I'm going to spend the next few posts discussing outlines; appropriate since I'm in the throes thereof. Tune in later for parts two and three.
Hands up who out there is a pantser, who trembles at the very hint of an outline, who cries at being asked to structure their first draft, and who would rather die than write a story that's already been written (in outline form)?
Yes? Well, you'll sympathise with my topic today.
There are, of course, as many ways to write as there are people who write (and probably more, since all my novels so far have demanded that they be written differently), and outlines are one of the more fraught topics of conversation. To love them, or hate them? To use them or abuse them? To write them all out and then conveniently ignore them while you write, making you wonder why you bothered in the first place?
I've had experiences at all ends of the spectrum (yes, all; this is more than a linear scale!), and today I'm going to talk about my worst outlining experience ever. It was a play, not a novel, but the essential principles remain the same. This play was written for a specific purpose, to be performed at a specific time to a specific audience - and things just keep getting more specific. Initially, I was told the topic of the play. Then I was told the basic story line it would follow (a retelling of a well-known (in those circles) story).
All good, all fine thus far. I could work with a general plot, and still interpret and embellish and dramatise, and all would be well.
Except. Specific. The commissioner of the play is a very specific fellow, and soon I not only had a rough plotline I had to follow, but a schedule that involved certain events happening on certain nights, bits of dialogue that needed to be included, set ideas that had to be worked in, and a particular number of characters.
I reeled. I floundered. I wrote the play, and every single person who worked in it (who have all performed plays of mine in similar contexts before) unanimously agreed it was the worst play I'd ever written. I pretty much refused to put my name to it.
Now, I firmly believe that outlining is a Good Thing, that it's *le gasp* necessary and can save a whole bunch of headaches (see forthcoming post!). So what went wrong here?
Easy: too much outlining, and from an externally imposed source. Now, it might be really tempting for you to sit back and say - well, that's fine! I'm never going to write on request like that, and I'll decide what I want to write, and everthing will be great! So I'm sorry about your problems, but they don't apply to me.
Except, they do.
Externally imposed outlining doesn't just happen when other people impose things on you; on the whole, we're pretty good at doing it to ourselves. Fantasy and sci fi writers are particularly notorious for this, mostly because we're the ones who tend to go overboard on the whole worldbuilding thing. We spend days/weeks/months/years building our world before we ever put pen to paper for the actual story, which means that by the time we come to write, there are a whole bunch of 'external' factors dictating how the story should go.
Forced-march plotting, I believe it's called. It's where the plot happens for no reason other than that it must, and I'm guilty as heck of it even in writing that I do for myself. I've decided how I want the story to end up, what the steps ought to be to get the characters from A to Z, and by hook or by crook, those are the steps they'll take, character veracity be hanged.
It leads to a story that's dry and often illogical - and it's all to easy to fall into the forced-march trap. I did, in January, with the first version of the rewritten Act One of Jesscapades. Characters come across as stupid and unmotivated, plot events happen by coincedence and seem too convenient, and the whole story feels dry and flaky. Story dandruff? Don't let it happen to you!
Combat FMP (forced-march plotting) by taking a long hard look at your characters. Is x plot point something they would really do in that situation? If not, can you switch out the plot point for something else? Can you give them a plausible excuse for doing something out of character? Or even better, can you build up to this and motivate them so Plot Point X comes across not as an anomaly, but as a new and exciting facet of the character, making them a deeper, rounder, more real character?
So, Planners beware: outlines are tricksy little beasts that will turn on you as soon as look at you. Don't let them take control.
Pansters of the world unite!
Anyone else have outlining horror stories to share? O:) :D
Showing posts with label characters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label characters. Show all posts
15 March 2011
29 September 2010
But Why is Their Blood RED?
So, over the weekend I got to see the movie Avatar for the first time. Shiny, SHINY premise, oh my squee how I love it. Whee! Really, overall it was a great (is slightly long) film - but although I would say I love it, there were still a few things about it that bugged me.One of which, surprisingly, was not 'unobtainium' - for two reasons. Firstly, because I am an English Lit major/teacher and thus came up with a spiffy, thematic reason why it was called 'unobtainium' and all that that was symbolic of; and secondly, because a friend who watched the film with me sent me this link the day afterwards O:) :D Always nice to know people are smarter than I had assumed.
Image from IMDb
No, the unobtainium I could live with. One of the things that really bugged me was this: In a presumably low-oxygen environment (presumed since the humans need to wear oxygen masks in Pandora's atmosphere), the blood of the Na'vi people is red. RED, PEOPLE! Basic biology 101, in case you missed it in school: blood is red when it is rich in oxygen, because the hemoglobins change their structure when exposed to said oxygen etc etc, read all about it. But the key point is that unless the Na'vi conveniently have blood made from other substances that conveniently turn red when exposed to their atmosphere, their blood shouldn't be red.
Convenient.
But.
You see, the reason I had to watch Avatar on the weekend was because my sister is studying Science Communication, and after viewing the film the six-ish of us she'd invited over participated in a lead discussion about science in the film, and the portrayal thereof. And a really interesting and important point came up. It's called uncanny valley, a term coined by Japanese researchers to describe the way we react to things that are almost-but-so-subtlely-not human.
I can't recall why the idea came up, but it did, and of course I put my writer's hat on and mentioned that this is an issue for all authors who try to write stories of the Other; writing about the Other (in whatever guise) is hard, because while you have to make the characters genuinely Other and not just humans in Other skins, you also have to make sure that your human readers have something to connect with. Your Others still need to have human emotions and experiences in order for your readers to sympathise, so you need to make them like humans - but not so like humans that you lead your readers into uncanny valley, nor so human that they are no longer Other except in appearance.
How does this related to red blood, I hear you ask? Well, maybe not, since on the whole people who read writing blogs are pretty smart, so you've probably already figured it out. ANYway.
The Na'vi are Other. They're humanoid, but they have a distinct (and very awesome) culture and a distinct language, and they process and think about the world in ways that are recognisably non-human.* However, they have emotions and reactions that we would expect from humans, and they are eminently sympathetic. So far, so good. No uncanny valley, no humans in alien skins.
Back to the blood. As one friend who watched the film with me pointed out in the course of the discussion, the reason behind the red blood could be really simple: rather than a mistake of omission on the part of the producers, not thinking through their science correctly, it could simply be an attempt to humanise the Na'vi in order to further our sympathies. After all, as my friend said, if they didn't bleed red, we might just wonder why they had grape goo on their faces. :D
So I guess the question is in the end, where is the line? How far do you go to try to make your non-human creatures sympathetic? Is it okay to defy logic if it really will help the general audiences of your story (who I doubt would have even considered the blood, since no one else in the room when I watched it did, and I had a biology/science communication major and a physicist amongst others in there with me) sympathise with your characters?
Facts, or a sympathetic connection?
Personally, I think I still would have prefered non-red blood. But I get that I'm in the minority of even noticing that. So what about you? Does this kind of thing bother you at all??
*Although why they have only four limbs when EVERY OTHER TERRESTRIAL CREATURE ON THE PLANET has six, I couldn't tell you.
06 September 2010
Before You Write
As many ways to write as there are people who write - I'm sure you've heard that before. Which is why, everywhere you turn for advice, you find conflicting information about the writing process. When you're starting out as a beginner, these contradictions can be overwhelming.I'm the kind of person who likes to be well informed, so when I decided that I was serious about this whole writing thing, I read. Like, a lot. Like, a-lot-a-lot. I devoured entire websites of information, archives of blogs, shelves at the library - if there was information on how to be a writer, I read it.
Only, in the end, none of it really helped me begin, you know? Because your writing process is as unique as your thought processes. Sure, people can give you tips and tricks to try (Holly Lisle's Create-a-Plot Clinic was invaluable for that for me), but in the end, only you know what you need to have straight before you write.
I'm working on my fifth novel now, and - though you'd think I'd have figured it out before - it's hit me what it is that I need to have in place before I write. What is it, I hear you ask? Because yes, my ears are good like that, and I can hear you ask questions you didn't even know you were asking, bwa ha ha! >:)
Anyway, what I've discovered I need is a character arc. Plot-schmot, structure-schmucture, scenes-schmenes. What I need to know is where my character is going. Ideally, characters change throughout a novel, right? Well, that's what I need to know. What's the big change my character goes through? What do they learn - about life, or themselves, or whatever?
Because something else I've figured out. You know how people talk about writing books for particular people, or to explore a particular situation, or to Say Something, or whatever else? Yeah. Well, the other thing I've figured out it this: I tell my stories for my characters. I see who they are at the beginning of the story, and I want to show them how they can become the better people I know they can be.
Weird, I know. It's like, Hey everyone! I write about things that never happened and never could because I want to let the voices in my head know they can be Good People Too!
But hey. I never claimed to be sane ;)
How about you guys? What's the one thing you need to have in place before writing? And do you tell your stories for a particular reason, or just because it's fun and you can? :D
07 May 2010
Know More: Costuming
So, my year 8 class at the moment is studying the film She's the Man. It's 'inspired' by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and initially, aside from the obvious Shakespeare connections, I was stumped as to what I could spend my three weeks teaching them. So I decided to take a generalist approach, reasoning that since they were in year 8, they probably wouldn't have done much in-depth film study type stuff before, so we could learn about the general things one needs to know when studying a film.
This week, one of the topics we looked at was costume. Costume is one of the four key elements that make up mise-en-scene, a French phrase meaning 'staging the action'. It's the idea that lighting, costume, acting style and setting play on the viewers' subconscious, adding layers of depth and meaning that wouldn't be there if these elements were consciously controlled.
How does costuming play into this? Well, it's pretty obvious, right? If a guy enters the scene wearing a chef's outfit, we know pretty immediately what his occupation is. But here's the thing: costuming means a whole lot more than just where the character is or what they're doing; it can be subtle, too. (Whee, punctuation!). Some of the questions the students had to answer include the following:
- What kind of clothes are the characters wearing?
- How do these clothes suggest the characters' backgrounds and status?
- How to they wear their clothes?
- How does this reflect their general attitude and self-confidence?
And then we did the same for accessories, and for make-up (which, even being totally 'absent' or natural, is a statement in and of itself).
Why am I telling you all this? Well, it struck me as a pretty useful thing to be aware of when writing. We create pictures, too - just with words. And like film, we are in the business of creating a scene in our viewers' minds - and we have to do it economically, without wasting words. If you really understand the power that something as simple as costuming can have, then you can begin to grasp how a whole lot of meaning can be packed into much fewer words. If something as simple as clothing can demonstrate not only what your character is doing right then, but also suggest things about their background, their preoccupations, their self-confidence and attitude towards life, then your writing will be that much more powerful.
Of course, cataloguing a character's outfit isn't exactly helpful or poignant. It's all about subtlety. But you get the idea.
Two questions, today. First of all, do you have any characters in your writing that have really telling 'costumes', whether just one prop, or an entire outfit?
Second of all, a mini-challenge. What does the costume (and only the props/costume/accessories/make-up, not the facial expression or posture) of this character tell you about them as a person?
This week, one of the topics we looked at was costume. Costume is one of the four key elements that make up mise-en-scene, a French phrase meaning 'staging the action'. It's the idea that lighting, costume, acting style and setting play on the viewers' subconscious, adding layers of depth and meaning that wouldn't be there if these elements were consciously controlled.
How does costuming play into this? Well, it's pretty obvious, right? If a guy enters the scene wearing a chef's outfit, we know pretty immediately what his occupation is. But here's the thing: costuming means a whole lot more than just where the character is or what they're doing; it can be subtle, too. (Whee, punctuation!). Some of the questions the students had to answer include the following:
- What kind of clothes are the characters wearing?
- How do these clothes suggest the characters' backgrounds and status?
- How to they wear their clothes?
- How does this reflect their general attitude and self-confidence?
And then we did the same for accessories, and for make-up (which, even being totally 'absent' or natural, is a statement in and of itself).
Why am I telling you all this? Well, it struck me as a pretty useful thing to be aware of when writing. We create pictures, too - just with words. And like film, we are in the business of creating a scene in our viewers' minds - and we have to do it economically, without wasting words. If you really understand the power that something as simple as costuming can have, then you can begin to grasp how a whole lot of meaning can be packed into much fewer words. If something as simple as clothing can demonstrate not only what your character is doing right then, but also suggest things about their background, their preoccupations, their self-confidence and attitude towards life, then your writing will be that much more powerful.
