Karen GoatKeeper's Blog - Posts Tagged "characters"
Book Characters
Every once in a while I steal a few minutes to research writing topics. This last month I tackled characters.
The temptation is to put characters down as strictly human, only in novels. How wrong this is.
Characters are as or maybe more important in nonfiction writing. Non human characters are not only possible but can upstage the people. Even setting can become a character.
A memoir is a way to pass down your memories to other family members. If your family is like mine, some of those people haven't seen you in years if at all. To them you are the main character in your story set at a time and in a place they will never know.
A nature story may have no people in it at all. The plants or animals or the setting itself must become the main character.
Novels of course have main characters. And minor characters who are not supposed to steal the limelight too much.
The same rules apply for all of these characters. They must be likable or someone the reader loves to hate. They must seem real. They must do something and change in the process.
Before any of these can occur, the writer must know their characters well. This can be advance planning listing traits and personal data. I find it works better for me to have a basic idea of who a character is then write a rough draft letting the characters develop themselves. This method does require rewriting so the characters at the beginning and ending of the story have much the same definition except for how they have changed as the plot unfolds.
Now that I have scratched the surface of how to better develop my characters, I will try to steal a little more time to learn more.
In the meantime I will try to apply what I have found out to Ridge, his family and friends. Of course, there is that car. Perhaps it should join the list of characters. I wonder how that would change the story.
The temptation is to put characters down as strictly human, only in novels. How wrong this is.
Characters are as or maybe more important in nonfiction writing. Non human characters are not only possible but can upstage the people. Even setting can become a character.
A memoir is a way to pass down your memories to other family members. If your family is like mine, some of those people haven't seen you in years if at all. To them you are the main character in your story set at a time and in a place they will never know.
A nature story may have no people in it at all. The plants or animals or the setting itself must become the main character.
Novels of course have main characters. And minor characters who are not supposed to steal the limelight too much.
The same rules apply for all of these characters. They must be likable or someone the reader loves to hate. They must seem real. They must do something and change in the process.
Before any of these can occur, the writer must know their characters well. This can be advance planning listing traits and personal data. I find it works better for me to have a basic idea of who a character is then write a rough draft letting the characters develop themselves. This method does require rewriting so the characters at the beginning and ending of the story have much the same definition except for how they have changed as the plot unfolds.
Now that I have scratched the surface of how to better develop my characters, I will try to steal a little more time to learn more.
In the meantime I will try to apply what I have found out to Ridge, his family and friends. Of course, there is that car. Perhaps it should join the list of characters. I wonder how that would change the story.
Rewrite Challenges
NaNo is over. My novel is almost over. Rewrite lies ahead.
I took a peek at the NaNo forums about rewriting novels. So many people are frightened of them. I suppose they are scary, especially the first time.
My novel still doesn't have a real title. I refer to it as Edwina. Titles are important but the novel is more important. And the novel needs work.
Starting the rewrite is so tempting. However, first I need to finish the rough draft. I think I know what to write now once I get to sit down and work on it the next time. Then I will start the rewrite.
Everyone says to let the novel sit before starting the rewrite. Sometimes I do. This novel I will not wait for but will push on to do a first draft.
The place to start for me is to pinpoint major problems. One is my main character. I didn't plan ahead very well and didn't know her well when I started to write. I do know her now. That will change the tone and situations in the beginning of the novel.
Secondly I will tackle Edwina. She is fun or should be fun. I want her role to expand a little and insert more of that fun into a novel that has gotten much too serious.
Third are the supporting characters. They are stereotypes and two dimensional. I know who one of them is but let her slip away almost into nothingness as the novel progressed. She does some important things in the plot and needs to be more than a ghost of a character.
The bad guys weren't planned to begin with. I have no idea who they are yet. They didn't even have names for a chapter or two.
Which brings me to names. There are so many for teachers and others in the novel. The cast isn't huge but each member needs a name.
Once the first draft is done, then it can sit a time. Then I will know more of what the novel is so I can ponder how to take it from there to where I want it to go.
I took a peek at the NaNo forums about rewriting novels. So many people are frightened of them. I suppose they are scary, especially the first time.
My novel still doesn't have a real title. I refer to it as Edwina. Titles are important but the novel is more important. And the novel needs work.
Starting the rewrite is so tempting. However, first I need to finish the rough draft. I think I know what to write now once I get to sit down and work on it the next time. Then I will start the rewrite.
Everyone says to let the novel sit before starting the rewrite. Sometimes I do. This novel I will not wait for but will push on to do a first draft.
The place to start for me is to pinpoint major problems. One is my main character. I didn't plan ahead very well and didn't know her well when I started to write. I do know her now. That will change the tone and situations in the beginning of the novel.
