Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 173

Character Trait Entry: Mysterious

Definition : difficult to understand or figure out; secretive




Causes : having something to hide; an aversion to intimacy that makes it impossible to open up to others; trust issues; a deliberate desire to mystify and attract; a manipulative nature; misunderstood shyness or uncertainty; being privy to information that must be withheld from others




Characters in Literature & Pop Culture: Rick Blaine (Casablanca), The Cullens (Twilight), Jason Bourne, Aragorn (drool)




Positives : Mysterious characters are interesting. Whether they know something they won't reveal or they only have an air of mystery about them, they make us curious. People gravitate toward them. In a story, mysterious characters are cause for infinite speculation and What ifs. Anytime you can hint at something but keep readers guessing, they'll be more inclined to keep reading. Mysterious characters are also a great vehicle for misdirection and red herrings. 




Negatives : Mysterious characters are aloof. They're often difficult to get to know on more than a surface level. If they're intentionally hiding information, they may mislead or lie to keep their secret. Mysterious characters are usually interesting because of what they're hiding; once the secret is revealed, friends, acquaintances, and readers may lose interest, so its important as the author to make sure there's more to your mysterious character than just the mystery.




Common Portrayals: The bad boy at school; magicians and wizards; spies; aliens and paranormals; foreigners




Clichés to Avoid: tall, dark, and mysterious; the stranger with the mysterious past; the mysterious person that people are inexplicably drawn to, against their common sense.




Twists on the Traditional Mysterious Character:   



For some reason, most mysterious characters are men. Create a mysterious woman (with something other than sexual intrigue behind her mystery) and you'll have something fresh and underrepresented in literature.
Mysterious characters tend to appear out of seemingly nowhere with this huge question mark about their past. How about an Average Joe that comes back from a trip or school break with a new air of mystery about him?
The typical mysterious character is gloomy, brooding, and dark. What about the secretive person who is an optimist, or terminally cheerful? 


Conflicting Characteristics to Make your Mysterious Character Unique or More Interesting: anxious, clumsy, naïve, happy, nosy, sweet, foolish



******



ALSO...

I'm at Twisted Minds and Dark Places today sharing Lessons Learned From Stephen King. Whether you're a fan or not, we can all learn something from The King. Stop by, and let me know if you agree :).

Three Guest Posts, Two Giveaways!

Happy Friday, everyone! Summer is quickly coming to an end, which seems impossible since it just began, like, yesterday. My oldest starts pre-school in two weeks, which freaks me out slightly. But I'll be all right. Probably.



#deepbreaths



In the meantime, I'm popping around today, hanging out with friends and talking writer stuff:














First, I'm visiting Thoughts at One in the Morning to talk about The Biggest Distractions that Keep Writers from Finishing.











Then I'm wandering down The Writing Lane, musing on my Top 5 Must-Have Emotions in a Story.











To end strong, I'm headed to an interview at Nicole Zoltack's, where I'll be discussing what I'm reading now, and which paranormal creature I'd most like to be. Any guesses?




And, because it's Friday and we feel the need to celebrate, two of these posts come with a GIVEAWAY! So if you're interested in scoring a copy of The Emotion Thesaurus or know someone who is, enter to win at one of the above blogs. Have a great Friday and a great weekend!

WRITING HERO: Kristen Lamb

For a long time now, Becca and I have wanted a way to acknowledge the people who have helped us develop into stronger writers and who add to the writing community as a whole. As a feature here at The Bookshelf Muse, I will give some well-deserved shout outs to those who really make an impact...people who truly are Writing Heroes.



It is my pleasure to announce this month's hero: KRISTEN LAMB.



I realize that for most of you, Kristen needs no introduction. Her passion for helping writers is legendary, her ability to navigate the expansive landscape of Social Media is unparallelled, and her vision for a better world for all Creatives is truly one-of-a-kind. Refreshingly honest, Kristen doesn't shy away from being the voice we all need to hear--the one that encourages us to be the very best version of ourselves.



Kristen's books, Are You There Blog? It's Me, Writer and We Are Not Alone: The Writer's Guide to Social Media have helped thousands upon thousands of writers! Her blog is a treasure trove of wit and meaty wisdom about writing, social media and the publishing arena. She's also the creator of the #MyWANA hashtag on Twitter, which allows thousands of writers a way to engage, make friends and offer support in an otherwise vast and sometimes intimidating social network.  This year, her central support concept of We Are Not Alone transformed into WANA International and its sister social site WANA Tribe, which together have become a hub for all Creatives to learn, grow, collaborate and become empowered.





