Suzy Davies's Blog: Book News - Posts Tagged "characters"

Don't miss your second chance TOMORROW to hear about my brand new Children's Fiction Book, suitable for kids aged 4-10 years old, "Snugs The Snow Bear"
On Thursday, 26th January, at 1 p.m, G.M.T, Jonathan Hines, U.K Talk Radio Host and T.V Personality, chats to me about the secrets and surprises behind my characters, and my journey as a writer.

Sometimes, when I have read books written by peers, I have delved into their biography in order to gain insights into how they "made" their books. Very often, drawing on the life of an author, and what is meaningful to him/her, helps us understand the process of creativity, and what went into their characters, storylines and scenes. So, how did I create Snugs, and to what extent do I draw on my own life to create my characters, storylines and scenes? This article focuses on just one aspect of the question - what resources did I draw on to create my hero, Snugs?

Those of you who have followed me, and listened to my radio broadcasts, in The U.S and in The U.K, will be familiar with this story about a story. But for those of you who missed my author interviews, here is how The Snugs Series began.

Very often in life, opportunity reveals itself when we least expect it, and in unexpected ways. I had been thinking about writing a children's book, and drawing on the idyllic early childhood I had in Wales to make my kids' story.

One morning, I was taking a walk along Southbourne beach, in the Bournemouth area, in Dorset, England, a walk I had done a few times beforehand, when I noticed something I had never "seen" before.

I remember it was a mild day, the kind of day in which the sun, although cool, lights up everything, as if to greet the spring. And so it was, as I gazed across the ocean, towards The Isle of Wight, near The Needles, and perceived a remarkable optical illusion! It was so lifelike, a polar bear, etched into the chalky cliffs, and so proud! I stood there, almost in disbelief, and wondered why I had never noticed The Bear before.

In that instant, I was transported back decades, to my childhood, and found myself almost skipping along the coastal path, as I imagined writing the story "about" The Isle of Wight Bear.

But as it is when a child first arrives, we have to think of a name for him, before we can begin to help him "write" his story! What would be a suitable name for a majestic, magical bear, who gazed out over the ocean? I pondered, and wondered, and all my imaginings about him seemed to be on hold. The first thing was to think of a name for this Bear!

I began thinking of all kinds of names to do with snow. But any I could think of sounded more feminine than masculine, and The Bear, was a boy!

Then, I started thinking of the qualities of this particular bear that made him unique. And first and foremost, he was loveable, friendly and cuddly. Suddenly, I had it! My maternal grandmother was always known as "Snuggie," and I shortened this name, to make it suitable for a bear boy!

The next thing I did was to draw on people I know to create Snugs' character. It was important that Snugs was at one with Nature, was adaptable, and represented an affinity with his environment. I knew he had a magical quality, that meant wherever he was, he would inspire and encourage people to make a better world.

He also had an intuitive, mysterious side to his personality, and although he was sociable, he liked to have time alone, to commune with the wild. I soon realised that I was describing aspects of my paternal grandmother. The masculinity of Snugs, his love of good food, and his physical bravery, came from my husband, Craig.

At the start of the story, Snugs was a character I thought of as you would a friend you know fairly well. By the middle of the story, he was a close friend, and I was getting to know his strengths and weaknesses, his likes and dislikes, and his idiosyncrasies. I knew what it felt like to be in his company, and could predict how he would react, and behave. As I got deeper into the story, replica toys of Snugs started to appear in my house! They each had different facial expressions, and threw light on the different aspects of Snugs Bear.

The final stage in the creation of Snugs was a touch of method acting. I started to research about how bears move. I started to get "in" the character, and look at the world from his point of view.

I have a confession to make. As time goes on, I have become more and more attached to The Bear, and to me, Snugs is very real. Please don't laugh, until you have read his story.

I am happy to announce that there will be a new look "Look Inside" to my first Children's Book, "Snugs The Snow Bear," coming soon!
At the moment, you have a snippet of the story; the next reveal will show you more of the story, and, in particular, some of the colorful illustrations of Snugs, The Snow Bear, The Moose, Slip and Slide, the penguins, Paintbox, the parrot, Huff Puff, the puffin, Spout, the whale, the two children, Carla and James, Captain Lightowler, Mrs Merryweather, and all the crew!
My illustrator, Peter Hall, has also created some fabulous "places" in the pictures, which lend atmosphere to the scenes.
"Snugs The Snow Bear" is set in Iceland, The Isle of Wight and Southbourne-on-Sea, in Dorset, and the "character" of these places is brought out very well in the illustrations in my book!
Writing "Snugs The Snow Bear" was a great deal of fun, and the humour in the text is also brought out in the very lively drawings! Children love them, and even some young-at- heart adults, too!