Secondly I will tackle Edwina. She is fun or should be fun. I want her role to expand a little and insert more of that fun into a novel that has gotten much too serious.
Third are the supporting characters. They are stereotypes and two dimensional. I know who one of them is but let her slip away almost into nothingness as the novel progressed. She does some important things in the plot and needs to be more than a ghost of a character.
The bad guys weren't planned to begin with. I have no idea who they are yet. They didn't even have names for a chapter or two.
Which brings me to names. There are so many for teachers and others in the novel. The cast isn't huge but each member needs a name.
Once the first draft is done, then it can sit a time. Then I will know more of what the novel is so I can ponder how to take it from there to where I want it to go.
Catching Readers
Lately I've been reading several books and found they are very different in how well they catch me as a reader.
Jane Austin deserves her reputation as a good writer. Her story Emma is well written, paced well for the genre and brings the times and people to life.
I struggled through the 465 pages determined to finish the book. Why? I did not like the characters.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is over 800 pages long. The first day had me up 200 pages. I regretted finishing the final page.
Why the difference? I like the main characters in the Harry Potter series. The action plot line does influence this but I have read books with lots of action I struggled through.
As a writer, one goal is to entice a reader to not only pick up a book and start reading it, but to keep the reader willingly, gladly reading to the end. What I notice as a reader can help me improve my writing.
Between these two well written books, the difference for me, as a reader, is the characterizations. Both books have well rounded characters. But one set I could relate to and the other I couldn't, even resented a little.
My next novel draft awaits my attention. Now I will rethink my characters. How can I make them more appealing to my readers? How can I make them more real?
Jane Austin deserves her reputation as a good writer. Her story Emma is well written, paced well for the genre and brings the times and people to life.
I struggled through the 465 pages determined to finish the book. Why? I did not like the characters.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is over 800 pages long. The first day had me up 200 pages. I regretted finishing the final page.
Why the difference? I like the main characters in the Harry Potter series. The action plot line does influence this but I have read books with lots of action I struggled through.
As a writer, one goal is to entice a reader to not only pick up a book and start reading it, but to keep the reader willingly, gladly reading to the end. What I notice as a reader can help me improve my writing.
Between these two well written books, the difference for me, as a reader, is the characterizations. Both books have well rounded characters. But one set I could relate to and the other I couldn't, even resented a little.
My next novel draft awaits my attention. Now I will rethink my characters. How can I make them more appealing to my readers? How can I make them more real?
Creating Worlds
Camp NaNo is busy accumulating words this month. Another part of all NaNo events are the various pep talk and tips emails. Often they are thought provoking and the latest by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs is no exception.
World building has always been something sciefi and fantasy writers do. It's a necessary prerequisite to such books as the imaginary world must remain consistent throughout the book or series.
Jacobs brought up a different take on world building. It is an important part of any fiction book. Even a modern day book is based on imaginary characters operating in a place they inhabit. That world must remain consistent throughout the story.
Sounds familiar?
I would even extend this to nonfiction as even these narratives must stay true to their settings throughout the book.
Before a setting is real on the printed page, it must be real to the author. Of course, the writer can visualize the setting, outline the main points of the setting, even sketch the setting. That doesn't make it real.
Jacobs brought up an interesting way to make the setting real. She suggests pretending to sit in the main character's room and describe ten things about this room: smells, sounds, objects. This can be extended to plot development by having one of the objects being a secret. Why is this thing a secret? Where is it hidden?
A person's room says so much about a person. Think about your own room. What pictures are on the wall? What color are the walls? Is it neat or messy? What does your room say about you?
Character is so important in a book. This simple exercise may be a way to make a setting real, but it also makes the character real. And that improves the book, any book, regardless of genre.
World building has always been something sciefi and fantasy writers do. It's a necessary prerequisite to such books as the imaginary world must remain consistent throughout the book or series.
Jacobs brought up a different take on world building. It is an important part of any fiction book. Even a modern day book is based on imaginary characters operating in a place they inhabit. That world must remain consistent throughout the story.
Sounds familiar?
I would even extend this to nonfiction as even these narratives must stay true to their settings throughout the book.
Before a setting is real on the printed page, it must be real to the author. Of course, the writer can visualize the setting, outline the main points of the setting, even sketch the setting. That doesn't make it real.
Jacobs brought up an interesting way to make the setting real. She suggests pretending to sit in the main character's room and describe ten things about this room: smells, sounds, objects. This can be extended to plot development by having one of the objects being a secret. Why is this thing a secret? Where is it hidden?
A person's room says so much about a person. Think about your own room. What pictures are on the wall? What color are the walls? Is it neat or messy? What does your room say about you?
Character is so important in a book. This simple exercise may be a way to make a setting real, but it also makes the character real. And that improves the book, any book, regardless of genre.
