Elizabeth Guizzetti's Blog, page 32

Character Development: A guest post by Craig Hallam!

This week I am pleased to host author Craig Hallam as he writes about Character Development. I was first introduced to his work on his short story anthology Not before Bed. His debut novel Greaveburn will be coming out August 20.

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I don’t know about you, but I tend to write the kind of characters that I also like to read. That’s how I get excited about a project. It’s like getting psyched up to see a movie you’ve been waiting for. So, since we’re talking about writing characters, it might be helpful if I tell you what my favourite books are, right? Here goes:

Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast

Stephen King’s Dark Tower Series

Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club

Nick Horby’s High Fidelity

I hope that helps.  But if not, then basically I like my heroes to not really be heroes at all. And that’s the kind of philosophy I put into my own writing. You can sum it up with the old adage “No-one’s perfect”. When I think about my characters, what they’re going to do, who they’ll meet, I don’t think about how their virtues will carry them through to a positive conclusion. Rather, I think about what makes them tick, what are their character flaws, and how does that effect their drives and desires and so how they act when they come across others. Because, as far as I’m concerned, that’s how the world works. It’s our quirks that drive us. And I reckon that’s how you make an interesting and well-rounded character, too.

Let’s do a case study (I know, I’m all about the fun).

Let’s call this character Boris. Now, Boris is from a working class family, but he’s done pretty good for himself with a little hard work and a whole lot of luck. He has a steady job with decent wages. He’s managed to bag himself a great girlfriend. Boris would like to be a painter.

Sounds fine, right? But it’s boring. And Boris will be boring in everything he does. So let’s give him some flaws.

He’s a dreamer, who sometimes forgets that the real world exists. Sometimes, he’d rather sit and paint the world than take part in it. His sense of humour is dry enough that no one really knows when he’s joking. And his parents splitting up when he was younger and the subsequent fallout has left him with a desire to be always independent, and never get too close to anyone. It’s made him cynical in a lot of ways and his sense of humour feeds on that.

Yowza. Boris is pretty interesting now, right? And it’s the flaws that make him that way. His relationship with his girlfriend could be strained because he doesn’t want to let her too close to him just to leave him alone (like what happened to his parents). He uses that dry sense of humour and vivacious imagination to keep people at arm’s length. His paintings become his world, and he would be almost reclusive of it weren’t for his girlfriend’s influence.

Can you see hoe the character’s flaws are what create the plot. All we have to do is have Boris’ girlfriend leave him, and you’ve got yourself the start of a good novel!

When I was writing the character of Abrasia for Greaveburn, I knew that she would be the heroine (or protagonist if you prefer that), that she would be in dire straits, and that it would be through her that the reader saw the incredibly dark and dangerous world that she was trapped in. But to leave it at that would make her one dimensional; the typical damsel in distress. Who wants to read that? I certainly don’t. She’s a sixteen year old girl in dire peril with no hope of survival. And so, understandably, Abrasia can be a little…spikey sometimes. She can also be ruthless and spiteful. She has to be in order to stay alive. But she also happens to be quite sensitive when she needs to be. That all amounts to a lot of character in the little spitfire.

And so, dear friends, readers and writers alike, that’s the best advice I can give to you today. In order to make your characters truly lifelike, and help your reader to engage with them, make sure they have flaws just like we do. It doesn’t mean they won’t be likeable. No-one’s perfect.

Thanks for reading.

Greaveburn hits the shelves (both virtual and corporeal) in most major book retailers on August 20th from Inspired Quill Publishing.

A hero murdered.

A girl alone.

A city of villains.

From the crumbling Belfry to the Citadel’s stained-glass eye, across acres of cobbled streets and knotted alleyways that never see daylight, Greaveburn is a city with darkness at its core. Gothic spires battle for height, overlapping each other until the skyline is a jagged mass of thorns.

Archduke Choler sits on the throne, his black-sealed letters foretell death for the person named inside. Abrasia, the rightful heir, lives as a recluse in order to stay alive. With her father murdered and her only ally lost, Abrasia is alone in a city where the crooked Palace Guard, a scientist’s assistant that is more beast than man, and a duo of body snatchers are all on her list of enemies.

Under the cobbled streets lurk the Broken Folk, deformed rebels led by the hideously scarred Darrant, a man who once swore to protect the city. And in a darkened laboratory, the devious Professor Loosestrife builds a contraption known only as The Womb.

With Greaveburn being torn apart around her, can Abrasia avenge her father’s murder before the Archduke’s letter spells her doom.

