Bill Conrad's Blog - Posts Tagged "plot"
Writing A Character Biography
In my last blog, I examined how an outline helps the book writing process. In this blog, I will attempt to show how I define characters at this early stage. As an example, I created three characters loosely based on my fourth book outline. So, let’s begin in an incorrect way. The character biography for James is: American, 31 years old, 6’ 2” tall, brown curly hair, black shirt, thin, in great shape, walks tall and lives in a modest home. While this is a good sentence for a book, that isn’t what we are looking for. What we need is overall details and interaction with other characters. With that in mind, here are three basic character biographies:
Grace
Type: Strong, smart, middle-aged.
Interactions:
* James. Likes him, loans him money, wants to take their relationship further.
* Pincushion man. Avoids him, talks down to him.
Traits: Talks with a Russian accent, dresses well, likes good food.
Strengths: Has a great perception, art/music expert, a good business person.
Limitations: Can’t get over the loss of her husband, unknown health issue.
Background: Born Russia, grew up on a rural farm, has a summer house that James has been to.
Occupation: Buy/sell art and music.
Desires: Make more money, get control of Pincushion man shipping operation.
James
Type: Average guy, not too bright, middle-aged.
* Pincushion man. Taken prisoner by him, intimidated by him.
* Grace. Met at the bookstore, initially intimidated by her, now at a basic level of respect.
Traits: Has a low opinion of himself, always complaining.
Strengths: Street smart, a good writer, great at getting information out of people, easy to talk to.
Limitations: No money, terrible friends, bad X wife, not good with money.
Background: Lives Seattle in a small house, moved around a lot as a child.
Occupation: Best Buy.
Desires: Write a great book, make enough money to make it through the day.
Pincushion man
Type: Greedy, driven, dominating, old.
* James. Wants to get secret from him, treats him as a servant.
* Grace. Does not understand her, cannot relate to her goals.
Traits: Addicted to acupuncture, cheep, appreciates art, arrogant, selfish.
Strengths: Great at organizing, can immediately spot weakness.
Limitations: In poor health, bad at business, cannot relate to others.
Background: Born a long time ago in China, unhealthy.
Occupation: Independently wealthy, shipping.
Desires: Gain as much power and land as possible.
At this stage, I did not have a name for the “pincushion man” character and I used this as a placeholder.
As you can see, there is an of detail lot missing, including their appearance. At this early outline stage, we are only concerned about the aspects that directly affect the plot. When the writing begins, the fine details will be created.
When creating a character, I like to start with somebody I know. This could be a fictional character or a real person. I then think about their traits and expand on them to fit the story. The key is to build a mental picture and then use the character biography as a reference.
A big part of the character is how they interact with each other. From the above example, it is clear that the characters aren’t friends, but they have commonalities. That particular type of interaction was dictated by the plot. Friendly characters would have more personal interactions and background. Such as, James is married to Grace’s brother, Pincushion man.
Not all characters need a detailed background. Let’s look at a more basic example.
Smith Family
Mother: Tara; Fun, open-minded, kind.
Father: Greg; Reserved, easy going, knows baseball.
Daughter: Sarah; Pretty, dresses well.
Dog: Spots.
Relationships: They live next door to James.
Minor characters
Patrick: James friend from a baseball game
Julia Rogers: Graces helper
Mr. Crowley: Pincushion man’s butler
It is key to record short biographies like this. This keeps all the character names separate and shows the relationships between the characters. For example, it would be difficult for the reader if the father Greg Smith was named James Smith. Readers might think: Main character James is married and has a daughter Sarah? When did that happen?
Now that we have established the character biographies we can see how they interact with the plot outline. At this stage, plot experiments can be conducted and major changes can be made. For example, a character can change gender, occupation or their background. This allows for a targeted character that fully compliments the plot.
Now that we have the character biography’s, we can begin writing. When it comes time to introduce “pincushion man,” we have the foundation and can give him a proper name. As the book progresses, character additions are made. For example, James needs to have next door neighbors. The author then creates the Smith Family. A quick biography addition is made with their background.
At the end of the book, all the characters should be captured in this biography. A quick check will show that all the names are distinct and the interactions make sense. It will also help in the editing process to keep things straight.
Overall, a character biography does take a small amount of time to create, but it is a key development tool. It makes the writing and outline process a lot easier. This allows the writer to focus on creating a great story that flows from one character to the next. I have had great luck with this technique and I plan to make better use of it in the future.
Grace
Type: Strong, smart, middle-aged.