Of course, cataloguing a character's outfit isn't exactly helpful or poignant. It's all about subtlety. But you get the idea.
Two questions, today. First of all, do you have any characters in your writing that have really telling 'costumes', whether just one prop, or an entire outfit?
Second of all, a mini-challenge. What does the costume (and only the props/costume/accessories/make-up, not the facial expression or posture) of this character tell you about them as a person?
Image from Jupiter Images.
01 February 2010
Life or Something Else?
Insert a deep sigh of relief here.
The week is over. I survived. 10 points to me. The wedding was amazingly fantastic (anyone interested in photos??), and the new job is great. Admittedly, the kids haven't arrived yet, so I reserve the right to alter my judgement after Tuesday O:)
Last Monday I posted about giving yourself permission to have time off, and about knowing your own limits. This past week I've had a perfect opportunity to put that into practice :D
I didn't write Monday, because it was the wedding. I didn't write Tuesday, even though it was a public holiday, because we spent all day looking at/editing photos from the wedding, talking to all the relatives, and then collapsing into a heapy heap to recover afterwards.
Then Wednesday I started my new full time job.
For a while, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to write again for weeks; my brain just seemed to full of everything else, and whenever I opened the document to write, it just wouldn't work.
But then on Thursday I had a revelation. I was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed, and was vaguely pondering Sanctuary. I knew I needed another scene with the MC at school to set things up properly. I'd gotten the MC into the classroom, and into her seat... And then nothing. Not. A. Thing.
I had kind of just assumed that it was because I was tired/busy/stressed/preoccupied, so my creative brain wasn't working.
But on Thursday night, it hit me: I'd been trying to take the story in the wrong direction. I'd had a loose idea of what needed to happen in the scene - but it was all wrong! My MC was being too passive! Will all that anger and irritation and frustration building up inside, I still had her sitting around in class being passive!
Bah!
So I stopped for literally about ten seconds, closed my eyes, and said to my MC, "Fine. You tell me what's happening in the scene."
And guess what? She did. And on Friday after work, I wrote it all out straight in about ten or fifteen minutes, and squiggled in glee. It's a fun scene with no less than three occurrences that have given me the basis for main plot points, and the MC attacks a boy in the class, and things are just generally FUN.
My round-about-way point is this:
Next time you think it's life getting in the way, take ten seconds out to make sure it isn't you getting in the way. I'm really good at telling my characters what to do. I need to remember to let them talk too ;)
PS Vote for my cupcakes! Liana & my blog is Heart of the Home ;)
20 January 2010
Applying Hot Iron: Recalcitrant Characters
So, those of you who follow me on twitter will know that for the last week or so, I've been working pretty hard on Sanctuary. I got nearly 5k yesterday, huzzah!! But really, I don't feel like this is a really major achievement, because it's been easy. The MC, Edge (real name Emma), is a chatterbox. She wants to stop and talk about everything, everyone. She's guaranteed to always have a comment or an aside, and her voice just flows, because she Doesn't. Stop. Talking.
This is a good thing. Really, it is. It's just frustrating that I won't have much writing time in the next week due to family weddings and a new job! :D But on the other hand, it gives me confidence that I can drop the story for a week and come back to it without missing a beat - Edge will still be there, ready to chatter away the instant I put fingers to keyboard.
In complete contrast, let me introduce you to Deviran. He's a co-MC of my Magic Eyes Universe books, the sensible and silent to Mercury's loud and silly. I adore Deviran. He's gorgeous, he's smart, he's sensible, dependable, reliable... And silent. Oh. So. Silent.
Okay, I can deal with having a character who's the strong silent type. I can deal with having a character who doesn't have much to say. I can...
*implodes*
See, what's really frustrating about Dev is that he's not only the silent type in-story, he's also silent out of story. Which makes it near impossible to find out anything about him. I love him, I adore him - but who the heck is he??
So. Today, let's look at some techniques you can use on recalcitrant characters - and if you have any others, leave them in the comments. Trust me, I need all the ammunition I can get.
1) Interviews. These work best for chatty characters, but a few well-leveraged questions can often open up the silent characters too. If you're really having trouble, consider asking a friend to play the role of interviewer while you respond in-character. That way, you won't be able to anticipate the answer because you won't know the question.
2) Role Playing. For your character, that is. Tear them out of their own story/universe, and make them uncomfortable. Throw them to the sharks, have them fight a tiger, expose them to any nasties your other worlds might be harbouring. Anything and everything - throw them at your character, and watch and see how they respond. Liana Brooks calls this one the Reaction Chamber.
3) Kill them. Again, and again, and again. As creatively and painfully as you can, on paper for the world - and your character - to see. Have a competition with a friend to see how many deaths it takes before the character is willing to crack and give you information.
4) Find the Detail. Often, there is one particular detail about a character that triggers off a whole ranges of questions and answers, like a chain reaction. It's just a matter of finding the right detail. Go through everything you know about your character, piece by piece, and threaten you character with either the destruction of this detail, or the reversal of it. Threaten to make the guy a girl, the mother a teen - or in my case, threaten to give the only guy in the entire Academy without a familiar a new one. o.O
5) Ask Someone Else. Like everything in life, it really is possible to get too close to the situation. Sometimes it's hard to see the character for the characteristics - or vice versa. Ask a friend (preferably a writer, or at least someone like an actor who is used to the business of characterisation) to read over what you've got written down with your character (including any or all of the above suggestions) and tell you what they think of your character. You might be surprised at how clear the character is to someone who isn't you.
With Deviran, 4 and 5 were most successful. I found out a whole bunch about his past and now all of a sudden who he is in the present makes sense.
Have you ever used any of these tactics with success? What other suggestions do you have for dealing with recalcitrant characters?
This is a good thing. Really, it is. It's just frustrating that I won't have much writing time in the next week due to family weddings and a new job! :D But on the other hand, it gives me confidence that I can drop the story for a week and come back to it without missing a beat - Edge will still be there, ready to chatter away the instant I put fingers to keyboard.
In complete contrast, let me introduce you to Deviran. He's a co-MC of my Magic Eyes Universe books, the sensible and silent to Mercury's loud and silly. I adore Deviran. He's gorgeous, he's smart, he's sensible, dependable, reliable... And silent. Oh. So. Silent.
Okay, I can deal with having a character who's the strong silent type. I can deal with having a character who doesn't have much to say. I can...
*implodes*
See, what's really frustrating about Dev is that he's not only the silent type in-story, he's also silent out of story. Which makes it near impossible to find out anything about him. I love him, I adore him - but who the heck is he??
So. Today, let's look at some techniques you can use on recalcitrant characters - and if you have any others, leave them in the comments. Trust me, I need all the ammunition I can get.
1) Interviews. These work best for chatty characters, but a few well-leveraged questions can often open up the silent characters too. If you're really having trouble, consider asking a friend to play the role of interviewer while you respond in-character. That way, you won't be able to anticipate the answer because you won't know the question.
2) Role Playing. For your character, that is. Tear them out of their own story/universe, and make them uncomfortable. Throw them to the sharks, have them fight a tiger, expose them to any nasties your other worlds might be harbouring. Anything and everything - throw them at your character, and watch and see how they respond. Liana Brooks calls this one the Reaction Chamber.
3) Kill them. Again, and again, and again. As creatively and painfully as you can, on paper for the world - and your character - to see. Have a competition with a friend to see how many deaths it takes before the character is willing to crack and give you information.
4) Find the Detail. Often, there is one particular detail about a character that triggers off a whole ranges of questions and answers, like a chain reaction. It's just a matter of finding the right detail. Go through everything you know about your character, piece by piece, and threaten you character with either the destruction of this detail, or the reversal of it. Threaten to make the guy a girl, the mother a teen - or in my case, threaten to give the only guy in the entire Academy without a familiar a new one. o.O
5) Ask Someone Else. Like everything in life, it really is possible to get too close to the situation. Sometimes it's hard to see the character for the characteristics - or vice versa. Ask a friend (preferably a writer, or at least someone like an actor who is used to the business of characterisation) to read over what you've got written down with your character (including any or all of the above suggestions) and tell you what they think of your character. You might be surprised at how clear the character is to someone who isn't you.
With Deviran, 4 and 5 were most successful. I found out a whole bunch about his past and now all of a sudden who he is in the present makes sense.
Have you ever used any of these tactics with success? What other suggestions do you have for dealing with recalcitrant characters?
25 November 2009
Story Elements #7: Character
So, a couple of weeks ago I took a workshop for a very awesome bunch of high school students on creative writing. The topic they had requested was 'characters', so in a meandering fashion I kind of got around to discussing how you create characters. Meandering. Kind of. Ha. O:)
Today, I decided it was time to dig out the old Story Elements series of posts (see here for the whole series) and do one on character.
What is character?
WordNet Princeton gives the following:
1) fictional character: an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction;
Yup, that's pretty straight forward. A character is a person you write about, a person who plays a part in your story.
But... That's kinda unhelpful when it comes to actually writing. I know what a character is; I want to know how to create one. So we read on:
2) quality: a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something;
This is a little more helpful: your characters have qualities which define them, which make them individuals.
Okay, so my characters have to be unique, and they have to have characteristics which define them. Last definition:
3) the inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions;
This is what we mean when we talk about someone's character. If we say such-and-such has a 'good character', we mean that the complex interactions that show us what their morals and ethics are reveal to us a person we like, someone whose motivations for making decisions is something we can relate to.
Here's the thing: good characters have their own characters. Bad characters don't.
What I mean by that - 'bad' characters (in the sense of poorly-formed, not in the sense of 'villainous') don't have unique characteristics that set them apart from others; there is nothing that defines them, as a person, even though there might be things that define them as a 'type' (eg the type 'mad scientist', or 'blonde cheerleader', or any other cardboard cut-out stock category of character you can think of); and the reasons for their actions and the decisions they make are shallow at best.
Real characters are motivated by real things, not because they have to behave in keeping with their 'type'. Real characters have faults and flaws as well as good qualities, and there is always a balance of the two. Real characters are sometimes illogical, often ..., and are always driven by their own personal motivations.
So how do you create a character like this?
Three easy steps.
1) Talk.
Talk to your blank character like you would any new person you meet. Start with the small talk, if that's what works for you, but dig deeper too. Find out who they are; spend time with them.
Character chats and interviews are fantastic for this. If you're doing it alone, you just write down to the question you want to ask the character, and answer in character. If you can nab a partner to perform the role of Inquisitor - uh, Interviewer, so much the better, because they'll think of questions you wouldn't have and take the conversation in a whole new direction.
2) Listen.
The key word above is conversation. There's little point talking at your characters, telling them who they are and how they're supposed to act. I mean sure, to some degree you have to keep a handle on them so that your chicklit romance doesn't become, say, a gritty thriller - but to a certain extent, you have to let go.
It's scary, but it works. My current WIP is a demonstration of its truth: by listening to the characters and thinking at every turn about what they would do, instead of outlining to the nth degree based on what would be logical for them to do, I've discovered some very nice twists and turns, and my story has infinitely more depth.
3) Cut to the core.
Which brings us to point 3: depth. What is the core? The core is the character's (as per definition 1) character (as per definitions 2 & 3).
I'm about to reveal a piece of advice that shocked me back when I was a way-new writer: A character's physical appearance doesn't matter. Yes, that's right, you heard me: the way a character looks is the least important part of creating them, UNLESS some part of their physicality ALSO impacts greatly on their core. For example...
*rifles through character box*
*pulls out large hulky dude with tattoos all over his arms*
See this dude? Massive guy, bald head, looks pretty intimidating, right? Guess what? His appearance ONLY matters for how it causes him to relate to others, and to himself. So:
a) Others: He's huge, he's frightening, ergo people are nervous around him, which makes him by turns nervous around people, and angry at them for letting his appearance get in the way.
b) Self: He was huge growing up, but it was the jelly-wobbly kind of huge that drew the taunts and bullying of kids much fitter than himself. As he got older, he vowed that he'd use his weight to his advantage, and the fat became muscle and he became the biggest bully of them all - until he got sick of it. Now, since he's big enough for people to leave him alone, he lives alone, and doesn't bother people unless they bother him.
...