Contact Craig

eMail: craighallam@live.vom

Twitter: @craighallam84

Blog: http://craighallam.wordpress.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CraigHallamAuthor

Nine Awesome Science Fiction Movies

My husband and I love movies. We  especially love science fiction movies so I decided to make a new list of  science fiction movies that we can watch over and over again.  Though Aliens is on the top because its my favorite, the rest are not in any real order.

1) Aliens 1986 : The planet from Alien has been colonized and unfortunately space marines are not enough, but don’t worry, they got Ripley.

2) Alien 1979 : A mining ship investigates an SOS and discovers a strange organism, but Ian Holm steals the movie when he tries to suffocate Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) with a rolled up magazine.

3) Predators 2010 : A bunch of elite warriors are dropped off on another planet to be hunted. A terrific “sequel” to Predator.

4) The Thing 1982 : Kurt Russell’s best movie. Scientists who happen to have a few flame throwers confront a shape shifting alien in Antarctica.

5) Total Recall 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger dreams of mars, he goes on a virtual vacation and discovers he is a spy, or maybe not.

6) AVP (Aliens versus Predator) 2004 : Okay, I admit this was movie panned, but I watch it all the time. Remote location. Aliens. Predators. Strong Female lead. Sexy Italian guy, goofy Scottish guy and a bunch of other forgettable alien fodder–opps I mean humans. Really, what more can you ask for in this type of film?

7) Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978 : Donal Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Veronica Cartwright and Jeff Goldbloom discover the human race is being replaced with pod people devoid of emotion. Leonard Nimoy is really good as a cloned psychiatrist.

8) The Day the Earth Caught Fire 1961 : British reporters learn the Earth has been knocked out of orbit due to atomic bomb testing. This film does a good mixing of characters and epic destruction.

9) When Worlds Collide 1951 :  David Randall lives to see the day that he literally has money to burn when a star and its planet head toward Earth.  Humans frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home Zyra.

What are you favorites?

Special Guest Michael Cargill Author of Underneath

Michael Cargill is an author from Surrey, England. I loved his book Underneath. His descriptions are so detailed without overpowering the narrative that his writing transports you right into the story/ I was glad he was interested in doing an interview!

Michael’s other titles include:  Shades of Gray, Slaughter in Barnaby Close, Shelter from Thunder, and Diary of a Dork. You can also get a good sense of his humor by reading his blog at http://michaelcargill.wordpress.com

Alright, here comes the questions!
Who is your favorite character in Underneath?


Tricky one, this.  Robert would probably be an obvious choice, but I rather liked Clare.  She is smart, organized, and likes a laugh.  She has empathy for those who need her help, and plenty of guts to take down any criminals.



Which character was the most fun to write?


Probably Robert.  As I was writing some of his lines, I was chuckling to myself as the thoughts popped into my head.  I was able to have some fun with him.


By the way, I laughed at some of his lines too.
What have you learned as a writer?


That the editing process is suicide inducing.  I never realised just how soul destroying reading your own work, over, and over again, could be.

I reckon that in the future, professional editors will offer a suicide assistance package.  They’ll make a killing.

Ha, Ha, I agree!

What was some of your inspiration/sources?


Nothing in particular for this story, really.  I popped onto Wikipedia for five minutes, to research what sociopaths were like.  I also know some people who are in the police force, so I was able to use some of the things they have talked about when it came to cop-shop stuff.


What are you reading right now?


I’m having a trip back into the world of non-fiction at the moment, reading a book on the Holocaust.


Who are some of your favorite authors?


Stephen King by far, followed by honourable mentions for Michael Crichton, and John Grisham.


Stephen King is my favorite author too!
How much reading do you do within your chosen genre of thriller?


A fair bit, actually!  I never realised it until fairly recently, but I seem to write what I read.


What is your next project?


I’m actually working on a story at the moment.  It’s about antelopes galloping through a shopping centre, and they get told off for making a mess in the women’s toilets.

Nah, not really.  It’s set in a school, but I am still in the early stages really.  Ideas are bouncing around my head like a mad ‘un.


Any advice for aspiring authors?


Practice, and don’t panic.  You really need to be aware of how much work goes into just one book – proof reading is a big part of it.  No-one can write a bestseller in one go.  If you write something, then feel embarrassed by it a few days later, then that’s good!  It means you see what needs to changed, which is how all authors work.

Thanks Michael!

Legos: my new form of occupational therapy

My brain was stuck for nearly two weeks on a broken record. It wasn’t even a good record. My brain told me that I was just fooling myself, that I am a terrible writer, etc. By going out and seeking reviews,  doing 3 interviews, a guest blog and asked ten more people to review the novel, I got it to stop for a little while, then it happened again…

You see this all started because I was angry of what someone said to me, but what I realized made me even angrier is that I didn’t stand up for myself.  Trying to be dignified, I pushed the evil little angry me down into the pit of my stomach. I ended up feeling like a passive loser.