Francis the WANA Mascot
One thing I love about Kristen is that she thinks BIG. Not  big like The World's Biggest Bacon Explosion, or The World's Biggest Bacon Double Cheeseburger, although those are baconliciously awesome in their own right. No, Kristen studies the wide screen version of how people and technology meet, and instead of getting bogged down in doing what has always been done, she looks for the fork in the road that can take things to an alternative future--a better one. I've often called her a visionary, and I think this fits the bill. While others in Kristen's position might be content to simply focus on writers and how they can navigate the Indiana Jones' route to the holy publishing Grail, she also takes on the industry, supplying solutions to bring about big changes. I think that's pretty cool.



In truth, I could find another million reasons why Kristen is a heroic advocate for writers, but I think you get the point. If you see her at a conference, introduce yourself! If you are hungry for insight and new ideas, swing past her blog and check out her books. If you want to learn and grow and find a tribe, you'll discover that at WANA International. But most of all, find her doing what she does best on social networks--tweeting, FBing and Google plussing. You'll learn a lot, and have fun doing it.



Thank you Kristen, for being one of my WRITING HEROES. You inspire me!



To pay it forward, I will give a 1000-word critique to Kristen. She can then choose to keep it for herself or offer it as a giveaway on her blog! As a resident writing hero, she will also have a permanent link in our header.



So tell me Musers...do you know Kristen Lamb? Has she helped you or your writing in some way? Please tell us in the comments and help celebrate this amazing WRITING HERO! 



~   ~   ~   ~ ****PSST! Also, if you would like to find out more about how to show your character's HIDDEN EMOTION, come visit me at Strands of a Pattern!





 

Character Trait Entry: Kind

Definition:  the mindset of giving; inclination to offer help and lift another's spirit



Causes: Growing up in a loving home; having a strong sense of kinship with others; being the recipient of kindness; a feeling of wellness derived from giving; an appreciation and connectedness with the world and living things in it; having one's life shaped a moment of kindness at a crucial time in one's past



Characters in Literature: Diana Barry (Anne of Green Gables); Mr. & Mrs. Weasley (Harry Potter); Peeta (The Hunger Games); Juliette & Adam (Shatter Me)



Positives: When in a safe environment, Kind characters are genuine and forthright, and their giving nature and positive attitude draws people in. Observant and often great listeners, Kindlies type uses their intuitive sense and provides an uplifting word or act when another needs it most. Most kindhearted people see it as their duty to help when and where they can, even when it requires a sacrifice of some sort.



Negatives:  Kindlies know how to bestow acts of generosity, but often grow flustered or overly humble when kindness is returned to them. Because of their giving nature, their first instinct is to refuse the gift because they do not want to be a burden, or tell the other person it wasn't necessary. If they accept it, they feel compelled to 'repay' the kindness, which can leave the giver feeling less satisfied. They also commonly refuse help or don't let others know when they need it, denying others the chance to participate in kindness themselves and get the feel-good  rush that comes from giving. Sometimes a Kindly's act or gift has a sacrifice component attached to it, which can make the recipient feel guilty about taking it.



Common Portrayals: Grandparents, the elderly, nurses and heath care personnel, counselors, mothers, women



Cliches to Avoid:  The cookie-baking grandmother; kindness paired with 'demure & submissive'



Twists on the Traditional Kindly:

Kindness is a very likable trait, especially when it belongs to a male. Show us more kind, REALISTIC male characters (but don't go overboard as masculinity must always factor in). 
The most powerful kindness comes when the person giving it has every right and reason not to be kind. This requires strong characterization & character motivation to make it work, but when it does? Magic.
Kindness is often paired with 'soft' positive traits that are in a similar range (friendliness, generosity, caring, etc). What better way for kindness to stand out than by pulling some darker or discordant traits (such as the ones listed below?)
 Conflicting Characteristics to Make your Kindly Unique or More Interesting: Impulsive, Dishonest; Independent; Ambitious; Eccentric; Reckless; Wounded

Newest Olympic Sport: Pacing

I'm going to be brutally honest here. I like the Olympics. I totally do. If love comes from the heart, then like comes from somewhere else, and wherever that Very Important Receptacle is, I assure you that I am liking the Olympics with all of it.



I don't know why I'm not completely rabid about the whole thing. Maybe because it wasn't a huge deal at my house growing up. Maybe because my husband has claimed the TV for the next however-many weeks and has informed me that my DVR'd episodes of Project Runway will have to wait until the Olympic Wonderment is over. Regardless, I watch some of it with him, and when the less exciting events come on, I let my mind wander, and I've decided that Novel Writing should absolutely be an Olympic sport. And if you could break novel writing down into sub-categories, then pacing would be one of the toughest.