Wow. I'm actually kinda interested in this guy now, yanno? And for the record, no: I've never seen this guy before, he's not a character I've previously met, and I didn't pre-plan this part of the post. I created an appearance, and legitimised it by making it matter.
The single most important thing you can ask your character is this: What is your deepest need? What is the one thing that compels you to act when otherwise you wouldn't, that stays your hand when you desperately want to move, the one thing that motivates you like nothing else in the world?
That's your core. That's your character.
EVERYTHING in your story, whether it's description, the weather, a plot twist, a setting, an item, a character - EVERY thing, EVERY detail, EVERY WORD YOU WRITE is there for ONE reason, and one reason ONLY:
To create conflict that will drive your story onwards.
If it doesn't change anything, it's not important.
If the fact that your character's hair is brown doesn't alter the way she does anything - even something as simple as comparing herself to blondes, favourably or not - if it doesn't change something, it Does. Not. Matter.
Period.
So go: Get out there and make those characters of yours matter - and you'll have characters that will grab readers by the throats and demand that they be dragged along for the ride.
And ultimately, that's what we all want, right?
Tell me: Who's your absolute favourite character in the world that ISN'T yours? Why characteristics of them appeal to you? What about characters of your own?
Today, I decided it was time to dig out the old Story Elements series of posts (see here for the whole series) and do one on character.
What is character?
WordNet Princeton gives the following:
1) fictional character: an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction;
Yup, that's pretty straight forward. A character is a person you write about, a person who plays a part in your story.
But... That's kinda unhelpful when it comes to actually writing. I know what a character is; I want to know how to create one. So we read on:
2) quality: a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something;
This is a little more helpful: your characters have qualities which define them, which make them individuals.
Okay, so my characters have to be unique, and they have to have characteristics which define them. Last definition:
3) the inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions;
This is what we mean when we talk about someone's character. If we say such-and-such has a 'good character', we mean that the complex interactions that show us what their morals and ethics are reveal to us a person we like, someone whose motivations for making decisions is something we can relate to.
Here's the thing: good characters have their own characters. Bad characters don't.
What I mean by that - 'bad' characters (in the sense of poorly-formed, not in the sense of 'villainous') don't have unique characteristics that set them apart from others; there is nothing that defines them, as a person, even though there might be things that define them as a 'type' (eg the type 'mad scientist', or 'blonde cheerleader', or any other cardboard cut-out stock category of character you can think of); and the reasons for their actions and the decisions they make are shallow at best.
Real characters are motivated by real things, not because they have to behave in keeping with their 'type'. Real characters have faults and flaws as well as good qualities, and there is always a balance of the two. Real characters are sometimes illogical, often ..., and are always driven by their own personal motivations.
So how do you create a character like this?
Three easy steps.
1) Talk.
Talk to your blank character like you would any new person you meet. Start with the small talk, if that's what works for you, but dig deeper too. Find out who they are; spend time with them.
Character chats and interviews are fantastic for this. If you're doing it alone, you just write down to the question you want to ask the character, and answer in character. If you can nab a partner to perform the role of Inquisitor - uh, Interviewer, so much the better, because they'll think of questions you wouldn't have and take the conversation in a whole new direction.
2) Listen.
The key word above is conversation. There's little point talking at your characters, telling them who they are and how they're supposed to act. I mean sure, to some degree you have to keep a handle on them so that your chicklit romance doesn't become, say, a gritty thriller - but to a certain extent, you have to let go.
It's scary, but it works. My current WIP is a demonstration of its truth: by listening to the characters and thinking at every turn about what they would do, instead of outlining to the nth degree based on what would be logical for them to do, I've discovered some very nice twists and turns, and my story has infinitely more depth.
3) Cut to the core.
Which brings us to point 3: depth. What is the core? The core is the character's (as per definition 1) character (as per definitions 2 & 3).
I'm about to reveal a piece of advice that shocked me back when I was a way-new writer: A character's physical appearance doesn't matter. Yes, that's right, you heard me: the way a character looks is the least important part of creating them, UNLESS some part of their physicality ALSO impacts greatly on their core. For example...
*rifles through character box*
*pulls out large hulky dude with tattoos all over his arms*
See this dude? Massive guy, bald head, looks pretty intimidating, right? Guess what? His appearance ONLY matters for how it causes him to relate to others, and to himself. So:
a) Others: He's huge, he's frightening, ergo people are nervous around him, which makes him by turns nervous around people, and angry at them for letting his appearance get in the way.
b) Self: He was huge growing up, but it was the jelly-wobbly kind of huge that drew the taunts and bullying of kids much fitter than himself. As he got older, he vowed that he'd use his weight to his advantage, and the fat became muscle and he became the biggest bully of them all - until he got sick of it. Now, since he's big enough for people to leave him alone, he lives alone, and doesn't bother people unless they bother him.
...
Wow. I'm actually kinda interested in this guy now, yanno? And for the record, no: I've never seen this guy before, he's not a character I've previously met, and I didn't pre-plan this part of the post. I created an appearance, and legitimised it by making it matter.
The single most important thing you can ask your character is this: What is your deepest need? What is the one thing that compels you to act when otherwise you wouldn't, that stays your hand when you desperately want to move, the one thing that motivates you like nothing else in the world?
That's your core. That's your character.
EVERYTHING in your story, whether it's description, the weather, a plot twist, a setting, an item, a character - EVERY thing, EVERY detail, EVERY WORD YOU WRITE is there for ONE reason, and one reason ONLY:
To create conflict that will drive your story onwards.
If it doesn't change anything, it's not important.
If the fact that your character's hair is brown doesn't alter the way she does anything - even something as simple as comparing herself to blondes, favourably or not - if it doesn't change something, it Does. Not. Matter.
Period.
So go: Get out there and make those characters of yours matter - and you'll have characters that will grab readers by the throats and demand that they be dragged along for the ride.
And ultimately, that's what we all want, right?
Tell me: Who's your absolute favourite character in the world that ISN'T yours? Why characteristics of them appeal to you? What about characters of your own?
16 November 2009
Trying Something New
So, long-time reader of this blog will know that for me, the first 7ish chapters of a novel usually fly past. It's when I hit chapter 8 that I hit trouble. (I can't find a post to back this up, but trust me: it's true. It's also the reason why I have so many first-seven-chapters of novels littering my harddrive o.0)
How Not To Take Over The World, the spoofy fantasy novel that I'm writing for NaNoWriMo, is running fit and true to form: the first 8 chapters flew past in a blur of giggles and glee... And then I hit chapter 9.
Slam. Right into that wall.
*pokes it*
So, what do I do when all the impetus that keeps my work going come screeching to a halt? When my plot starts getting Serious and I have to actually think about keeping the characters within the bounds of the story, when I have to start saying no to random fun tangents and basically my whole self-esteem as a writing drops through the floor - Can I do this? Can I really tie all this squee together into something coherent? How can I live up to the standard of the first few chapters, which are funny?
Usually, when I write a novel, I outline thusly: I start the novel with a reasonable idea of how it will end, and some inklings as to what the midpoint change will be. I write a chapter. I get ideas, and I write the next chapter. For the first 7-8, I'm usually outlining a chapter or two ahead as the current scenes spark ideas for new ones.
Then I hit the end of act one: The Wall. Ordinarily, it's about now that the plot starts coming together, I see how things are going to fit into the storyline, and I'll outline to about the middle of the novel. As I draw closer to the middle, I'll outline about that number of chapters again further on - so I'm always say ten chapters ahead with the outline.
When I hit the middle, or just past, I'll have an outline nearly to the end anyway, so I'll usually sit down and outline all the way to the end at this point.
Note that when I say outline, I mean the Line For Scene (L4S) method: just a single sentence describing the main conflict of the scene - although sometimes I'll throw in some dialogue too if it comes to me ;)
That's how I'd usually do it; and usually, I'd struggle through the middle with none of the delight that I had in the first chapters, plodding onward because that's what my outline tells me to do. I'd finish the book, but by then I'd be sick of it, because I knew everything that was going to happen and nothing surprised me. I didn't let anything surprise me.
Which is totally contradictory to everything I've learned and know about writing. We write to have fun, we write to discover, to be surprised and delighted - and by outlining as I do, for me, it kills the joy of the spontaneity that I find in the first handful of chapters. I say "for me", because some people do outline comprehensively, and it works for them. Good on them, I say :)
But this time, I'm going to try something different. It's NaNo, after all, and setting yourself free from your usual rules and boundaries is practically in the rules.
This time, I'm going to remember everything I learned in the Think Sideways course about creating surprises that surprise even me; about 'leaving toys on the floor' as I write for my subconscious to pick up later and turn into twists and turns.
I'm also going to remember everything I'd learned recently by experience about listening to my characters. When I get stuck, I'm going to resist the temptation to plot and outline my way through it by logic; people aren't always logical, after all. Instead, I'm going to sit back, visualise my character and where they are, and ask them what they're doing.
They'll show me; they already have.
And hopefully, this will allow me to hold onto that feeling of spontaneity and delight that's seen me through the first 8 chapters - though of course, I still worry that the story will suck :D hehe.
So, NaNo. I cracked 25k yesterday, and am pretty much on target to finish 50k comfortably in the month. Who else is doing it? How are you going? What have you learned so far? And no, you can't say nothing - because every time we write, we learn something, even if it's only to never, ever use second person omniscient tense while utilising a backwards timeframe again O:) :D
How Not To Take Over The World, the spoofy fantasy novel that I'm writing for NaNoWriMo, is running fit and true to form: the first 8 chapters flew past in a blur of giggles and glee... And then I hit chapter 9.
Slam. Right into that wall.
*pokes it*
So, what do I do when all the impetus that keeps my work going come screeching to a halt? When my plot starts getting Serious and I have to actually think about keeping the characters within the bounds of the story, when I have to start saying no to random fun tangents and basically my whole self-esteem as a writing drops through the floor - Can I do this? Can I really tie all this squee together into something coherent? How can I live up to the standard of the first few chapters, which are funny?
Usually, when I write a novel, I outline thusly: I start the novel with a reasonable idea of how it will end, and some inklings as to what the midpoint change will be. I write a chapter. I get ideas, and I write the next chapter. For the first 7-8, I'm usually outlining a chapter or two ahead as the current scenes spark ideas for new ones.
Then I hit the end of act one: The Wall. Ordinarily, it's about now that the plot starts coming together, I see how things are going to fit into the storyline, and I'll outline to about the middle of the novel. As I draw closer to the middle, I'll outline about that number of chapters again further on - so I'm always say ten chapters ahead with the outline.
When I hit the middle, or just past, I'll have an outline nearly to the end anyway, so I'll usually sit down and outline all the way to the end at this point.
Note that when I say outline, I mean the Line For Scene (L4S) method: just a single sentence describing the main conflict of the scene - although sometimes I'll throw in some dialogue too if it comes to me ;)
That's how I'd usually do it; and usually, I'd struggle through the middle with none of the delight that I had in the first chapters, plodding onward because that's what my outline tells me to do. I'd finish the book, but by then I'd be sick of it, because I knew everything that was going to happen and nothing surprised me. I didn't let anything surprise me.
Which is totally contradictory to everything I've learned and know about writing. We write to have fun, we write to discover, to be surprised and delighted - and by outlining as I do, for me, it kills the joy of the spontaneity that I find in the first handful of chapters. I say "for me", because some people do outline comprehensively, and it works for them. Good on them, I say :)
But this time, I'm going to try something different. It's NaNo, after all, and setting yourself free from your usual rules and boundaries is practically in the rules.
This time, I'm going to remember everything I learned in the Think Sideways course about creating surprises that surprise even me; about 'leaving toys on the floor' as I write for my subconscious to pick up later and turn into twists and turns.
I'm also going to remember everything I'd learned recently by experience about listening to my characters. When I get stuck, I'm going to resist the temptation to plot and outline my way through it by logic; people aren't always logical, after all. Instead, I'm going to sit back, visualise my character and where they are, and ask them what they're doing.
They'll show me; they already have.
And hopefully, this will allow me to hold onto that feeling of spontaneity and delight that's seen me through the first 8 chapters - though of course, I still worry that the story will suck :D hehe.