Then the very next time, I saw this person. they said something else and as I did the first time, I simply ignored him.  And the record kept playing. My husband would say, I have given power to this person, but that’s not the issue. The person’s comments are irrelevant: what made me feel this way was MY response.

I didn’t know how to respond, because there is a part of me who agreed. The part that all creative people have to fight. We all hear our minds whispering: “Maybe I am a terrible untalented hack…”

During this time of my funk, I watched Six days to Air: The Making of South Park. I garnered two very important lessons from this documentary:

1) That success will not change the “this is crap” feeling towards any creative endeavor by its creator. Apparently Trey Parker and Matt Stone get depressed about their work every single episode. In fact, it sounds like even they know it is part of their process to go through a day where they feel every single thing they ever did is s***. Logic and sixteen seasons of South Park doesn’t stop them from feeling it.

2) Trey Parker talked about doing legos in order to use a different part of his brain.

He was right. When trying to put together a legos set, your mind has to be completely focused on the project. Yet, you are not making any decisions, but following directions. When I was a child, I would play with legos as a creative toy, but as an adult, I am putting together models.

Dennis has been doing the Starwars Series and I’ve been doing the Lord of the Rings Series. I did the Orc Forge, Shelob, and Weather Top. Dennis also got me Helm’s Deep and the Mines of Moria (Isn’t he such a sweet husband?) It’s like a jigsaw puzzle in a way. It shuts off everything else. It clears the mind to do what needs to be done.

So now I’m back to feeling normal. Or at least slightly less crazy.

To those of you don’t like Other Systems that’s cool, not everyone is going to like it. Write a bad review if you feel the need. Bad reviews and constructive criticism doesn’t bother me. Matter of fact, I believe any review is a good review for a new author.

However people who wrap up digs in the form of jokes and say them in crowds, knowing the digged won’t respond with anger, is a bully. Just because YOU didn’t like my book, doesn’t make me less of an author. Regardless I’m doing legos now. With my mind-shield of plastic, nothing can hurt me.

 

Review of Underneath by Michael Cargill

Underneath was brought to my attention after Michael Cargill and I both did the 7500 word Challenge.

All I can say is wow! I wish I read this book two weeks ago before I did that Villains panel at Westercon. I would have told everyone who wants to see a realistic non-sympathectic socio-path to read Cargill’s novella.

Cargill  deftly creates the setting: a major city in modern Britain is so detail oriented that it made me remember my trip to the United Kingdom when he was describing the parks, the ticket machines, etc. I could visualize everything. Also by not naming the city, he gives the “this could happen anywhere” vibe to the story.

Hugh starts in a park describing the people around him while at first glance he is an “every man who likes squirrels” himself, he quickly gets bored and angry.  He leaves the park and gets on a train becoming more and more irritated by most things and people he sees–except a young woman named Abigail. Once off the train, he breaks open a car window, steals a coat and then gets infuriated because “it is a cheap copy bought from a no-mark,no-lable and sh**** shop, that sold nothing but cheap s*** for slugs who had no idea what good stuff was.” Then he trashes the car.

The two police officers, Clare and Robert, both feel realistic. They have their own issues. Robert eats constantly and Clares has aspirations of promotion, as they cross paths with Hugh’s rising violent acts. They investigate the car whose owner promptly begins blaming Polish illegal immigrants. Robert and Clare’s reactions are perfect. And remain perfect as they move through the story faced with the violence and prejudice of their lives as police officers.

Cargill keeps the tension up masterfully from the first page up until the end. However, the plotting and pacing felt off. It ended rather abruptly just as the action was about to start. It was rushed. I felt as if he had slowed down during the final scenes it would have even been even stronger. 

Finally this book is for ADULTS. The sociopath Hugh has the most lines and Cargill does not pander to the audience. While the sexual activity is implied, as an British author, Cargill assumes the reader understands their standards for appropriate behavior.  Eurotrip was right! The English swear at a whole other level than Americans.

To purchase please go to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Underneath-eboo...

or Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under...

Interview with Ray East co-author of Voluspa

This week I would like to welcome Ray East the co-author of Voluspa a young adult Fantasy/Romance for age group 10 and up.

What is Voluspa about?

