The Path Not Taken

Monday I mentioned the site Writer Unboxed, which I find extremely helpful, funny, inspiring, and probably one of my most favorite sites about the craft and business of fiction. I found this recent post exceptionally helpful: The Storyteller and the Roads Not Traveled. In it the author talks about the paths our characters can take and the questions we can ask to help determine which path is the best. Hint: It's never the easy one.

• Which path actually raises the stakes? Go with that one.
• Which path is going to take pressure off the main character? Avoid it.
• Which path is going to pull the narrative action away from the main characters that the reader is invested in? If possible, redirect so that the action belongs, more closely, to a main character.
• Which path is more visually compelling?
• Is your character pulling you hard down a certain path? This is important. Sometimes characters know why they need to do what they need to do long before you do.  A character telling you her story – voice – can carry a novel and truly make your decisions incredibly clear. Someone else is making them for you.
• Which path scares you? Fear is a positive indicator.
• Is there a path you’re dying to write? Prize that one. 

 

 Friday, I'll be back with more questions for you and your characters.

Building Better Characters - and Stories

 Last time I was here we talked about the questions we can ask our characters in order to make them better, something I'm a big fan of.  Since then I found an interesting post onThird Level Emotions written by Donald Maass for Writer Unboxed, one of my favorite sites about the craft and business of fiction. I wrote this post for my other blog mainewords but I thought it was worth sharing here again.


"Start by picking any moment in your story when your protagonist (or any other character) feels something strongly. What is that feeling. Write it down, Now, pause at that moment. As what else does this character feel simultaneously? Write that down. Next ask, what else does my character feel at this moment. This third level emotion is our focus." 

In my current tale there are three estranged sisters who have brought together by their mother's murder. One of the sisters, the oldest, is Alice so I did the exercise for her first. At the beginning of the story Alice is devastated (first level emotion) by the news of her mother’s murder. Not only does she love her mother as her mother but also as a friend. But what else does Alice feel simultaneously? Anger (second level emotion) at whoever did it. How could they? Why? What’s wrong with people? She hopes they rot in hell forever.  Next ask, what else does Alice feel at this moment? Afraid. (third level emotion) Her mother has been the one who has led her through society, provided her with a home and a lifestyle she not only wouldn’t be able to keep up on her salary, but would be afraid to even try to keep up on her own. Without her mother, she feels lost and afraid and alone again, like the kid she used to be and couldn’t wait not to be so she wouldn’t feel like this.

 

Examine this third level emotion: What is it like to feel this feeling?  Alice hoped never to feel like this again; she thought growing up would mean she wouldn’t. It’s even worse now because there isn’t even an adult to rely on. What might (or should) this character be feeling instead?  What would a finer human being feel? She would feel and exhibit the proper amount of grief for the proper amount of time and then get on with her life and everything would go back to being fine and dammit, what was wrong with her? Why did she always feel like she was faking being grown up? Regardless, why is this feeling the right and only one for this character right now? Because she needs to be down so she can learn to rely on her sisters who will help her be strong, for herself and others. Finally, what does having this third level-feeling tell this character about herself? What does it say about her condition? That she has some shite to deal with and get through. Has this character sunk or risen?  Sunk. Has this character grown or regressed?  Let’s call it a set back. What’s the truth in it?  She’s probably not the only person to feel this way when one of their parents dies. How is this feeling beautifully universal or painfully unique?  Is feeling this feeling to dwell in heaven or burn in hell? It’s hellish. She can’t wait to move on, but it’s going to take some work and she’s going to have to...change.

I did this exercise for all three sisters and it was interesting to see both the similarity in their answers, and the differences. It also helped me realize that Alice isn't as grown up as she may appear to others (or as grown up as I thought she was!), which helps me know how she reacts to situations, and clues me into her inner feelings so I can write her deeper.

Now it's your turn. I'd love it if you'd share in the comments...

Wednesday, I'll be back with more on character building, because if you don't have interesting characters, who's going to want to follow them around for 300 odd pages? 

The hardest questions

Finally, there’s these, which will really make you (and me!) think:

1. Can we create a situation where our character is unprepared? In over his head?
2. In the beginning, what distinguishes this character from other people?
3. What external situation will require the protagonist's participation throughout the course of the book? 
4. What is the character's goal for the time the book covers?
5. How does this connect with the external situation? Or does the external situation divert the character from his goal? Why does the protagonist SAY he/she wants the goal? Is there a deeper motivation as yet unknown to him/her?
6. What do you want to happen at the end of the book?
7. What will have to happen to the protagonist against his will to make your ending come about?

My answers:

1. I'm sure I can but I haven't yet.
2. There is something, but I'm going to keep that to myself for now.
3. The murder investigation.
4. Solving the murder - but there may be some other goals that arise over the course of the book.
5. There is a deeper motivation behind the reason Beck wants to solve the case but again, I'm going to hold that back.
6. Ditto.
7. Here's another hard question I don't have the answer to. Then again, does something HAVE to happen? Ooh, wait...I think I just thought of something!!! See? Isn't this fun?