I'm at Lydia Kang's blog today, talking about pacing and offering some advice on how to keep it smooth and snappy. If you can tear yourselves away from the TV for five minutes, do come and check it out :).



Also, do you like free books? Of course you do! Did you know you can sign up for our occasional Newsletter and be eligible to win a book with each issue? Plus, there are writing articles, great links and other newsy items to explore. You can find our past issues HERE. The amazing Susan Kaye Quinn is offering a ecopy of her popular YA Dystopian Open Minds in the latest issue. We'll pick a winner next week, so if you sign up NOW...*wink* well, you get the idea.





Also, also, Angela recently blogged about Showing Emotion In Dialogue-heavy Scenes, so if you need some body language tips, especially when your characters are trying to HIDE what they are feeling, do check it out!



Hope everyone has an awesome weekend. Please let us know what's new with you in the comments, and what you're doing this summer!

An Emotion Workshop and an Interview with the Both of Us

So it's Monday. Monday's are, by and large, the suck. But we've got good news for you, Musers. Today, Steena Holmes is hosting an Emotion Workshop at her blog!











She's enlisted victims volunteers from among her loyal followers to post their emotional scenes, and today and tomorrow, we'll be critiquing them, using The Emotion Thesaurus. We'd love for you to stop by.



Also for your eavesdropping pleasure, both Angela and I are being interviewed today at Literary Rambles. This is a treat for us, since we're normally dividing and conquering in the guest posting arena.







So if you've got the time, come and visit with us, and hopefully your Monday will be looking up :).

Character Trait: Serious

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, by C. E. Brock (1895)




Definition : having a thoughtful or subdued manner




Causes : being more inclined to internal thought than external expression; an underdeveloped sense of humor; a strong sense of duty to others; being forced to grow up too early and become responsible at an early age; the belief that any kind of fun is vanity; a compulsion to strictly adhere to the rules; the need to always be on one's guard




Characters in Literature: Mr. Darcy, Peter Hatcher (Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing), Michael Corleone (The Godfather), Katniss Everdeen




Positives : Serious characters are usually very dependable. You can count on them to do what they say they'll do, and you can ask them to take care of jobs others may be unwilling to do. Because serious characters are often highly introspective, they can be very intelligent or have incredible knowledge about specific subjects. This can be a very helpful resource for the hero.




Negatives : Because they don't joke around or take part in frivolous activities, serious characters can be pretty boring. Their lack of interest in popular culture can make them seem rather out-of-it, and their unusual social responses may make others feel awkward. Humor is highly valued in our society, so those who don't appreciate it can be misunderstood and mis-labeled as condescending, shy, stuck-up, or socially backward.




Common Portrayals: cyborgs, robots, and other non-humans; CEOs; mathematicians and scientists; religious characters




Cliches to Avoid:  the teenager/young adult forced to care for younger siblings and put his own life on hold; the cruel, hyper-religious person who condemns others for their frivolous choices; the serious character who's incapable of getting the simplest joke




Twists on the Traditional Serious Character:  




Serious characters are so often BORING. Give them additional traits to make them interesting or empathetic (see below)
The archetypal sidekick is almost always comedian to the main character's straight man. Switch it up and create a serious sidekick and see what humor can come from that situation.
Give your serious character a new reason for being that way. Maybe it's her way of rebelling against society or expressing individuality. Whatever the reason, make sure it makes sense and you lay the foundation so it's believable to the reader.






Conflicting Characteristics to Make your Serious Character Unique or More Interesting: adventurous, loving, charming, hyper, impulsive, wicked, talented

Swoonworthy Characters, Pre-Apocalyptic Reading, and More

We're in desperate straits, people. DESPERATE STRAITS.



Due to my aversion to being sued for using permission-restricted images, I tried REALLY HARD to find the perfect public domain pics for today's post. No dice. So I decided to make my own. Prepare yourselves, people. It's not pretty. If you have small children, you may want to cover their eyes.



AHEM.



I had so much fun visiting blogs and friends a few weeks ago that I decided to do it again. And, you know, a visit can mean a lot of different things. Because I want no confusion on this issue, these are NOT the kinds of visits I'm talking about:







No ghostly visitations of any kind






Just...No


Pathetic, right? It's for this reason that I've decided to download add a bunch of my own pics to the WANA Commons group at Flickr. We writers have to stick together, so if you're committed to doing the right thing when it comes to web images, check out these resources Angela shared on Monday, and consider sharing some of your pictures at Flickr. The more images we have to choose from, the less hand-drawn monstrosities we'll have to endure.



In the meantime, come visit some writerly friends with me and join us in talking about writerly subjects like...