So, NaNo. I cracked 25k yesterday, and am pretty much on target to finish 50k comfortably in the month. Who else is doing it? How are you going? What have you learned so far? And no, you can't say nothing - because every time we write, we learn something, even if it's only to never, ever use second person omniscient tense while utilising a backwards timeframe again O:) :D
12 October 2009
Letting Characters Characterise Themselves
So, I have a bit of a problem to confess: All my MCs sound the same. Did. Did sound the same. Before I realised, that is.
Do you ever have this problem?
It's something that can creep up on writers in two ways: either you write your books consecutively, writing just one at a time, so you never notice that your MCs sound the same; or you write books concurrently, several at a time, and the voice of one bleeds over into another.
It can also happen if you develop a habit - accidentally or deliberately - of writing about the same kind of people. When I talked about patterns in writing last week, it made me realise just how easy it is to write the same character over and over in different situations, rather than writing different characters.
I mentioned three female characters who all start out thinking they can't do whatever it is that needs doing, and then, at some point, realise they can and have to. While it's - of course - okay to use that kind of generic 'template' to structure a character's arc of development - and there are only so many ways a character can develop after all; that's what people mean when they say there are only x number of plots in the world - it's not okay to fall into the trap of making them all the same person.
How are they different? How would they all react to each other's situations? There should be differences there, even if they are subtle.
My MCs all sounded similar, at least for the major novels I was working on. This became especially obvious to me last month, when I wrote so many shorts where the MCs had great, developed and unique voices.
And in a conversation with my twin the other day, I realised why: I was trying to characterise the characters, instead of letting them do it themselves. I was shouting over top of them, telling them how they ought to be, instead of listening and letting them tell me who they were. Prime example: one of my YA MCs, Edge. She had two older sisters, one grown up and married. This is what I kept telling her (amongst other things); and as a result, her story refused to budge. It wouldn't come, and when it did, it was labourious.
But after the conversation with L, I shut up and let Edge speak for herself. She told me that, actually, she had a brother and a sister, both close in age to each other but quite a bit older than her.
I blinked in shock, and was tempted to argue - but I held my tongue, and as a result I wrote nearly 2k on her story in just the one day.
I have something else to confess: My middle sister had to have speech therapy when she was four. She couldn't talk properly - because I kept talking for her.
Turns out, I haven't changed: I just do it to my characters instead of RL people.
Maybe I should send my characters to speech therapy *grin*
Listen to your characters. They know who they are, and who they need to be. Don't try to force them to do things that aren't true to their nature - and if you listen, if you let them characterise themselves, they won't sound the same. They can't.
Have you ever had characters who sounded the same? Have you ever realised you were steering your characters in a direction they weren't supposed to go? What did you do to overcome this?
Do you ever have this problem?
It's something that can creep up on writers in two ways: either you write your books consecutively, writing just one at a time, so you never notice that your MCs sound the same; or you write books concurrently, several at a time, and the voice of one bleeds over into another.
It can also happen if you develop a habit - accidentally or deliberately - of writing about the same kind of people. When I talked about patterns in writing last week, it made me realise just how easy it is to write the same character over and over in different situations, rather than writing different characters.
I mentioned three female characters who all start out thinking they can't do whatever it is that needs doing, and then, at some point, realise they can and have to. While it's - of course - okay to use that kind of generic 'template' to structure a character's arc of development - and there are only so many ways a character can develop after all; that's what people mean when they say there are only x number of plots in the world - it's not okay to fall into the trap of making them all the same person.
How are they different? How would they all react to each other's situations? There should be differences there, even if they are subtle.
My MCs all sounded similar, at least for the major novels I was working on. This became especially obvious to me last month, when I wrote so many shorts where the MCs had great, developed and unique voices.
And in a conversation with my twin the other day, I realised why: I was trying to characterise the characters, instead of letting them do it themselves. I was shouting over top of them, telling them how they ought to be, instead of listening and letting them tell me who they were. Prime example: one of my YA MCs, Edge. She had two older sisters, one grown up and married. This is what I kept telling her (amongst other things); and as a result, her story refused to budge. It wouldn't come, and when it did, it was labourious.
But after the conversation with L, I shut up and let Edge speak for herself. She told me that, actually, she had a brother and a sister, both close in age to each other but quite a bit older than her.
I blinked in shock, and was tempted to argue - but I held my tongue, and as a result I wrote nearly 2k on her story in just the one day.
I have something else to confess: My middle sister had to have speech therapy when she was four. She couldn't talk properly - because I kept talking for her.
Turns out, I haven't changed: I just do it to my characters instead of RL people.
Maybe I should send my characters to speech therapy *grin*
Listen to your characters. They know who they are, and who they need to be. Don't try to force them to do things that aren't true to their nature - and if you listen, if you let them characterise themselves, they won't sound the same. They can't.
Have you ever had characters who sounded the same? Have you ever realised you were steering your characters in a direction they weren't supposed to go? What did you do to overcome this?
12 August 2009
Jesscapades Edits I - Focus Editing
Please note: I unknowingly breached copyright in some of the terms I used in my original post. I've replaced these terms with terms of my own. I've also added a little clarification in one or two sections.
So, since a) it seems to be the trend to write about editing right now (Liana Brooks, for example) and b) Glam did a fantastic series of posts about maps and compasses for your story, I thought I'd chime in. Especially since this is where I'm actually up to in the writing process right now. (I highly recommend those posts I just linked to, though! :))
And especially since I use most of the methods Glam mentions in her pretty comprehensive list of outlining methods at some time or another in editing. Perhaps you can consider her post the 'what', and these posts the 'how' ;)
Today, we're talking about Part One. Basically what this stages boils down to is Focus - finding your focus, finding your character's focus, and finding your story's focus.
When we edit, we absolutely have to have a focus; if we don't, how do we know if the scene fits or not? If it moves the story forwards or simply weighs it down? If the subplots add or subtract from the story? If the story even ends up where it's supposed to?
All these questions and more are what this stage of editing answers for me. Although, like anything creative, this is all a messy, organic process as well; with Jesscapades I found the MC's focus through this process, but it wasn't until well after Stage Two of editing that I found the story's focus.
But let's pretend that stories are nice, mechanical beasts that can be slotted into boxes, just for a minute. What does Focus Editing involve?
So. Your story needs a focus, and you need to find your focus before you edit. There are many ways to do this - but this is how I do it, inspired by one of Holly Lisle's methods, and by a method developed by a friend of Glam's who is publishing a book on how she does it. My method is a lot simpler than either of these those, since I'm impatient O:) And of course, it draws on lots of other stuff I've learned along the way; which just goes to show how organic the writing process is, and how individual we all are :)
First up, I pull out my Sentence again. For Jesscapades, this was:
A dedicated student assassin receives her graduation assignment: kill her best friend, or be killed by him.
Okay. That was where I began; but is this where I ended up? If I actually look at what I've written, I see that mostly, the focus isn't actually on her assignment. So what I do next (and what I'd do even if the story DID match the sentence) is figure out what my Inciting Incident is. Glam has a great post on inciting incidents right here, so I won't go into detail - but basically, it's the incident that drives the story; the incident your MC is continually having to face the consequences of; the event without which the story would never have happened.
BEWARE: Spoilers ahead.
Inciting Incident: In Jesscapades, initially I'd planned for the II to be Jess receiving her assignment. But this wasn't right. It was a good catalyst, something to poke her into action after years of hiding - but it's not the main issue she has to confront throughout the book. That place belongs to - dun dun dun - the murder of her sister.
So. My sentence will need reworking. But before I can do that, I need to check that the other parts (twist and antagonist especially, and needs) are in order. And there are a couple of other roles (based on the icecream cone diagram) that I want to check are filled.
Antagonist: This is the character that represents to Jess what she's fighting against. I realised that Jesscapades had two characters vying for this role: the head bad dude, and his lackey. And Jess can't be trying to fight both of them if the novel is to feel coherent. So, buh-bye head bad dude; you'll get your turn in book two. For now, Lackey is going to be my antagonist. And not only were there two CHARACTERS fighting for the role of antagonist, there were two ORGANISATIONS as well! It made the book very messy, and Jess's actions were scatters - so I cut one.
See how I'm streamlining here, cutting out the unnecessary waffle (characters AND subplots) that detract from the main focus of the story?
Hero: In terms of 'one who saves MC', which can often be the MC themself. Who's the one who acts on behalf of the MC, whether they win or lose? In Jesscapades, it could easily have been Jess herself. BUT. I also have a whole bunch of scenes (not quite half, but a sizeable amount) from John's POV. So why not give him this role? It will give his arc direction and purpose, rather than just having 'another character'. This is also key: any characters in your WIP that are key stakeholders, or main players, or POV characters, have to have a role if their storyline is to support the main one and add to your focus. So, John gets the role of hero. (Does he succeed or not? Bwa ha! You'll have to wait to read the book! :P)
Safe Character: Now, this role is actually pretty optional, but you'd be surprised how often it crops up. I think it closely parallels the role of 'mentor', but I like the term 'safe' because it reminds me of the difference this character makes. This character is someone who is 'safe' for your MC; who isn't going to turn on them, who they can run to with anything. In examining this role with Glam when I visited her, I finally figured out what makes fiction 'dark': the safe character dies or is somehow corrupted. That's not all of it, but it's a large part. The safe character for me in Jesscapades is Patty. Is the book dark? Bwa ha! I'm not telling!
Needs: This is what I meant about writing being organic; ideally I'd have thought about needs at the same time as all the other stuff. In actual fact, I didn't. It only hit me yesterday, and it relates to the focus of the entire book. Jess's main need, whether I like it or not, and whether she ends up believing in it or not, is revenge. So, in fact, is the need of the other 3 POV characters. I'm amazed I didn't think of this before; and I'm amazed that I'm writing a book about revenge o.O But now that I've accepted it, I realise that it makes the book so much more cohesive; the subplots back up the main plot because they're about the same thing, only in a different way; and it's going to help tremendously in editing because I'll know whether subplots and extra scene should stay or now - if they're relevant and back the main story up or not. Lovely :)
So now I've streamlined my book in a major way: I know what subplots can effectively be cut, I know what I'll need to focus on in each of the plot threads, I've simplified who Jess is aiming for and what each of the main characters' roles are, and I've cut the POV characters down to just 4, which turns out neatly symmetrical: one for each 'side' in the fight, and one each for Jess and John.
At this point, you could rework your Sentence - but in real life, I hadn't found my needs properly yet (digression: I go on and on about how the most important thing you can know about your character is their driving need, or compelling motivation - and yet I managed to write an entire novel where I didn't know what it was for ANY of my (at the time) SIX POV characters!!!) so I didn't have enough information to rework my Sentence. But let's pretend I did. It might go something like this:
Jessana, a dedicated student assassin, must face down an old enemy as she fights for revenge for her sister's death - all while trying to avoid killing her best friend.
Or something ;)
And that's it for today, folks! Tune in on Friday to read about Editing: The Read Through!
So, since a) it seems to be the trend to write about editing right now (Liana Brooks, for example) and b) Glam did a fantastic series of posts about maps and compasses for your story, I thought I'd chime in. Especially since this is where I'm actually up to in the writing process right now. (I highly recommend those posts I just linked to, though! :))
And especially since I use most of the methods Glam mentions in her pretty comprehensive list of outlining methods at some time or another in editing. Perhaps you can consider her post the 'what', and these posts the 'how' ;)
Today, we're talking about Part One. Basically what this stages boils down to is Focus - finding your focus, finding your character's focus, and finding your story's focus.
When we edit, we absolutely have to have a focus; if we don't, how do we know if the scene fits or not? If it moves the story forwards or simply weighs it down? If the subplots add or subtract from the story? If the story even ends up where it's supposed to?
All these questions and more are what this stage of editing answers for me. Although, like anything creative, this is all a messy, organic process as well; with Jesscapades I found the MC's focus through this process, but it wasn't until well after Stage Two of editing that I found the story's focus.
But let's pretend that stories are nice, mechanical beasts that can be slotted into boxes, just for a minute. What does Focus Editing involve?
So. Your story needs a focus, and you need to find your focus before you edit. There are many ways to do this - but this is how I do it, inspired by one of Holly Lisle's methods, and by a method developed by a friend of Glam's who is publishing a book on how she does it. My method is a lot simpler than either of these those, since I'm impatient O:) And of course, it draws on lots of other stuff I've learned along the way; which just goes to show how organic the writing process is, and how individual we all are :)
First up, I pull out my Sentence again. For Jesscapades, this was:
A dedicated student assassin receives her graduation assignment: kill her best friend, or be killed by him.