Okay. Your turn now, though I'll understand if you don't want to give full answers to some of these questions! I also hope this was helpful and if anyone wants my full list of character development questions et al, email me (marcy@tidewater.net) and I'll be happy to share :)

The harder questions

 As promised, I’ve got more questions to make you think about what you’re writing. This is all stuff I found elsewhere, either in books, on people’s blogs, or websites. They all make me think about what exactly I’m writing, and who my characters are. But, some of them are hard…

 

 

1. How is this character viewed by others?
2. What does he/she care most about in this world?
3. Ways to annoy this person?
4. Pets?
5. Contradictions?
6. How would this character describe himself?
7. Morality level?

 

My answers:

 

1. They respect him but no one likes working with him; he makes them uncomfortable
2. His sister and his niece first, then his job - although sometimes the latter takes precedence over the former.
3. Lie.
4. He has a cat named Oscar that mostly lives outside.
5. Ah, now here's a hard one. I'm going to have to think about this one.
6. That depends on who he was talking to. If he was talking to someone else he would highlight the positive aspects of his life: he likes his job and he's very good at it, but the truth is there's a lot of sorrow in Beck's life he hasn't gotten over - yet.
7. Beck is basically an honest person, if he were a D&D character his alignment would be lawfully good.

Now it's your turn...

Let's talk about characters

A while back I shared with you all some questions I ask about my characters in order to bring them more fully to life. You can read that post here along with my answers about one of my characters. It was a fun exercise and I thought we’d try it again.

In the comments, tell us what you’re working on:

1. Working Title if it has one
2. Genre
3. Intended Age group
4. The main character, or if multiple, the one you thought of first. Tell us something about him/her in one short paragraph.
5. Current word count
6. Where are your characters right now? What are they doing?
7. Do you know how it all ends?
8. Plotter? Pantser? Somewhere in between?

My Answers:

1. Bell, Black, & Briar
2. Fantasy
3. Adult
4. Inspector Ian Beck, who works for the Arcane Crime Unit, or ACU for short.
5. 10K
6. Inspector Beck just arrived home after a long day, having been assigned the case of Lena Errett, Tarot Reader Extraordinaire, who was stabbed multiple times and found in Gravesend Cemetery.
7. Yes, although interestingly, I first thought the end was the beginning.
8. I've done a bit more plotting with this project. I've also deviated from the original outline while still including all the original information.

I look forward to seeing your answers in the comments and I'll be back on Wednesday with some new and harder questions :)

What Can We Learn From Romance Writers?

No one would argue that the romance genre is hugely successful as a market. I don't consider myself a romance writer, however all of my books have a thread of romance in them. Maybe you are a romance writer, but even if you're not, there's much to learn from the genre that will improve our own stories. Whether it be science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, horror, contemporary, or any other genre out there.

What Romance Writers Understand

Emotion

People read romance to feel the emotion of first love all over again. They love the anticipation, the disappointment and subsequent journey to repair and reunite the lovers, and finally the pay off at the end.

The emotions in our novels might be slightly different, but we all need to ensure our stories are cram-packed with them. If someone picks up a horror tale, they expect to be scared so bad they can't sleep that night without the bathroom light on. Those reading suspense in any form want to be kept guessing while sitting on the edge of their seat in concern for the characters.

Getting the picture?

So how do we ramp up the emotion?

Conflict

We talk about this one all the time on UB, but has it sunk in? Conflict doesn't have to be high speed chases, kidnappers, and explosions in order to keep readers interested. Here's a quick refresher course on the two types of conflict.

External--

Something outside of the character (another person, the environment, etc) that forces them to take action or change. This conflict MUST MATTER, not be something stupid (like Sharknado, just saying) that is simply a tool to push your characters somewhere. Make it realistic.

The external conflict should make the character face what they fear the most. 

The introduction of the external conflict often brings the internal conflict out into the open. This conflict is solved by external means--they cut the right wire to shut off the bomb, the cops/FBI/CIA/detective catches the bad guy, and so on.

Internal--

In many genres, including romance, this is the most important type of conflict. Internal conflict is all about what your character brings to the story intellectually and/or emotionally. It comes from their experiences, beliefs, personalities, and prejudices.

This type of conflict is solved by character growth. 

Identity vs. Essence

This is perhaps the most important concept of them all. It follows perfectly that last statement referring to character growth. Here's the best way to start talking about identity vs essence.
 

Just like ogres, all of our characters need to have layers. We start with Identity, or how the character sees themselves or how they think the world sees them. As the story progresses, conflict peels away the layers of identity until we are left with Essence--the character's true self. Reaching essence is reaching their potential.

I don't know why, but I'd never considered character arcs quite in that way before. The presenter didn't talk about Shrek, but when she mentioned peeling away the layers to get to the essence that's exactly what I thought of.

