Where To Start As A Beginner Writer

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Persuasive Arguments

Within the vast landscape of written expression, where words hold the potential to shape opinions and ignite change, the art of crafting compelling arguments stands as a formidable force. As an author, I recognize the tremendous opportunity we possess to harness this power and leave an indelible mark on our readers.

I was recently asked to write a blog about creating argumentative scenes, I found the topic quite interesting as arguments and persuasion are something authors of all genres can find themselves writing. Anger is a very raw emotion that authors often feel the need to perfect, I hope this guide on how to write persuasive arguments can help you reach that point of perfection. 

Understanding the Power of Persuasion in Fiction

Persuasion in fiction goes beyond convincing readers of a particular argument or viewpoint. It involves crafting narratives that engage readers on multiple levels, influencing their emotions, thoughts, and even actions. Just like skilled orators sway their audiences, we can use the tools of persuasion to captivate readers, immerse them in our stories, and make them feel deeply connected to our characters and themes.

By masterfully crafting persuasive narratives, we can make readers question their assumptions, reconsider their beliefs, and view the world through a new lens.

However, it's important to note that persuasion in fiction doesn't mean manipulating or forcing readers to adopt specific viewpoints. Instead, it's about presenting compelling arguments within the context of our stories and allowing readers to engage with them organically. Through our characters' journeys, conflicts, and personal growth, we can subtly challenge readers' perspectives, encourage empathy, and foster critical thinking.

Your character doesn’t have to necessarily be wrong or right and it is important to remember your readers can always have a viewpoint completely different from your opinion of your character and that scene. 

Developing Convincing Characters and Narratives

Captivating characters possess the power to sway readers' hearts and minds. They are multidimensional, relatable, and possess qualities that make their actions and beliefs compelling. By carefully sculpting our characters, we can infuse them with the ability to embody persuasive arguments and engage readers in thought-provoking ways.

To create convincing characters, we must delve into their backgrounds, motivations, and desires. What drives them? What are their core values? Understanding their unique perspectives allows us to shape their beliefs and opinions, providing a foundation for persuasive storytelling. When our characters' convictions align with the arguments we wish to convey, their authenticity and passion become catalysts for reader engagement.

Character Examples 

In Angie Thomas' powerful novel, "The Hate U Give," the protagonist, Starr Carter, serves as a compelling argumentative character.  

Through authentic dialogue and poignant internal monologues, Starr articulates her experiences, frustrations, and desires for a more just society. Her arguments against racial profiling, police brutality, and the need for equality are rooted in her personal journey, allowing readers to empathize with her and reflect on their own biases and prejudices.

By skillfully intertwining character development with persuasive arguments, Angie Thomas creates a protagonist whose voice and convictions leave a lasting impact. Starr's transformation from a reluctant witness to a courageous advocate exemplifies the power of persuasive storytelling, inspiring readers to challenge injustice, examine their own beliefs, and work towards a more equitable world.

Crafting Engaging Dialogue

When it comes to persuasive writing, crafting engaging dialogue is a powerful tool that allows us to convey arguments, challenge beliefs, and captivate readers. Effective dialogue not only propels the plot forward but also serves as a vehicle for persuasion.

To craft engaging dialogue with persuasive impact, consider the following techniques:

Character Voice: Each character should have a distinct voice that reflects their personality, background, and beliefs. Whether it's through word choice, dialect, or speech patterns, make sure their dialogue is authentic and consistent. This authenticity lends credibility to their arguments and makes them more compelling.

Conflict and Tension: Engaging dialogue often thrives on conflict. Introduce opposing viewpoints and create tension between characters with differing opinions. These clashes of ideology can spark thought-provoking debates and allow readers to see multiple sides of an argument.

Subtext and Nuance: Effective dialogue often goes beyond surface-level conversations. Include subtext and underlying emotions to add depth to your characters' interactions. What remains unsaid can be just as powerful as what is spoken, allowing readers to infer hidden motives and subtle persuasions.

Relevance to the Plot: Ensure that your dialogue serves a purpose within the larger narrative. Use it to advance the story, develop characters, or explore thematic elements. When dialogue aligns with the overall arc of the narrative, it becomes an integral part of the persuasive storytelling process.

