Unmasking Our Characters

By Debby Giusti

Masks Required!

Masks have become the new norm, although I’m sure many of us think they’re a nuisance. Yes, they protect us—somewhat—from the corona virus, but they’re uncomfortable to wear. They cut off airflow and hamper breathing. Carrying on a conversation while wearing them is difficult and reading lips is impossible.

Personally, I like seeing people smile and frequently fail to recognize folks—even good friends—when their faces are covered.

So what does mask wearing have to do with writing?

Remember internal conflict? That’s the fear or flaw or wound our characters have from the past that causes them to hide behind a…?

That’s right!

A MASK!!!

Since we’re up to our eyeballs in masks, quite literally, during this pandemic, I hope we’ve become more aware of our characters’ plight as they struggle with their imperfections. They worry someone will peer behind their false facades and see the truth they’re trying to hide. Regrettably, many of them have worn masks so long they’ve come to believe their faux identities represent who they truly are.

So what do we writers need to remember as we craft our stories?

First, we have to determine our hero’s wounds or flaws or fears.

Second, we need to identify the various ways he has learned to hide that of which he is most ashamed.

Third, we need to plot our stories to ensure the hero has the courage to remove his mask and embrace his true self. Only then is he able to achieve his external goal, declare his love for the heroine and embrace life to the full!

My debut novel, Scared to Death, featured a single mom who was afraid of water. When the men who killed her husband try to kidnap her young son, she and the boy flee to her aunt’s house. Do you know where the aunt lives? Of course, you do because you’re writers. The aunt lives in a gated island community. In fact, the aunt’s house is a beachfront mansion so the heroine mom, in her attempt to protect her son, has placed herself near the water she fears. I won’t spoil the story for you, but rest assured, the mom has to take off the mask she’s been wearing, admit her fear and then confront it head-on to save her son.

In Amish Safe House, a cop’s wife and small daughter were killed by an escaped criminal he sent to prison. Feeling responsible for their deaths, he handed in his badge and returned to the Amish community he left long ago. The new reclusive life he has created is threatened when a law enforcement friend asks him to shelter a divorced woman and her two children on the run from one of the country’s most vicious gangs. The reason the hero wears a mask includes not only the guilt he carries after his loved ones’ deaths but also hurtful accusations by his authoritative father long ago that the hero has accepted as truth. When the gang closes in, the hero must ignore the memory of his father’s taunts and face his fear of not being able to protect the people he loves.

In Dangerous Amish Inheritance, my heroine sacrificed her own happiness ten years ago to care for her ailing father in hopes of making amends for a mistake she made in her youth. Misfortune haunted her until the beginning of the story when the father of her secret baby returns to Amish Mountain, but the hero carries his own guilt for leaving the woman he loved and the son, now nine years old, who instantly steals his heart. When danger closes in, the hero and heroine must remove their masks and move beyond their past mistakes to keep their son alive.

As you brainstorm your stories, remember to focus on your hero’s wound or flaw or fear. In so doing, you’ll create exciting and intriguing ways for your character to change and grow. Just remember that at the end of the story, the hero has to discard his mask and accept himself as he truly is so he and the heroine can live happily ever after.

Happy writing! Happy reading!

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com