QUESTION For You:
Share one of your favorite character with us and tell briefly how their identity from chapter one changed to essence by the end of the book or series.

Stay True to Your Character's Voice

Stay True to Your Character’s Voice

The voice of your character includes many aspects.  Would your character use contractions, or are they more proper?  Would they say "ain't"?  What about "cain't" instead of "can't"?Do they drop the "g" at the end of "ing" words?  Would they use words like "superfluous" and "salubrious"?  Would they use "heck" and "darn" or "dang", instead of their more frowned upon cousins?  Or would they say things akin to what the symbols in the picture above are supposed to represent?  No matter what the case may be, you want your characters to talk like they would actually talk.  While you don’t want to run your readers off with rampant vulgarity, you also don’t want to lie to them in your fiction.  If a character would actually say, “Oh, poop.” that’s what you should write.  However, if your character would use a word that’s a little more, shall we say…colorful, that’s also what you should write.  (As a matter of fact, Stephen King says the same thing in On Writing.)  We all know people who rarely, if ever, use a vulgar word.  We all know people that have such foul mouths we cringe whenever they start to speak.  And we all know people who are somewhere in the middle.  Your characters are going to be the same way if you tell the truth in your fiction.

And let me say this.  Just because your character’s a little old lady, that does not mean she won’t swear like a sailor.  We’re talking about the character and what they would or would not say.  Not all little old ladies would say “Oh, poop.”  One evening, I was around a group of people.  My husband and I made up one couple, and we were probably in our mid- to late twenties.  One of the couples was of an older generation, around the ages of my grandparents, between the ages of sixty and seventy.  Another couple would have been roughly around the age of my own parents, between the ages of forty and fifty.  The six of us were standing around talking and out of the blue, the woman who was roughly the same age as my granny, maybe a little younger, started talking about personal things.  Things that I know made my face match my hair.  And it wasn’t just the fact that my own granny would have literally died before discussing those things in what she would have viewed as “mixed company”, meaning males and females.  It was the vulgarity of the language she was using.  I was shocked because most of the people I knew who were roughly the same age as my granny talked like my granny.  They did not talk like this woman.  She wasn’t a bad woman, just very frank and vulgar.  True story.  So, get to know your characters.  Don’t take all of your little old ladies at face value, because they might shock you with the things they will talk about and the language they will use.

Don’t water down your character’s language if that wouldn’t be in character for them.  Likewise, don’t ramp up their language if it would be out of character.  You don’t want your readers to say, “They wouldn’t say that!  That’s not how they talk.”  Get to know your characters and stay true to their voices.

And please, please don’t add unnecessary profanity for shock value.  Please.  Just…Don’t.

Character Development

Character Development

I’ve seen a lot of stories where the story was good, but the characters were flat.  The protagonist is beautiful or handsome and seems to have no flaws.  The antagonist is inherently evil with no redeeming qualities simply because the author needs a villain.  Okay, sometimes the latter works, but usually only when you’re dealing with an entity of some type.  But humans are different.  We’re a psychologically messy and complex breed of animal.  Even the best of us have dark sides.  Geez, even the angels from the Bible have dark sides (really dark sides).  After all, Lucifer was an angel before he screwed up and was cast out of Heaven.

Characters need layers.  We don’t need to see every layer, but scenes should be written with those layers in mind.  You want to make the characters live and breathe for the readers.  You don’t have to drown us in the details, but let us inside the character’s head from time to time.  After all, ninety-nine percent of the time, we’re in that character’s POV, so we’re supposed to be in their head.  We’re supposed to hear the voices in their head when those voices are talking about the scene.

You know what I’m talking about.  When you’re arguing with someone, you’re not just listening to what they’re saying and not reacting at all.  You’re listening, and you might be thinking what a jerk this person is, or you might be in shock or disbelief this person could actually believe the words coming out of their mouth.  You’re likely to be thinking of what you’re going to say next, but you’re not likely to be staring at that person and listening to what they’re saying with drool running down your chin.  Your mind’s not going to be one big blank as they rant and rave and call you an ignorant idiot for the tenth time in two minutes.

So when we listen for those voices in the character’s head and we hear nothing but crickets chirping, it freezes us out.  Now, if the character’s mind is wandering and they’re wondering if the pants they have on makes their butt look big, no, we don’t need to see that.  Unless it somehow pertains to the scene—and I doubt that whether or not the pants make her butt look big is going to be relevant—it’s not something we need to see.  If, on the other hand, she’s fighting the urge to choke him if he calls her an ignorant idiot one more time, that might be relevant (sort of like in Hancock, when Hancock tells someone to call him a certain ugly name one more time, or when Mary tells Hancock to call her crazy one more time.  If these were written scenes, wouldn’t you just love to know what was going on in their heads at those moments?).


