Writing Wednesday: It's the Characters, Stupid!

Super busy today, and even a day later I don’t have time to say much. But see above.

It appears that I have been focusing so much on trying to get plots
right in my manuscripts that I made my characters into little cardboard
cutouts. I am pretty sure I am not the only author to have ever made
this mistake.

Here’s the thing. Despite what you may think about wanting ALL the
cool things to happen in your book, it probably doesn’t actually matter.
BORING. That’s what your readers are likely to say.

Because all that matters to your readers is having really, really
great characters to spend time with, and then seeing those awesome
characters do things that matter to them. No matter what the cool plot
is going on in the outside world of your character, the plot of your
story is essentially the story of what matters to this character.

So go all out in dressing the world if you want. But it’s just window
dressing, because the focus of the book will have to be on the
characters really wanting things and going to get them. Or being changed
by the things that happen to them. And the changes are going to be
unique to them, and unique to the weird series of messed up things that
happen just to them.

Since I’m clearly not getting this right yet, I will admit to needing
more time to formulate ideas. And well, take this will all the salt you
may need. YMMV