Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Why You Should Know Your Characters Inside and Out

I'm writing this post to all you  fiction writers out there who are well aware that creating characters and making them come alive on paper (or the computer screen) is not as easy as it would seem. I decided to list some do's and don'ts I've been learning and some of my thoughts on character development.
First of all...as you may have already learned...creating a character is not just picking out a name and outward appearance (although both are obviously essential). Your character just like real people must have a personality. They must have likes, dislikes, fears, weaknesses, strengths.  In order for your readers to feel drawn to your story, they must be drawn to your characters. 

And that doesn't sound too hard, right? Well...it's not really. So, let's say you choose your main character and name her Emily. You make her tall with honey blonde hair and deep blue eyes. You decide you want her to be a girl who is extremely shy and quiet and likes to read alone in her room. So you start writing your story. But soon, in chapter three, Emily who was supposed to be shy and introverted is losing her temper at some social gathering by shouting at a guy who offended her by calling her a boring bookworm.

But that doesn't exactly fit the person you first portrayed her as in the beginning and will confuse your audience. Sadly...it's a mistake easily done, and I have most definitely learned that the hard way! Maybe having Emily get angry at this guy would add some action and conflict in the book, BUT, by having her lose her temper out loud in front of a crowd is probably not what someone extremely timid would do.

So...unless you want your character, whether it's your protagonist, antagonist, or even secondary character to have a split personality (I've accidentally done this and it isn't pretty!), you must know your characters inside and out! Just as it is vitally important to outline your story before you write it, it's just as important to know who your characters are, what they will be like, and how they will grow. And once you know their personality, you must stick to it. If Emily is shy, maybe eventually she'll come out of her shell, but by having her have an outburst in chapter three, is going to be out of character.

How do you get to know your characters? Last year I read one of William Bernhardt's Red Sneaker book's on writing, called Story Structure, The Key to Successful Fiction. In this book he stresses the essential of knowing your characters as well as yourself. And some of his ways of doing this, I found very creative and helpful! I thought I'd go ahead and share some with you.

Character Bio: Write an 'About Me' page for your character. Write as many details about your character as you can think of. Where they were born, what their favorite sports are, their passions and dreams, weaknesses and strengths. Favorite food, favorite color, allergies, family, pets, etc. 

A job application: Fill out a job application with questions that every job application asks. Answer
every question from your character's point of view. Why are they applying for this job? What do they have to offer? What is their experience and education?

A Facebook page: We all know how much one can find out about a person on Facebook! Create an account for you character and fill in all their info. Creating a Pinterest account or board for your character would be a great way to make them more real as well! This is a wonderful way of not only deciding but discovering your character for yourself, so you know them inside and out.

Now, I'm not saying, make a job application and Facebook account for every single character in your book. That would take forever. The most important thing is once you have shown your character a certain way in your book, stay true to their character. 

I know there are more professional details and circumstances about character development, but I'd thought I would just share what I've been learning and what's helped me in this area.

If you have advice and ideas about developing and getting to know your fiction characters, please share in the comments! I'd love to hear! 

One last little piece of advice. While creating characters, have fun! Don't think of it as another stressful priority. This is one of the most creative parts of writing a book. Use your imagination and enjoy this process! 

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

2015

It is 2015 and I have made a decision to commit to blogging this year! That's right, no matter how busy I am, or when I'd rather be cuddling up next to the fire devouring a good book, I WILL BLOG! The determination has set in, and there is no stopping me! (Yes, I know I've said that before.)
  But this year, I really want to use blogging to exercise my writing skills in a fun and relaxing way. I am looking forward to being back on here, sharing my thoughts, ideas, and anything I feel like God is pressing on my heart to write to my readers.

For this post, I'd like to share some highlights of my 2014 year, and what I'm looking forward to in 2015.

Writing

I feel like last year was when I truly became serious about my writing. Jotting stories for fun turned into writing a publishable novel. My hobby turned into a passion that God is using to help me grow and serve Him. Having my book read by a professional editor was a very good decision and helped me see what I need to work on to make my novel the best it can possibly be.

(At Goodrich Memorial Library in Newport. This plays a significant role in my book.)

One of the biggest highlight's of last year, was being able to go to Newport,Vermont, where my book takes place and finally seeing it for myself. I always knew it would be a wise idea to actually go to the location I'm writing about. (You know how they ALWAYS say, "Write what you know!"). And it finally worked for me to go, thanks to my amazingly supportive parents! It was a special experience, and the setting is suddenly a whole lot easier to describe. (:

(Hanging out at the boardwalk at Lake Memphremegog. Another significant part of the story.)

This year, as I work on my rewrite, I am hoping my skills will continue to grow, and my book will finally be ready for the publishers!

Running

I also ran my fourth marathon last year with my dad in Little Rock Arkansas. It was VERY unusually cold and rainy and just plain YUCKY. But, it was an experience I will never forget, and we got our super ginormous medals. So it was worth it.

(The only picture of me with my medal is in my pjs after my teeth stopped chattering.)

Running is special to me. It's a time I get to spend with just my dad. Marathon training is much easier when he is at my side. Whether we're discussing our day, aspirations, 80's movies, or not even talking at all, having him as a running partner definitely makes the hard long miles worth it! This year, I'd like to run one or maybe two marathons. The one we have our eye on right now is the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth Minnesota.

Career

Since I discovered my huge passion for writing, I've decided it would be nice to one day be a full time writer. So when I received an email through Writer's Digest with the heading, "How to Make a Living as a Writer." I became, quite curious. The email led me to AWAI (American Writers and Artists Inc.), and that's where I read about copywriting and decided it would definitely be something I'd be interested in. I won't make this paragraph longer than it should be by explaining all the elements of copywriting, but what I will explain, is that copywriting is persuasive writing and marketing, and something that has been a part of my life for about three months now!

I just finished training in AWAI's Accelerated Copywriting Program, and am excited to start launching my business as I go into the Christian Industry and specialize in webwriting. (Okay now I am sounding all businessy!)

Fun

I am glad to say, I still have time for fun! A big part of fun for me is reading. Yes, I am a major book worm and proud of it. Last year, my friend Michaela and I read a lot of the same books and spent many text messages either discussing them or how wonderful the fiction heroes were. I reached my goal I set on Goodreads to read 40 books. I know that sounds like a lot but I've seen people who have read at least a hundred a year! 

This year, I'm raising my goal just up to fifty, so we'll see what happens. What I love about reading is that there are so many genres and categories. I love the classics of course. Jane Eyre has been my favorite book since I was fourteen. But lately I've gotten into fantasy and Christian fiction. This year, I think I'll even go a little out of my comfort zone and read some sci-fi. (I've heard Marissa Meyer is really good.) What I'm really, really excited about is I've started a book club with a few friends of mine. Yes, I do believe it's going to be a good year!

So now that I feel like I just wrote a Christmas letter, I will close this post by saying that 2014 was great. It was challenging in a good way, and God made His goodness and mercy known to me over and over. I'm so thankful for the people He's placed in my life, and the desires He's placed in my heart. Probably the most important thing I learned this year, was that no matter what I'm doing and in what situation, to do my very best and all for His glory.

I would love to hear what some of your own highlights of 2014 and goals for 2015! Please share in the comments! 



God Bless!

~Allissa~