Weekly Writing Tip

Back to our Characters...

   It's important to develop your ability to 'paint' interesting characters. The last two articles covered naming your character and figuring out your character's personality. 

    This week lets work on describing characters without sounding like you're filling out a questionnaire and marking off a checklist. 

    She had blue eyes. Check. 

    And long, brown hair. Check.  

    Two hands. Check.

    And a head. Check. 

    I can see a woman in my imagination with the above listed traits but I don't feel this character. She's bland. A blank canvas. 

    Who did she inherit the eye color from? Can you see them behind glasses? Are they sad? Has her brown hair ever blew wild in the wind or has it been confined to a strict regime of hair gel and rigid bun? 

    Are her hands rough from a much beloved hobby? Or tired and worn with the ravages of her life? Has anyone ever slipped a ring of love around her finger? Or has she stripped her fingers bare of any mention of love? 

    Use your imagination for the head. I'm still stuck, very unfortunately, on zombies and all I can come up with are wherever she has brains or not. (grin)

    Add feeling and history to your descriptions. Don't pull out a book of adjectives and go crazy like a kid who has been given free access to a candy store. Pace yourself. More is not always better. (Especially when drinking coffee. Caffeine buzz.)

    This week challenge yourself. Pick someone, either in real life or from fiction and write a description on them. Feel it. 

    Example: She had to be rigid. Her students expected it, the parents demanded it and she would fail if she didn't. A ballerina was perfection from the bun tightly binding her hair to the clothes that fit snugly over her smooth stomach and curve less form. Her smile was tight, given when earned but never reaching her cold blue eyes. And it would be unsightly to slouch, sit or relax. She must always hold her shoulders back, her hands gracefully folded in front of her and her head tilted lightly in elegant form. She was demanding but fair. Not overly critically with her words and her praise given quietly without fanfare.

      She was a ballerina. 

Happy Writing.  

Weekly Writing Tip

Characters. They can make you grin or pull out your hair in frustration.


    Last week we talked about naming our characters. It's easier than naming your own children but by just a fraction. :) 

    This week lets talk about the psychological make up of your character. Uh, oh. My character isn't crazy, he's not an axe murderer why do we have to analyze him? Because we need to know what makes your character tick. Everyone has quirks, habits they perform, things that set them off because of events in their lives and a great character 'experiences' those same problems.

    Now, with that being said, the reader may not know everything you know. Just because you know your character to drink three cups of strong coffee and a single piece of toast for breakfast, doesn't mean it might ever make it into the story. The reader doesn't need to know all that is mundane, just what pertains to the story.

     So why bother to know so many details? Because it adds depth and realism to your character. If you understand your character than you know what they will do in situations, how they will react, what emotional response they will have and you will be able to convey this information in a way that captures our emotions and makes us care about your character. There's nothing worse than having a character that no one cares about it. The readers have to care about your characters to care about your story. 

     To start figuring out your character write down this information; where they live, what job do they have, what job would they like to have, what foods they like and what foods they don't like, do they have a pet and how do they treat that pet, their family and the thing they hate most. What are their views and how do those views effect their outlook on life? 

     You don't have to write a complete diary or a novel on your character. You would never have time to write the story if you did that but write a couple of pages just to start to understand your character, realizing that you can add to it as you write the story or even change things if you decide something would work better. You can also write down slang or certain pieces of dialogue they are prone to use. 

     The idea here is to have a reference guide of your character. To add depth to the why your character does certain things. It can also help keep characters consistent if you take the time to write their details down, then as you write the story you can refer back to it as you need to. 

      Remember, this is your character and they need to seem real, like they could step right off the page and into someone's living room. Know the mundane of your character but focus on what makes them likable (or unlikable if need be) and human.

Weekly Writing Tip

Characters. 

Do you have one? Or the faint shadow of one?

      Why do we love stories? Obviously, the plot plays an important part. If you don't have at least a decent plot with all loose ends tied and knotted than you're going to have trouble building a readership. Readers are easily disappointed and will remember if you finished your story by making up something crazy at the end or forgetting to address one of your subplots. Also, you can't rearrange the basics of science or life, unless it's your own world and you have built it up that way. But we'll talk about plot at a later entry. 

      Today we're going to talk about characters and their development. Think about why you love some stories. Yes, the plot was probably good and the writing was more than likely interesting but it's the characters that live in our minds way after the story is finished. If we care about the characters, if what happens to them in the story affects our emotions than we'll remember the story far after the words, 'the end.' 

       So how to make characters that come alive off the page and stay with your readers? You have to know them first. They're your characters, develop them. Think about their name. Most characters carry names that show a bit of their personalities or quirks. Pick a strong name for your alpha males. Choose a elegant name for your lady, unless she's wild and unconventional and than perhaps go by a nickname that reflects her playful attitude. 

