1. I'm beginning to think that groundhog might not be able to predict the weather. It's shocking to say the least. But the evidence is what it is. That elusive, oh-so-desperately wanted season called Spring? So hasn't shown up yet. Not even a hint. It was in the single digits this morning, my car frozen solid yet again. Argh. Pux-a-whatever-your-name-is, you better make it warm up soon, or I'm coming for vengeance!
2. Sometimes, you need to start a new project to clear your mind. Sometimes, you feel like your writing is just utter crap, and playing with a new idea helps you remember why you love writing. I'm not saying that I am flirting with a SNI (Shiny New Idea), just that sometimes, for some people, it can actually be a good thing.
3. Scraping off a frozen car sucks even more when you know your husband is basking in the heat and sun in Mexico. For "work."
4. Really interesting characters are multi-faceted. They're complicated. They're light and dark. I read someone's review today that said they were kind of bored with a book because the "hero" was SO good. Real people have flaws. We often find these flaws annoying in real life (oh come on, you know you do). But fictional characters without any flaws or failings or problems of some sort tend to be... well, boring. I wonder if that would be the same in real people. Do our flaws and foibles give us depth? Make us interesting? Would be boring if we were perfect? I guess we'll never know...
5. Taking your two-year-old to the movies might not be a good idea. Just sayin'. The five-year-old loved it, watched the whole thing. The two-year-old? Enthralled... for about ten minutes. Short movies are 90 minutes long. Popcorn bought me ten more minutes. Candy lasted only as long as he took to chew it. You do the math. From what I got to see of it, Megamind was an interesting example of multi-faceted characters. So are my kids.
How's that for a mix of profound and inane on this Friday morning? Pretty much sums up my week. All over the place. What's on your mind today?
Showing posts with label characters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label characters. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Weathering the storm
With the snowpocalypse attacking at least half of our nation (and also ice and freezing cold temperatures and just crazy winter weather hitting at least another third of it), it got me thinking. Not just about how much I wish Spring were here (as you could tell by my previous post), but about our characters. You know, the ones in the books we're writing. (Well, I'm assuming most of the people who read my blog are writing/have written books.)
What do these horrible storms have to do with our characters? Everything. Sort of. Okay, hang in there with me and I'll try to explain.
I asked you on Monday: what makes you love a book? For some it is the characters. For others it's really good writing, or a great, fast-paced plot. No matter what facet of a book makes you fall in love with it, I'd say (and hopefully you'll agree), that any book is only as good as its snowpocalypse. Huh? What is she rambling about now... ? And how are you supposed to add a blizzard to you book, when you're writing a story set in a tropical climate where it doesn't snow? I'm not talking about adding an actual storm to your book. I'm talking about that thing that nearly every great book has--the ultimate, shocking, horrifying, unexpected, gut-twisting "storm" the MC has to get through or overcome or survive and grow stronger from to reach the conclusion of the book. Is my strange, meandering thought process becoming clearer now? I'm talking about the trial or catastrophe or test or whatever you want to call it that gives the book it's driving force. In Harry Potter, every book had a huge confrontation at the end, usually ending up in someone's death. They tended to get progressively more intense, more powerful, and more all-encompassing as the series went on. The stakes were raised higher and higher. And every time you raise those stakes higher, (make the obstacle/trial/whatever it is harder and more unbelievably difficult to survive) the more the reader is going to care about what happens.
If your MC is trying to drive home in a mild blizzard, and is somewhat nervous, but hey, the roads are salted and it's not too bad... well, eh. That's okay and all, I guess. Kind of a yawn-fest. But if your MC is caught in the worst blizzard in decades, that covers half a country, and strands thousands on a major highway with snow drifts burying their cars in a matter of a few hours... Whoa. Now that's going to grab your attention and keep it. See what I mean? Make your characters have to weather some storms -- and if possible, make those storms snowpocalypses.
What do these horrible storms have to do with our characters? Everything. Sort of. Okay, hang in there with me and I'll try to explain.