When Luna dances in the moonlight,
she makes us want to join in,
her feet have a rhythm as she takes flight,
like a little bird in the spring!

When Luna dances in the moonlight,
her eyes have a special glow,
her pretty face is always smiling,
she’s the loveliest piggy that we know!

When Luna dances in the moonlight,
her snout nods to the tune,
she swishes her tail,
like a sailboat sail,
gliding under the moon!

When Luna dances in the moonlight,
we all like to clap and sing,
as she sways to the music,
everything is magic -
and it’s all such a wonderful
all such a magical,
all such a beautiful thing!

Copyright Suzy Davies 2018. All Rights Reserved. No Copying. A Song about “Luna The Moon Pig: The Pig Who Hid” on Amazon Worldwide!

“Pleased to meet you, Dvalin, lovely place you have here! Why did you decide to live in leafy Kensington?”

“My goat, Hoover. Needs a garden, and I need her to cut the grass. It’s not easy being short!”

“You seem to manage very well. Careful on those stilts!”

“I’m used to them. Yes, I’m an orphan, born of a long line of Danish trolls. We are a tough.”

“Mm. I heard you used to be an stunt man.”

“Yes, you know, it was fun. Ha Ha! Came in useful when I helped Adam in the tunnel, and we swung on Aragog’s web… hanging by a thread. Close call, that was. And when I climbed up The Ladder to The Stars and abseiled down the side of The Ice Palace.”

“I heard all about it. Geez! You have a head for heights. Glad you escaped! So, how did you know The Evil Queen?”

“Met her in The Snowlands. It was a tough winter. We, I mean, The Trolls, live underground. But, I was out. Looking for some berries to make red paint. All my paints are natural colors. Anyway, she drew up on her sled with her deer. Poor things! They were freezing cold. Said something about The Palace Ah. Yep! She wanted a team of trolls to work for her, making Ice Sculptures. I explained I had to come back here - to England. It was Panto season, and a troll friend of mine got me a part as an extra. Not far from here. We’re in the middle of Theatreland, you know!”

Yes, it’s close to all the theatres here… But I’ve heard now you’re an artist and do portraits, Dvalin?”

“That’s right. Would you like me to paint you? Can squeeze you in a week next Saturday, if you like.”

“So you are very busy! But I hope you won’t play any tricks on me?”

“Tricks? What do you mean?”

“I heard about The Snow Queen’s portrait.”

“Oh, I see. News travels fast! So gossipy around here. Nosy neighbours! But I only use dark magic against enemies. Trolls are like that. So, nothing for you to worry about, my friend.”

“OK, I’d like you to paint me as long as you promise, no tricks!”

“You have the troll’s promise. Want to see the one I did of Bryony, first? Just a mo. Do you like my gismo? It’s a dumb waiter, so it doesn’t argue! Here you go!”

“Wow, Dvalin. It is fast!”

“Not like me, you mean?”

“Exactly.”

“Well?”

“You got the eyes! Like grapes. Dark as grapes.”

“Thank you, Ma’am. I hope she’ll like it! Now, for your portrait, I’d make a feature of the hands.”

“Really, why?”

“Hands tell stories.”

“Say that again!”

“That’s what we have in common. I paint and you write. Are you going to write a story about me?”

“Yes, I was thinking about it.”

“Well, don’t forget, everything begins and ends with magic!

I think the secret to good scene-making is visualization. I believe it helps to have experienced the setting, and perhaps the kinds of characters you are writing, either first hand or from reliable secondary material. You literally have to put yourself in the scene in your imagination so that you feel as if you are physically there, taking in all the stimuli - sights, sounds and sensations of your characters. For me, it’s like alternating between being the camera (narrator) in a movie, and being the actor(s) or character(s) in the scene.

When you yourself believe you are there in the scene, your readers will also believe it.

Attention to small details is important, but at the same time, do not tell everything - show the main things that create a certain kind of ambiance, and carry the message that you want to deliver.

When creating scenes, be aware that the function of a scene is to show off your characters in the best, ( or worst - if they are villains,) possible light. The scene and the setting should work together. A very dramatic way of bringing out the evil of a character in a thriller for example, might be to have a victim playing a sweet song on a musical instrument in a beautiful, serene room, and then moments later, the axe murderer breaks in.