Just let us into the character’s head from time to time, show us what they’re thinking or feeling.  Give us opportunities to figure out what makes them tick.  Some writers think letting the readers inside the character’s head means using internal dialogue, but the same can be accomplished in narration or a combination of both.  Just remember to show us instead of telling us, and make sure you don’t slow the pace of the story.  Don’t drag on for three pages as your MC agonizes over all the reasons why she shouldn’t or can’t do this or that.

Camp Nano Character Development

This week I'm going to revisit some of my earliest posts as a blogger. At the time I was deep in Nanowrimo prep as my local area's liaison. This month is Camp Nanowrimo. I've decided to give it a shot to move me forward a little faster on book three in my series. These posts are as much a reminder for me as for anyone else currently drafting or revising a novel.

Characters 

Characters are what make our novels compelling. Without characters, all of our plotting and world building would be a huge waste of time. Here are a few tools to help you get to know your characters as well as some tips on how to make them believable.

Elana Johnson (from her blog in 2010) gave these tips on developing characters. Which I highly recommend by the way!
“I only have one bit of advice: Exaggerate their humanness." EJ
1. Humans have flaws.
2. Humans have secrets.
3. Humans have fears.
4. Humans have emotions.
5. Humans do stupid things and pay the price because of them.
6. Humans grow and change.

KM Weiland gave the following five steps for creating minor characters that dazzle with color and personality (also from 2010):

1. Think beyond the cliché. Instead of a taxi cab driver who navigates the Chicago streets like a maniac, why not one who’s so timid he can barely creep across the intersection during a light? Instead of a wide-eyed young woman who comes to New York dreaming of acting on Broadway, why not one who dreams of building skyscrapers?

2. Give him a unique personality. If your protagonist is playing the straight man, you can often have fun with outrageous minor characters. Sidekicks, in particular, often get to fill this role. But even what author Sandra Dark calls “dead-end characters” should be brimming with unique personalities. She writes in her article “Life After Death” (Writer’s Digest , August 2005) about how Stephen King’s use of dead-end characters “ratchets up suspense by not telegraphing who will survive the story.”

3. Give him a goal. Nothing brings a character to life more quickly than a desire. If this desire can mirror your protagonist’s to strengthen the thematic arc or oppose your protagonist’s to increase the conflict, so much the better.

4. Give him stakes. What happens if he doesn’t reach his goal? Memoirist Melissa Hart writes in her article “What’s at stake?” (The Writer, August 2010) that “the reader must be aware of what’s at stake for every character,” not just the protagonist.

5. Give him an arc. If he has a goal and a stake, why not a full-blown character arc? If you can give one or two prominent minor characters a mini arc that either echoes or contrasts the protagonist’s, you’ll be able to deepen the meaning and complexity of both the main character’s journey and the thematic arc as a whole.

For every vivid minor character with whom you surround your protagonist, you’ll be able to give readers one more reason not to put your story down.

Links to Character Development Worksheets and/or questions:

Character Development Questionnaire from nano forums.
Simplified Character Sheet
My top 8 posts on character building by Wagging Tales

The Basics of Story Telling

There are so many novels being released into the world every day that you might think you're biggest challenge is being unique--finding some way to stand out. That's partly true. You need to find your own voice and take on things that will make those tried and true tropes (say that five times fast!) feel fresh and new.

However, there are certain things every story should have. I'm going to share them with you by linking to some of my favorite posts about them.

The 5 Essential Story Ingredients--Totally different from what I'm listing below. Great post though on how to help keep your reader engaged in the story.

A complete structure (plot)--you know, a beginning, middle and end and all the stuff that keeps the story moving? This link takes you to another page with links. Links to a powerpoint, a youtube presentation, etc. Definitely worth your time! Especially if you're a visual audio learner. :)
How to Build a Story

Characters. These characters don't have to be human. They can be animals or even a planet. I read one book where the people didn't make any sense to me and kept getting in the way of the real star of the show--the world.
7 Common character types
How to Craft Compelling Characters
How to Create a Character Profile

Setting that pulls you in and helps you understand the world and how the characters relate to it.
The Basic Elements of Setting in a Story
How to Employ All 5 Senses in Creating Your Setting
Writing Dynamic Settings

Suspense and Tension. Yeah, it's not just for mysteries or FBI thrillers.
25-things-you-should-know-about-suspense-and-tension
6 Secrets to Creating and Sustaining Suspense
41 Ways to Create and Heighten Suspense  There is so much good info in here!

Conflict--yes, this is different from suspense and tension. They are closely related, but different.
The Secret to Creating Conflict
External Conflict Vs. Internal Conflict
7 Types of Narrative Conflict--just in case you've forgotten.

What have I missed?

No info dumping on my reading

So the big thing that stood out from today's critique for me was the use of back-story in the opening scene of the manuscript.

As the author said:

"In it you'll see an area where I've explained the protagonist's background. Some people don't like it there, others say they wouldn't have liked the protagonist if it wasn't there. I'd love to know which way you feel."

