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Archive for characterization

This Is Sure To BOWL You Over!

Monday, February 8th, 2010
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I’ve never been a big fan of sports on TV. I just can’t seem to stay focused. Of course, I do enjoy oogling  the linemen and their snug-fitting britches. Wowza! Definitely a diet friendly slab of beef-steak! J

As much as I like “taking in the sights” of the Super Bowl, I typically pay more attention to the commercials. Hey, we’re a “here we are now, entertain us!” kind of nation. Be it Cindy Crawford in cut-offs at a soda machine, mono-syllable frogs, or a granny asking for her beef, we tune in and expect to laugh, smile, and maybe cry.

How does this apply to writing?

I’m so glad you asked!

Using our superior imaginations, *POOF!* the super manly Super Bowl is now a romance novel! The Saints and the Colts are the main characters. (I’ll let your team preference decide who the H/H are. *winkwink*) GMC? Duh! T-D, we want a touch down!

Secondary characters? Why, the COMMERCIALS, of course!

Think about it. The battle of wills between the opposing teams is what draws us to the lazy boy, but it’s the commercials that keep us entertained and engrossed during the downtime. The Super Bowl would not THE SUPER BOWL without the commercials! It’s like bread and butter, baby! They just go together! 

Same goes for a novel. It’s the secondary characters that provide things like comic relief and additional tension to a story.

Take for example, Gone With The Wind. The tempestuous Miss O’Hara would have been completely irredeemable without the gentle guidance and influence of Melanie Wilks. Genuine and selfless, Melanie’s character was the antithesis of Scarlett. Ms. Mitchell knew what she was doing. How many times did the devilish Mr. Butler use Miss Melanie to taunt Scarlett? Too many to count and each time he did- chaos ensued. A perfect point of contention to wiggle between the two main characters . . . and Melanie didn’t have to do anything in particular. She just had to BE Melanie!

Or what about Pride and Prejudiced? Would Ms. Austen’s tale be as intriguing and as legendary without the conflict Mr. Wickham, Lydia Bennet, Caroline Bingly, and Lousia Hurst added? Where would the all the pride and prejudice have stemmed from?

For all the Kenyon fans out there, would the Dark Hunter books be as magical without the character of Acheron? He is in every DH book, but never as the “main character”- not until he gets his own leading man role, almost thirteen books into the series!

We need these secondary characters to act as both buffers and catalysts to round out the edges our larger-than-life heroes and heroines leave behind. For all the non-Super Bowl watchers who are stuck watching the game (like me!), the commercials make the experience. A football game is just a bunch of men whacking the crap out of each for want of a stuffed lemon-shaped ball, but with hilarious and dazzling 30second bits of relief, the day doesn’t seem so tedious. Just like a book can have a pair of unlikely lovers duking it out, but they need something or someone to either drive them apart or meld ‘em together.

The moral of this story? Even a football game can become a writing lesson! Imagine that!

So, tell me, what’s the oddest thing you’ve ever applied an element of writing to?

(ps- I owe a huge thank you to my mother-in-law for inspiring the concept of this post! :) )

 To learn more about Sarah- swing by: The Lovestruck Novice  and her critique group’s blog, Friday Night Write.

Be sure to click on over to The Lovestruck Novice Feb. 10th to scope out the new series called, A NOVICE TO WATCH. Be the first to know some rising stars! The novice in question just happened to be a fellow newbie whose entry kicked my rear in the Southern Heat contest last year.

 

 

Categories : Celebration, characterization, Coping, Encouragement, Events, Finding Balance, Heroes / Heroines, Humorous, Mama Writers, Reading and Books, Sarah Simas, Writing and self-care
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Stuff Has To Happen

Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Comments (14)

Making Things Active In Your Mss;

Or, If The Amazing Captain Underpants Has More Plot Twists Than Your Ms, You May Be In Trouble

Nothing can stop him . . . June, 2010

Nothing can stop him . . . June, 2010

My son has recently discovered The Amazing Captain Underpants adventures.  Fortunately, I greatly enjoy them too.  With lines like, “George and Harold were usually responsible kids.  Whenever anything bad happened, George and Harold were usually responsible,” how wrong can you go?

In any event, as we ripped through the first book at lightning speed, in one sitting, Christmas night, I realized there was a lot happening in those pages.  Like, a lot.  Not deep, dense thematic stuff stuff, nor layered complications of the sort single title length popular fiction writers (us) aspire to.   But just . . . stuff.

