Fran Shaff's Blog - Posts Tagged "characters"
Character Charistics Revealed
"George was a stupid man."
Pretty boring, right? There are many ways to say "George was a stupid man," and they are all much more fun to read than this plain, colorless statement of fact.
"The teacher explained four times the process of opening a jar of peanut butter, but George still did not understand the procedure."
"The third time George placed the nail into the electric outlet, he decided it was too painful to indulge his curiosity."
"When the banker handed George the loan agreement and asked him to sign his name he explained he wasn't deaf and had never learned to sign."
Showing the traits of characters when writing a piece of fiction instead of telling facts always makes perusing the story more interesting for readers.
So remember, we don't say: "Judy was old." We say, "When Judy was twelve she witnessed President Harry Truman's marriage to Bess." or "Judy lost a fortune when the stock market crashed in '29."
Next week, more on character creation.
Have a great week,
Fran
Fran Shaff
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff
Pretty boring, right? There are many ways to say "George was a stupid man," and they are all much more fun to read than this plain, colorless statement of fact.
"The teacher explained four times the process of opening a jar of peanut butter, but George still did not understand the procedure."
"The third time George placed the nail into the electric outlet, he decided it was too painful to indulge his curiosity."
"When the banker handed George the loan agreement and asked him to sign his name he explained he wasn't deaf and had never learned to sign."
Showing the traits of characters when writing a piece of fiction instead of telling facts always makes perusing the story more interesting for readers.
So remember, we don't say: "Judy was old." We say, "When Judy was twelve she witnessed President Harry Truman's marriage to Bess." or "Judy lost a fortune when the stock market crashed in '29."
Next week, more on character creation.
Have a great week,
Fran
Fran Shaff
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff
Character Comparisons
Using comparisons in illustrating characters can be very effective. Check out these various ways of describing characters.
1a. He was graceful.
1b. He moved as fluidly as Michael Jordon executing a perfect layup.
2a. The room smelled horrible.
2b. Even skunk odor would be an improvement over the smell in that room.
3a. Ellen was the smartest woman in her class.
3b. Ellen could give science lessons to Einstein.
4a. Fred was too handsome to be a Fred.
4b. Cary Grant, Brad Pitt, Adonis, Apollo--every one of them would envy Fred's classic good looks.
5a. Fido was the ugliest dog I've ever seen.
5b. Fido's looks would be standard fare if he were a bulldog, but he was a French poodle.
Using a comparison in describing a character adds punch and style to a story.
Have a great week!
Fran
Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff
1a. He was graceful.
1b. He moved as fluidly as Michael Jordon executing a perfect layup.
2a. The room smelled horrible.
2b. Even skunk odor would be an improvement over the smell in that room.
3a. Ellen was the smartest woman in her class.
3b. Ellen could give science lessons to Einstein.
4a. Fred was too handsome to be a Fred.
4b. Cary Grant, Brad Pitt, Adonis, Apollo--every one of them would envy Fred's classic good looks.
5a. Fido was the ugliest dog I've ever seen.
5b. Fido's looks would be standard fare if he were a bulldog, but he was a French poodle.
Using a comparison in describing a character adds punch and style to a story.
Have a great week!
Fran
Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff
Characters and Their Belief Systems
Whether or not characters in fictional stories live up to their belief systems tells readers a lot about what kind of people they are.
Consider fictional character Alvin Pastorini, a beloved preacher in Mapleton, a beautiful fictional Midwestern town.
Preacher Pastorini has a lovely, kind sixteen-year-old daughter who has become pregnant.
As a respected Christian pastor it would seem this man's reaction to his child's situation would be one of compassion.
Readers would expect this beloved and respected man to stand by his daughter and help her find Christian solutions to her challenges. Some of her options would include raising the child on her own, marrying the father and raising the child with him or placing the child for adoption.
What if, however, Reverend Pastorini secretly forces his daughter to have an abortion because he doesn't want his congregation to learn his daughter behaved immorally?
What if his daughter is so emotionally scarred by being forced into the abortion she turns to drugs and the preacher hides her away in a clinic and pays for her treatment with church funds?