I think it's a concern that's prevalent with authors of dubious or otherwise unlikable characters. So they dump a ton of sympathetic back-story right from the start, because really they just want the readers to like the characters as much as they do. 

Thing is though.... an info dump probably won't make people like your character. In fact, odds are that if the info dump takes place in the middle of something interesting (say a murder/theft/hit, since we're in dubious character mode) the reader will just skip until they get back to the interesting stuff. 

Or... well... they could stop reading if the info dump is done so clumsily that it stands out like an eye-sore. As they usually do. Best case, that's all they do. Worst case, they break the suspension of disbelief you've just established. So where would it leave your story then? 

Nope. Back-story dumps just aren't worth it. 

So what if the readers don't like the protagonists? you might ask.

Well... here's a bit of a shocking thing to know: Protagonists don't have to be all that likable. They only have to be interesting to be liked. Which means that if you start with the character doing something interesting (maybe adding a few sympathetic hints here and there) and keeping info dumps out of the opening, you're set for long enough to start bringing out the sympathetic aspects to the character. 

But I repeat, info dumps won't let you do this. 

Trust yourself, writer. If you know you have an awesome character, trust that you can keep the interest going long enough to make the character liked. I've done it for entire books without explaining the character's motivations, so I can tell you it's possible. 

And you know the best part about not info dumping all over my dubious character? He might not be likable, but he sure as hell is memorable. 

judge that character #3

A big thank you to Chris who submitted his character, Charlie, for judgement...

The rush of water pelts my back as my right hand clutches the sliding glass door of the shower. My head compresses with the force of a hundred headaches as I squint through a maze of mist and steam. I struggle for control of my suddenly limp body, like steering a car after its brakes have failed. My knees buckle and hit the tile floor. Shampoo soaked water pools around me, so I turn the dial with my last ounce of strength.

I never let money drive a wedge between friends. Music? Maybe. Girls? Definitely. But not money.
“How about this," I say to Sam. "If Skyla is my girlfriend by the end of September, you have to help me fix the lighthouse.”
"Pfft. That place is a dump. No deal."
I knew it. He's still pissed at me for quitting his band.
"Come on, Sam. Your scrawny ass could use a little manual labor.”
"Fuck off, Charlie.” He slams on the gas pedal. The car jerks ahead. “Get one of your meat head jock friends to help you.”

Amber's face hardens. “You heard the rumors."

"No." I shake my head.
“Liar!” She leaps to her feet. "Admit it, Charlie. You think I'm a shameless little slut."
"No, I don't!"
Her slight frame towers over me. "Then why are you rejecting me?"

I stammer, searching for one more excuse. I'm all out.

“Yeah. that’s what I thought.” She grabs her backpack and heads for the exit. “Good luck with your lighthouse.” She scoffs, disappearing down the stairs she helped build. 

Amber waits for me on the lighthouse steps, digging a dirt path with her bright red Chucks. She flips over the door key in her palm. 

“You talked to my dad, didn’t you?” She says to the dirt.

“About what?”
Amber turns to me. “Don’t play dumb with me. He’s being an attentive parent. He even apologized. Kinda."

“Really?" I smile. "What did he say?"

She purses her lips. Her mouth opens, closes, and opens again. "He misses her." Her voice cracks.

I nod. An uneasy silence thickens the air between us. I clutch the railing and pull myself up, wincing as I ascend the stairs.
Amber extends her hand and offers me the key. “You want this back?”
I unlock the door and push it open. “Only if you’re breaking up with me.”

Overall, these are perfectly good paragraphs, but I didn't think any one told me much about Charlie. In the first one he's in pain, the second he's trying to get a friend to help with the lighthouse, the third to find an excuse why he can't date Amber, and the last looks they're making up. Depending upon where these all sit in the story, I'd want to see more of Charlie's actions and reactions to what's happening to him. For example, in the first scene, what is Charlie thinking while he's in this much pain. Is he concerned? Upset? Scared? That's what will tell the reader who Charlie is, make the reader care about Charlie and hopefully, read on. Same thing with the second paragraph. Is he mad that his friend won't help or does he understand why he's refusing? Showing Charlie's reaction to the things that happen to him will give the reader insight into Charlie, make him want to follow Charlie. Third paragraph, he might not want to tell Amber why he's refusing her but his thoughts should tell the reader why and maybe let the reader know he wishes he wasn't - assuming that's true. The last paragraph...hmm, I kind of like it as it is, but Charlie's wincing and pulling himself up the stairs indicates a problem and if it's a physical problem/issue, he probably thinks about it a lot, worries about it. I think what's missing here is either inner dialogue or some sort of reaction from Charlie to show the reader how he's feeling, engage our sympathy. 

Now, what do you guys think of Charlie? What's your impression of him? How could Chris write Charlie better?

judge that character #2

Our second submission comes from Patricia's wip, DEAR KATHERINE...