Now, whenever I recount a book I’ve read or a story I’ve seen, rarely do I say, “It was a majestic sweeping survey of human relations and human frailty blahblah.” I, and others, generally say things more like, “And then they ran around the corner, right?, and there was this car, and it EXPLODED! So, they went back the way they came and….”

i.e. Stuff Happens.

I’m not saying we should pack our novels with titillating, pointless conflicts or the literary equivalent of car chases and pyrotechnics just to fill pages.  I believe firmly that we need deepening risks and complications for our protagonists,  not high-speed, successive-but-unrelated-conflicts.  I cheer when I get a story where the tension is ramped up via the use of subtext.  I love underlying themes, revealed through character blind spots, Black Moments and triumphs.

I’m just saying we need to make sure there’s enough actually happening in our story world, actual story events, that will make the reader turn the page.

This means the reader has to have questions.  Questions like, “OMG, how will she ever get out that window with him standing right there?”  Or “Oh man, they are SO going to fight about this.  Wonder who will win, and what they’ll do to the other person when they do?”  Or “No, way!  That army just camped beneath the tree they’re in–holy cow, what next?”

In short,  something of more or less value has to be at risk, so the reader can wonder, “How will they make it out of this?”

And for me, that is one of the most fun things about writing,.  Making things bad for other people.  ;-)

On the topic: http://www.therejectionist.com/2009/09/little-kids-can-write-books-better-than.html

And then, of course, there’s this: ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBM854BTGL0&feature=related )

See what she’s talking about?  Story. Story, story, story. Not themes, not character arcs.  Things That Happened That Made Stuff Really Bad for Characters We

England, 1152: After seventeen years of civil war, things are about to change...

England, 1152: After seventeen years of civil war, things are about to change...

Care About.

Because, in the end, we readers aren’t necessarily supposed to ‘hear’ the larger issues at work in a story.  We’re just supposed to get a good story.  Make that: A Good Story.   The actions and unfolding events are supposed to communicate any larger issues or themes.  And those unfolding event and subsequent character actions are best when they increase the stakes, when something changes as a result of the event and choices made.

(Hint: Sitting in a coffee shop chatting  probably won’t do it. It may reveal information or character, but if it doesn’t change anything in the next story scene, it doesn’t count.)

When you ask a child to tell you a story, or the synopsis of a story they’ve read or heard, you get the important Story stuff.  Plot twists, explosions, the big Black Moments, what the bad guy did, and how the good guy fought back.  (Of particular note: They will usually, although not always, mention warrior-heroes with swords if one was, in fact, present.  I am in favor of this.)

I’m telling you, if you have a young child, and his/her reading material contains more plot events than your current work-in-progress, you may be in trouble.

(Said by the woman furiously trying to write a wip with value-relevant plot turns that deepen conflict, increase stakes, and generally emotionally sucker-punch the hero and heroine who are already, poor kids, in a very tight spot. )

How about you?  How’s your work-in-progress? Feeling stuck?  Would a Captain Underpants-type plot turn help get you going again?  Remember, sometimes (often) this writing gig can be fun too.

Categories : characterization, Craft Topics, Heroes / Heroines, History, Kris Kennedy, Love/Loving, Mama Writers
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C’mon, Baby, Light My Fire

Friday, December 4th, 2009
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I’m not going to be the least bit shy about admitting what a huge Twilight fan I am.

Hey, there is even a group called Twi-Moms. So, I’m not such an oddity after all! Having mentioned that, I’ll have to assure my hubby I haven’t joined. The man is getting an extreme amount of satisfaction in teasing me about my obsession. But I can’t help it!

I’m sure there are other mamas out there who have seen New Moon way more than my measly three times. And, yes, I was one of those goofy fans who stood in line for two hours to see a movie I already owned, but it was FUN! (Of course, I say two hours and hubs says five. He seems to think watching Twilight first should factor into the grand total wait time to see the second film, but what the heck does he know! lol)

The whole pexerience was a blast! I had never been to a movie premiere where I’d enjoyed myself more. My BFF and I chatted with complete strangers about the characters, the story, and of course our Team choices. The excitement was tangible! By the time we got into our seats to watch the first movie, we’d whipped ourselves into a frenzy. Plus, I was very happy to report to my mother that I wasn’t the oldest person there either!

I’ve always been a historical romance reader. I cut my teeth on Regencies and Westerns. Branching out was a foreign concept. I knew what I liked and read nothing else.

Then, I started writing.

