Writer-In-Progress

I’ll never forget one of the first romance fiction pieces I wrote. For some unknown reason, my character liked to clean her house while she did her thinking. I personally liked her character, loved the hero.

I finished the story and, as luck would have it, was enrolled in a fiction writing class my freshman year of college at Mt. Union. I polished and turned in the first chapter as an assignment. Aside from the class hating romance fiction (aside from that, they were an awesome group), I’ll never forget the comments my prof made when he gave it back to me.

“Nice detail. Good motivation. Made me feel like a slob. Went home and cleaned my bathroom.”

At that point, any feedback was good. After reflecting, I stopped by his office and he explained that my character’s cleaning efforts were stronger and more vivid than the story itself. Maybe it was subconscious–my own cleaning habits at home weren’t as thorough as my character.

Which brings me (in a long, sordid, roundabout way) to today’s character question: how does your character clean–and why? What is clean to her? Can she tolerate piles of clothes, dust, dirt? Do fingerprints send her over the edge?

More importantly–of course!–is why. What in her past brought her to this point? If she’s interacting with anyone in another personal space (office, house, etc) in your story, is there a way we can get a sense of her character through the way she views “messes”?

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• Filed in Writer's Life

If you’re not using your story setting(s) as character, you’re missing a crucial element to bring readers into your world.

Here’s what to do: Pick one setting of your story–one setting of one scene. When I’ve done this, I’ve always started with a smaller setting, not the larger one that envelops most of your story world. For example, I did this once with a coffee shop where my heroine and her best friend met for breakfast during the Christmas season.

Now, some questions:
What is the general feel of this setting? (most people think “cozy” for a coffee shop, but that day, it was frantic for my heroine, who was on the verge of making a huge decision about the hero). It can mirror the current emotion of your heroine or oppose it for even more drama.

What is the physical layout of the setting? Draw a diagram/map (trust me)

What objects in the setting have potential meaning or an emotional link? Why? (may not always apply, but finding something with emotional resonance in a scene can cement the reader and make the setting come to life)

If this is new to your heroine, what elements of the new setting can tie to a setting she’s already familiar with?

If this is not a new setting to your heroine, what is something new she notices this time? Why does she notice it?

What types of smells are there and what do those smells trigger for your heroine?

Are there any elements in this setting that can be personified? (not so much in the coffee shop but in natural settings or more intimate settings, this works well).

Last, is this the best setting for this scene? Is there another setting in your story world that might help the events of this scene come to life more for your heroine? What does this setting offer that no other setting can? Just like our characters have personality, our settings do as well. Match the setting to the need of the scene for maximum impact!

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• Filed in WIP Tip

If you’re a fiction writer, go somewhere you’ve never been but that your hero or heroine has been or would find interesting. Sci Fi & historical folks might find this daunting but perhaps there’s a restaurant or event in your town this summer your character would find fascinating. Go for the experience, then use some of your details to infuse your writing.

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• Filed in Fiction Advice, WIP Tip

Interesting fictional characters are made of real people quirks. Today, observe someone and try to figure out what makes them tick.

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• Filed in Fiction Advice, WIP Tip