 

My life began the day I turned eighteen and fell off a planet for the first time. Up until I left school, I hadn't started living--I had just existed.

By the time I landed on Millanos, I had fallen on and off most of the colonized planets in the Tetracoil Galaxy. But even after fourteen years, I still felt exhilarated every time the synchrotron was powered down and gravity took hold of the spacecraft. The adrenalin rush from those seven minutes of free-fall, not knowing if the hovering jets would engage in time, lasted me days.

My heart was still racing when the hatch opened and fresh air rushed into the passenger cabin. I smelled brine in the air--my first greeting from Millanos. I unfastened the straps holding me to the seat and stretched my back. Through the internal passageway, I could see the three pilots moving around the cockpit. One of these days, I would learn to fly just to be able to ride in the fun seats. But first I had nine more planets to visit and Millanos was just a few steps away.

[a couple of paragraphs about what she sees]

My instructor's advice from all those years ago came back to haunt me. Make sure you find food and a safe bed for the night as soon as you land. I had ignored her advice only once and I still regretted it. After that I always made sure I had enough money to last at least two days, just in case. I glanced at the tables dispersed in front of the few restaurants close by, noting the dishes others were eating. Breads were popular and vegetables were served raw. Then my eyes met the sign for a tattoo parlor and I forgot about food.

Well this is certainly interesting! I assume the term falling off a planet is another way of saying leaving the planet...but maybe it means something different. Either way, very intriguing. As for our narrator, she (I'm making an assumption that our narrator is female) reminds me a little of my own character who also loves spaceflight and finds both the idea of it and the reality thrilling. So, is our narrator a thrill seeker? Hmm, maybe. 

I'm a little confused and curious about the instructor's advice. Isn't there any food on the ship? Isn't it safe to stay there and sleep? And why the word safe? Not just any bed, but a safe bed. Finally, she sees the tattoo parlor and forgets entirely about food which leads me to believe she's heading there to get one. Now, getting a tattoo isn't necessarily risky behavior anymore, but it used to be and combined with her love of 'falling of planets' I think it's safe to say this person likes a little excitement in her life.  

Now, what do you guys think about this character? What's your first impression of her?

judge the character #1

A big thank you to Joan for her submission. Let her know in the comments your impression of her character(s) below...

“Hey.” I slow down to catch my breath. “I like your jacket.”

“It’s okay,” Joanna says. She drops her voice. “You can tell me it looks ugly. I think it looks ugly.”

“I don’t think it looks ugly.”

“Thanks.” She looks around us, then pulls me closer. “Here, take a look at this.”

She pulls her pockets open and I catch a flash of metal. I lean forward.

Guns. Pistols. Canisters and twine and many little bottles of antiseptic.

“Why are you showing me this?” I ask.

Joanna releases her pockets and the fabric shuts again. “Your head didn’t seem 100% in the party. I thought you were like me. Worried.”

“Worried about…” I trail away.

“You know about it, Sibyl,” she presses. Mindy’s stopped for a breather and sees the two of us. She waves, then frowns.

I take Joanna’s hand and make her dance. But even then, I know our expressions are not right. My mouth feels tight and my cheeks are sore from smiling.

“Sure I do,” I say. “I just choose not to think about it.”

“That’s stupid.” Joanna stops moving. A few heads turn in our direction, but we don’t hold much attention. “It’s right outside, Sibyl. It’s all around us. Ignoring the G—” She falters, then grabs my arm and shakes it. “Ignoring it isn’t going to make it go away. Look at them,” she snaps all of a sudden, fingers digging into my skin. “Dancing as if it’s their last night. What will they do when it turns out to be true?”

           “Stop,” Deep in my stomach, I know I’m being silly. But there’s a time and place for everything, and right now I don’t want to hear Joanna. I shrug my arm out of her grip. “It’s graduation night. Nothing is going to happen to us.”

My very first impression is that the narrator and Joanna are very good friends - if not best - indicated by the way Joanna drops her voice and asks for honesty, and then shows off what she's got. I was confused by the mention of Mindy and surprised by Sibyl's reaction to the arsenal Joanna shows her. It looks like Joanna is about to go on a killing spree. The question is what prompted this? and why is Sibyl acting like she's in denial when Joanna's words indicate she's well aware of the plan? All of this leads me to think that Joanna is the stronger of the two characters and Sibyl the follower. I'm definitely very curious about what's going to happen!

Now what do you guys think about these characters? What was your first impression?

Constructing genders: more questions

Here's another way to define the negative space that is an "ordinary" American female: what is each of these forces telling her she is?

Religion
For most of us, this is Christianity. Being non-religious does not get you off the hook -- American culture is deeply rooted in Christianity. I'm going to use the vaguest expression of Christian principles, here, since it's such a fractured thing: love God, and love your neighbor. At its root, it's a pacifist, community-oriented faith.

