The Most Interesting Character you will Ever Create

And it won't be featured in any of your books. Or will it?

#writingcommunity #beginningwriters

You're working hard to pick the right characters (if you visualize, actors) for your book. You want the right fit, temperment, motivation, perhaps even physical appearance. How in the world do you go about that? You don't have any experience creating such a complex creature, designed to function in a world you've constructed!

Hold on there Bessie. You've done this since you first started caring about what your friends think. (if you ever did.) What do I mean? It's you! Think about it, the world you've constructed? Your education, friends, spouse or significant other, job. Yep. That's the world you created. To function in that world, you have constructed a person, a leading character, actor if you will. You.

Alright, so most of us don't live lives where Marilyn Monroe clones regularly sit on Santa's lap and act shocked. Although...that could make an interesting secret life... No, the you you've constructed has to work well in your life, or you'd be in a constant state of conflict. And...yes, we do get that from time to time. But being overly intelligent creative types, we don't let drama rule. Right...

Fine Mike, we create ourselves yada yada cum bah ya....What does that have to do with making people out of whole cloth?

Just this, besides you, you have friends you observe, whether you do so intentionally or not. I'll bet you can see characteristics in the people you know that manifest certain ends. If you're nosy, you might even try to manipulate their behavior for their own good. Most likely they'll tell you to buzz off, and there is no fun in that.

BUT...when you create a world in a novel, you can manipulate to your heart's content. (get it?) A novel isn't just an exercise in art, but a chance to explore concepts, demonstrate how your core values play out against life challenges. A laboratory if you will, to experiment with people to show what happens when they don't listen to you. And a chance to get back at all the skunks who made your lives miserable along the way by making them rotten antagonists that are thinly veiled versions of their miserable selves.

Remember to point out the disclaimer at the front of your book.

The lesson here, you can forgive, and should, but a little artsy roasting over the coals is just the thing in case the slugs ever developed a conscience. (insert evil laugh)

Sounds like anger issues Mike, but the GIF is kinda scary, soooo, let's move on.

It's all good folks. You have the framework of the story. You know what each chapter (if not, go back to previous posts) will accomplish. So what people need to be in the scene (visual again) to get you to your station? Becoming clearer isn't it? It's that simple. Think of yourself as a conductor on a train.

I like old movies, particularly British ones, where the conductor goes along collecting tickets. If Little Billy Snodgrass isn't going to move the scene to its final stop, chuck him out the window. Metaphorically speaking. You will have to go back and pick him up later on, for the scene where he goes over Niagara Falls in a sardine can, but won't it be fun chucking the little brat twice in one book!

You are the conductor, and you are making sure each player is ticketed (by you) because they are helping the train get to its destination!

OK Mike, we see you have anger issues and were annoyed by some kid on a crowded flight, but it is beginning to make sense...

That's all there is to it. Remember, pare down, then do it again. Minimal is better. While crowd scenes work in actual movies, in books they only cloud the action. Everyone must have a vital role to play. No tertiary characters!

Remember a few weeks ago when I referenced the novella, A Christmas Carol by Chas. (love that abbreviation, like Bros. for brothers. Quirky type. But hey, I'm a novelist!) Dickens? Lots of characters in that work. And EVERY SINGLE ONE is vital, and sticks in the readers mind. If they don't have a huge bearing on the plot, they create atmosphere. And150 + years later it still works...really well.

Now last week, I said Martha Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind. What a maroon! What a chucklehead! Everyone knows its Melvina Mitchell! So now you can stop sending me nasty messages. I appreciate the feedback, but ad hominem attacks are not warranted.

And not be a smart guy, but I looked it up! There are only TWO N's in nincompoop!

Next Week: Time for something completely different.

With apologies to Monty Python, I want to talk for one post about the experiences I've had in Twitter. I had to be dragged kicking and screaming into it as a marketing tool. Much like Philosophy class in my post grad. But you know...hard as it is to believe, I may have been (gasp!) wrong. More next week!

Oh, and I just figured out what the lady in GIF number one was shocked about. She asked Santa for a date with her all time writer crush (me) and found out lady in GIF number two was pretty possessive and wanted me all for herself...

And then I woke up.

Until next week all you wonderful creative people, be well, happy, and good to one another!

The Premise Brings Readers in, but Characters make People Stay.

Or developing your story through interesting actors for fun and profit.

#writingcommunity #authors

Picture yourself (no, not Lucy in the Sky...with or without Diamonds) walking through your favorite shopping center on a pleasant day. I'm assuming outside since malls are out of style. You're going to buy, perhaps, but you're not in the market for anything specific.