Interactions:
* James. Likes him, loans him money, wants to take their relationship further.
* Pincushion man. Avoids him, talks down to him.
Traits: Talks with a Russian accent, dresses well, likes good food.
Strengths: Has a great perception, art/music expert, a good business person.
Limitations: Can’t get over the loss of her husband, unknown health issue.
Background: Born Russia, grew up on a rural farm, has a summer house that James has been to.
Occupation: Buy/sell art and music.
Desires: Make more money, get control of Pincushion man shipping operation.
James
Type: Average guy, not too bright, middle-aged.
* Pincushion man. Taken prisoner by him, intimidated by him.
* Grace. Met at the bookstore, initially intimidated by her, now at a basic level of respect.
Traits: Has a low opinion of himself, always complaining.
Strengths: Street smart, a good writer, great at getting information out of people, easy to talk to.
Limitations: No money, terrible friends, bad X wife, not good with money.
Background: Lives Seattle in a small house, moved around a lot as a child.
Occupation: Best Buy.
Desires: Write a great book, make enough money to make it through the day.
Pincushion man
Type: Greedy, driven, dominating, old.
* James. Wants to get secret from him, treats him as a servant.
* Grace. Does not understand her, cannot relate to her goals.
Traits: Addicted to acupuncture, cheep, appreciates art, arrogant, selfish.
Strengths: Great at organizing, can immediately spot weakness.
Limitations: In poor health, bad at business, cannot relate to others.
Background: Born a long time ago in China, unhealthy.
Occupation: Independently wealthy, shipping.
Desires: Gain as much power and land as possible.
At this stage, I did not have a name for the “pincushion man” character and I used this as a placeholder.
As you can see, there is an of detail lot missing, including their appearance. At this early outline stage, we are only concerned about the aspects that directly affect the plot. When the writing begins, the fine details will be created.
When creating a character, I like to start with somebody I know. This could be a fictional character or a real person. I then think about their traits and expand on them to fit the story. The key is to build a mental picture and then use the character biography as a reference.
A big part of the character is how they interact with each other. From the above example, it is clear that the characters aren’t friends, but they have commonalities. That particular type of interaction was dictated by the plot. Friendly characters would have more personal interactions and background. Such as, James is married to Grace’s brother, Pincushion man.
Not all characters need a detailed background. Let’s look at a more basic example.
Smith Family
Mother: Tara; Fun, open-minded, kind.
Father: Greg; Reserved, easy going, knows baseball.
Daughter: Sarah; Pretty, dresses well.
Dog: Spots.
Relationships: They live next door to James.
Minor characters
Patrick: James friend from a baseball game
Julia Rogers: Graces helper
Mr. Crowley: Pincushion man’s butler
It is key to record short biographies like this. This keeps all the character names separate and shows the relationships between the characters. For example, it would be difficult for the reader if the father Greg Smith was named James Smith. Readers might think: Main character James is married and has a daughter Sarah? When did that happen?
Now that we have established the character biographies we can see how they interact with the plot outline. At this stage, plot experiments can be conducted and major changes can be made. For example, a character can change gender, occupation or their background. This allows for a targeted character that fully compliments the plot.
Now that we have the character biography’s, we can begin writing. When it comes time to introduce “pincushion man,” we have the foundation and can give him a proper name. As the book progresses, character additions are made. For example, James needs to have next door neighbors. The author then creates the Smith Family. A quick biography addition is made with their background.
At the end of the book, all the characters should be captured in this biography. A quick check will show that all the names are distinct and the interactions make sense. It will also help in the editing process to keep things straight.
Overall, a character biography does take a small amount of time to create, but it is a key development tool. It makes the writing and outline process a lot easier. This allows the writer to focus on creating a great story that flows from one character to the next. I have had great luck with this technique and I plan to make better use of it in the future.
My Ethics Hinder Good Story
Five years ago, I was working at Sundstrand on a project that resulted in a report. Issues were uncovered and the report conclusion pointed them out. My boss asked me to change the conclusions to cover up the flaws and I refused. To get around this dilemma, I re-wrote [faked] my conclusions and had somebody else submit it under their name. I suppose that made me a ghostwriter. So far, that is the only time that I have allowed this to happen.
On a side note, Sundstrand had extensive “ethical training” and they went out of their way to stress their “core ethical values.” Despite this fact, Sundstrand was a very unethical place to work. I still liked my boss. He was just passing along the poor ethics of upper management.
The entire incident made me feel conflicted. It was a minor lie, but my core personality hated lying. I considered quitting my job. Looking back upon what happened with a global perspective, the reality was a minor fudge of the implied requirements.