Emotional Impact: Infuse your dialogue with emotion to create a deeper connection with readers. Engage their empathy, evoke their curiosity, or stir their passion through the heartfelt words exchanged between characters. Emotional resonance enhances the persuasive power of your arguments.

Utilizing Descriptive Language and Imagery

By skillfully utilizing descriptive language and imagery, we can immerse our audience in the world of our story and strengthen the persuasive nature of our arguments.

Appeal to the Senses: Engage readers on a sensory level by incorporating descriptive details that evoke sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. By immersing readers in the sensory experience of a scene, you can make your arguments more tangible and relatable.

Paint Vivid Settings: Transport readers to vibrant and immersive settings that act as a backdrop for your arguments. By creating a rich visual landscape, you can enhance the persuasive impact of your words and immerse readers in the world of your story.

Evoke Emotions: Harness the power of emotion to make your arguments resonate deeply with readers. Use descriptive language that elicits a range of feelings, whether it's anger, empathy, awe, or hope. Connect with readers on an emotional level, and they will be more likely to embrace your persuasive message.

Plotting and Structuring Persuasive Storylines

Crafting persuasive storylines requires careful plotting and effective structuring to engage readers and convey your arguments in a compelling manner. By strategically organizing your narrative elements, you can captivate your audience, build tension, and ultimately deliver persuasive messages that resonate long after the final page. Here are key considerations for plotting and structuring persuasive storylines:

Establish Clear Goals: Define the central objectives of your narrative, both in terms of the overall story and the persuasive arguments you aim to convey. What do you want readers to understand or believe? Set clear goals to guide your storytelling, ensuring every plot point and character arc serves the purpose of advancing your persuasive message.

Build Rising Tension: Structure your storyline to escalate tension and keep readers invested in the outcome of your persuasive arguments. Craft each plot twist and revelation to heighten the stakes, gradually intensifying the conflict and presenting new challenges that test characters' convictions.

Use Narrative Devices: Employ narrative devices such as foreshadowing, flashbacks, and dramatic irony to enhance the persuasive impact of your storylines. These devices can provide deeper insight into characters' motivations, reveal hidden truths, and strengthen the arguments you present.

Balance Pace and Reflection: Find a balance between fast-paced action and reflective moments to allow readers to digest and connect with your persuasive messages. Provide opportunities for characters to contemplate their beliefs, engage in meaningful conversations, and undergo personal growth, which reinforces the authenticity and impact of their arguments.

Editing and Polishing Your Argument

Editing is the key to refining and enhancing the persuasive impact of your writing. As you revisit your work, focus on clarity, coherence, and compelling language. Here are essential editing steps to maximize the persuasive power of your piece:

Streamline Your Argument: Trim unnecessary details and tighten your arguments. Ensure each sentence and paragraph contributes to the central message, eliminating any tangents that may dilute the persuasive impact.

Enhance Clarity: Clarify your ideas by simplifying complex concepts and using concise language. Avoid jargon or technical terms that may alienate or confuse your readers. Opt for clarity over complexity.

Strengthen Structure: Check the flow of your piece, ensuring a logical progression of ideas. Arrange your arguments in a coherent manner, guiding readers from one point to the next with clarity and coherence.

Choose Compelling Language: Use powerful and evocative language to captivate readers. Employ vivid verbs, descriptive adjectives, and figurative language to engage their senses and emotions, heightening the persuasive impact of your words.

Proofread for Errors: Eliminate grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can distract readers from your persuasive message. A polished and error-free piece lends credibility and professionalism to your arguments.

I hope this blog on the ultimate guide to writing persuasive arguments will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.  

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and marketing tools for authors every Monday and Thursday

El Corazón Terco

Marco A. Romero

Y yo le he dicho al corazón que es un tonto,

que no entiende de razones; 

que no puede querer a quien ingratamente lastima.

Y le doy las razones 

pero es un corazón torpe 

y no entiende; 

sólo entiende que quiere mucho

y deja de lado todo raciocinio... 