Okay. That was where I began; but is this where I ended up? If I actually look at what I've written, I see that mostly, the focus isn't actually on her assignment. So what I do next (and what I'd do even if the story DID match the sentence) is figure out what my Inciting Incident is. Glam has a great post on inciting incidents right here, so I won't go into detail - but basically, it's the incident that drives the story; the incident your MC is continually having to face the consequences of; the event without which the story would never have happened.
BEWARE: Spoilers ahead.
Inciting Incident: In Jesscapades, initially I'd planned for the II to be Jess receiving her assignment. But this wasn't right. It was a good catalyst, something to poke her into action after years of hiding - but it's not the main issue she has to confront throughout the book. That place belongs to - dun dun dun - the murder of her sister.
So. My sentence will need reworking. But before I can do that, I need to check that the other parts (twist and antagonist especially, and needs) are in order. And there are a couple of other roles (based on the icecream cone diagram) that I want to check are filled.
Antagonist: This is the character that represents to Jess what she's fighting against. I realised that Jesscapades had two characters vying for this role: the head bad dude, and his lackey. And Jess can't be trying to fight both of them if the novel is to feel coherent. So, buh-bye head bad dude; you'll get your turn in book two. For now, Lackey is going to be my antagonist. And not only were there two CHARACTERS fighting for the role of antagonist, there were two ORGANISATIONS as well! It made the book very messy, and Jess's actions were scatters - so I cut one.
See how I'm streamlining here, cutting out the unnecessary waffle (characters AND subplots) that detract from the main focus of the story?
Hero: In terms of 'one who saves MC', which can often be the MC themself. Who's the one who acts on behalf of the MC, whether they win or lose? In Jesscapades, it could easily have been Jess herself. BUT. I also have a whole bunch of scenes (not quite half, but a sizeable amount) from John's POV. So why not give him this role? It will give his arc direction and purpose, rather than just having 'another character'. This is also key: any characters in your WIP that are key stakeholders, or main players, or POV characters, have to have a role if their storyline is to support the main one and add to your focus. So, John gets the role of hero. (Does he succeed or not? Bwa ha! You'll have to wait to read the book! :P)
Safe Character: Now, this role is actually pretty optional, but you'd be surprised how often it crops up. I think it closely parallels the role of 'mentor', but I like the term 'safe' because it reminds me of the difference this character makes. This character is someone who is 'safe' for your MC; who isn't going to turn on them, who they can run to with anything. In examining this role with Glam when I visited her, I finally figured out what makes fiction 'dark': the safe character dies or is somehow corrupted. That's not all of it, but it's a large part. The safe character for me in Jesscapades is Patty. Is the book dark? Bwa ha! I'm not telling!
Needs: This is what I meant about writing being organic; ideally I'd have thought about needs at the same time as all the other stuff. In actual fact, I didn't. It only hit me yesterday, and it relates to the focus of the entire book. Jess's main need, whether I like it or not, and whether she ends up believing in it or not, is revenge. So, in fact, is the need of the other 3 POV characters. I'm amazed I didn't think of this before; and I'm amazed that I'm writing a book about revenge o.O But now that I've accepted it, I realise that it makes the book so much more cohesive; the subplots back up the main plot because they're about the same thing, only in a different way; and it's going to help tremendously in editing because I'll know whether subplots and extra scene should stay or now - if they're relevant and back the main story up or not. Lovely :)
So now I've streamlined my book in a major way: I know what subplots can effectively be cut, I know what I'll need to focus on in each of the plot threads, I've simplified who Jess is aiming for and what each of the main characters' roles are, and I've cut the POV characters down to just 4, which turns out neatly symmetrical: one for each 'side' in the fight, and one each for Jess and John.
At this point, you could rework your Sentence - but in real life, I hadn't found my needs properly yet (digression: I go on and on about how the most important thing you can know about your character is their driving need, or compelling motivation - and yet I managed to write an entire novel where I didn't know what it was for ANY of my (at the time) SIX POV characters!!!) so I didn't have enough information to rework my Sentence. But let's pretend I did. It might go something like this:
Jessana, a dedicated student assassin, must face down an old enemy as she fights for revenge for her sister's death - all while trying to avoid killing her best friend.
Or something ;)
And that's it for today, folks! Tune in on Friday to read about Editing: The Read Through!
10 June 2009
If I Were Going To Post Today...
Sorry guys, I have NO IDEA what's up with the text at the momnent. I've made this white manually for now so you can read it - hopefully the other posts will be visible again soon!!
I wonder what I would post about? In the spirit of scientific experiement, I decided to post anyway and find out what I would post about if I were to post today. Unique, no?
Testament to the way my brain is, lately, actually. As it turns out, it's quite likely that I have obstructive sleep apnea, due to my charming sinuses, which explains a) why I'm so tired all the time (like, crash on the floor and sleep for hours at 2 o'clock in the afternoon tired) and b) why I'm so insane all the time.
*ponders sentence*
No. Okay. So maybe it only explains the first O:)
However, it turns out that a state of perpetual tiredness can be good for my stories. Or my characters, at any rate. Remember how I said on Monday that I was being mobbed by my characters? Yeah. It hasn't stopped. They're now invading my dreams. *tries to grump and fails* I wouldn't mind a bit, if I'd actually finished Jesscapades. Alack, I haven't done any writing today or yesterday. Yesterday I had Good Excuses; today I've just been plain avoiding it :P But the other characters haven't dampened their din one bit, even though I've promised that if they'll just let me finish Jesscapades, then I'll write them ALL!
Nope. Not fooling them. They want to be let out now. A couple, in particular, have been very noisy, and I'm itching to get to work on their stories. So here's what today's post would be about, if I were going to post today (O:)): I'm going to give in, just for a minute or two, and let my rowdy characters tell you about themselves. Interesting to note that it's the girls being loud!
Ash: *waves and smiles* Hi, everyone! I'm Ash. I think I'm one of those 'rowdy' characters Amy was talking about *winks*. Don't mind her, though. She's just a little frustrated that she has to finish Jesscapades before writing my story *grin*. My story? Well, I guess it's a little like Cinderella-meets-Rumplestiltskin, if I had to compare it to stories from your world. I'm a non-magic, you see, but Rupert, the man I love... *looks sad* He's a magic. He's forbidden by law to love me back. It's a shame; he's the only decent man I've known since my father passed away. I miss my father. The smell of apples still makes me nauseous. What? Why apples? Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you didn't know. *sad smile* I was in the apple orchard when I got the news he'd died.
*brightens* But, I have a fantastic job, and some good friends, so even if my stepmother is a horrible old sod, and even if I can never have Rupert - well, at least I can work with him, right? And there's no law against flirting in the workplace ;)
Callie: *purses lips* Really, I don't see what all this fuss is about. I don't see why everyone can't just settle down, stop being so silly, and get on with life. I'm sure Amy will get to our stories when she can. *jumps as Amy pokes her* All right, all right, I'm introducing myself. *pokes tongue out behind Amy's back*
*turns to audience* Hi. My name is Callie. I'm sixteen, and I'm the co-MC of a novel called Magician's Thunder. The other MC is my older sister, Amber. I don't see why she has to be an MC; all she ever does is mope around or baby Mackenzie, our little sister, or hang out with that loser boyfriend of hers, or get angry at me. Nothing interesting, and certainly nothing worthy of MC-hood. *scowls*
Yes, all right, I'm talking about me! I live alone with my two sisters, 'cause our parents died in a car crash almost a year ago. Something sus, but I don't know the details, and Amber won't talk about it. I'm pretty sure she was involved somehow *dark look*. Anyway, my story begins when these freakish lightning storms start happening over the city every evening. The lightning's all funky-coloured, and there are rumours that magic's involved. Mac thinks that's soooo exciting, of course. I think they're all just idiots. It's probably just some sort of weird reaction with all the smog in the air. *gets frustrated* Why do people jump to the conclusion it's magic? Just because they haven't experienced it before, sure, it has to be magic? Whatever happened to common sense??
I wonder what I would post about? In the spirit of scientific experiement, I decided to post anyway and find out what I would post about if I were to post today. Unique, no?
Testament to the way my brain is, lately, actually. As it turns out, it's quite likely that I have obstructive sleep apnea, due to my charming sinuses, which explains a) why I'm so tired all the time (like, crash on the floor and sleep for hours at 2 o'clock in the afternoon tired) and b) why I'm so insane all the time.
*ponders sentence*
No. Okay. So maybe it only explains the first O:)
However, it turns out that a state of perpetual tiredness can be good for my stories. Or my characters, at any rate. Remember how I said on Monday that I was being mobbed by my characters? Yeah. It hasn't stopped. They're now invading my dreams. *tries to grump and fails* I wouldn't mind a bit, if I'd actually finished Jesscapades. Alack, I haven't done any writing today or yesterday. Yesterday I had Good Excuses; today I've just been plain avoiding it :P But the other characters haven't dampened their din one bit, even though I've promised that if they'll just let me finish Jesscapades, then I'll write them ALL!
Nope. Not fooling them. They want to be let out now. A couple, in particular, have been very noisy, and I'm itching to get to work on their stories. So here's what today's post would be about, if I were going to post today (O:)): I'm going to give in, just for a minute or two, and let my rowdy characters tell you about themselves. Interesting to note that it's the girls being loud!
Ash: *waves and smiles* Hi, everyone! I'm Ash. I think I'm one of those 'rowdy' characters Amy was talking about *winks*. Don't mind her, though. She's just a little frustrated that she has to finish Jesscapades before writing my story *grin*. My story? Well, I guess it's a little like Cinderella-meets-Rumplestiltskin, if I had to compare it to stories from your world. I'm a non-magic, you see, but Rupert, the man I love... *looks sad* He's a magic. He's forbidden by law to love me back. It's a shame; he's the only decent man I've known since my father passed away. I miss my father. The smell of apples still makes me nauseous. What? Why apples? Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you didn't know. *sad smile* I was in the apple orchard when I got the news he'd died.
*brightens* But, I have a fantastic job, and some good friends, so even if my stepmother is a horrible old sod, and even if I can never have Rupert - well, at least I can work with him, right? And there's no law against flirting in the workplace ;)
Callie: *purses lips* Really, I don't see what all this fuss is about. I don't see why everyone can't just settle down, stop being so silly, and get on with life. I'm sure Amy will get to our stories when she can. *jumps as Amy pokes her* All right, all right, I'm introducing myself. *pokes tongue out behind Amy's back*
*turns to audience* Hi. My name is Callie. I'm sixteen, and I'm the co-MC of a novel called Magician's Thunder. The other MC is my older sister, Amber. I don't see why she has to be an MC; all she ever does is mope around or baby Mackenzie, our little sister, or hang out with that loser boyfriend of hers, or get angry at me. Nothing interesting, and certainly nothing worthy of MC-hood. *scowls*
Yes, all right, I'm talking about me! I live alone with my two sisters, 'cause our parents died in a car crash almost a year ago. Something sus, but I don't know the details, and Amber won't talk about it. I'm pretty sure she was involved somehow *dark look*. Anyway, my story begins when these freakish lightning storms start happening over the city every evening. The lightning's all funky-coloured, and there are rumours that magic's involved. Mac thinks that's soooo exciting, of course. I think they're all just idiots. It's probably just some sort of weird reaction with all the smog in the air. *gets frustrated* Why do people jump to the conclusion it's magic? Just because they haven't experienced it before, sure, it has to be magic? Whatever happened to common sense??
08 June 2009
Hostage Situation
Right now, I'm living in the midst of a hostage situation. Yes, that's right: a hostage situation.
Oh, my! I hear you exclaim. No? *disappointed* Well, just play along with me, will you? O:) So, you're exclaiming, Oh my! Hostages! Why, who has been taken hostage, and by whom, and why, and what do they want??!!
*raises eyebrow expectantly and waits for you to exclaim*
There. Much better. Thank you.
Well, dear reader, draw near *leans forward, whispers creepily and rubs hands together* and I shall answer all your questions.
Who's being held hostage? Why, I am. Of course. Of course.
So, who are the terrorists, and why are they holding me hostage? And most importantly, what do they want?