Now imagine (we're all creative people here) you walk past a shop window, and you see something that catches your eye. Advertisements for products that are displayed inside at a very reasonable price. So you go in, and look at let's say...oh, a new rod and reel or perhaps a French maid's outfit. Being modeled by a very attractive young woman. That should cover the range of interests. So you've committed to having a closer look. Now suppose the rod and reel have a picture of a cartoon character and are made of plastic. Or the maid's outfit is...not what you expected.

Oh, and for the sake of illustration, I'm including a picture of said French maid's outfit. Please have little Snirdley and Sissy Boo Boo leave the room. I won't be accused of corrupting youth...

So the fishing pole is useless to anyone over 5, and though the maid's outfit is being worn by a very pretty model...

Ok, enough about the fishing pole, we get that. But am I saying that a pretty model can only be interesting in something...prettier? From the cover of most novels you'd think so. What do you think?

You get the idea. Think back to Ford releasing the Edsel in the late 50's. I know, it's a history book item for me too no matter what people say. They spent millions on advertising...a very good campaign though it was overshadowed by the result. An unattractive car (take a look at the grille and see what it reminds you of...) that looks like it was put together by committee. It flopped and almost ruined the company.

You can't bamboozle the public with flash and no substance. Unless you are pushing pop music. More on that later...

What a slick cover and premise promise (hmmm...) you better deliver. Your delivery people work in your book. IF you've picked the right ones.

The way I do that is to correlate the character to a real person I've know. Alright, most of my characters come to me in dreams, but unless you have a friendly muse, you'll need an alternate plan. For example, in my book, The Arizoniacs, I needed a reprehensible character to play Frank's wife. (cue shameless promotion)

Buy this book buy this book buy this book buy this book buy this book buy this book buy...

Now, I've been married previously, and have to watch my step so I don't repeat that episode. Soooo, what I can't do is make the character too ex-wife like. Or current wife-like. So what to do? What if you'd seen this really creepy creature crawl out of the swamp, and wanted to write about it, but were afraid to offend the creature?

*The previous comment was not meant to represent any actual person, living or otherwise*

You take the characteristics your protagonist (many times the person you'd like to be) finds reprehensible and push them into this rotten character. That way, you can use life experiences to make the character real. It doesn't always work, the near-ending turnabout in the Arizoniacs (buy this book) actually happened, but people think its a far-fetched plot twist.

Oh well, just go with it...

But hold on there, they may be evil, but protagonists have feelings too!

Well, maybe not feelings like you and I, being sensitive types. BUT...do not make them cardboard! And yes, the term cardboard character is a cliche, but still valid. You must make them real. Remember, hardly anyone, even socio or psychopaths think they're evil. As much as you develop your protagonist to resemble a real person, so you must (you must also?) develop the antagonist. Otherwise, you have a cliche.

Not only that, but if the antagonist didn't have some interesting characteristics, everyone would just ignore them. It's like someone who gaslights or a classic manipulator, they have to at least fake it well enough to reel people in.

So I have to develop each and every character? That could take years!

It might. You know how artsy types are. But it doesn't have to. Think of it this way. You take a photograph of a group of people (or a group photograph, reminds me of my writing style) and if you have a good camera, only certain people are going to be clearly defined (get it?).

Those are the people central to the group being photographed. The poo-bahs, the beautiful people, the people who bribed you, with everyone else in support. Ah.....

If you developed every character, the work would be confusing. You need a filter, and that filter....is you. The more central to the story line, the more clearly (not in motivation, that could be hazy) they must be developed. A really good hint is to have someone who was gracious enough to honestly critique your book say...'well that certainly came out of left field!'

You want surprises, turnabouts, twists, and so on, but no absolute where the hell did that come froms! And writers do that, all the time. And it antagonizes readers. As neophytes, we can't afford to do that. Now watch somebody get noticed doing that...

You know the characteristics you want to write about. You have examples from your life. Put them together, to make an interesting and real actor in your book. Which brings up another good point. I picture my books as movies. That is a great way to visualize.

Next Week: Further developing characters.

We touched on it, making the antagonist interesting. In Martha Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, Scarlett is a really, really self-centered little twit. Smart, but a twit. With sickeningly sweet simpering when she wants something. But she sells the story. How does that happen? Tune in next week for all the answers. Same bat time, same bat channel.