Y  lo he acusado de ser tonto,

de no pensarlo bien, 

que debe producir cosas

que razonan

que sus razonamientos

no tienen lógica  

que es infantil, 

que no ha madurado, 

que va a ser lacerado otra vez, 

que asi se ha estancado durante muchos años,  

que asi no llegaría a ningun lado, 

que sus caminos eran torcidos, 

que estaban condenados al fracaso.

Le dije que se callara y que escuchara,

que fuera mas realista:

que la hipotenusa al cuadrado era igual a la suma al cuadrado de los catetos "a" y" b";

que dos mas dos son cuatro

que cuatro por dos son ocho

y ocho dieciséis y

Que brincara la tablita 

(como manera de ajustarse a una realidad objetiva)...

Y después de haber presentado -previamente- la base científica le dije: 

que estaba incapacitado para razonar 

que no conocía la naturaleza de sus acciones,

que me caía MAL cuando no pensaba, 

que sus padres habian vivido la misma situación 

(ya dándole un poco de terapia transaccional,

  y empezándose a acalorar por actitud tan testaruda)

Y el reclamo subió aun mas a tono rojo (o sea enfurecido)

 y le dije que necesitaba terapia, 

terapia de 20 años, y en prision carcelaria

 (para que meditara todo el tiempo)

 y además, sin derecho a libertad condicional 

(para asegurar que repensara doblemente las cosas )

FRENTE A ESTA MI EXASPERACION 

POR ESTA INCOMPRENSION MIA...

Y al quejarme tanto,

al desgañitar mi voz, 

de tanta queja,

me deja escuchar 

como algo allá          p        e       r        d       i       d        o, 

como algo allá       l                    e                           j                              a                                n                  o, 

con esa voz nítida 

y con la sencillez

y discreción 

que el corazón 

tiene:

 "Es que

no

fui hecho,

para 

producir 

frutos, 

ajenos  

al mio".

Con-razón, dije 

 y cerre el pico, 

y ya no dije más.

How to Make Your Writing Space Perfect for You

Haven’t done your spring cleaning yet! No worries, May is a great time to start reorganizing your writing space, and maybe, it’s even time to make a change. Read this amazing article about making your writing space work for you by Bernadette Benda!

A good writing space is essential. You’ll probably spend a lot of time there, and if you’re not spending a lot of time there, you’re spending deeply focused time. It needs to be special, inspirational, and fit all your writing needs. 

Here are four steps to help you get there. 

Step 1: Dream

Go on Pinterest. Instagram. Scroll through all the deliriously wonderful writing spaces. Go wild and collect all the impossible dream rooms. Then, pinpoint the elements of those dream rooms that you like the most and see what can be incorporated into your own. Maybe you can’t turn your bedroom into a loft in NYC, but maybe you can add more plants and posters. Maybe you can’t paint your living room yellow, but maybe you can incorporate yellow accessories.  

Dream big, then break it down into the practical. 

Keep reading

How would you sing a song with a broken heart?

Next Scene?

Please?

I don't like that one!

Can you pass to the next one?

If you don't mind! Cause it sees to me you are directing the scenes right now.

By the way, the next scene would be under the cave.

Also, look at the mirrors on the sides, when you drive.

Secondly, under the same circumstances than writing a story leads you to way too many paths according to the flow of writing, and the purpose of the story, and later on editing it, according to what makes sense within the story....

It is the same way, with the thinking process in sicology. Sicology might be able to build all those scenarios according to a process. Really, the only thing you need is an image, and present that image in the context of the meaning, and you can lead from there. 

What are your images? Would be the next question, on the other end of the rope, not only because also the patient and the professional get attached into a situation, but also because that will express the thinking process of the professional in that regards. There is a process, an action and a reaction in terms of a process.

What is the thinking process in a tight? On the other side of the rope? Would be awesome to talk about it.

wisdom

Tips for Starting and Stopping Chapters, Plus FAQs

Even if you have the most exciting, engaging ideas for your novel, you might struggle to write it because you have to deal with chapters. These are a few of the most frequently asked questions about chapters and a few tips that might help you overcome manuscript challenges.

How Many Chapters Should a Book Have?

Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward answer to this question. Genres and intended audiences influence manuscript word counts. Younger readers will need shorter chapters to keep their interest and older readers might prefer longer chapters that dive deep into conflict or theme.

Storytelling elements also change the number of chapters per book. A fast-paced novel might have more short chapters to keep up the faster narrative pace. A slower novel might linger in wordier scenes, so there could be fewer chapters with longer page counts per chapter.

You can always look at comparable novels in the same genre to guestimate how many your manuscript could include. If you’re writing a Twilight-inspired novel in the same fantasy genre and Twilight has 26 chapters in a ~110,000 word count range, you could aim for a similar number.

What’s the Purpose of Chapters?

Chapters divide longer stories into segments that help readers process new plot events. They give people breathing room to digest heavier topics or moments by pausing or putting the book down to do other things for a while.

They also give more weight to cliffhanger moments or events made to shock readers. Even if they immediately flip the page to keep reading, the momentary pause lends gravity and meaning to whatever ends the chapter before. 

Tips for First Chapters

Include Some Action

The first line of every chapter doesn’t need to be a dramatic car chase scene, but the chapter in its entirety should include some plot-moving action. It hooks readers and gets your pacing started.

Add Emotional Weight

Action can only intrigue readers so much. What’s the emotional weight compelling your protagonist to take part in, react to, or fight back against your inciting incident? Establish some emotional weight in the first chapter to motivate your protagonist, like showing how much they love their sister before getting betrayed by her in the inciting incident.

Avoid Infodumping

Readers don’t need to know everything about your world-building or protagonist in the first chapter. The infodumping only weighs down your pace. Sprinkle your descriptions and reveals throughout the first act of your book to keep readers coming back to learn more about the world.

Tips for Starting a Chapter

Introduce a Choice

Choices help stories move along at a pace that keeps readers engaged. If your protagonist is stuck in their head for most of a chapter, there’s nothing pushing your story forward. Always include at least one choice when starting a chapter, whether it’s big or small.

Keep Expanding Your Conflict

Every chapter should expand your primary conflict in some way. It might affect newly introduced characters, change your protagonist’s world, or require a sacrifice. As long as your conflict is relevant to your chapter in some way, your story will always remain true to its thematic purpose.

Remember Your Cause-and-Effect

An initial chapter sets up or introduces a conflict that gets your plot moving. If you’re unsure what to do in the following chapter, use it to address the effects of that previous chapter’s conflict. Although the conflict likely won’t get resolved that quickly, you can still write about your characters’ choices post-conflict or how the world changes in a way that affects their futures.

Tips for Ending a Chapter

Experiment With Your Endings

I used to be afraid of ending a chapter without some shocking, groundbreaking plot twist. Althought that’s a great place to put those moments, it’s not plausible to end every chapter with one. Where would your readers feel comfortable pausing for the night? When would they feel the quiet sanctity of peaceful moments where characters build trust between themselves?

Play around with your endings by refusing to be afraid to cut your manuscript into segments. If one doesn’t feel right during your read-through, you can always merge it into the next chapter and cut them differently during editing.

Use It to Shift Your Story

When your story needs to change times of day, locations, or perspectives, that’s usually a good sign that you need a page or chapter break. It’s not always necessary, but these are the types of chapter breaks that give readers breathing room.

Again, you can always re-work your chapters during editing if you find that they aren’t ending in the right places during your first few read-throughs.

Ramp Up Your Tension

Who says chapters always have to end on a cliffhanger? You can also end them when the action or tension is becoming more intense. When two characters are in the car on the way to rob a bank, they argue over whether or not to actually shoot people. One character’s eagerness and the other’s disgust raises the tension. As it escalates into them yelling in the parking lot, the chapter can end when one leaves the car and slams the door.

Ending on a moment of heightened tension is another reason readers turn pages and stay engaged. In the above case, they might not be able to put the book down until they find out if the robbery resulted in murder.

-----

Starting and stopping chapters can cause plenty of anxiety, but remember—you’re always in control of your manuscript. Play around with these ideas and make any necessary changes in your editing phases. You’ll figure out the best way to organize your story by chapters and develop more confidence in your long-form storytelling abilities.