Well, it's all very simple. The ones holding me hostage are... *glances furtively around, and whispers hoarsely* my characters!
Yes, that's right folks: I'm in the middle of a hostage situation and it's my characters who are to blame. Not just any characters, either: in fact, it's all my characters, from every single story I've ever thought of writing. Ever.
What do they want? They ALL want me to write THEIR stories - RIGHT NOW.
Can you guess that I'm getting close to the end of Jesscapades? Ten points if you did. See, I've got less than 10k to go. Only ten scenes, as I speak. And parts of most of those are written. AND, to compound the matter, I haven't been able to write for the last week, because it's been offically The Most Insane Week of The Entire Year - so every. single. character. that I have is quite literally clamouring at the back of my brain, all wanting to make themselves heard - all wanting to be the next story written.
So here's what I've decided: once Jess is finished (which it should be before I go away), I'm going to take the rest of the year off (writing-wise; I still plan to edit Jess) and write literally whatever jumps on me loudest at the time. I anticipate quite a few shorts, and work on at least three or four different novels; probably more. It'll be very interesting to see who wins in this character-eats-character brain of mine...
But anyway, how about you? Do your characters ever take you hostage? And is it usually just one loud character that's particularly insistent, or do they all take over at once? Please, let me know I'm not alone! :D
Oh, my! I hear you exclaim. No? *disappointed* Well, just play along with me, will you? O:) So, you're exclaiming, Oh my! Hostages! Why, who has been taken hostage, and by whom, and why, and what do they want??!!
*raises eyebrow expectantly and waits for you to exclaim*
There. Much better. Thank you.
Well, dear reader, draw near *leans forward, whispers creepily and rubs hands together* and I shall answer all your questions.
Who's being held hostage? Why, I am. Of course. Of course.
So, who are the terrorists, and why are they holding me hostage? And most importantly, what do they want?
Well, it's all very simple. The ones holding me hostage are... *glances furtively around, and whispers hoarsely* my characters!
Yes, that's right folks: I'm in the middle of a hostage situation and it's my characters who are to blame. Not just any characters, either: in fact, it's all my characters, from every single story I've ever thought of writing. Ever.
What do they want? They ALL want me to write THEIR stories - RIGHT NOW.
Can you guess that I'm getting close to the end of Jesscapades? Ten points if you did. See, I've got less than 10k to go. Only ten scenes, as I speak. And parts of most of those are written. AND, to compound the matter, I haven't been able to write for the last week, because it's been offically The Most Insane Week of The Entire Year - so every. single. character. that I have is quite literally clamouring at the back of my brain, all wanting to make themselves heard - all wanting to be the next story written.
So here's what I've decided: once Jess is finished (which it should be before I go away), I'm going to take the rest of the year off (writing-wise; I still plan to edit Jess) and write literally whatever jumps on me loudest at the time. I anticipate quite a few shorts, and work on at least three or four different novels; probably more. It'll be very interesting to see who wins in this character-eats-character brain of mine...
But anyway, how about you? Do your characters ever take you hostage? And is it usually just one loud character that's particularly insistent, or do they all take over at once? Please, let me know I'm not alone! :D
27 May 2009
Voices and Lack Thereof
...Also subtitled, 'Troublesome Characters'.
So.
I'm writing a novel called Jesscapades at the moment, right? The one-liner is 'A dedicated student assassin gets her final assignment: kill her best friend, or be killed by him.' It's not a brilliant tag-line, but it's not too shabby either. I think. The story itself has potential, and bits of world that just make me shiver and go 'Squee!'
The glass, for instance, which goes with the story behind the name of the assassin organisation. They're called Shards, and they kill at the direction of Fate. They get Fate's directions in the Glass Room, a large dome on the top of a tower filled to the brim with glass objects, all hanging from the glass ceiling, all twirling and twining in the dazzling sunlight so the room looks like gold.
When it's time for a person to be killed, their glass falls, and shatters. Shards, right?
Much squee, much happiness.
But here's the thing: right now, I'm a breath away from 60k. The first draft of the novel will be complete somewhere between 70k and 75k, and I expect that to increase by as much as 20k in edits. So the length is good.
The idea is good, the length is good.
Tension, yup, plenty of that. Twist? Oh yeah. Big twists. Conflict? Plenty. Subplots? Lots.
It works. It fits.
But.
Tonight I stumbled upon a review of Lisa Shearin's Magic Lost, Trouble Found, which is one of my all-time favouritest books evah. If, one day, I can write a character as amusing and enjoyable and entertaining as Raine, I shall die happy.
And that's precisely the thing. There's one thing missing from my list of the things that are right with my novel: characters.
Oh, sure, I have the characters. They all do their job. They drive the plot, they have needs and wants and motivations....
But right now, I simply can't convince myself to care about them. And it's not because I'm sick of the story, because I'm not. It's because they feel flat. It's because when I compare them to a kick-ass character like Raine Benares, they're weighed and found wanting.
And mostly, it's because of one thing: voice.
Recently Liana wrote a great post on finding your voice. I read it and knew it was important - but it wasn't until tonight after reading the Lisa Shearin interview as well that it all clicked.
See, my characters all sound the same. I'm teaching this great novel at school which is told through three different points of view, and the technique is fabulous: you can tell just by looking at the page - not even reading, just looking - which of the three characters is speaking.
My story has two main POV characters, and a small host of minor ones (about 6 in total, I think??) - and every single one of them sounds exactly the same. Even their dialogue sounds the same.
And right now, at this point in my writing career, I have to admit a scary thing - I'm not actually sure how to fix it. In my head, I have nothing; the characters aren't really speaking to me, I'm not hearing distinct voices for them like I have some of my other characters - and I don't really know what to do. And I have this feeling even character chats won't work.
For now, I'll plug on, and finish the draft as per plan - but if anyone has a suggestion, be it original or directing me to an article, I'm be so grateful for the help. I'm stuck, and my brain isn't offering me any answers.
Oh characters, where art thou??
So.
I'm writing a novel called Jesscapades at the moment, right? The one-liner is 'A dedicated student assassin gets her final assignment: kill her best friend, or be killed by him.' It's not a brilliant tag-line, but it's not too shabby either. I think. The story itself has potential, and bits of world that just make me shiver and go 'Squee!'
The glass, for instance, which goes with the story behind the name of the assassin organisation. They're called Shards, and they kill at the direction of Fate. They get Fate's directions in the Glass Room, a large dome on the top of a tower filled to the brim with glass objects, all hanging from the glass ceiling, all twirling and twining in the dazzling sunlight so the room looks like gold.
When it's time for a person to be killed, their glass falls, and shatters. Shards, right?
Much squee, much happiness.
But here's the thing: right now, I'm a breath away from 60k. The first draft of the novel will be complete somewhere between 70k and 75k, and I expect that to increase by as much as 20k in edits. So the length is good.
The idea is good, the length is good.
Tension, yup, plenty of that. Twist? Oh yeah. Big twists. Conflict? Plenty. Subplots? Lots.
It works. It fits.
But.
Tonight I stumbled upon a review of Lisa Shearin's Magic Lost, Trouble Found, which is one of my all-time favouritest books evah. If, one day, I can write a character as amusing and enjoyable and entertaining as Raine, I shall die happy.
And that's precisely the thing. There's one thing missing from my list of the things that are right with my novel: characters.
Oh, sure, I have the characters. They all do their job. They drive the plot, they have needs and wants and motivations....
But right now, I simply can't convince myself to care about them. And it's not because I'm sick of the story, because I'm not. It's because they feel flat. It's because when I compare them to a kick-ass character like Raine Benares, they're weighed and found wanting.
And mostly, it's because of one thing: voice.
Recently Liana wrote a great post on finding your voice. I read it and knew it was important - but it wasn't until tonight after reading the Lisa Shearin interview as well that it all clicked.
See, my characters all sound the same. I'm teaching this great novel at school which is told through three different points of view, and the technique is fabulous: you can tell just by looking at the page - not even reading, just looking - which of the three characters is speaking.
My story has two main POV characters, and a small host of minor ones (about 6 in total, I think??) - and every single one of them sounds exactly the same. Even their dialogue sounds the same.
And right now, at this point in my writing career, I have to admit a scary thing - I'm not actually sure how to fix it. In my head, I have nothing; the characters aren't really speaking to me, I'm not hearing distinct voices for them like I have some of my other characters - and I don't really know what to do. And I have this feeling even character chats won't work.
For now, I'll plug on, and finish the draft as per plan - but if anyone has a suggestion, be it original or directing me to an article, I'm be so grateful for the help. I'm stuck, and my brain isn't offering me any answers.
Oh characters, where art thou??
27 April 2009
Contests, Contests Galore!
THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED.
And they're all right here on this blog! Whee! :D
1) Character Chats
The post from week before last got me thinking: a couple of people mentioned to me that they're unfamiliar with the idea of character chats. Really, they're a blast! And a few weeks ago, Michelle had a contest on her blog for someone to participate in a character chat. So I thought - this is the week of contests! Why not?!
So.
Rules: Anyone may enter. To enter, leave a comment on this post introducing a character you'd like interviewed. You have approx 100 words to convince me to choose your character over everyone else's, so be creative! Let your character's voice and personality shine through! :) To clarify: you may write this in any style you like, in any tense/person/POV, so long as I can get a sense of your character from it.
Prize: I'll interview the winning character and post the interview on the blog. It'll be fun! :)
Closing Date: Monday May 4.
2) Book Reviews
As you know, the 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Dogs is coming out really soon. Now, naturally, I'd like people to buy this book ;) but I also really want to give away a couple of copies for FREE! Yay! Free book! :)
So I was thinking, people usually give away copies before the book comes out as 'Advanced Reader Copies' (ARCs) so that other people can review them. I'm not sure what I can do about ARCs, but in the sentiment of this...
Rules: Submit to me a 100-200 word review of my ebook. No, you can't read it first. Yes, you still have to review it %-) (hint: you can take a look at the topics covered here) The best/most inventive/most creative/most exciting/interesting/pretty review will win a copy of my ebook - and I may award runner up prizes on a discretionary basis.
You can either post your review in the comments section, or you can email it to me :)
Prize: My ebook! Huzzah!
Closing Date: Monday May 4.
3) The Ultimate - Free Books
This contest is NOT LIVE yet. I'll do another post next week as soon as it is.
When my ebook is released, the first ten people to buy a copy and email me a copy of their receipt will go in the draw to win a brand new copy of For The Love Of A Dog, one of the books I drew on in writing my ebook. This is a really, really awesome book about emotion in dogs - but it's about so much more than that. It's about emotions in people, too, and emotions in general, and the connections and communication between us and the people - and animals - we love. Honestly, if everyone who had to deal with dogs read this book, the number of dog-related injuries would dramatically decrease. This is a really, really great book.
Rules: Buy a copy of my ebook once it's released, and email me your receipt. If you're one of the first ten, you'll be entered into the draw (you'll receive confirmation that your email has been received, and I let people know when the cut off has been reached).
Prize: For The Love Of A Dog, by Patricia McConnell, posted out to you wherever you are, completely for F-R-E-E!! :D
So there you have it. Three contests in one day. Yippee! So - are you going to enter? :)
PS - Wow. This has been a really smiley post.
PPS - If you enter in the comments below, please make it clear WHICH CONTEST you're entering. Thanks :) (Oh look, another smile! :D)
PPS - Don't forget to go vote for which mistake you want me to read out in Friday's post! :)
And they're all right here on this blog! Whee! :D
1) Character Chats
The post from week before last got me thinking: a couple of people mentioned to me that they're unfamiliar with the idea of character chats. Really, they're a blast! And a few weeks ago, Michelle had a contest on her blog for someone to participate in a character chat. So I thought - this is the week of contests! Why not?!
So.
Rules: Anyone may enter. To enter, leave a comment on this post introducing a character you'd like interviewed. You have approx 100 words to convince me to choose your character over everyone else's, so be creative! Let your character's voice and personality shine through! :) To clarify: you may write this in any style you like, in any tense/person/POV, so long as I can get a sense of your character from it.
Prize: I'll interview the winning character and post the interview on the blog. It'll be fun! :)
Closing Date: Monday May 4.