This is a story of two star crossed lovers, set against a magical backdrop of an enchanted land. Amy has a hard childhood, feeling unwanted and unloved whereas Drake’s childhood is shadowed by impossibly high expectations imposed on him by his father. However, the world of Voluspa in not a Utopic one; like most known civilizations, it has its own problems. One of the questions that this book subtly puts forward is whether individual freedom is sacrosanct or should it take a backseat when it comes to greater good of the land and people. Circumstances force both Amy and Drake to do certain things which one could consider a touch shy of evil. But at no time does their love for each other diminish and whatever they do is born out of a need to protect or help the other.

What have you learned as a writer?

Realizing that writing a book is only 10% of what makes a successful book. Getting the book out to readers is the real challenge. But with the rise of Social Media, there are more tools available to anyone than there was 5 years ago.

How hard is it to work with another person?

I am a somewhat disciplined author but I don’t do great at sticking to deadlines. But my co-author Sam D has no such problem and we balance each other out.

How do you split up the work?

I am more of a romance writer. Sam D. is a martial arts enthusiast and most of the hand to hand combat scenes have been written from his own experience as an amateur Tai Kwan Do performer.

What was some of your inspiration/sources?

Personally, I am a huge fan of the fantasy genre. And when I decided to write, I subconsciously chose this genre. I wanted to create this magical world which would be fundamentally similar to ours but yet so exotically different that it will capture the fancy of the readers. I also wanted to showcase the character of Amy as a constantly growing, learning, strong individual – a very ordinary girl who chooses an extraordinary life.

What are you reading right now?

Tiger’s Destiny by Coulleen Houck.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Jane Austen, C S Lewis, Charles Dickens, Enid Blyton, Virginia Wolf, The Bronte sisters, J K Rowling, Rohinton Mistry

How much reading do you do within your chosen genre of fantasy?

I love reading books of this genre. Also, imaginative literature has limitless possibilities and it’s extremely satisfying to build a fantasy world from scratch. It’s a great escape from the humdrum of everyday life. But, I read any book that appeals to me. From children’s books to philosophical treatises, I simply read them with pleasure. Life is short. Why do I want to limit my reading enjoyment?

What is your next project?

I am working on the second book in the Voluspa series. The story of Amy and Drake continues. The second book in the series should be out in November 2012.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Write a good book; put your best work out there. Identify your target audience, find ways to engage them and market your book intelligently.

The Versatile Blogger Award–Thank you Denise Desio

Thank you Denise DeSio for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award.

So by accepting this “award,” I am supposed to tell folks seven things about me.

1) I love dogs. I am the doggie mama to Rosie and Tycho.

2) I am married, I love my husband too. (Opps, Maybe I should have given him top billing?!?)

3) I make a killer spagetti sauce. Brown and drain 1 lb of mild italian sausage, 1/4 onion, three ribs of celery, 1/4 red pepper. Then add 2 large cans of tomato sauce, and a small can of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of sugar, clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon of oregano, and 1 teaspoon of basil. Simmer for at least 2 hours, but the longer it simmers the better it is.

4) My debut novel Other Systems came out April 1st of this year.

5) I have been doing indy comics for six years.

6) My favorite band is Coldplay.

7) I am currently finishing up Faminelands 3 along with Maria.

I’m going to nominate these blogs for this award since the whole idea is we pass it along and everyone wins! Wheeee

Candace Knoebel

Limebird Writers

Getting out of one’s funk–the answer to Wednesday’s depressing post

Somedays, I just want to roll myself in blankets with Rosie.

This past few weeks my emotions have been up and down most likely due to the stress of my last convention and getting stuck on a few scenes in The Martlet the novel I am currently working on. I left Westercon feeling great and then… hit the blues in a major way.

(Note: I am certainly not referring to real clinical depression. If you think you are clinically depressed, please see your doctor.)

So Wednesday I was feeling a little down in the dumps which quickly fell into me being pretty sure that I am the most uncreative, untalented, blah blah blah author ever. Well now it’s Saturday and I am feeling much more like myself. Here is how I got out of my funk.

1) I remind myself since my writing is good enough to get published, I am not the worst writer or the worst artist or the worst whatever.

2) I figured out what was bothering me. While something was the catalyst to my mood, that wasn’t what I was dwelling on. I was dwelling on the lack of reviews/readers for Other Systems. I began wondering why since I wrote a hard science fiction novel was I now writing The Martlet, a fantasy book about assassins. Maybe that’s a mistake. Is the Martlet storyline one which has been told before?

Now I pulled myself out of my mood before I started spiraling deeper. How?

3) I had to finish an interview to the Red Reader. She asks some fun questions including the dream cast of an Other System’s movie. I admit I spent a few hours going over IMDB picking out actors and even got Maria’s help in the silliness. Robert Downy Jr. was my choice for Cole and if you want to know the others go check out the interview!

