Wade Kelly's Blog - Posts Tagged "development-of-characters"
Editing and Writing Go Hand-in-Hand
Hi,
I don't have a whole heck of a lot to say. I've been writing. I would skip a blog all together but then people start to worry about me and post comments like "How ya doin' Wade?" and "Hope everything is okay with you." Not that comments are bad. I'm not saying that. I just don't want people to worry.
I'm fine.
I've been writing and editing. I normally edit as I go unless inspired to write long passages. Writers are often asked how they edit? A lot of the time I write, and then the next day I reread and change things. If I haven't written anything for a long spell on a particular project then I will read it, typically from the beginning, to get in the zone. I often read several chapters ahead of where my characters are so when I get to the end of the passage I am able to think of the next scene. Sometimes, if I am not at my computer, I will think about different parts I read recently and think of details to add. Even if it is one or two sentences it can add a lot to the understanding of how a character thinks and what they are doing.
In "My Roommate's A Jock? Well Crap!" (MRJWC) I have loads of characters that I have truly come to love. I developed a side character that I think is my favorite. Rob McAvoy. He is funny. (I think.) I used to go around and think of a line or something and say to myself, "Darian would totally say that!" Now I think, "Rob would say that!" or "This is Cole!" or "Oh my gosh, this scenario is Ellis and Rob!"
I think of my characters all the time. I believe any good writer does. How can they not? They are a part of me. They feel tangible at times.
Anyway. MRJWC is at 73k+. I have two chapters to write. I know I said that a while ago but I added a chapter in the middle somewhere. It just fit. I rearranged some paragraphs and stuck them in other chapters. I added support details. Lots of them. I thought about "back story" and filled in details to support the personality of the characters. I've been doing a lot!
I also strive to create realistic people. I know that I've read comment here and there that said WLINE wasn't realistic, but I am trying not to fixate on those. To me it was real. Writing it was real. The pain was real. (And I am not implying I lived through everything in When Love Is Not Enough, I'm just saying I tried desperately to bring realism to the pages in that book.) In MRJWC I am trying hard to do the same. Realism. I WANT my characters to feel like you could meet them down the street. I want them to be people you can relate to or have a coffee with. I WANT them to be comfortable together and give the reader a sense of knowing them.
If I don't achieve these things, CALL ME OUT ON IT! I need to improve if I don't meet my personal goals. Help me to see my flaws. I welcome criticism. (Not saying I enjoy negative crit. but without it I can't grow as a writer.) Tell me what you don't get! If you do, then chances are I will make your next read that much more enjoyable because hopefully I will learn from my mistakes.
Things to keep in mind: I am writing m/m romance. Typically, this genre has some expectations from readers. Not that I always follow the rules (if there are such things) but... There is going to be sex between men. Sometimes it fits in perfectly. Sometimes it may seem like too much for some readers and others may want more. I write what comes out. I go with the flow and if it seems right for the two of them to "be intimate" in the setting, I go for it. I am against gratuitous sex in a book just to fill the pages. (Although, I have to say TCOL has a lot of sex. I may have to edit some out.)
Another thing is that I like to add people that I could possibly write more about. (Side characters, siblings, etc...) In doing that, it may seem like everyone in the town is gay. That is not my intent. I know that seems unlikely that all the characters end up gay, but part of that is me just trying to write more books. So if there is going to be an "unbelievable" factor, maybe that is it. Sorry. It is about writing more!
Sometimes I purposely leave out details. Like specific city names or the state. Several people have asked where WLINE is set? The answer is Maryland. Authors are supposed to write what they know because it helps create realism. (You know I like that!) I lived in Baltimore for a while. That is all I wish to say about that. I do not like sharing personal details, but I will say if you read my books all my personal details are in the pages. The characters are ME. They each have different facets of my personality. They each have details of specific things that happened to me. They each have something in them that is ME! If you want to know me, read. Even the disturbing characters get their deranged behavior from my corrupt mind. (Although I have NEVER hit anyone with a candle stick. I'm just sayin'...) And, fyi, MRJWC is set in Pennsylvania. :p
Boy, for not having anything to say I said a lot!