Using parallel and opposition in your work makes it interesting. You could have a hero visiting a friend, and then the villain/antagonist visits the same person. You could show how the host receives each of them in a very different manner - he knows what they are like. His reactions communicate how he feels about your hero versus your antagonist and persuade the reader by showing him/her.

There should always be a balance of description and dialogue in your work. Description tends to have the effect of slowing or delaying things. Switching scenes just when things have got to a climax in the earlier scene can be a good delaying tactic to draw the reader in and build tension.

Fast-paced action scenes such as battles call for short snappy sentences to communicate tension, and minimum dialogue if any at all.

Remember, you should set out to make things believable for the reader. This means that even if you are writing a fantasy, it may be best to include some carefully chosen “facts” that you have researched - of course you will embellish them in a work of fiction - but this will add credibility to your story.

The way you paint a scene will create a certain kind of atmosphere. I find it useful to draw on movies to explain this point. The way you as the narrator interpret a scene (and setting) is part of your unique signature as a writer. If you ask a number of people about a movie no two will describe things exactly the same. But there is likely to be a lot of overlap in what they see, feel and hear, which creates the atmosphere of the movie. A producer is highly selective in what and who he puts into each scene. There is always a reason - even for “props.” You have the same task as a writer. Everything you write in your scene creates the emotional response in the reader. But it is also true that what you leave out will also carry a message.

Sometimes, when I have read books written by peers, I have delved into their biography in order to gain insights into how they "made" their books. Very often, drawing on the life of an author, and what is meaningful to him/her, helps us understand the process of creativity, and what went into their characters, storylines and scenes. So, how did I create Snugs, and to what extent do I draw on my own life to create my characters, storylines and scenes? This article focuses on just one aspect of the question - what resources did I draw on to create my hero, Snugs?

Those of you who have followed me, and listened to my radio broadcasts, in The U.S and in The U.K, will be familiar with this story about a story. But for those of you who missed my author interviews, here is how The Snugs Series began.

Very often in life, opportunity reveals itself when we least expect it, and in unexpected ways. I had been thinking about writing a children's book, and drawing on the idyllic early childhood I had in Wales to make my kids' story.

One morning, I was taking a walk along Southbourne beach, in the Bournemouth area, in Dorset, England, a walk I had done a few times beforehand, when I noticed something I had never "seen" before.

I remember it was a mild day, the kind of day in which the sun, although cool, lights up everything, as if to greet the spring. And so it was, as I gazed across the ocean, towards The Isle of Wight, near The Needles, and perceived a remarkable optical illusion! It was so lifelike, a polar bear, etched into the chalky cliffs, and so proud! I stood there, almost in disbelief, and wondered why I had never noticed The Bear before.

In that instant, I was transported back decades, to my childhood, and found myself almost skipping along the coastal path, as I imagined writing the story "about" The Isle of Wight Bear.

But as it is when a child first arrives, we have to think of a name for him, before we can begin to help him "write" his story! What would be a suitable name for a majestic, magical bear, who gazed out over the ocean? I pondered, and wondered, and all my imaginings about him seemed to be on hold. The first thing was to think of a name for this Bear!

I began thinking of all kinds of names to do with snow. But any I could think of sounded more feminine than masculine, and The Bear, was a boy!

Then, I started thinking of the qualities of this particular bear that made him unique. And first and foremost, he was lovable, friendly and cuddly. Suddenly, I had it! My maternal grandmother was always known as "Snuggie," and I shortened this name, to make it suitable for a bear boy!

The next thing I did was to draw on people I know to create Snugs' character. It was important that Snugs was at one with Nature, was adaptable, and represented an affinity with his environment. I knew he had a magical quality, that meant wherever he was, he would inspire and encourage people to make a better world.

He also had an intuitive, mysterious side to his personality, and although he was sociable, he liked to have time alone, to commune with the wild. I soon realised that I was describing aspects of my paternal grandmother. The masculinity of Snugs, his love of good food, and his physical bravery, came from my husband, Craig.

At the start of the story, Snugs was a character I thought of as you would a friend you know fairly well. By the middle of the story, he was a close friend, and I was getting to know his strengths and weaknesses, his likes and dislikes, and his idiosyncrasies. I knew what it felt like to be in his company, and could predict how he would react, and behave. As I got deeper into the story, replica toys of Snugs started to appear in my house! They each had different facial expressions, and threw light on the different aspects of Snugs Bear.

The final stage in the creation of Snugs was a touch of method acting. I started to research about how bears move. I started to get "in" the character, and look at the world from his point of view.

I have a confession to make. As time goes on, I have become more and more attached to The Bear, and to me, Snugs is very real.