Oh, and I use hyperbole on this blog. I'd certainly never (buy this book, buy this book) endorse, condone, (buy this book) or stoop to anything as reprehensible as subliminal advertising. I mean that.

Until next time, be safe, well, and above all, happy! (buy this book)

Slaying the mightiest dragon of them all: Writers block...

Or how instantly change direction when something really important slaps you in the face.

#writingcommunity #author

People just don't understand. You have all these brilliant ideas bouncing around in your head, and despite your best laid plans, something hugely important blows a hole in your linear plan. Or...since we are all creative types here, it's more likely you DO understand.

When I teach a the university level (which is all I teach in. My brother the high school teacher didn't have as much flexibility) I'll have a class humming along, and out of the nowhere, someone asks a really important question. From that point on, the one student who had the chutzpah to speak up and give voice to perhaps most of the class who didn't understand something (or understood it differently) changed the lesson plan.

And that is a great thing!

What the devil are you talking about Mike? Just this. Like in a class, a couple of brilliant writers have messaged me with things I hadn't considered. They haven't joined a discussion here, yet, and that harks back to my younger days when I was invited to lots of parties, but no one ever came to mine... :o(>

Yes, to the point. I had a writer suggest a newsletter. Now being new to the marketing angle of writing, a neophyte, and someone who doesn't know what hell he's doing, I'm going to work on that. And, try to understand how it works. More later...

Suffice to say, putting your characters to work: a how to, is postponed until next week. Bear with me.

As another brilliant young writer told me, the most daunting thing she runs into...lots...is writers block. Being blessed with a wandering mind, that almost never happens to me. So I HAD assumed it was just an old cliche that people use to explain away a lack of discipline.

As I have said many times in my time running circles around the sun, I was wrong.

A student in the class just showed me the error of my ways, so I'm stopping to address that which is the hardest for all of us; explaining and fixing something we don't understand. For help, I did what all great scholars do...

I googled the problem. I was fascinated by some of the solutions.

On the Grammarly blog (please please please get Grammarly Pro! I'm not a paid endorser, but a true believer!) The first I saw out of the typical drink coffee, go for a walk, throw yourself down the stairs (kidding...please don't do that) advice was.... Do something you haven't done since you were a kid. Genius.

Think about it, you already know you're creative and don't think like other people. You have know-it-alls like me telling you to formalize the process and structure your writing. That, is an adult, non-spontaneous, rigid process. Works for me, but what if for many it actually stifles creativity?

In my book, Sagittarian Blue, two of the main characters have rediscovered the simple joy of stargazing and imagining patterns in what they see in the night sky. Kaito says to Lark..."gazing at the stars always gave me such a sense of wonder. Then, somebody thought we should learn about them in school, and it took all the magic out of it."

I wrote that, and didn't get it. Lark and Kaito had to open their minds if they were going to have the ability to accept a world altering truth. Star gazing was set up by the protagonist as the final step in their journey. You, me, all of us started writing because of the wonder of it all. The magic. Structure and planning doesn't lead to magic and wonder. We need to open our minds too.

But we need structure, unless you are a great free range writer with no intrinsic mental barriers. So maybe...there needs to be a disconnect between your formal, and creative approach to writing.

Now what are you babbling on about Mike??

Just this. What if writing the first draft is a two stage process? What if...you attack the structure formally first. All that involves is what you've already conceived. You have the idea, which is certainly going to grow and evolve as you write, and that is all that is needed for your outline.

THEN take a break, force yourself! Gather your thoughts. Let it roll around in your mind. Make it a set time, or not, and during that period you will not violate the sanctity of goofing off and not writing. Don't plan, but let the notions come and go as they will. Keep that pad handy, ready to record brilliance, but DO NOT make it formal.

I suggest mindlessly having a party with friends or family. Going on a bender. Like my wife, buy a stack of coloring books. Take a walk in a forest. Whatever still puts you in awe, connect with it. Get in touch with your inner child who was so full of wonder...

And will be again, every time you create.

Maybe writers block is nothing more than our inner kid-self rebelling against the adult we had to become to make a living. The paradox of freely letting our minds go to enable creativity, when we were told for years to put away such foolish things. Take the time to get the adult out of your system, and go play a metaphorical game of hopscotch. When you're ready, you'll know.

Writing is foolish. A waste of time when you could be doing the dishes or mowing the lawn. But I love it. I bet you do too.

Next Week: Putting your characters to work. I promise.

Unless a mind bunny comes along and I chase it down some unforeseen passage into a new world. Well, it worked for Lewis Carrol...

Take care every one. Be well and happy.