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May 01, 2011 11:13AM
My protagonists don't tend to have dark pasts, just interesting presents. Great personalities, great relationships, and a strong tie to the story. When I am reading a story, more than anything, I want to feel like the character is one worth following. This is someone at the center of the conflict. As though it has to be them, and switching in any old character would not tell the same story. Bella, to use the Twilight example, fails in this regard because she is wonderfully generic, but in such a story, she needs more character. I understand the point in making her generic, but she needed to be recognizably Bella. I would say Harry Potter does this well. Harry is pretty average, and just unaware enough to ask what we would, but not dumb enough to ask the obvious. He is also his own character. He has friends, family, motivations, and a sense of self. We can see him both as the audience avatar (in his story and in Bella's, perhaps a necessity) and as just... Harry.
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Creating a strong main character is key because this person will drive your story. Their choices will direct your plot. Me, personally, like to know as many frigging details about my characters as posssible. I use a character sheet a proff. gave me. I'd throw it up here, but I think he copywrited it. But to give you a sense, its a single spaced page of things you should know about your character, and some of them require writing pages and pages to answer. I find this necc. not only because I want my character to have individualized quirks and emotions. Most of the time, half of what you write never makes it into the actual work. The key is that YOU know it. YOU know your character so without a pause, any plot point or other character you throw at them, you will know exactly how they would respond. The characters near write the book for you. I prefer characters always to have inner turmoil and therefore evolution whether or not there is a Big Bad out there to fight. And no, not every character has a dark past. Some have fun, supportive pasts. Either way, they will bring something different to the table.
That said, I write novels. I've never been a short story girl. So I am not sure if you would need to do absolutely as much leg work for a short piece.
For me, poems are a completely different mind set than novels, and in some ways more difficult. Short stories--again a different format and one, frankly, that I suck at.
Why not, exactly? Not enough character development to carry you through? Not enough plot to hold up? A vague world? When you are getting started on a novel, the big thing that kills it is that YOU DON'T PUSH STRAIGHT THROUGH THE FIRST DRAFT. It will suck, it will be inconsistent. You will want to set it on fire. DONT. JUST KEEP WRITING UNTIL YOU HIT THE END! Do not go back and edit. Do not worry if the first five pages will sell your novel because by the time you are done you probably scrapped that version anyway. The key to successfully write is to write.This is the best way I know for people to learn how to write a longer work. Just write it, and never look back.
These days, I actually do so much obsessive pre-plannng, the planning stage takes longer than the first draft. I'd be wary of the method if you don't think you can handle it. I've known some writers who tried this who spent the rest of their lives pre-planning and never got to the writing part.
CicadaGrrl wrote: "Why not, exactly? Not enough character development to carry you through? Not enough plot to hold up? A vague world? When you are getting started on a novel, the big thing that kills it is that ..."Wow, that's a brilliant advice :D I have no idea that joining goodreads is such a great experience, or period of life :D
I always care about changing this and that (in the beginning), and then I can't finish it because I'm stuck... that's happen to me like several times, but I never realized what's the reason....
I need a good deep dark secret that my main male character can have.
CicadaGrrl wrote: "Creating a strong main character is key because this person will drive your story. Their choices will direct your plot. Me, personally, like to know as many frigging details about my characters a..."i understand the copyright issue but I'd love to know what kinds of things are on this character shee of yours because the concept is so wonderful.
Ingrid wrote: "well, does it have to be a secret of the character's own?"It doesn't nessacarily have to, i guess. I was thinking something personal, but I guess it could be something he is hiding about someone else. I really think it would be best if it was personal though.
@ C What is your book about? In order to help on something of this magnitude we really need a little background.My book is full of secrets and even at the end when the readers know Daniels' secret his pregnant wife to be and Cally's husband are left in the dark! With a third party holding a letter that could destroy two marriages!
Ingrid wrote: "C wrote: "Ingrid wrote: "well, does it have to be a secret of the character's own?"It doesn't nessacarily have to, i guess. I was thinking something personal, but I guess it could be something ..."
No it could be a letter which if it fell into the wrong hands could spell trouble with A capital T, or that he was born a girl, or that his father was a catholic priest who had raped his mother!
Think of the worse possible scenario and multiply it!
One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, or four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told! Maybe he had killed someone accidently! There are a few possibles!
Does anyone have a suggestion? I have a protagonist that just seems to perfect. He needs something that is kinda bad about him. I mean like not really really bad but just enough to make him seem real.
If it's not bad enough...then there may not be enough drama. Playing the Sims actually did more for my writing than I'd like to admit.
Don't be afraid to screw their lives all to hell!!!
Firstly hi Carley in order to give you a few ideas it would help to know a little bit about your novel. What genre is it what is the book about?
well sarah its kind of a romance. the male protagonist is a redneck and he just sounds too perfect to be real. the girl protagonist is needing to find out something that is wrong with him. Cause soon she is gonna meet a french guy that she really likes
Carley wrote: "well sarah its kind of a romance. the male protagonist is a redneck and he just sounds too perfect to be real. the girl protagonist is needing to find out something that is wrong with him. Cause so..."Sorry redneck, I should know the expression but I'm a Brit - maybe he has hallitosis or he has a brother in prison for murdering his parents.
I like your style with the French guy very ooh la la, it's the accent that does it sends your legs to jelly, tres sexy! French is the language of love, but the polls say British men make the best lovers! I don't know who they polled but I for one disagree!
I love british people I so wish I knew more of them. When you guys write do put your accent in your writing? Just curious sorry. Oh okay thanks for the ideas.
Carley wrote: "I love british people I so wish I knew more of them. When you guys write do put your accent in your writing? Just curious sorry. Oh okay thanks for the ideas."NO need to be sorry, I know I use accents when I write, I hear the characters talking to each other. Oh hell send for the big yellow taxi, Sarah's hearing voices again!
They have faces too, and personalities if they make my book into a film I want to be in on the choosing of the actors and actresses. They have to be the right ones, second best or the directors choice just won't cut it.
Sarah R wrote: "Carley wrote: "I love british people I so wish I knew more of them. When you guys write do put your accent in your writing? Just curious sorry. Oh okay thanks for the ideas."NO need to be sorry, ..."
I do that same thing and if someone that reads it and tells me what they think the character is like and it is not what I want it to be. I have to start almost all the way over and rewrite it till it sounds like I think it should.
Carley wrote: "Sarah R wrote: "Carley wrote: "I love british people I so wish I knew more of them. When you guys write do put your accent in your writing? Just curious sorry. Oh okay thanks for the ideas."NO ..."
Oh good at least I'll have company then when they cart me off to the funny farm! Kidding but I arrange my chapters and dialogue in my head and if you could take a sneak peek at what is coming out at the moment you would be amazed! The end of Light the Seventh Candle is nigh! Sorry no sneak peek at the ending for that you have to buy the book!
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