       If they carry an unusual or an old fashioned name, explain it. Put a bit of the story around it, make it important. Do a bit of research, what does the name mean? Sometimes you can choose a name for it's meaning rather than just the sound of the name. A great source for names is the Internet, check out any baby naming website. Or the phone book can be an informative location. Parents spend a lot of time stringing names together that sound pleasing to the ear and it can make finding a name easy. (It's also a great way to unblock a muse that doesn't want to give up any names.)

      Don't forget the culture of your character. If it's important to the parents of your character, then a cultural significant name may be valuable to your story. If you're writing historical fiction, names need to be given a bit of thought. The popularity of names go through cycles, so perhaps Doris isn't one of the most popular names of today but in other time periods it would have been. Search the web for the most popular names of today or during certain years.

       Religion can also be a factor in choosing the 'right' name for your character. Especially if you're writing a historical piece. Or if you're writing about characters from other cultures. 

       Memorable names are vital. Think of some of the great classics, Little Women, Tom Sawyer, Anne of Green Gables. Even comic book heroes have awesome names that can be unforgettable. Superman, Spiderman, Wolverine. The characters are with us long after we finish the book. So name your characters with thought, care, and with fun. :)
      

Writing Tip Wednesday

Autumn is coming with a strong calling card this week. Brrr...The last of the summer flowers are withering from the frigid chill and the fierce winds blow the vibrantly colored leaves from their branches. 

     Now our thoughts start to turn to warm apple cider, soups and writing. 

     What? Really. 

     Yes. If you're stuck in the house, use the time to write. 

      What better way to spend a long, dark evening then sipping on tea and writing. 

     (Spending time with loved ones is vital too. So don't neglect them. Try some new things, like play chess, read a book aloud, or cook new recipes together.) 

    But back to writing...Remember WATT. Easy to say, much harder to accomplish.

     (Quick recap, WATT stands for Write All The Time). 

     A lovely way to practice your writing without worrying about spelling, grammar or expectations is to write in a diary or journal. 

     But instead of boring and drab entries about your morning oatmeal, unless of course something exciting happened while you were eating it, try a technique I call 'tidbits.' 

     Write small slices of your life as if it's a novel in a book. Describe your feelings, use all of your senses. Don't tell---Show it. 

     Even if it's only two or three lines of something funny or cute your child said. Or simply describing how the autumn walk through crunchy leaves with your own hero hottie was magical. 

     Your tidbit journal is a chance to have fun, strengthen your writing and maybe even record your life. 

     I'll share an example, but remember develop your own style. I usually write in the first person but you don't have to limit yourself to only one POV. Sometimes I'll write it from the person's point of view who was experiencing it. 

    Example: 'It had to be one of those days. You know, long and tiring and destined to be unforgettable, but not in a good way. I had only left the kitchen for a few minutes while I was making dinner when suddenly I smelled the awful odor of something burning. Oh, no, what had my fatigued brain done, I thought as I rushed back into the kitchen. 

       I expected burnt food, but to my horror I realized I had turned on the wrong burner. And instead of food cooking, it was my glass baking dish that was heating up. 

      Just as I moved closer to the stove, I heard the ominous sound of cracking glass. 

     Right before it exploded...'

     I could have wrote, 'I had a bad day. Put the glass baking dish on the burner and caused it to explode. Glass flew everywhere. Luckily, no one was hurt.' But that's not as colorful as the first entry. 

    Just remember, have fun with your tidbits. Happy writing and keep warm.

Writing Tip Wednesday...ahh, Friday

If you don't have a thesaurus buy one. That's my writing tip for this week. Simple and straight to the point. But why does every great writer needs a thesaurus? Did the classic authors have one? I don't know. Should you have one? Yes. It's an absolute must, maybe even before a dictionary.  

According to Marc McCutcheon, you can also use the following words to describe a thesaurus.

 "thesaurus n. lexicon, word treasury, synonym finder, word book"

     I would still call it a thesaurus, but right away you have four other words you could use to describe it if you had too. Just with a slight flick of the wrist. It's that easy.

     I like my thesaurus because I can locate the words I need to use to accurately describe the emotions in my stories. The book is wonderful, great, helpful, useful...and I could find a hundred more words within its paper walls to paint my pictures. 

     My favorite thesaurus is Roget's Super Thesaurus by Marc McCutcheon. I have the first printing edition from 1995. It's torn, the binding is falling apart, and I've put dozens of stickers on the cover. The book is well used, always next to my computer and even went to college with me a long time ago. I was even geeky enough to talk about my adoration of the thesaurus in a speech class. What a nerd. :) 

     When you buy one, then purchase the Roget's Super Thesaurus. It is so well written. Not only does it contain a comprehensive collection of synonyms but it has other, useful, information. It has mini lessons on nouns, such as farm. Not only will he tell you the synonyms; plantation, ranch, grange; but he tells you what the terms are related to farming. Not sure what a horse enclosure is called? It's called a corral. It saves so much time, especially when the mind is drawing a blank and your muse is on her coffee break. 