Government
Various parts of federal and state governments assert that women have the right to vote, hold office, get an abortion, receive assistance in buying food, not be sexually harassed the workplace, not be beaten up by her husband, etc.

Tradition
These are the long-term habits of society. From the past, we inherit ideas about how women should behave, what they want, what they ought to do. Some of these are rooted in biology, some in old philosophies and religion.

Side note: I think that in a lower-tech world, one can get away without pop philosophy. Part of me thinks this is something of a lag between current behaviors and tradition... but let's not get distracted by my rambly thoughts.

Popular philosophy
Feminism, pop psychology, consumerism... each one has a different message. Women as locked in a struggle with men. Women as a pair of boobs that help sell the latest diet soda. Women as needing to control their bodies.

Charismatic individuals
Culture holds up a variety of role models for women; there's a lot of argument over how skinny they are, how promiscuous they are -- how close to the ideal they are, in short. But whether we're talking about the latest swimsuit model or Hillary Clinton, there are complex messages there.

All of these things influence each other, of course. Things that persist long enough become "traditional" -- though even fossilized old ideas can change. Like the one that said women were not capable of serious, rational thought and therefore could not be trusted to vote in elections.

What kinds of messages do the men and women in your world get, from these institutions in their world?

Constructing genders: some questions

(checks empty mailbox) All right, here we go...

If you're building a unique culture for your story, thinking about gender roles will cover a lot of territory. These are some questions to get your brain burbling. I'll answer them with regards to women in current American culture -- since it's something we all know about. I'm just laying out a pattern, so let's not argue specifics.

What's the ideal, in this culture? 
We all have an idea what a "super-mom" is like -- that attractive 30something woman with the wonderful hubby, a great career, well-behaved and smart kids, squeaky-clean house, and always has time to whip up super-delicious cookies for the school bake sale.

At what point does "ideal" become too much? 
When does having it all become unreal? Dangerous? "You can never be too rich or too thin," they say...

What allowances are made for reality? 
Perfection does not exist, and we all know it. How many flies in the ointment are allowed? Is a woman still Super-mom if she has a bad hair day now and then? If she came home to find the kids put Palmolive in the dishwasher and there's sudsy water all over the floor? What if Super-mom turns into a bitch every month because of PMS? Or she has a pack-a-day smoking habit? Where does she stop being Super-mom and become "ordinary"?

What's completely unacceptable? 
When would an ordinary bystander call Social Services? Surely if we saw a mother beating her child with a belt -- but what about a light swat on a diapered bottom? Everyone has their own parameters here, but step back and look at culture in general.

What's marginally unacceptable? 
As with the boundary between Super-mom and "ordinary," what's on the low side of acceptability? Yesterday's dishes piled in the sink? Kids are getting in trouble at school? Everyone's 20 pounds overweight?

What is considered "ordinary"?
This is the hazy area that we're trying to define by way of negative space -- by defining the boundaries around it.

The underlying theme here is what society as a whole consideres important in people (in general) and a gender (in specific). That opinion is shaped by many forces: religion, government, tradition, popular philosophy, charismatic individuals... things you'll have to wrestle with in the process of defining gender roles in your created world.

I've also kept to surface-level behaviors here. What about sexuality? Does Super-mom have dozens of orgasms in missionary position, or can she enjoy being on top too? Where do whips and chains fall on the acceptability scale? Playing with food?

Not for you, for our culture in general. It's a moving target, yes.

Other behavior patterns in play: clothing/modesty, aggression, kindness, substance use/abuse, showing emotions...

How are each of these categories of people perceived?
And how are they treated? Are those close to the ideal showered with adoration and opportunities? Hated? What about the unacceptable ones? How are they portrayed in the culture's own stories? How much pressure is put on them to conform to society's standards? What form does it take -- shunning? harassment? legal action?

Your turn
Apply these questions to men, whether in here-and-now reality or your created world. Post it in the comments! And ask questions! This will be a kinda free-form week. If something good comes up in comments, I'll run with it.

I'll make a case study of one of my cultures, if someone asks for it.

Free Gender Check

I will be your host next week, so I am posting this a little early to give you time to ponder...

One of the (many) things writers worry about is portraying the opposite sex accurately. And it's well that they should; we're different creatures, men and women. But there are enough similarities, along with those differences, to make anybody loopy.

This has been on my mind because I've recently been engaged in a lengthy discussion of gender roles. I didn't want to subject you all to a week's worth of ramblings about actual and hypothetical social construction of genders... you're welcome... so let's do some critiquing.

I am CALLING FOR SUBMISSIONS of a scene wherein you are concerned about whether your opposite-gender character is acting "appropriately." What that means, exactly, is a hazy thing. We're talking about individual characters, not stereotypes. And we're not talking about specific behaviors like leaving wet towels on the bed -- I mean the more general "would a guy admit to this?" "would a woman freak out over that?" sort of thing. You'll probably get hazy answers, but we'll try to keep it all gender-oriented.