The funny thing about learning to write is you have to be a good reader, too. Eighteen months ago, I wouldn’t have taken a chance on reading something different- let alone looking at the time spent as research! It’s kind of like making cookies and forgetting the baking soda. Knowing what makes a good story is key! So what have I gained from my two-week-reading fest last summer and my three visits to the box office? (Besides providing chuckles to my friends and family, that is!)

I’ve never been more inspired.

Trying to balance being a mom, a writer, and a wife had left me feeling VERY overwhelmed. I’d high-centered myself with my own good intentions. Very similar to what the lovely Kris Kennedy was dishing about yesterday. I had worried myself into a state of spinning in circles. It was amazing what a couple of nights out with other like-minded mothers did for my resolve. Within a couple of days, I had thrown down 2K on my WIP- a feat I hadn’t managed in a while. That kind of break-through is worth all the teasing!

Yes, there is a lot of hub-a-ba-loo about the literary savvy of Ms. Meyers and her version of what “vampire” means. But looking at the situation as an aspiring writer, all I see is something I know all of us try to channel every time we plunk our booties in the office chair . . .the ability to write a kick a** story that will leave fans hooked and hungry for the next book. What more could an author possibly ask for?

Give us the low down! When was the last time you found inspiration in the most unlikely situation or place?

To learn more about Sarah Simas, check out her blog: The Lovestruck Novice and her critique group’s blog: Friday Night Write

Categories : Career And Family, characterization, creativity, Encouragement, Heroes / Heroines, Kris Kennedy, Love/Loving, Mama Writers, MamaHood, Reading and Books, Sarah Simas, Similarities-Motherhood & Writing, Writing and self-care
Comments (12)

Mold, Shape…and Create?

Monday, September 7th, 2009
Comments (13)

Did you ever notice how creating characters is somewhat similar to raising children? holdingchildshandWhen I’m writing scenes with dialogue and action, I find I’m always trying to make the character seem sympathetic to the reader. When I’m teaching my children right from wrong, I’m hoping they’ll be perceived as respectable and good-hearted.

 

Of course, I can’t put words in my children’s mouth (darn it). I can’t type up their dialogue or plot out their happy endings. But I can give advice, lead by example and hope they’ll make the right choices and learn from the wrong choices. We as parents mold and shape them and expect them to grow up to be decent human beings. We try to be good role models and sometimes pray they’ll do as we say and not as we do. Oh boy. 

 

Creating characters is similar, in a sense. It’s my responsibility to make the hero and heroine likable or, at least, relatable. Sometimes it’s not the easiest task. At times the backspace button is smoking because I can’t seem to find the right words. The dialogue isn’t witty enough or the actions are questionable.

935286_42231986 Is the hero an alpha male or just a plain old jerk? Is my heroine being sassy or is that line coming off as bitchy?

Confident or arrogant? Nice guy or pushover? Intelligent or yawn-worthy? Bully or hero? Sympathetic or weak? Loveable or laughable?

 

So many questions to consider but in the end, my characters come from the heart. And my parenting comes from the heart as well. Knowing that makes life (and writing) much easier and it makes me proud to see the end result. And, really, is there any other way?

 

So tell me what you think. Do you mold, shape and create from the heart?

 

Viola Esrella

www.violaestrella.com

Angel Vindicated – eBook available now from www.cerridwenpress.com!

 

 

 

angelvindicated_cover

 

 

Categories : characterization, Heroes / Heroines, Mama Writers, Similarities-Motherhood & Writing, Viola Estrella
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PLOTTERS VS. PANTSERS

Monday, August 31st, 2009
Comments (17)

PLOTTERS VS. PANTSERS–a fun look at both sides of the issue from Eliza Knight and Renee Knowles…

The Plotter

by Eliza Knight

Plotting? Pantsing?

They both sound uncomfortable, and for those who have a preference, one can be quite painful. I’ve tried both and come to the conclusion I am a plotter, through and through. If I can’t be in control it makes me squirm! Probably part of my majorly Type A personality…

Today I thought I’d take you through my experience with the pantsing so you can see how painful it was for this here control freak to let go, (and secretly see why I think pansters are crazy! Just kidding…lol)

Monday 8:30am – wait! Scratch that I’m pantsing, make it 8:37…

They say pantsters fly by the seat of their pants, I’ve got my basic character sketches, and I’m hoping that my fingers will soar across the keyboard.

8:39am…Not so bad. I’ve written a whole paragraph.

8:41am…I’m starting to sweat. I want to know exactly what is going to happen…

8:45am…Biting nails and rapidly tapping foot. I’m only one sentence past my initial paragraph.