Every character in every story has a belief system. As writers we can more thoroughly flesh out our characters as "real" people by showing how they live up to their belief systems.
While it may be adequate for a writer to simply tell a reader, "Reverend Pastorini was a hypocritical, cold-hearted, thieving SOB" the reader gets a much clearer picture of who Pastor Alvin Pastorini is when she sees first hand how the reverend does or doesn't live up to his belief system during challenging times.
Accountant Annie who considers herself an honest person but frequently takes home office supplies can't hide her true nature from the observing eyes of readers. The "Thou shalt not steal" sign on her desk fails to keep her on track with her belief system.
Second string Steve who secretly works after hours with first string Frank night after night to help him become the best quarterback in the conference is a shining, heroic star in the shadows of the readers' minds. Steve obviously lives by the simple motto written on a piece of notebook paper and taped to the inside of his locker door "Team work."
Showing whether or not characters live up to their belief systems is an excellent way of illustrating characters in fictional pieces.
(For more on character development, see previous posts on use of comparisons, actions and illustrations in fleshing out fictional characters.)
Fran
Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff
Consider fictional character Alvin Pastorini, a beloved preacher in Mapleton, a beautiful fictional Midwestern town.
Preacher Pastorini has a lovely, kind sixteen-year-old daughter who has become pregnant.
As a respected Christian pastor it would seem this man's reaction to his child's situation would be one of compassion.
Readers would expect this beloved and respected man to stand by his daughter and help her find Christian solutions to her challenges. Some of her options would include raising the child on her own, marrying the father and raising the child with him or placing the child for adoption.
What if, however, Reverend Pastorini secretly forces his daughter to have an abortion because he doesn't want his congregation to learn his daughter behaved immorally?
What if his daughter is so emotionally scarred by being forced into the abortion she turns to drugs and the preacher hides her away in a clinic and pays for her treatment with church funds?
Every character in every story has a belief system. As writers we can more thoroughly flesh out our characters as "real" people by showing how they live up to their belief systems.
While it may be adequate for a writer to simply tell a reader, "Reverend Pastorini was a hypocritical, cold-hearted, thieving SOB" the reader gets a much clearer picture of who Pastor Alvin Pastorini is when she sees first hand how the reverend does or doesn't live up to his belief system during challenging times.
Accountant Annie who considers herself an honest person but frequently takes home office supplies can't hide her true nature from the observing eyes of readers. The "Thou shalt not steal" sign on her desk fails to keep her on track with her belief system.
Second string Steve who secretly works after hours with first string Frank night after night to help him become the best quarterback in the conference is a shining, heroic star in the shadows of the readers' minds. Steve obviously lives by the simple motto written on a piece of notebook paper and taped to the inside of his locker door "Team work."
Showing whether or not characters live up to their belief systems is an excellent way of illustrating characters in fictional pieces.
(For more on character development, see previous posts on use of comparisons, actions and illustrations in fleshing out fictional characters.)
Fran
Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff
Fun With Characters
Writers might disagree whether plot or characters come first when they are fleshing out a story, but they probably all agree great characters are essential to great stories.
Think about it--almost every story we remember, we remember because of the terrific characters.
Series in books, movies and television are successful because of compelling characters, in most cases. Whether the characters are vampires, detectives, cowboys, southern belles, knights, aliens or comic figures, there is something so irresistible about them we readers/viewers keep coming back for more because we love the characters a writer has created.
Here is a great example of the importance of character: the Lucy character in "I Love Lucy" was created for television back in the 1950s when TV was in its infancy. Anyone who has ever seen this series knows the story lines are virtually all the same--Lucy pulls a prank or tries to get into show business, Ricky (her husband) gets angry with her, and, in the end, they're as in love as ever, no matter what terrible thing went on between them. It isn't the cliched plots of the stories which have kept this series on television for more than six decades, it's Lucy's character. Thousands of people, maybe millions, truly "Love" Lucy.