2) Book Reviews
As you know, the 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Dogs is coming out really soon. Now, naturally, I'd like people to buy this book ;) but I also really want to give away a couple of copies for FREE! Yay! Free book! :)
So I was thinking, people usually give away copies before the book comes out as 'Advanced Reader Copies' (ARCs) so that other people can review them. I'm not sure what I can do about ARCs, but in the sentiment of this...
Rules: Submit to me a 100-200 word review of my ebook. No, you can't read it first. Yes, you still have to review it %-) (hint: you can take a look at the topics covered here) The best/most inventive/most creative/most exciting/interesting/pretty review will win a copy of my ebook - and I may award runner up prizes on a discretionary basis.
You can either post your review in the comments section, or you can email it to me :)
Prize: My ebook! Huzzah!
Closing Date: Monday May 4.
3) The Ultimate - Free Books
This contest is NOT LIVE yet. I'll do another post next week as soon as it is.
When my ebook is released, the first ten people to buy a copy and email me a copy of their receipt will go in the draw to win a brand new copy of For The Love Of A Dog, one of the books I drew on in writing my ebook. This is a really, really awesome book about emotion in dogs - but it's about so much more than that. It's about emotions in people, too, and emotions in general, and the connections and communication between us and the people - and animals - we love. Honestly, if everyone who had to deal with dogs read this book, the number of dog-related injuries would dramatically decrease. This is a really, really great book.
Rules: Buy a copy of my ebook once it's released, and email me your receipt. If you're one of the first ten, you'll be entered into the draw (you'll receive confirmation that your email has been received, and I let people know when the cut off has been reached).
Prize: For The Love Of A Dog, by Patricia McConnell, posted out to you wherever you are, completely for F-R-E-E!! :D
So there you have it. Three contests in one day. Yippee! So - are you going to enter? :)
PS - Wow. This has been a really smiley post.
PPS - If you enter in the comments below, please make it clear WHICH CONTEST you're entering. Thanks :) (Oh look, another smile! :D)
PPS - Don't forget to go vote for which mistake you want me to read out in Friday's post! :)
18 December 2008
Book Review: For Women Only
Quick Stats
Genre - Non-fic, relationships
Length - ~180 pages
Author - Shaunti Feldhahn
Overview
For Women Only is for women only for a reason - because everything it contains, guys already know inside and out. This is a book on the psychology of men, born from the research Shaunti set out to conduct for one of her fiction novels. Backed up by professional surveys and statistical data, this books presents How Guys Think 101 written especially for women.
First Impressions
Wow. When I walked into the bookstore, I had absolutely zero intention of walking out with yet-another-book-on-relationships. But something about the cover of this one grabbed me, so I grabbed it - and flicking through the pages, I was immediately intrigued both by the author's clear, chatty voice, and the sheer wow-factor of the information she presents.
High Points
Er, everything? The book is broken down into six sections, touching on what Shaunti felt were the six most important attitudes and beliefs men have that women don't usually understand. It's a light, quick read in a chatty and informal style, but backed by rigourous statistical data at the same time. Shaunti provides contrasts and comparisons between male and female ways of thinking and approaching things that make it dead easy to comprehend.
Low Points
This is not a personal low point for me, but this is a Christian book. If you're not an easily-offended non-Christian, it should be fine: there's no theology, or prescriptive directives, or anything like that. Just the occasional mention, and an awareness that the writer herself is coming from a Christian point of view.
Rating
What sort of book is this one? I'd say a pocket-book :) because that's pretty much where it lived until I'd finished reading it.
Usefulness
High. Sure, I adore this book because of the impact it's already having on my personal relationships (and I only finished it this morning), but it is also the best resource I have so far come across to help women writers who struggle to get into the head of a male character. As an utter perfectionist, I would love to be able to write my characters so that readers couldn't tell whether I was male or female because both male and female characters were so real, so true, so convincing... And I believe this book is going to make a serious dent in the Things I Need To Learn in order to be able to write like that.
Genre - Non-fic, relationships
Length - ~180 pages
Author - Shaunti Feldhahn
Overview
For Women Only is for women only for a reason - because everything it contains, guys already know inside and out. This is a book on the psychology of men, born from the research Shaunti set out to conduct for one of her fiction novels. Backed up by professional surveys and statistical data, this books presents How Guys Think 101 written especially for women.
First Impressions
Wow. When I walked into the bookstore, I had absolutely zero intention of walking out with yet-another-book-on-relationships. But something about the cover of this one grabbed me, so I grabbed it - and flicking through the pages, I was immediately intrigued both by the author's clear, chatty voice, and the sheer wow-factor of the information she presents.
High Points
Er, everything? The book is broken down into six sections, touching on what Shaunti felt were the six most important attitudes and beliefs men have that women don't usually understand. It's a light, quick read in a chatty and informal style, but backed by rigourous statistical data at the same time. Shaunti provides contrasts and comparisons between male and female ways of thinking and approaching things that make it dead easy to comprehend.
Low Points
This is not a personal low point for me, but this is a Christian book. If you're not an easily-offended non-Christian, it should be fine: there's no theology, or prescriptive directives, or anything like that. Just the occasional mention, and an awareness that the writer herself is coming from a Christian point of view.
Rating
What sort of book is this one? I'd say a pocket-book :) because that's pretty much where it lived until I'd finished reading it.
Usefulness
High. Sure, I adore this book because of the impact it's already having on my personal relationships (and I only finished it this morning), but it is also the best resource I have so far come across to help women writers who struggle to get into the head of a male character. As an utter perfectionist, I would love to be able to write my characters so that readers couldn't tell whether I was male or female because both male and female characters were so real, so true, so convincing... And I believe this book is going to make a serious dent in the Things I Need To Learn in order to be able to write like that.
20 October 2008
Like Blood From A Stone... Character Development 101
A bit of amusement for you today. Jess, or Jessana, is the MC of my secret assassin trilogy, which I plan to start writing in November. This interview is prep for book one, in which she's about to graduate at the top of her class from the Shard Academy and officially become an Assassin of Fate. A is me, and J is Jess :)
A: So, Jess, I need to ask you a few questions before we begin your story. Okay?
J: *silence*
A: Um, please?
J: *ignores*
A: *getting frustrated* Look, I know perfectly well that you can sit there till the cows come home and not spill a thing. It's your job to withstand interogation, blahblah, I get it, I know that, okay? But I'm not here to interogate you. I'm your author, I'm trying to help you.
J: *raises eyebrow*
A: Well, ultimately. In the end. Really.
J: *more silence*
A: Please, Jess? I really need this.
J: *big sigh* Okay.
A: *relieved* Thanks. Okay. So. First question: what one thing would you sacrifice almost anything to have, or to have happen?
J: *silence*
A: Look, come on, Jessana. You really don't need to be difficult about this!
J: Hey, I'm thinking! Can't a girl think before she responds? Sheesh, woman. Relax.
A: *blushes* Sorry.
J: *waves hand dismissively* Fine, it's fine. One thing. Hmm. To be honest, I'm not sure I do want anything. I like my life. I'm top of my class, the teachers like me - well, except Mr Snitty, but he doesn't count, he hates everyone. I don't know.
A: Come on, everyone has something they want more than anything else... It doesn't have to be a thing. Think abstract... Belonging? Purpose?
J: But I already belong, and I have a purpose. That's the whole point of the Shard Academy.
A: I know that! Argh, never mind. Next question. What in your life wouldn't you sacrifice?
J: *grin* Will you hit me if I say 'nothing'?
A: *glares* That's bull, and you know it.
J: *shrugs* If you know it, then you know the answer to the question, so what do you need me here for?
A: Jessana Peakes, I swear, if you do not sit down and answer my question right now, I will erase you from the story!
J: Can't do that, I'm the main character.
A: So I'll write a different story.
J: *shrugs* You think that, if it makes you happy.
A: *grinds teeth* All right then, Little Miss Smary Pants, I'll tell you what I think you wouldn't sacrifice. Two things: your honour - yes, don't squirm on me like that, I know you have honour you miserable little cretin, else the entire plot of your first book wouldn't work! - and control.
J: *surprised* Control? What makes you think I wouldn't give up control? I do it all the time.
A: *eyebrow* Yes, and quite distinctly on your own terms. I've seen what you get up to in book two, missy, and I know the truth about you.
J: *perks up* Book two, hey?
A: *slams notebook shut* Yes, book two, the one I'll never be able to write if you don't help me learn enough about you so I can write book one. *glares*
J: Oh. That book two.
A: *silence*
J: *sigh* Okay, what's the next question?
A: *reopens notebook* What's the one thing that you would do anything to avoid, or to avoid happening?
J: *thoughtful silence* *eyes downcast* Getting the wrong guy.
A: What?
J: *makes eye contact* Getting the wrong guy. Killing the wrong person. Nabbing someone who was innocent. Screwing up.
A: *hesitates* Thank you.
J: *nods* You're welcome.
After this she began to behave, and answered my questions nicely, so it becomes less entertaining. But I thought this might amuse you, at least for a short while :)
A: So, Jess, I need to ask you a few questions before we begin your story. Okay?
J: *silence*
A: Um, please?
J: *ignores*
A: *getting frustrated* Look, I know perfectly well that you can sit there till the cows come home and not spill a thing. It's your job to withstand interogation, blahblah, I get it, I know that, okay? But I'm not here to interogate you. I'm your author, I'm trying to help you.
J: *raises eyebrow*
A: Well, ultimately. In the end. Really.
J: *more silence*
A: Please, Jess? I really need this.
J: *big sigh* Okay.
A: *relieved* Thanks. Okay. So. First question: what one thing would you sacrifice almost anything to have, or to have happen?
J: *silence*
A: Look, come on, Jessana. You really don't need to be difficult about this!
J: Hey, I'm thinking! Can't a girl think before she responds? Sheesh, woman. Relax.
A: *blushes* Sorry.
J: *waves hand dismissively* Fine, it's fine. One thing. Hmm. To be honest, I'm not sure I do want anything. I like my life. I'm top of my class, the teachers like me - well, except Mr Snitty, but he doesn't count, he hates everyone. I don't know.
A: Come on, everyone has something they want more than anything else... It doesn't have to be a thing. Think abstract... Belonging? Purpose?
J: But I already belong, and I have a purpose. That's the whole point of the Shard Academy.
A: I know that! Argh, never mind. Next question. What in your life wouldn't you sacrifice?
J: *grin* Will you hit me if I say 'nothing'?
A: *glares* That's bull, and you know it.
J: *shrugs* If you know it, then you know the answer to the question, so what do you need me here for?
A: Jessana Peakes, I swear, if you do not sit down and answer my question right now, I will erase you from the story!
J: Can't do that, I'm the main character.
A: So I'll write a different story.
J: *shrugs* You think that, if it makes you happy.
A: *grinds teeth* All right then, Little Miss Smary Pants, I'll tell you what I think you wouldn't sacrifice. Two things: your honour - yes, don't squirm on me like that, I know you have honour you miserable little cretin, else the entire plot of your first book wouldn't work! - and control.
J: *surprised* Control? What makes you think I wouldn't give up control? I do it all the time.
A: *eyebrow* Yes, and quite distinctly on your own terms. I've seen what you get up to in book two, missy, and I know the truth about you.
J: *perks up* Book two, hey?
A: *slams notebook shut* Yes, book two, the one I'll never be able to write if you don't help me learn enough about you so I can write book one. *glares*
J: Oh. That book two.
A: *silence*
J: *sigh* Okay, what's the next question?
A: *reopens notebook* What's the one thing that you would do anything to avoid, or to avoid happening?
J: *thoughtful silence* *eyes downcast* Getting the wrong guy.
A: What?
J: *makes eye contact* Getting the wrong guy. Killing the wrong person. Nabbing someone who was innocent. Screwing up.
A: *hesitates* Thank you.
J: *nods* You're welcome.
After this she began to behave, and answered my questions nicely, so it becomes less entertaining. But I thought this might amuse you, at least for a short while :)
29 July 2008
Analysis of Openings
Meant to do this at the end of last week, but alas, it is week two of uni and already I have an essay due. But better late than never.
The format I'm using here is totally theived from Liana Brooks over at Write or Right? - with her permission, naturally ;)
This was my opening:
"Heather, you have something of mine."
I stared at my brother. I had no idea what he meant.