At the time of the incident, my coworkers all said, “It’s what the boss wants. Just do it.” I simply couldn’t bring myself to agree and I felt they were being unethical just for suggesting such a course of action.
Since that lie, I have reflected upon the ethical aspects of my life. I came to an unexpected conclusion. I am a deeply ethical person. I had thought that my ethics were normal or perhaps a little below normal. Sure, I don’t steal or abuse people, but all of my friends are like that. I speed, takes some risks and occasionally push the envelope. However, I am fully aware that I am not a saint and there are many people with higher ethics.
After working at Sundstrand, I began to write. The plots that I choose to write about were the same types that I like to read. The characters are of course ethical and the protagonists are of course unethical. However, the protagonists have ethical lines they don’t cross. I feel it’s important that readers connect with the protagonist as if they could be bad people in their own lives. It’s an enjoyable moment when a protagonist fails and a sad moment when they succeed. However, I feel that if the protagonist is too bad then the reader will not continue reading.
For example, my protagonists would never use racial slurs. Such terms are important tools for authors to rouse up the reader. The terms show ignorance and a lack of respect. I just cannot use a racial slur in my writings or any other aspect of my life.
I also noticed that my lead characters are normal people with good morals. They rarely do the wrong thing and they regret their mistakes. That choice vastly limits their “dynamic range” in what they can do and where the story can go. This makes it impossible for me to create an antihero.
I mentally set a limit as to the plotline and subject matter. I cannot write a horror story where people are treated badly for the sake of being treated badly. My protagonists need a reason to be awful; they cannot simply be awful people. To that end, I make sure they don’t benefit from their poor behavior.
Well, can I tell myself “this is just fantasy?” Go ahead, write a good raw gritty unsavory story. Readers will understand; they know the definition of fiction. The author of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” has never killed anybody. It was just a story. To me, that is a bridge too far. However, I do appreciate great books that reach far into the depths of anger, hate, abuse, and immorality. I like anti-hero movies like Deadpool and Mad Max.
Does this mean that my books will always be limited? Regrettably, yes. A large portion of literature and character type will be off limits to me. Is this bad? Great writers challenge themselves to come up with fantastic plots. Great authors use shock value, they push the envelope and love to get readers out of their comfort zone. I am aware of what my writing could be, but I have to live with myself. I don’t feel that the sum of my life’s achievements should be an unethical character. I would much rather be a complete failure as an author than to be known as the author who created Hannibal Lecter.
I do understand that Hannibal Lecter is a really amazing character. Thomas Harris can be proud of that sadistic creation. However, I could never approach that level of cruelty. My ethical foundation simply will not allow it.
I now feel that I have a better understanding of my ethics and I know how they affect my writing. I am going to try to push my personal envelope as much as my ethics will allow. I think there is still a lot of good ethical area to have a great plot. I hope that readers will appreciate my characters and plots even if they don’t push the boundaries of evil.
On a side note, Sundstrand had extensive “ethical training” and they went out of their way to stress their “core ethical values.” Despite this fact, Sundstrand was a very unethical place to work. I still liked my boss. He was just passing along the poor ethics of upper management.
The entire incident made me feel conflicted. It was a minor lie, but my core personality hated lying. I considered quitting my job. Looking back upon what happened with a global perspective, the reality was a minor fudge of the implied requirements.
At the time of the incident, my coworkers all said, “It’s what the boss wants. Just do it.” I simply couldn’t bring myself to agree and I felt they were being unethical just for suggesting such a course of action.
Since that lie, I have reflected upon the ethical aspects of my life. I came to an unexpected conclusion. I am a deeply ethical person. I had thought that my ethics were normal or perhaps a little below normal. Sure, I don’t steal or abuse people, but all of my friends are like that. I speed, takes some risks and occasionally push the envelope. However, I am fully aware that I am not a saint and there are many people with higher ethics.
After working at Sundstrand, I began to write. The plots that I choose to write about were the same types that I like to read. The characters are of course ethical and the protagonists are of course unethical. However, the protagonists have ethical lines they don’t cross. I feel it’s important that readers connect with the protagonist as if they could be bad people in their own lives. It’s an enjoyable moment when a protagonist fails and a sad moment when they succeed. However, I feel that if the protagonist is too bad then the reader will not continue reading.
For example, my protagonists would never use racial slurs. Such terms are important tools for authors to rouse up the reader. The terms show ignorance and a lack of respect. I just cannot use a racial slur in my writings or any other aspect of my life.