So... I guess that's all. I plan on writing today for a few hours. I sent a huge chunk of MRJWC to my "beta" reader. I hope she likes it. It is WAY different than WLINE! I guess it's like Leonardo DiCaprio going from Titanic to Shutter Island. I have to show my diversity as an author. Right? lol
Later,
Wade
xoxo
I don't have a whole heck of a lot to say. I've been writing. I would skip a blog all together but then people start to worry about me and post comments like "How ya doin' Wade?" and "Hope everything is okay with you." Not that comments are bad. I'm not saying that. I just don't want people to worry.
I'm fine.
I've been writing and editing. I normally edit as I go unless inspired to write long passages. Writers are often asked how they edit? A lot of the time I write, and then the next day I reread and change things. If I haven't written anything for a long spell on a particular project then I will read it, typically from the beginning, to get in the zone. I often read several chapters ahead of where my characters are so when I get to the end of the passage I am able to think of the next scene. Sometimes, if I am not at my computer, I will think about different parts I read recently and think of details to add. Even if it is one or two sentences it can add a lot to the understanding of how a character thinks and what they are doing.
In "My Roommate's A Jock? Well Crap!" (MRJWC) I have loads of characters that I have truly come to love. I developed a side character that I think is my favorite. Rob McAvoy. He is funny. (I think.) I used to go around and think of a line or something and say to myself, "Darian would totally say that!" Now I think, "Rob would say that!" or "This is Cole!" or "Oh my gosh, this scenario is Ellis and Rob!"
I think of my characters all the time. I believe any good writer does. How can they not? They are a part of me. They feel tangible at times.
Anyway. MRJWC is at 73k+. I have two chapters to write. I know I said that a while ago but I added a chapter in the middle somewhere. It just fit. I rearranged some paragraphs and stuck them in other chapters. I added support details. Lots of them. I thought about "back story" and filled in details to support the personality of the characters. I've been doing a lot!
I also strive to create realistic people. I know that I've read comment here and there that said WLINE wasn't realistic, but I am trying not to fixate on those. To me it was real. Writing it was real. The pain was real. (And I am not implying I lived through everything in When Love Is Not Enough, I'm just saying I tried desperately to bring realism to the pages in that book.) In MRJWC I am trying hard to do the same. Realism. I WANT my characters to feel like you could meet them down the street. I want them to be people you can relate to or have a coffee with. I WANT them to be comfortable together and give the reader a sense of knowing them.
If I don't achieve these things, CALL ME OUT ON IT! I need to improve if I don't meet my personal goals. Help me to see my flaws. I welcome criticism. (Not saying I enjoy negative crit. but without it I can't grow as a writer.) Tell me what you don't get! If you do, then chances are I will make your next read that much more enjoyable because hopefully I will learn from my mistakes.
Things to keep in mind: I am writing m/m romance. Typically, this genre has some expectations from readers. Not that I always follow the rules (if there are such things) but... There is going to be sex between men. Sometimes it fits in perfectly. Sometimes it may seem like too much for some readers and others may want more. I write what comes out. I go with the flow and if it seems right for the two of them to "be intimate" in the setting, I go for it. I am against gratuitous sex in a book just to fill the pages. (Although, I have to say TCOL has a lot of sex. I may have to edit some out.)
Another thing is that I like to add people that I could possibly write more about. (Side characters, siblings, etc...) In doing that, it may seem like everyone in the town is gay. That is not my intent. I know that seems unlikely that all the characters end up gay, but part of that is me just trying to write more books. So if there is going to be an "unbelievable" factor, maybe that is it. Sorry. It is about writing more!
Sometimes I purposely leave out details. Like specific city names or the state. Several people have asked where WLINE is set? The answer is Maryland. Authors are supposed to write what they know because it helps create realism. (You know I like that!) I lived in Baltimore for a while. That is all I wish to say about that. I do not like sharing personal details, but I will say if you read my books all my personal details are in the pages. The characters are ME. They each have different facets of my personality. They each have details of specific things that happened to me. They each have something in them that is ME! If you want to know me, read. Even the disturbing characters get their deranged behavior from my corrupt mind. (Although I have NEVER hit anyone with a candle stick. I'm just sayin'...) And, fyi, MRJWC is set in Pennsylvania. :p
Boy, for not having anything to say I said a lot!
So... I guess that's all. I plan on writing today for a few hours. I sent a huge chunk of MRJWC to my "beta" reader. I hope she likes it. It is WAY different than WLINE! I guess it's like Leonardo DiCaprio going from Titanic to Shutter Island. I have to show my diversity as an author. Right? lol
Later,
Wade
xoxo