He stared back in silence. The years hadn't been kind to him, that much was certain. I pursed my lips at his dark, sunken eyes, unkempt hair, and too-skinny frame. Dirt clung to his shirt, and his shoes were scuffed and nearly worn through at the toes.
I frowned. "Really, Andrew. It's nice to see you and all, but" – I glanced up and down the perfectly manicured street – "did you have to show up like this?"
He shrugged and maintained his stare. "You have something of mine."
I suppressed a sigh. Better let him in before the neighbours see. I stepped aside and jerked my head.
His eyes widened briefly, but he stepped inside eagerly enough. I wondered how long it had been since he'd been somewhere warm – his hands were mottled with cold.
He hovered in the hallway, and I stepped past him and led the way to the kitchen. "Drink?"
He nodded. "Something warm would be great."
He slid onto one of the stools that edged the bench, and I turned away to rummage for the mugs and hot chocolate. "So," I said, trying to keep my voice casual. "What brings you here?" I hadn't seen him in what, ten? Eleven years, now? As I turned, mugs in hand, I caught his eye. I inhaled, hit by the intensity of his gaze.
"You have something of mine."
Comments: 26, if we discount my two :)
Hooked? 24 plus one maybe. Hoorah, there is hope! :)
Problems Cited By Critters:
* Brother is more interesting that Heather
* Lots of people wobbled at the 'hands mottled with cold' bit
* Lots of sentences start with 'he'
* Issues with Heather's actions - why does she invite him in instead of just asking what he thinks she has?
* Too many repetitions of "You have something of mine." - makes him sound robotic.
What I Can Fix:
* Both characters need a major overhaul. I know this.
* The cold hands can easily go, and sentences can be reworded to avoid 'he'
What Won't Change:
* I seriously doubt she'll just confront him on the doorstep. I still don't know her very well, but I know enough to know that that's a conversation she's NOT going to have in public ;) Besides, if she did, it would ruin the plot %-)
So, the biggest thing that needs working on here is the characterisation, which ought to iron out interest issues and also quirks in their mannerisms, such as Heather inviting him in, and him being so repetitious (or not, depending on how his character turns out).
For a long time I've been a character-focused writer, and have struggle a LOT with plot and structure. When I started writing this, it was an exercise in Making Things Happen - in plot. Consequently, the characterisation is very hazy - it seems that at the moment I can work on one or the other, but not both.
But that's okay. I can clear that up in revisions, and this novel is teaching me a whole new way of writing - and that I /can/ plot, and structure, and have coherency result :)
Overall, I'm pretty stoked with the high proportion of positive comments, and can't wait to finish this dang draft so I can get to revising.
Of course, the fact that I discovered some rather interesting details about Heather and Andrew's past two days ago has nothing to do with it O:)
The format I'm using here is totally theived from Liana Brooks over at Write or Right? - with her permission, naturally ;)
This was my opening:
"Heather, you have something of mine."
I stared at my brother. I had no idea what he meant.
He stared back in silence. The years hadn't been kind to him, that much was certain. I pursed my lips at his dark, sunken eyes, unkempt hair, and too-skinny frame. Dirt clung to his shirt, and his shoes were scuffed and nearly worn through at the toes.
I frowned. "Really, Andrew. It's nice to see you and all, but" – I glanced up and down the perfectly manicured street – "did you have to show up like this?"
He shrugged and maintained his stare. "You have something of mine."
I suppressed a sigh. Better let him in before the neighbours see. I stepped aside and jerked my head.
His eyes widened briefly, but he stepped inside eagerly enough. I wondered how long it had been since he'd been somewhere warm – his hands were mottled with cold.
He hovered in the hallway, and I stepped past him and led the way to the kitchen. "Drink?"
He nodded. "Something warm would be great."
He slid onto one of the stools that edged the bench, and I turned away to rummage for the mugs and hot chocolate. "So," I said, trying to keep my voice casual. "What brings you here?" I hadn't seen him in what, ten? Eleven years, now? As I turned, mugs in hand, I caught his eye. I inhaled, hit by the intensity of his gaze.
"You have something of mine."
Comments: 26, if we discount my two :)
Hooked? 24 plus one maybe. Hoorah, there is hope! :)
Problems Cited By Critters:
* Brother is more interesting that Heather
* Lots of people wobbled at the 'hands mottled with cold' bit
* Lots of sentences start with 'he'
* Issues with Heather's actions - why does she invite him in instead of just asking what he thinks she has?
* Too many repetitions of "You have something of mine." - makes him sound robotic.
What I Can Fix:
* Both characters need a major overhaul. I know this.
* The cold hands can easily go, and sentences can be reworded to avoid 'he'
What Won't Change:
* I seriously doubt she'll just confront him on the doorstep. I still don't know her very well, but I know enough to know that that's a conversation she's NOT going to have in public ;) Besides, if she did, it would ruin the plot %-)
So, the biggest thing that needs working on here is the characterisation, which ought to iron out interest issues and also quirks in their mannerisms, such as Heather inviting him in, and him being so repetitious (or not, depending on how his character turns out).
For a long time I've been a character-focused writer, and have struggle a LOT with plot and structure. When I started writing this, it was an exercise in Making Things Happen - in plot. Consequently, the characterisation is very hazy - it seems that at the moment I can work on one or the other, but not both.
But that's okay. I can clear that up in revisions, and this novel is teaching me a whole new way of writing - and that I /can/ plot, and structure, and have coherency result :)
Overall, I'm pretty stoked with the high proportion of positive comments, and can't wait to finish this dang draft so I can get to revising.
Of course, the fact that I discovered some rather interesting details about Heather and Andrew's past two days ago has nothing to do with it O:)
Competitions For You
Ah, life, why must you bite me so?
Anyway, today's announcement concerns two lovely, free competitions that you may or may not know about :)
1) Drop the Needle
This is being run by Authoress over at Miss Snark's First Victim. Simply email in a 250-word segement of your writing that shows off one of your secondary characters. Email address and further details available on the blog.
2) Writing Effective Description
Karen Duvall is hosting a 'Writing Effective Description' contest over the next five days. Each day she'll do a post about one of the five senses and conclude with an assignment. Simply post your answers to the assignments in the comments field for each day's post and you'll be in the running to win some writer-help books - plus you get to learn about writing description! :) The first post is already up.
Anyway, today's announcement concerns two lovely, free competitions that you may or may not know about :)
1) Drop the Needle
This is being run by Authoress over at Miss Snark's First Victim. Simply email in a 250-word segement of your writing that shows off one of your secondary characters. Email address and further details available on the blog.
2) Writing Effective Description
Karen Duvall is hosting a 'Writing Effective Description' contest over the next five days. Each day she'll do a post about one of the five senses and conclude with an assignment. Simply post your answers to the assignments in the comments field for each day's post and you'll be in the running to win some writer-help books - plus you get to learn about writing description! :) The first post is already up.
08 July 2008
Random Post of the Week: Link Salad
So, I spent yesterday afternoon procrastinating, but it was at least useful procrastination - I trawled the web, reading interesting articles on writing and following linkies till I was lost amid the maze of the internet and up to my ears in opinions, thoughts and advice.
To celebrate, I thought I'd offer you a sampling of my link salad.
I have discovered an awesome blog by a fellow Australian - what's not to love? ;) - by the name of Justine Larbalestier. The name is a mouthful, but the site is lots of fun - opinions, insights, and randomicity in roughly equal proportions.
Some sad news for those of us hoping to finance our lives from writing - according to Tobias Buckell's Author Advance Survey the average advance for science fiction or fantasy is $5000 for a first timer, rising to about $12,500 after 5-7 years. When you're writing one book a year - see the comments especially in Nathan Bransford's post - well, you do the math...
Elizabeth Bear discusses the 'you're-good-but-not-great' stage of the writing career, where you're getting personalised rejections with encouraging comments... but they're still rejecions.
And finally, I discovered Storytellers Unplugged, which has an awesome array of tasty articles, not least of which these on layering reality and writing serial characters.
Have fun!
To celebrate, I thought I'd offer you a sampling of my link salad.
I have discovered an awesome blog by a fellow Australian - what's not to love? ;) - by the name of Justine Larbalestier. The name is a mouthful, but the site is lots of fun - opinions, insights, and randomicity in roughly equal proportions.
Some sad news for those of us hoping to finance our lives from writing - according to Tobias Buckell's Author Advance Survey the average advance for science fiction or fantasy is $5000 for a first timer, rising to about $12,500 after 5-7 years. When you're writing one book a year - see the comments especially in Nathan Bransford's post - well, you do the math...
Elizabeth Bear discusses the 'you're-good-but-not-great' stage of the writing career, where you're getting personalised rejections with encouraging comments... but they're still rejecions.
And finally, I discovered Storytellers Unplugged, which has an awesome array of tasty articles, not least of which these on layering reality and writing serial characters.
Have fun!
08 June 2008
Updatory Things: Changes of Direction
Two direction changes today. Firstly, I seem unable to resist the urge to give weekly updates, so my 'regularly scheduled' blogging will be thrice weekly: One serial piece, one Blog-Of-The-Week, and one update.
Two-thly. The Change of Direction. *sigh* Logan.
*shakes head and determines to cease being cryptic*
Logan. For those of you that have either been reading this blog for a while, or have access to my wips (critique circle...), you'll have heard of one of my wips, Logan. Logan is a prequel-by-several-hundred-years to the story variously termed (at different points in its life) Athara's Search, Search, Messiah, and The Black Gates.
And I've just realised: it's all wrong.
For quite some time now I've been having trouble getting enthused about it; in fact, pretty much since I read Lisa Shearin's Magic Lost, Trouble Found. MLTF is such a great, pacy book (more on that in this week's serial post) that I found myself thinking - boy, my stories are so boring. They drag. Nothing exciting actually happens.
A few days after this, I found myself writing The Project, an incredibly fun little potboiler that I decided to write as a potboiler as an exercise in Making Things Happen. So far the feedback has been extremely positive, so it seems to be working.
And I got thinking about Logan. The MC, oddly enough called Logan, bores me. The chapters bore me. And I developed this sneaking suspicion that the nine chapters I've written, which equate to nearly fourteen thousand words, were all backstory. The story doesn't actually start until chapter ten, when Logan... er, is dragged off to school. (See, no spoilers O:)).
And besides that - did I mention this? - Logan as a character bores me.
So, after some thought and discussion with a critting partner, I have come to a conclusion. Bran, Logan's 'villainous' elder brother is far more intriguing. This means I ought to write the story from his point of view.
I'm yet to get my head around how the story will start from Bran's POV, but I can already feel the tingly excitement at the prospect of getting inside Bran's head. It's one dark, twisty place to be, but at least it's interesting.
And so my change in direction. Let us hope it's for the better. %-)
Two-thly. The Change of Direction. *sigh* Logan.
*shakes head and determines to cease being cryptic*
Logan. For those of you that have either been reading this blog for a while, or have access to my wips (critique circle...), you'll have heard of one of my wips, Logan. Logan is a prequel-by-several-hundred-years to the story variously termed (at different points in its life) Athara's Search, Search, Messiah, and The Black Gates.
And I've just realised: it's all wrong.
For quite some time now I've been having trouble getting enthused about it; in fact, pretty much since I read Lisa Shearin's Magic Lost, Trouble Found. MLTF is such a great, pacy book (more on that in this week's serial post) that I found myself thinking - boy, my stories are so boring. They drag. Nothing exciting actually happens.
A few days after this, I found myself writing The Project, an incredibly fun little potboiler that I decided to write as a potboiler as an exercise in Making Things Happen. So far the feedback has been extremely positive, so it seems to be working.
And I got thinking about Logan. The MC, oddly enough called Logan, bores me. The chapters bore me. And I developed this sneaking suspicion that the nine chapters I've written, which equate to nearly fourteen thousand words, were all backstory. The story doesn't actually start until chapter ten, when Logan... er, is dragged off to school. (See, no spoilers O:)).
And besides that - did I mention this? - Logan as a character bores me.
So, after some thought and discussion with a critting partner, I have come to a conclusion. Bran, Logan's 'villainous' elder brother is far more intriguing. This means I ought to write the story from his point of view.
I'm yet to get my head around how the story will start from Bran's POV, but I can already feel the tingly excitement at the prospect of getting inside Bran's head. It's one dark, twisty place to be, but at least it's interesting.
And so my change in direction. Let us hope it's for the better. %-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
