by Tari Faris, @FarisTari
Today is a day we have been counting down to . . . some of us for weeks and some of us longer. That is right, Hamilton is hitting Disney+. You may or may not be a Hamilton fan but as a writer you should at least be curious.
One of the most famous songs opens with:
How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore
And a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot
In the Caribbean by providence impoverished
In squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar?
But it has me asking:
How does a musical, about a politician,
A man that few history books felt necessary to mention,
Who was best know for his mug on the ten-dollar bill,
Break box office records, win awards, and gross 500-mill?
See what I did there? Okay, so I am no Lin-Manuel Miranda but as an author the questions hit us. What was it about this story that so connected audiences? It struck a chord so deep that people were willing to shell out big money for tickets.
Because as authors that is our goal, right? Not necessarily to make big money (although that would be nice) but we long to connect with our reader in such a way that they can’t help but share about it and wait in line for more.
So what can we learn from Hamilton?
Don’t ignore that story spark.
That moment when you read a book, hear a new story, or see something that makes us think what if. . .
Lin-Manuel Miranda got his story idea from reading a biography. He could have easily have passed on the idea. I mean a musical about a politician? But when the spark formed he didn’t ignore it but fanned it and followed the idea.
Expose yourself to new ideas and information.
This goes along with the story spark idea. But we need to make sure not to ignore a story sparks when they arise. Also, are we exposing ourselves to new things that sparks can be pulled from? Are you reading fiction and non-fiction? Do you watch the news, read articles, watch documentaries?
Tell the story from the most compelling POV.
Much of Hamilton isn’t told from Hamilton’s POV. But each part is told from the POV that makes the story the most compelling. Who has the most to lose in that scene? Can you tell it from their POV?
Conflict builds tension.
There is a lot of conflict in Hamilton. His journey was full of obstacles and Lin-Manuel Miranda formed his story to capitalize on those key moments and created compelling acts. So compelling of a story people invested their money over and over in it. How can you build the tension in your scene in such a way that compels the reader to invest their time over and over in it?
What else can we learn about storytelling from Hamilton? Are you going to be watching Hamilton on Disney+ today?
Until I Met You
(Now available for preorder)
I invite you back to the small town with a big heart in this second book in the Restoring Heritage series.
When she hears that the small town of Heritage, Michigan, is looking for a new librarian, Libby Kingsley jumps at the opportunity. Little did she know the library is barely more than a storage closet stuffed with dusty, outdated books. What the community really needs is a new building. But the only funds available are those being channeled into the new town square, and the landscape architect in charge of the project wants nothing to do with her plans.
All Austin Williams wants to do is get the town square project finished so he can do right by the family business and then extricate himself from the town that reveres the brother who cost him so much. But the local media and the town’s new librarian seem to be conspiring against him at every turn. Will the determined bookworm find her way into his blueprints–and possibly even his heart?
Tari Faris has been writing fiction for thirteen years but has been creating fiction in her head as long as she can remember. She signed with Revell for her debut novel – You Belong with Me – which will be released in September 2019. She is represented by Wendy Lawton at Books & Such Literary Management and is a member of ACFW and My Book Therapy. She was the 2017 Genesis winner, 2016 Genesis finalist, and 2014 Genesis finalist. In addition to her writing, she also works for My Book Therapy as a special project manager and blog coordinator for LearnHowToWriteANovel.com . When she is not writing or working, she spends time with her amazing husband and kids. In her free time, she loves coffee, rock hounding with her husband and kids, and distracting herself from housework. You can connect with her at www.tarifaris.com