"Drawing the Story"--January 9th, 2011

The initial revisions of my client's new children's chapter-book series Turtle Town, have officially begun. I submitted the newly revised and highly dramatic Prelude to Melissa M. Williams' new story, the first in a spin-off series from Iggy the Iguana. And, I have to add--it is great!

The storyline is good and it is complete. My responsibility is to add depth and drama to the storyline, characters and overall plot. There are many elements to consider when "fattening" a story--such as history to a character, psychological function of that character in relation to their surroundings and drawing a picture that quickly identifies with an audience, but prepares the reader to embark on an adventure they may not fully understand.

I have attached a copy of a draft page from the Prelude to Turtle Town, showing the vast array of considerations and corrections necessary to accomplish this feat. It is not easy, not when you consider you--as the editor and book coach--cannot get into the author's mind to fully comprehend their vision for the story, and even more complicated when you consider the vast array of elements that can and should be added to build a thoroughly complicated, insightful and highly complex dramatic storyline.

I am on a tight time-line to complete this task by February 6th of this year, as this first book in a new series will release May of 2011. I am excited to be a part of another book project from Melissa Williams and her staff at LongTale Publishing and even more excited because I am now playing a greater, more pivotal role in the development of this book project.

Stay tuned for more details!


~Bobby Ozuna

Author. Motivational Speaker. Teacher

Drawing the Story: TURTLE TOWN

I started my new project for my client, Melissa M. Williams and her new spin-off series to Iggy the Iguana--the Turtle Town Series!

One of my duties in the publishing world is to work as what I call, a book coach. As a book coach I am responsible for more than mere editing. There are variances of classification to editing a book, which range from line-editing, type-setting, editing for grammar and punctuation to the most crucial part of work, I believe: editing the story content. My job as a book coach for LongTale Publishing is to not only edit for typical mistakes, but add depth to the storyline, from plot, character development to theme. As a student to such writers as mythologist Joseph Campbell, psychologist Carl Jung and story consultant, Christopher Vogler, I incorporate my studies of the human condition into novels to help add the necessary archetypes and drama necessary to identify with an audience.

I shared my new additions to her story today and she loved them! I helped re-write the Prelude to the story, adding the necessary components to build the theme for the story. The story backdrop is surfing but the theme is related more to finding and staying true to yourself, your true self. Or, as we say in Turtle Town--your inner puka! By adding the theme we are able to make the event--surfing--a backdrop to the story, as opposed to making the story just "another story about surfing." 

I am on a six weeks schedule to completely edit, polish and build a 15 chapter book by February 6th of this year. I am excited about the changes and I can't wait for this book to complete!

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If you would like a consultation for book coaching services, contact Bobby Ozuna HERE.
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...serving the soul of humanity...

~Bobby Ozuna

Vice-President, READ3Zero Literacy Foundation for Kids

www.READ3Zero.com

Writer. Motivational Speaker. Teacher

"The Book Coach"--June 23rd, 2009

"The Book Coach"--June 23rd, 2009

When drafting a realistic fictional story, you must incorporate real scenarios, feelings, emotions, struggles and accomplishments, in the life and journey of your character--or hero--in order for your audience to easily relate to them and identify with them. This is the critical aspect of hooking an audience and keeping a reader's attention.

Part of my work as a "book coach" is assisting authors and offering them insight into the common pattern of struggle all humans undergo in order to bring about change. Your story--and the journey of your hero in your story--must undergo some form of change over the course of the story--or you essentially, have no story to follow. Every epic tale, mythological story and classic work of fiction encompasses certain aspects of the human struggle that makes it easy to readily identify with an audience. Because we all relate to emotions and feelings of love, hate, anger, joy, release and feelings of capture (among countless others), when your character shares these types of emotions and states of being, then you make it easier for an audience to either like or despise your hero. It doesn't matter what the reader feels in the opening of a story, so long as they feel something that can relate to the character. As your story progresses, so too should the hero's internal and external character. If your hero is bitter and hateful towards the world, and you bring about a journey that forces them to learn a new perspective, see life through a different point-of-view, etc., then you would have accomplished the primary focus of reading or following a story to begin with. This is one scenario and there are countless others you could incorporate into your tale. The objective is however, for you as the artist to use your creativity to identify a problem that forces the hero and story into motion, create common feelings towards accepting the call, and then ensure they undergo challenges, setbacks and adversity in which they must overcome.

You should ask yourself these types of questions when creating you protagonist:

What is it they love and treasure the most? What do they despise the most about their surroundings? What is troubling them? What inner torment do they carry in their heart? What has brought them to the place where we meet them? What force (internal or external) forces them out of their comfort zone and into the unknown world?

You should ask yourself the who, what, when, where, why and how in relation to building backdrop and future endeavors for your hero. You should then pose conflict (internal or external) that will force the hero to undergo change...good or bad...right or wrong. If you can add this drama to your storyline, you are then on your way to creating effective, realistic struggle and accomplishment for your hero. And that is how you begin working to draft a realistic fictional tale and characters.

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If your book is in need of help--either in storyline, plot structure or character development--contact me to learn more about my book coach services. My rates vary depending upon the job depth and type of work you are creating. You can learn more about sending an email inquiry HERE.

...supporting the independent arts...

~Bobby Ozuna Author | Ghost-Writer | Book Coach | Internet Radio Talk Show Host | Press Release Services
OZUNA PUBLICATIONS