I asked you on Monday: what makes you love a book? For some it is the characters. For others it's really good writing, or a great, fast-paced plot. No matter what facet of a book makes you fall in love with it, I'd say (and hopefully you'll agree), that any book is only as good as its snowpocalypse. Huh? What is she rambling about now... ? And how are you supposed to add a blizzard to you book, when you're writing a story set in a tropical climate where it doesn't snow? I'm not talking about adding an actual storm to your book. I'm talking about that thing that nearly every great book has--the ultimate, shocking, horrifying, unexpected, gut-twisting "storm" the MC has to get through or overcome or survive and grow stronger from to reach the conclusion of the book. Is my strange, meandering thought process becoming clearer now? I'm talking about the trial or catastrophe or test or whatever you want to call it that gives the book it's driving force. In Harry Potter, every book had a huge confrontation at the end, usually ending up in someone's death. They tended to get progressively more intense, more powerful, and more all-encompassing as the series went on. The stakes were raised higher and higher. And every time you raise those stakes higher, (make the obstacle/trial/whatever it is harder and more unbelievably difficult to survive) the more the reader is going to care about what happens.
If your MC is trying to drive home in a mild blizzard, and is somewhat nervous, but hey, the roads are salted and it's not too bad... well, eh. That's okay and all, I guess. Kind of a yawn-fest. But if your MC is caught in the worst blizzard in decades, that covers half a country, and strands thousands on a major highway with snow drifts burying their cars in a matter of a few hours... Whoa. Now that's going to grab your attention and keep it. See what I mean? Make your characters have to weather some storms -- and if possible, make those storms snowpocalypses.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Compelling Characters (aka ones that aren't boring)
I was planning on this being a bit of a longer post, but alas, my time is short. So you will have to do with short and sweet. That's okay, right?
Here are my (brief) thoughts on writing compelling characters.
They have to be complex. They have to seem real. How do you accomplish that? You have to be willing to show all sides of someone's character. You have to give them flaws (yes, even your hero with the rippling abs of steel), you have to give them strengths/"like-able" qualities (yes, even your super evil villain), you need to give them foibles and habits and maybe even phrases they say that are easily recognizable. Maybe she bites her nails? Or he has a habit of cracking his knuckles (ew). But you get the idea. Case in point: "What the bleep?" Anybody who's read that book immediately knows what character says that. It's unique and fun and makes Evie who she is.
Your so called "bad guy" can't JUST be bad. He/She needs to have depth to make your reader more involved. Your protag/hero needs to have weaknesses that they can overcome during the course of the book(s). Real people are multi-faceted. They aren't just bad or just good. Great characters are the same.
Was I going to dazzle you with examples and pictures and more? Yes. Maybe I can do another post about it next week if you'd like. Feel free to let me know in the comments. And I'd like to know two things: who are your favorite protagonists (and why?) and your favorite "villain" (and why)? I'll bet they are pretty complex characters. I can't wait to see your answers!
Stay tuned for my Monday Musings (instead of Friday Five since I did the blog challenge) that includes ballroom dancing, Thurl Bailey singing to me, and more!
Here are my (brief) thoughts on writing compelling characters.
They have to be complex. They have to seem real. How do you accomplish that? You have to be willing to show all sides of someone's character. You have to give them flaws (yes, even your hero with the rippling abs of steel), you have to give them strengths/"like-able" qualities (yes, even your super evil villain), you need to give them foibles and habits and maybe even phrases they say that are easily recognizable. Maybe she bites her nails? Or he has a habit of cracking his knuckles (ew). But you get the idea. Case in point: "What the bleep?" Anybody who's read that book immediately knows what character says that. It's unique and fun and makes Evie who she is.
Your so called "bad guy" can't JUST be bad. He/She needs to have depth to make your reader more involved. Your protag/hero needs to have weaknesses that they can overcome during the course of the book(s). Real people are multi-faceted. They aren't just bad or just good. Great characters are the same.
Was I going to dazzle you with examples and pictures and more? Yes. Maybe I can do another post about it next week if you'd like. Feel free to let me know in the comments. And I'd like to know two things: who are your favorite protagonists (and why?) and your favorite "villain" (and why)? I'll bet they are pretty complex characters. I can't wait to see your answers!
Stay tuned for my Monday Musings (instead of Friday Five since I did the blog challenge) that includes ballroom dancing, Thurl Bailey singing to me, and more!
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