8:47am…I’ve ripped off my pants and tossed the computer! I can’t take it! I must plot my story from beginning to end, and while I do allow for some minor changes and character drivenness, I just can’t handle not knowing anything…

Seriously though, I have tried pantsing. It’s actually how I first started writing, and two years later I’d finished two novels. BUT, one of them I had to rewrite literally 6 times—doing the math on a 95K manuscript, that means I really wrote 570,000 words for one novel!!! The second novel was only 50K, and I’ve re-written it once, and tossed it into the deepest darkest corner of my hard-drive for a day I have more time.

For some, they don’t mind the rewrites, or maybe they are even blessed enough to pants it and get everything down in at least one or two shots, but not me, and I’m not talking just edits, we all do those.

Now I plot meticulously. I have my character sketches, my synopsis and my chapter outlines done before I start writing. Of course it’s not set in stone and I do make changes, but I’ve found with the way I plot, there are NO rewrites, and I only have to edit each chapter 2 maybe 3 times before I’m satisfied.

I hope you pansters find the humor in my teasing, and I hope you plotters feel like you’re not alone!!!

Cheers!

Eliza

The Pantser

Hello, plotters–this is how the other half lives!

by Renee Knowles

Eliza told you about the pain she endured trying to be a pantser. Oh, what she’s suffered. :)

I have to admit that I have suffered too. For a long time I was sure something must be wrong with me. It seemed every writer I knew was telling me about a new plotting system. One would advise me about how to make up a 60-page outline for a 250-page book. Another one just took a class at their RWA chapter and learned an entirely new system for plotting—she gave me books and worksheets and character charts. Some of which made great scrap paper for my grocery lists.

Don’t get me wrong. All these writer friends had the best of intentions. And I appreciated every one of them. But these systems confounded me. I would sit there staring at them blankly waiting for the same inspiration to strike me that my fellow writers were feeling. What was wrong with me? I wondered. What writing gene was I missing that everyone else seemed to have in spades? How on earth was I supposed to know all this?

That was it, I decided. I was defective. I’d never make it as a writer. I was doomed to simply sit on the sidelines as I had in gym class throughout middle school.

Then one day I gave up. I cleared my desk of all the plotting clutter. And I just began to write.

Viola! The words flowed from me. Heck, it was almost as if a dam had broken loose. This book became my first published book, Going Topless.

I realized I was a “pantser.” (Aha! There is even a name for it!) And the realization allowed me to finally relax and let the story play itself out. It was a revelation. An awakening. At least for me, “pantsing” is the only way to inspire my muse.

And I’ve never had cause to look back.

Hugs,

Renee

Bios:

Eliza Knight

Eliza is the author of multiple sizzling historical romances and Highlander time travel erotic romance novellas published by The Wild Rose Press. She is a freelance copy editor, Newsletter Editor for Hearts Through History Romance Writers, and President of the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers. Eliza is the author of the award-winning blog, History Undressed and has published numerous articles in various newsletters. She presents workshops on history, researching techniques and writing craft, to writing groups online. Visit Eliza: www.elizaknight.com, www.historyundressed.blogspot.com

Renee Knowles

Renee Knowles is an award-winning contemporary and historical romance author. She is also the author of the writing how-to series SAVVY BUSINESS SKILLS FOR WRITERS, covering everything from career planning to networking and promoting on a budget to no-fear public speaking. Available now at Wild Child Publishing. Check out Renee’s website at www.reneeknowles.com.

Categories : Eliza Knight, Humorous, Mama Writers, Renee Knowles, Uncategorized
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Hey, all Writing, motherhood, trying to do it all has shown me that sometimes plates have to drop, and marketing and support -- ESPECIALLY during the summer months, is the thing that slips. Just b/c I've been gone doesn't mean I don't think of you and often. HUGS to everyone... and keep writing! Ash
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Hello friends! Just thought I'd drop a note on the community. Even as the blog slows for a while, this site will NOT go away. The community remains open and we hope will become more of a place for MamaWriters to connect. Please join us!
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Hi everyone! I am writing tonight and hitting a road block in my plot. Just needed a break to read some posts and get inspired to push through. This is first draft so it is going to be awful no matter what, right? The book doesn't really need to be good until revision. (Self pep-talk...) Ok, ladies. Hope you all made some good progress today!
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I'm starting a new project so I bought Jeannie's WIP Notebook to help me out. Can't wait to get it! It looks so cool. :-) Welcome to all the new members! I love how the community of mama writers is growing.
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played in the garden. Now to spend the day with kids sports and outside play.
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