Cut It Out!

Dear Kids and all Readers,

Years ago, I started collecting cookie cutters.

I now have cans and bags of them for every season as well as some evoking the seashore, the farm, fruits and vegetables, and miscellaneous activities and objects.

Before I had grandchildren, I envisioned making cut-out cookies with them someday to create fun, delicious, and memorable events; hence, the collection. Now that I have grandkids, I usually pack a fraction of my collection in my suitcase when I travel east just in case anyone is in the mood to bake. It never takes any persuasion!

Last month was no exception. For my grandson’s fourth birthday, I gifted him with three cookie cutters that I knew he would love: a train, a truck, and a sports car. He proudly paraded them around the room! The next day, the sugar cookie dough was made and chilled. Then, he, my nine-year-old granddaughter, and I created some sweet magic. The little guy had fun learning how to position the cutters just right to optimize the dough between roll outs. Then with his big sister’s help, he pressed down on each cutter and removed the excess dough to form the perfect cookie vehicle.

After a brief trip to the basement to take shelter during a tornado warning (!), we returned to the kitchen to sprinkle their creations with multicolored sugar, bake the treats, and devour them.

As a writer, I look for inspiration from life’s events. It was natural, then, for me to think about the pros and cons of cookie cutters. They are excellent tools for crafting fun, delicious treats that can leave fond memories in the hearts of the bakers. But foisting cookie-cutter characters onto my readers is disastrous! Why? Because readers should expect and writers should deliver characters that are deliciously three dimensional. Flat, predictable, cookie-cutter characters are boring and hard to relate to.

Readers, here is what to look for in well-formed characters. And Teachers and Writers, here is how to bring your characters to life for sizzling fiction. Ask:

What do the characters look like? What do they wear? Are they individuals or conformists? Is there adequate description so you can envision them in a setting?What do their facial expressions and body language say about their joys and inner turmoil?How would you describe their personalities? Are more layers added as the book progresses?What do they say? Do their words or conversations sparkle, reveal deeper personality traits, and square with their motives and actions?What makes them tick? Do they have unique mannerisms, habits, hobbies, quirks, witticisms, pets, relatives, and friends or enemies that make them interesting–for better or for worse–while avoiding stereotypes?What are their strengths and weaknesses? Do they sometimes blur the lines between good and evil? These make them humble, sometimes stumble, maybe questionable or admirable, relatable human beings.What are their flaws, needs, and wants? How do they treat others? These can further their relatability and help explain their motives, expectations, and actions.Do they make us feel what they are feeling so we can take deep dives into their motives and actions and our own?What are their backstories? These add interest, relatability, and understanding.Do they grow and evolve over the course of the story or series? This plumps dimensionality.

I hope you find my characters in the Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries fully fleshed out, not flat! I try to make them 3-D on every page.

If you would like to add any ideas to my list of ten above, please email me at kidsauthor@sherrilljoseph.com. Please put “Cut It Out” in the subject line.

If you would like to learn more about how to avoid cookie-cutter characters as a reader, teacher, or writer, check out K.M. Weiland’s book, Creating Character Arcs.

So, get a clue. Cookie cutters have their place, especially in my kitchen. They help us create delicious treats. But never expect them as, or use them to create, characters in books!