Conflict vs. Tension, with Teralyn Rose Pilgrim at A Writer's Journey

Tension Building Tips, Rowling Style, with Kathleen Doyle at Writing, Reading, and Life

Top 5 Swoonworthy Male Characters in YA, with Gail Krause at The Storyteller's Scroll

Books I'd Read Before the Apocalypse, with Vicki Essex at Writing, Romance, Laughter, Life

Reluctant to Join Social Media?

Photo by 416style
Hi everyone! For some, the war cry of Join Twitter! Network! Engage & Share! Create a Facebook Page! Get Yourself Out There! can seem a bit much. I know a lot of writers who are confused and frustrated because they don't feel they are suited for the noisy mosh pit of online socializing, yet they are told repeatedly that they must do it to succeed.



I do believe that social networking is one of the best things you can do to create discoverability for yourself and your books, but completely understand how intimidating it can be for a person standing on the edge of it all. So if you have misgivings about these networking platforms or know someone who is struggling with how to connect with others, I am discussing this exact topic over at The Eagle's Aerial Perspective blog: What To Do...If You Feel Social Networking Isn't Right For You



After all, I think that's what we need sometimes--a view from high up where we can see the big picture and not be scared off by the misconstrued noise of social networking at ground level.



Also, some of you probably read Roni Loren's  Bloggers Beware: You CAN Get Sued For Using Pics on Your Blog - My Story. I know most people put pictures with their blog posts and link them to the sites where they found them, thinking this is the right thing to do and will protect them from liability. IT WONT. Roni's story is a 'it could happen to you' situation, so I strongly encourage you to read about her experience if you haven't already.



Kristen Lamb has stepped up to help in this regard, however! If you need pictures for your blog that are free from copyright, you can join WANA Tribe and use her Flickr group built for this purpose. From WANA Commons:



"This is a photo reservoir for the WANAs. Many of us are bloggers, so we come here as one community to share our images for free use by other WANAs without fear of copyright infringement. If you post images in this group, you are claiming to be the owner of copyright and that you are granting us to use these images for free without fear of reprisal."

Here's another post on Where To Get Photos For Your Blog that might help. Becca and I will be changing how and what we post for pictures to make sure we're not infringing on anyone's copyright, and I strongly suggest you do as well.



Well, it's Monday and the world is your bag of Doritos. I hope everyone is having a great summer and writing up a storm! Have a happy and productive week! :)

Character Trait Entry: Determined

Definition: a firm resolve; unwavering; focused



Causes: Strong focus and ability to make decisions; having a set goal, objective or desire that is personal and important; being highly committed to an idea or belief



Characters in Literature: Doug (Okay For Now); Katniss (The Hunger Games); Perrin (The Wheel of Time)



Positives: The determined character has a state of mind that leads to perseverance, which will allow them to achieve their long term goals. They are able to set emotion aside, analyze a situation or action and weigh whether it brings them closer to their goal. Determined people can make decisions and create realistic goals and objectives, and work toward them step by step. They play to their strengths and will accept help if it is required. Determined individuals can set ego aside and work hard as required. They have strong focus, and can overcome doubt or insecurities which might sway their mindset.



Negatives:  Determined characters can have narrow focus and sometimes not see (or care) about how their actions affect others. People may feel shut out or excluded, and relationships can suffer, especially if other parties do not understand or appreciate the high level of dedication to a task. While a determined character is focused on a goal, they may miss other important events that can cause friction or conflict, and these events may eventually build up to a point where they sabotage efforts of obtaining that goal.



Common Portrayals: Athletes, Competitors, Law Enforcers & Military, Leaders; Serial Killers; Stalkers; Paparazzi



Cliches to Avoid:   The athlete or competitor who will win at all costs and leave behind a body count to do it; the ex cop with a vendetta; the military Rambo type who was wronged and is determined to bring his government down; the character who wants something outlandish and who is not suited for the task, yet manages to achieve it through an incredible amount of fortunate coincidences and luck.



Twists on the Traditional Determined: 

 The darker cousin of determination is obsession. It's easy to show obsession leading to a person's undoing, so instead, show us a hero who buries himself in it, but then realizes what is happening and pulls himself out in time. 
With villains, determination is intrinsic and so readers take it as a matter of course. This means some authors skim on defining WHY the villain is determined, so if you write this trait, don't skimp! The WHY is what creates empathy, so show us the cause, the need, that lies behind striving to obtain their goal.
Determination can never be enough. Challenge your character morally, and add conflict that makes them question their choice and mindset. Self-doubt can be a powerful way to define determination.


 Conflicting Characteristics to Make your Determined Unique or More Interesting: Witty, Impulsive, Sensitive, Clever, Worry-wart, Eccentric, Fearless