      There are sample sentences using the words and even quotes from famous people. At the end of the word entry are the antonyms, in case your muse is really enjoying her Double Chocolate Caramel latte with soy milk and you can't think of the word you need but you can think of something that is opposite of that. Trust me, it happens...

     You can purchase this book at amazon.com

      This is a great book and every writer needs a thesaurus at their fingertips. Words are our tools and we should have an easy list of them to access. So thank you Mr. McCutcheon for writing an awesome guide on what writers use most...words.  :)

      

Writing Tip Wednesday

     I'm going to assume that most writers already follow this writing tip without much prompting. But in case you don't, then the writing tip for today is to read. 

     

     Read a lot. Read often. And read different things. 

     

     Your library card should be your best friend. (Not literally, real friends are good, but I couldn't get along very well without my library card.) 

     Reading is so-oo important. You're immersing yourself in words, surrounding your brain with rhythms and cadences. Structure and form. It's a superfood for your mind. 

     Read books of the genre you enjoy. Read books of New York Times Bestseller authors. Read books, not just cliff notes, from classic authors. 

     And don't just stay in the creative world of make believe and pretend. Venture into the world of information and facts. Find a subject, such as dancing, and read a book about it. There's no quiz after the book, I assure you so don't stress about all the facts and terminology. 

     Just enjoy and who knows maybe one of your characters will benefit from your 'dance lessons'. 

     Read. Pick your favorite author. Right now, for historical romance, I'm partial to Hannah Howell. I love to slowly read the lines she wrote. Just to enjoy her skill and obvious love of telling the story. 

    I study when she pauses in a scene to build up tension, the way she uses tense or funny dialogue to both move the scene and make you fall in love with the characters. I really enjoy her stories. 

     Now, pick some books to read and make yourself a cup of tea. (Of course, being a busy parent I understand if finding time to read is difficult. Heck, finding time to write is nearly impossible but I find time to read if I turn off the television. Just an idea.)  :) 

     And just a side note- as a writer we want children to appreciate reading but with a constant onslaught of media it can hard to encourage their love of books. So help them. If you have children buy them books from the time they're born. As they get older take them to the library and the bookstore. 

     For Christmas buy them a gift card to a bookstore and then let them browse and pick their own selections. 

     If you don't have kids, contact an elementary school and see if you can donate books. Teachers and schools love books as much as writers do.

In conclusion, 'Happy Reading.'

Writing Tip Wednesday

     Since this is my first Writing Tip Wednesday post, I feel like I should inspire you with my great words of wisdom and incredible sense of wit. 

     Not to mention my charm. 

     And did I inform you of my humble nature? 

     No? Well then, I think we better skip that for another time and I'll just tell you the same basic tip you will hear from every single writer. 

     You. Must. Absolutely. Always. Forever. Without fail...

     Write All The Time 

     Or WATT for short. 

     How important is WATT? 

     It's the difference between wanting to be published and being published. It's the difference between writing stories that you hope no one ever sees and stories you want everyone to read.

    Even if it's only ten minutes before you go to bed or a page on your lunch break, it's vital to learning your craft. 

     You can learn all the rules of grammar and carry around a thesaurus like a loaded weapon but if you're not writing you won't refine your technique.

     You won't find your voice. 

     Now its time for my big confession....insert intense movie score here...sometimes I have to make myself write. 

    Seriously. And everyone who knows me can stop laughing now because they all know I like to write as much as I talk. Alot. Constantly. Without end. 

    But sometimes when my muse has forgotten that if she drinks a triple shot coffee drink thingy, they call a depth charge at the local coffee shop, that while the words will flow quickly and efficiently for a few hours...

    That suddenly and without warning her musing will be in peril and down she goes. 

    Caffeine crash. Urghh. 

    But this does not matter. You must write. 

    WATT. 

   It will become your new four letter word but your writing will improve. So to help with this I'm including five helpful hints. 

   1. Turn off your television. Throw it out. Give it away. At least limit yourself. Because you will survive the water cooler sessions if you don't know who was kicked off Dancing with the Stars or American Idol. 

   2. Start a journal or diary. But don't write, "dear diary, I had a blueberry muffin today." Really? Instead write about the quaint little coffee shop you purchased it from. Write about the characters that hang out at the coffee shop. Paint a picture. 

   3. Start writing down entire dialogues that you hear. Go to a coffee shop or restaurant and write down exactly word for word what is being spoken. Be discrete and don't use it for blackmail. That's rude. Use it to study patterns and rhythms of people's speech. 

    4. Need a starter. Try one of these sentences and write a few pages. 

             A. Fred was of average height with nondescript features and a handshake that could...

             B. If the cat hadn't stepped out into the road at that very moment I decided to throw the ball then...

             C. Kelly O'Reilly pushed the cold, stiff body of her husband into the...

   5. Clone yourself. Then you can write while the other you goes to work...If that's not an option, then commit to 30 days. Without fail. Because after that it's a habit and it will be easier to stick with it. 

     So there you have it. WATT. The one writing tip you will hear every time from nearly every writer. Why? 

     Because it works. :)