Also she will be reviewing Other Systems probably somewhere near the end of the month.

4) I sent in Other Systems to the 7500 word challenge and got an incredible review of the first 7500 words. The Owl gave Other Systems: Characters 5/5, Setting 5/5, Plot 5/5, Grammar/Spelling 5/5, Punctuation 5/5, Structure 4/5, Potential Beyond 7500 Words 5/5

She said she “fell in love with the characters” and I was called a “world builder and a wizard with words” sniff sniff (Yep, those are happy tears.)

5) I wrote a rough draft of a short story about a fallen cherubim who lives in the Eastern side of Woodland Park with the rabbits. He steals sandwiches from picnic baskets–he likes the lunch meat and gives the veggies to the bunnies. No, I am not making this up, I actually wrote this story. It needs to rest for a day so I can re-edit it, I also need to head over to Woodland Park so I can walk the dogs and get a few technical details. It’s been a while since I’ve been there.  The point of writing the short was to get my mind off The Martlet for a very short time. I took two days of rest. Now I can get back to work.

6) I queried four more book reviewers. One accepted my query: I sent him the PDF this morning.

7) Finally my mom (who yes reads my blog) sent me an email to make sure I was okay and we’ve been talking about the next steps for the Other Systems’ universe.

My point is that when you are feeling blue and uninspired, making, forward momentum, even if it is just baby steps, will help keep you going. How do you get out a writing funk?

Some days my brain just doesn’t work

 

All day I have been going through short story submission guidelines and looking at some of the short stories I have written. Some of them are nearly ready for publications, some of them need some work.

However, some days as much as I want to be articulate, my brain and fingers do not comply.

I get stuck in a single unpleasant memory. I dwell. I have decided I need a reset button. Since the technology is unavailable and highly unlikely to be developed anytime soon, perhaps I would do well just to rest.

This image is one I took at Glasgow’s Necropolis and fits my mood today.

Westercon Roundup

This was an odd weekend. Never before had I gone to a convention as an “author” only as a comic book artist and being an author with access to a green room and free food is in two words: freaking fantastic.  I did not table this Westercon, I was on panels and did the artshow.

Here we go.

Thursday: I attended to a panel on Mining on the Moon and learned about what resources were thought to be on the moon.

Then in the next room for my first panel with Alma Alexander, Anna Sheehan, Corry L. Lee, and Stephanie Weippert which was Whining vs. Angst: Fine Lines in Characterization We discussed how we go about writing characters.

Afterwards I had a nice time speaking to Stephanie Weippert and her husband for a few moments before I went to set up for the artshow.

Friday:

Introducing Your World which was about World building where we discussed the perils of info dumps. Also on the panel was Brenda Cooper, Elton Elliott Rhiannon Held, and Stephanie Weippert

then I had Dark Reflections with  M Todd Gallowglas Mike Shepherd Moscoe Richard A. Lovett  Ted Butler which was all about writing villains. This was my favorite of all my panels. I felt like I had the most opinions here.

Then I taught a Drawing comics class about Monsters. I thought I was teaching kids, but I ended up teaching adults. So that wasn’t as I had planned at all. Kids have no problem telling a group story, but the adults were definitely quieter.

Finally I ended the day at  From First Word to Finished Work

A panel for writers, from beginners to more experienced authors; we focus on the writing process, the importance of editing, and the creation of a final product. Erin Tidwell Gregory A. Wilson James C. Glass Mike Shepherd Moscoe

Saturday

So You Want to do Indy Comics?  Along with Steven Cox who is running a new gaming company iMage, I thought I was speaking about the ins and outs of running a webcomic, a small press or independent comic book publications company, but in fact the people who came just wanted to now how to get published.

My reading went fabulous. Richard A. Lovett seeing I was so nervous offered to attend. I admit I totally botched the introduction, but I felt I read well. I know I sold one book at least as a young man came up to me and told me he bought it. Richard suggested I go watch David Brin in order to see a master at work and he was right, I learned a lot watching David Brin.

Finally I had my autograph session which was fairly funny because I sat right next to Robin Hobb‘s huge line all the while I had four people. I didn’t feel bad about this, in fact I learned a lot watching her too.

I also learned quite a bit from listening to authors in the Green Room. Basically everyone I met was wonderful and down to Earth and willing to share their knowledge with a debut author. Especially since I am obviously anxious speaker.

Sunday, I went to another few panels–Archery for Authors and Artists and Urban Science–as well as David Brin’s autograph session. Then I picked up my artwork, stopped at Popeye’s chicken and headed home. Westercon was a wonderful experience.