One of the most important things a writer should keep in mind while developing his characters is this: a character should generate his or her own stories. For example, in the movie "The Pacifier" Vin Diesel plays the part of a Navy SEAL who's mission puts him in charge of the care of several children from infancy to teens. This man has NO experience with children. He is pure Navy SEAL--and he behaves like the tough guy he routinely needs to be while carrying out his usually dangerous missions.
In other words, the Diesel character stays true to who he is and he "generates his own story" just as a well-developed character should. Whatever situation a character might be in, he must react to his circumstances in a true, honest way. If he doesn't readers (and viewers) will walk away from a writer's stories.
Writers, and readers who just want to have some fun, try this exercise. Select a character or maybe a group of characters you know well, and play the "what if" game with them. Put them in unusual or challenging situations and, staying true to who these people are, let them generate their own stories according to who they are and the situation they are in.
Examples
1. What if -- cowboy Clint Eastwood found himself at a quilting bee?
2. What if -- Mickey Mouse was called to be a clergyman?
3. What if -- two or three characters (you choose which ones) from the TV series "Friends" were trapped in a gas station during a tornado with two or three characters from the "Twilight" movie series?
Fans as well as writers should have fun with an exercise like this, but writers might just also find something helpful they can use when developing characters for their next stories.
Have a great week!
Fran
Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
Fran's Web Page
Think about it--almost every story we remember, we remember because of the terrific characters.
Series in books, movies and television are successful because of compelling characters, in most cases. Whether the characters are vampires, detectives, cowboys, southern belles, knights, aliens or comic figures, there is something so irresistible about them we readers/viewers keep coming back for more because we love the characters a writer has created.
Here is a great example of the importance of character: the Lucy character in "I Love Lucy" was created for television back in the 1950s when TV was in its infancy. Anyone who has ever seen this series knows the story lines are virtually all the same--Lucy pulls a prank or tries to get into show business, Ricky (her husband) gets angry with her, and, in the end, they're as in love as ever, no matter what terrible thing went on between them. It isn't the cliched plots of the stories which have kept this series on television for more than six decades, it's Lucy's character. Thousands of people, maybe millions, truly "Love" Lucy.
One of the most important things a writer should keep in mind while developing his characters is this: a character should generate his or her own stories. For example, in the movie "The Pacifier" Vin Diesel plays the part of a Navy SEAL who's mission puts him in charge of the care of several children from infancy to teens. This man has NO experience with children. He is pure Navy SEAL--and he behaves like the tough guy he routinely needs to be while carrying out his usually dangerous missions.
In other words, the Diesel character stays true to who he is and he "generates his own story" just as a well-developed character should. Whatever situation a character might be in, he must react to his circumstances in a true, honest way. If he doesn't readers (and viewers) will walk away from a writer's stories.
Writers, and readers who just want to have some fun, try this exercise. Select a character or maybe a group of characters you know well, and play the "what if" game with them. Put them in unusual or challenging situations and, staying true to who these people are, let them generate their own stories according to who they are and the situation they are in.
Examples
1. What if -- cowboy Clint Eastwood found himself at a quilting bee?
2. What if -- Mickey Mouse was called to be a clergyman?
3. What if -- two or three characters (you choose which ones) from the TV series "Friends" were trapped in a gas station during a tornado with two or three characters from the "Twilight" movie series?
Fans as well as writers should have fun with an exercise like this, but writers might just also find something helpful they can use when developing characters for their next stories.
Have a great week!
Fran
Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
Fran's Web Page
Love Stories
Love stories have always been popular because everyone can identify with them. We all want to give and receive love.
I write and read romances which are good, old-fashioned, classic love stories, novels with compelling stories and lots of sexual tension between the man and woman, but without explicit sex, the kind that would make you blush if you read it aloud to your young daughter or granddaughter. These "sweet" romances are like "PG" or "PG-13" movies, as far as sexual content is concerned.
Sweet romances are getting harder and harder to find, even though many Readers prefer this type of love story. There are, however, a number of writers like me who continue to provide classic romance, high in conflict and sexual tension, but low is explicitness.