I also noticed that my lead characters are normal people with good morals. They rarely do the wrong thing and they regret their mistakes. That choice vastly limits their “dynamic range” in what they can do and where the story can go. This makes it impossible for me to create an antihero.
I mentally set a limit as to the plotline and subject matter. I cannot write a horror story where people are treated badly for the sake of being treated badly. My protagonists need a reason to be awful; they cannot simply be awful people. To that end, I make sure they don’t benefit from their poor behavior.
Well, can I tell myself “this is just fantasy?” Go ahead, write a good raw gritty unsavory story. Readers will understand; they know the definition of fiction. The author of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” has never killed anybody. It was just a story. To me, that is a bridge too far. However, I do appreciate great books that reach far into the depths of anger, hate, abuse, and immorality. I like anti-hero movies like Deadpool and Mad Max.
Does this mean that my books will always be limited? Regrettably, yes. A large portion of literature and character type will be off limits to me. Is this bad? Great writers challenge themselves to come up with fantastic plots. Great authors use shock value, they push the envelope and love to get readers out of their comfort zone. I am aware of what my writing could be, but I have to live with myself. I don’t feel that the sum of my life’s achievements should be an unethical character. I would much rather be a complete failure as an author than to be known as the author who created Hannibal Lecter.
I do understand that Hannibal Lecter is a really amazing character. Thomas Harris can be proud of that sadistic creation. However, I could never approach that level of cruelty. My ethical foundation simply will not allow it.
I now feel that I have a better understanding of my ethics and I know how they affect my writing. I am going to try to push my personal envelope as much as my ethics will allow. I think there is still a lot of good ethical area to have a great plot. I hope that readers will appreciate my characters and plots even if they don’t push the boundaries of evil.
Throwing Characters Into a Plot
There are endless varieties of plot types. For example, when multiple characters react to an everyday event. Spy novels have complex plots with many interactions. Mystery novels feed the reader scraps and challenge them to uncover hidden motivations. The classic plot uses three acts to form a complete story.
Of course, I take a unique approach. I start with basic characters, get the readers comfortable with their backgrounds, and then throw them into an unpleasant situation. They react, struggle, and pick up the pieces. Some things happen, and I throw them into another bad situation, followed by another. By the end of the book, they are beaten up and confused. Only then can readers enjoy a nice epilogue.
A few writers appreciate this kind of story. Die Hard with Bruce Willis follows a police officer with issues to an office party. Then he gets hit with all kinds of chaos. Back to the Future with Michael J. Fox has a kid with a crazy friend having a tough time getting his band a gig. Then he is transported back in time.
As a reader, I enjoy these kinds of plots because I can imagine myself taking part in the action. I find it difficult to relate to an outlandish character like James Bond, who glides around danger without consequences. It is perfectly natural for James to parachute out of an airplane onto a speeding train and then have a cup of tea. In actual life, such a feat would require an infinite amount of confidence, skill, luck, training, and support. Even a well-trained special forces soldier would have difficulty performing such a feat. They defiantly would not calmly drink a cup of tea afterward. I cannot imagine any of my readers or myself possessing such an extreme skillset, which makes the story difficult to relate to.
I can imagine being in a plane that is about to crash, having no choice but to save my life by parachuting out and finding that the only place to land is a speeding train. These dire circumstances would force me to react. Is this realistic? No, but it is remotely possible. Bad guys have forced people onto unsafe planes, forced to jump out of airplanes, and trains move all day long. Therefore, I can imagine a character thrust into a horrific situation and surviving.
A person can go from a known place to an unknown place. Right now, I am at my comfortable desk, and by the end of the day, I could be forced to parachute onto a speeding train. (I probably would die in the process.) My point is that I would never plan for such an event and would only attempt such an action to save my life.
When developing a plot, it is impossible to go from unknown to unknown. For example, Darth Vader waking up on the death star. I am never going to be in a different galaxy, a supervillain, or wake up on the death star. I dislike plots that go from unknown to known. For example, if I woke up on an alien planet and tried to get back to earth. I guess this is remotely possible, but unrealistic and more to the point; it is difficult for readers to follow this path.
For 99% of us, our daily lives are boring. The 1% exception is people with action careers such as firefighters, emergency room doctors, soldiers, or police. There are thrill-seekers and people who demand drama. I still consider those to occupy 1%. However, our lives do contain worthy events like car crashes, family members passing away, fires, or terrible arguments. Also, random awful things can happen, such as a kidnapping.
