because I was hooked into the story line and the pace of the book kept my interest.

Ivan is a silver back gorilla. He lives in a cage at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. Ivan’s domain is surrounded by other animals and friends that he communicates with regularly, but he is the only gorilla. Julia’s father works maintenance for the mall and most nights she tags along to his shift with him. As her father works Julia can be found near the animal cages working with paints and sketching. Over time, Ivan builds a relationship with Julia and she even teaches him to finger paint.

One day a new elephant, Ruby, joins the animals at Big Top. At first, Ivan isn’t sure what to think about this small elephant, but because of his strong and patient heart he makes a promise to take care of her.

As a silver back gorilla Ivan is a born leader. It is with his instincts to protect that he devises a plan that enlists Julia and her father. And in his act of love for Ruby he helps her out of a dangerous situation.

The One and Only Ivan is a story of friendship and the bonds formed between an unlikely duo. Ivan will stop at anything to make sure Ruby is safe from the owners of the mall. Even if it costs him all he has.

This was an incredibly cute and endearing tale that should be shared with children of all ages. It was no surprise to me to see that the book had won the Newberry Medal. Every reader needs to periodically return to the stories that caused them to first fall in love with reading. This was one of those books for me.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Five Minute Friday: Happy

This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is HAPPY. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:

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The first week of August has come and gone and I can’t decide how I feel about it. As a teacher, flipping the calendar to August brings up several emotions. At first, I experienced dread. The unscheduled fun of the summer is quickly coming to a close. All of the day trips and late nights are winding down. It’s hard to come to grips with the fact that I will soon be back to school and my daily routine will be in place once more.

The next emotion I feel is happiness.

I’m happy for so many reasons, but up toward the top of my list in the beginning of August is the fact that I get the opportunity to spend the summer with my family. So many people envy the work schedule that I have as a teacher. I’m happy that I’ve chosen a career that is not only rewarding, but that allows me to still spend so much time at home. I love spending time with my husband and daughter. Luckily August won’t change the fact that we will get that quality time together–it will just look a little different.

Lastly, I feel anxious.

I’m anxious for new students and a new school year. Meeting new people can be so much fun, but the time leading up to the beginning of the school year always has me a little nervous (in a good way.) This year I have one more thing to be anxious about. My baby is starting pre-school! I can’t believe my little girl is actually old enough to need a backpack and school supplies. Time has truly flown by at a ridiculous speed. It seems like just yesterday that I held my eight pound baby for the first time. Now I’m preparing to release her into a classroom.

Despite the dread and anxiety I am still full of happiness. I choose to be happy when I think about the next couple of weeks, because I am blessed to have a career and lifestyle that still affords me plenty of quality time with those who matter most.

What are you happy about?

The Ameri Brit Mom