Any good love story, whether is "PG" or "R," is made up of the following:
1. The hero and heroine of a love story must be highly attracted to each other, physically and emotionally.
2. At least one major obstacle must stand in the way of their being able to be together. The conflict may be either exterior, (happening outside of the individual, such as in Romeo and Juliet's family issues) or interior (a woman who was terribly hurt by a first husband might be afraid to trust a man again).
3. An external force must cause them to have to be together. (Example: a child goes missing. The heroine is the detective on the case, the hero is the widower whose child is missing)
4. Emotion is key in a love story--love, hate, regret, longing, sorrow, misery, laughter, anger--but it should never be contrived. The emotion must be natural to the characters and realistic in the way the plot is developed.
5. As the hero and heroine struggle to defeat the external force causing them to be together, a relationship grows between them. It might begin with a sense of loathing for each other, even though there's plenty of sexual chemistry between them, but it eases into mutual respect, friendship and eventually true love by the time they finally defeat the external force and decide whether or not they should be together. (The widower of the missing child in the example above might blame the detective for not doing enough to find his missing child, but, as they work together, they begin to respect each other, find common ground, friendship and realize their mutual admiration has blossomed into true love.)
6. The hero and heroine must be loveable to the Readers as well as to each other--but they must not be perfect. They should have flaws, sometimes major flaws, and they must struggle to overcome their shortcomings and thus be worthy of loving and of being loved.
7. Most Readers prefer a "happily ever after" ending. I know I do. But it isn't necessary to end a romance that way. A few writers have found a following by writing stories which end in tragedy. Every author who writes love stories must decide which type of ending they want to give their Readers, and their Readers will decide whether or not it's the type of ending they want in their love stories.
I hope your March, 2013 is filled with a special love story of your own...
Fran
Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
Fran's Web Page
I write and read romances which are good, old-fashioned, classic love stories, novels with compelling stories and lots of sexual tension between the man and woman, but without explicit sex, the kind that would make you blush if you read it aloud to your young daughter or granddaughter. These "sweet" romances are like "PG" or "PG-13" movies, as far as sexual content is concerned.
Sweet romances are getting harder and harder to find, even though many Readers prefer this type of love story. There are, however, a number of writers like me who continue to provide classic romance, high in conflict and sexual tension, but low is explicitness.
Any good love story, whether is "PG" or "R," is made up of the following:
1. The hero and heroine of a love story must be highly attracted to each other, physically and emotionally.
2. At least one major obstacle must stand in the way of their being able to be together. The conflict may be either exterior, (happening outside of the individual, such as in Romeo and Juliet's family issues) or interior (a woman who was terribly hurt by a first husband might be afraid to trust a man again).
3. An external force must cause them to have to be together. (Example: a child goes missing. The heroine is the detective on the case, the hero is the widower whose child is missing)
4. Emotion is key in a love story--love, hate, regret, longing, sorrow, misery, laughter, anger--but it should never be contrived. The emotion must be natural to the characters and realistic in the way the plot is developed.
5. As the hero and heroine struggle to defeat the external force causing them to be together, a relationship grows between them. It might begin with a sense of loathing for each other, even though there's plenty of sexual chemistry between them, but it eases into mutual respect, friendship and eventually true love by the time they finally defeat the external force and decide whether or not they should be together. (The widower of the missing child in the example above might blame the detective for not doing enough to find his missing child, but, as they work together, they begin to respect each other, find common ground, friendship and realize their mutual admiration has blossomed into true love.)
6. The hero and heroine must be loveable to the Readers as well as to each other--but they must not be perfect. They should have flaws, sometimes major flaws, and they must struggle to overcome their shortcomings and thus be worthy of loving and of being loved.
7. Most Readers prefer a "happily ever after" ending. I know I do. But it isn't necessary to end a romance that way. A few writers have found a following by writing stories which end in tragedy. Every author who writes love stories must decide which type of ending they want to give their Readers, and their Readers will decide whether or not it's the type of ending they want in their love stories.
I hope your March, 2013 is filled with a special love story of your own...
Fran
Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
Fran's Web Page