On second thought, I'll include outlines/synopses in this, too, if you're concerned about the character's behavior over an entire story.

Submissions can be up to 1,500 words. Please try to explain your concerns in the email. A brief character sketch for the character in question would probably help too -- is this meant to be a macho guy? a girly girl? a sensitive, artistic type?

Email to unicornbellsubmissions at gmail dot com, subject line "Gender Check."

Since we're mostly women here, I expect a lot of scenes involving male behavior -- and I hope some men will offer their thoughts on submitted scenes. But I also think that if enough women apply their personal experiences of men to the submissions, we can offer useful insights as well.

If you all FAIL to submit, I may be forced to ramble about social constructions of gender. You've been warned. :D

cunning craft

 

Here's what another of my favorites has to say about characters: "Begin with a character who wants something, and you're off to a good start."*

Think about that for a second and then consider a few characters you know. Like Harry Potter. What did he want? Wasn't it his wanting that made the whole story? Or think about Frodo wanting to get rid of the ring, or Kvothe wanting to learn the name of the wind. This is where stories begin, with characters wanting something. It might be as simple as getting out of their boring town and away from their boring lives or as difficult and complex as defeating the Dark Lord who murdered their parents.

Now, think about your characters. Think about what they want more than anything and how they plan on getting it. Then think about how you're going to make it difficult for them to achieve their goal. What obstacles will they have to overcome? What sacrifices will they have to make? And will it all be worth it in the end?




* from By Cunning & Craft, by Peter Selgin.

critical factors

I was reading my Writer's Digest Magazine last night, and once again came across a superb article about why some novels become successful and others don't. Culprit number one, according to Donald Maass, is timid voices. "A snappy premise and meaty plot can hook us and keep us reading but cannot by themselves work that magic. It takes something extra: voice." Further, "voice in a novel is not the author's thoughts or vocabulary but the sum total of what her characters observe, think, feel and express in their own unique ways."

The fix is easy. Write your characters with strong voices. Let them speak in their own words and tell the story.

(Which is exactly what I've been doing with my latest wip! I know, great minds think alike, right? Me and Don? We are so on the same page when it comes to characters. It's scary.)

Anyway. Moving on. Culprit number two, according to Maass, is untested characters. If they don't do anything then what was the point? How compelling is it to read about a character who doesn't react? The best characters act bravely even though they're scared, jump to defend their principles and rise to face their deepest fears. They come out the other side, changed different, and so do we for reading about them.

But the last and best is culprit number three (Overly Interior or Exterior stories), which really hit home: "Certain story patterns are pretty much guaranteed to lead to fiction of underwhelming force," especially novels heavy with "delay, suffering, and being stuck." Fiction of underwhelming force is, of course, the last thing we want. The way to rectify this, Maass says, is to give interior stories "more dramatic outward events; by the same token, dramatic outward events need to create a more devastating interior impact."

Yeah. I had to underline that last part. Brilliant, right? Especially the devastating part.

And if that doesn't get you all fired up to write something then I'll give you a last gem I found, a question to ponder. Ask yourself, what's the biggest thing your protagonist could possibly do, but can't? By the end of the story, have her do it.

Hmm. I think I might.

Name that Personality

    A big thanks to Patricia who submitted this excerpt from her manuscript, LEGACY OF THE EYE. Some of you may remember her first page and recognize these two characters. The question is, can you tell their personality types? I think I can guess Catrine's but David is harder since this is from her pov. What do you think?

 "We should split up the research. You take the first whorl and I'll take the second." David sat at the desk closer to the door and powered up the computing unit.
     Catrine sat at the other desk, but her mind was not on the work. She could not stop wondering what was wrong with David. After reading the same passage four times, she got up and walked back to the board on the wall. Based on the list she had made the week before, she added labels to the dots and circled the five on her current list of potential planets to send tutors. She also crossed out the ten she was certain were not governed by a hereditary rule. Then David groaned and her mind crash-landed back on Demia.
     "How can you find all the books for a specific planet?" David's chair scraped the wood floor as he thrust it away from the desk.
     "You do a keyword search..." Catrine was confused. She had learned to do this kind of research eight years ago--and David had been the one who taught her.
     "But how do you know you are getting all the books?"
     "Because they are all indexed in the system and the search algorithm is designed to retrieve them." Catrine could see the color creeping up his neck, but she could not understand what was upsetting him.
     "What if someone deleted a book? How would you know?"
     "Why would anyone do that?"
     "I don't know!"
     David's chair toppled over as he stood in haste and they both reached for it at the same time. Catrine's hand brushed against David's skin. The hairs on her arm prickled and her heart rate quickened. The flurry of sensations that enveloped her was as strong as when David had kissed her amidst the lilies. Heat spread through her body. She was aware of how close he was, and how alone they were. She heard David take a deep breath, before he stepped away from her as if from fire.