Let’s examine a typical major event. On the drive to work, Tim’s tire blows out, and he hits a tree. Let’s build on that idea. An angry driver cuts Tim off, and he swerves into a school bus causing it to catch fine. Let’s create some more. One of the dead students has a mob boss, father, and he wants justice. Is that combination of unlikely events possible? It is a remote possibility. However, the story would certainly be dramatic and a good read.
During my plot creation phase, I push the plausibility levels to the extreme. My readers encountered a 500-year-old woman, characters on a distant planet, and a colossal spy operation. Do 500-year-old women exist? Biology says no. But how do we lead readers to such a being? I take an average person, throw them into a bad situation, and eventually, they encounter the impossible.
I imagine most authors would scoff at my approach and blatantly jump into a plot. Poof, 500-year-old woman walks into the room. Next scene. This reality disconnect makes characters like Darth Vader and James Bond possible. While I enjoy these fantasy story arcs, I have no desire to write one. I need to stand on a healthy foundation of familiar situations that allow me to leap into the unknown.
Of course, I take a unique approach. I start with basic characters, get the readers comfortable with their backgrounds, and then throw them into an unpleasant situation. They react, struggle, and pick up the pieces. Some things happen, and I throw them into another bad situation, followed by another. By the end of the book, they are beaten up and confused. Only then can readers enjoy a nice epilogue.
A few writers appreciate this kind of story. Die Hard with Bruce Willis follows a police officer with issues to an office party. Then he gets hit with all kinds of chaos. Back to the Future with Michael J. Fox has a kid with a crazy friend having a tough time getting his band a gig. Then he is transported back in time.
As a reader, I enjoy these kinds of plots because I can imagine myself taking part in the action. I find it difficult to relate to an outlandish character like James Bond, who glides around danger without consequences. It is perfectly natural for James to parachute out of an airplane onto a speeding train and then have a cup of tea. In actual life, such a feat would require an infinite amount of confidence, skill, luck, training, and support. Even a well-trained special forces soldier would have difficulty performing such a feat. They defiantly would not calmly drink a cup of tea afterward. I cannot imagine any of my readers or myself possessing such an extreme skillset, which makes the story difficult to relate to.
I can imagine being in a plane that is about to crash, having no choice but to save my life by parachuting out and finding that the only place to land is a speeding train. These dire circumstances would force me to react. Is this realistic? No, but it is remotely possible. Bad guys have forced people onto unsafe planes, forced to jump out of airplanes, and trains move all day long. Therefore, I can imagine a character thrust into a horrific situation and surviving.
A person can go from a known place to an unknown place. Right now, I am at my comfortable desk, and by the end of the day, I could be forced to parachute onto a speeding train. (I probably would die in the process.) My point is that I would never plan for such an event and would only attempt such an action to save my life.
When developing a plot, it is impossible to go from unknown to unknown. For example, Darth Vader waking up on the death star. I am never going to be in a different galaxy, a supervillain, or wake up on the death star. I dislike plots that go from unknown to known. For example, if I woke up on an alien planet and tried to get back to earth. I guess this is remotely possible, but unrealistic and more to the point; it is difficult for readers to follow this path.
For 99% of us, our daily lives are boring. The 1% exception is people with action careers such as firefighters, emergency room doctors, soldiers, or police. There are thrill-seekers and people who demand drama. I still consider those to occupy 1%. However, our lives do contain worthy events like car crashes, family members passing away, fires, or terrible arguments. Also, random awful things can happen, such as a kidnapping.
Let’s examine a typical major event. On the drive to work, Tim’s tire blows out, and he hits a tree. Let’s build on that idea. An angry driver cuts Tim off, and he swerves into a school bus causing it to catch fine. Let’s create some more. One of the dead students has a mob boss, father, and he wants justice. Is that combination of unlikely events possible? It is a remote possibility. However, the story would certainly be dramatic and a good read.
During my plot creation phase, I push the plausibility levels to the extreme. My readers encountered a 500-year-old woman, characters on a distant planet, and a colossal spy operation. Do 500-year-old women exist? Biology says no. But how do we lead readers to such a being? I take an average person, throw them into a bad situation, and eventually, they encounter the impossible.
I imagine most authors would scoff at my approach and blatantly jump into a plot. Poof, 500-year-old woman walks into the room. Next scene. This reality disconnect makes characters like Darth Vader and James Bond possible. While I enjoy these fantasy story arcs, I have no desire to write one. I need to stand on a healthy foundation of familiar situations that allow me to leap into the unknown.
