Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Posts Tagged ‘WIP Tip’
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”?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
8/13 WIP Tip: Setting as Character
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!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
8/12 WIP Tip: Free Day!
Imagine a gas leak at your character’s place of business closes work for an entire day. Or a day-long meeting has been cancelled and your character has a day to spend doing nothing.
Whatever the reason and circumstance, your character has 24 hours all to herself. No assignments pending, no boss to please. What does she do with that time? Where does she go (if anywhere?) What activities does she engage in, what does she eat, how does she dress?
Most importantly–why? I think this could work into many story lines and give us some valuable insight into the mind and life of your character. See what you come up with!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
8/11 WIP Tip: Childhood Want
Think back to your childhood. What’s the one thing you wanted most but your parents wouldn’t let you have?
In my case, my first thought was a pony, but really…I only wanted that because my friend Cathy had one. No, what I really wanted was Michael Jackson’s Thriller cassette (stop laughing!). Desperately. The main reason I didn’t get one is because I had to use my allowance/babysitting money/lawnmowing money on jelly shoes and bracelets to match, but I also have a feeling mom wanted me to listen to her Kenny Rogers and Captain and Tennille cassettes forever.
I eventually made my own Thriller cassette by taping from the radio and borrowing friends’ cassettes to fill in the blanks. I survived, but I still get a little angry when I hear “The Gambler”.
What childhood “want” (materialistic) did your character desire but was never given? Has it affected her? How? Might only be a humorous recollection or something that drives her daily. Why did she want it so much–what did it symbolize to her at that time?
Monday, August 10, 2009
8/10 WIP Tip: Work.
Ahhh…summer. Its warm mornings and decadent garden vegetables are slipping through my fingers as we speak. I lament the loss of summer every year because longer nights mean less sunlight and September forces me from writing back into the classroom.
After a vacation from work, one of at least a week or more, how does your character feel about going back? Must she force herself back into the routine or is she back at her desk an hour before anyone arrives? What does she miss most about her vacation time and what does she relish most during her working hours?
Your character’s job may never show up in your work but knowing where she stands in terms of career can help you craft parallel activities showing her in happiness or in conflict.
Now to head to our teacher’s staff retreat…sigh!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
8/9 WIP Tip: Religion
This is a huge topic in developing character (religion plays a large role in how we perceive our universe and our actions in it), so this WIP Tip may only scratch the surface.
We’ve all used those character lists/questionnaires at some point, even if we haven’t written down responses, to get deeper into our characters. There’s always a question of what religion your character espouses, but get inside and figure out how their religion (or lack of) has shaped their life to this point.
Maybe your character was a heathen as a kid and grew to respect order. Maybe he was forced to endure religious order and now wants to rebel. These are muy simplistico, but you get the idea. Don’t throw this idea away if religion is never a part of your stories–you should at least know how your character interprets the world around them in a spiritual sense.
Get to it! Write!
Friday, August 7, 2009
8/7 WIP Tip: Festering Words
In each of our lives, someone has said something negative along the way to us–a backhanded comment, a flippant observation, a downright rude statement about us–that has stuck with us.
The same has happened with your character, you just may not know it yet. Maybe it was about their job, their looks, their family, a hobby or talent…whatever it was, it’s still deep in your character and festering.
Your job is to discover the comment, the person who made it, and how that comment affects your character on a daily basis. You know the drill–this might even work as a plot point to show back story in an interesting, non-narrative way.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
8/6 WIP Tip:Fair Food
I’m off for the day to the state fair, where I try to convince myself all the walking will burn off all the calories of the junky stuff I want to eat. (Hello, deep fried!)
If your character visited a fair (or carnival, festival or large, festive gathering of any type), what would they eat?
More importantly, why? Comfort, familiarity, trying something new, peer pressure, curiousity…try adding another layer of character flavor to your story by knowing why your character’s favorite junk foods are their favorite.
I’m a total deep-fried girl…I don’t even want to know what that says about me!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
8/5 WIP Tip: Anger
Simmering in every person is at least one hot-button issue that will make even the most mild-mannered, quiet people gnash their teeth and spew bad words.
Which issue is this for your character? There are simple ones (crimes against kids, animals, the elderly…government and taxes…mean people) and complex ones. Go deep here and find out what issue would set your otherwise likeable character into a frenzy of rants–then discover why. For a bonus point, see if you can work it into your story.*
*no actual points will be given away LOL
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
7/28 WIP Tip: Passion…but why?
Dan Reeves, former NFL coach, was on ESPN touting his new book and talking about his various teams’ appearances in the Super Bowl. One of his players made the comment to him that it was often more fun getting to the Super Bowl than it was to be there.
Passion drives us in some aspect of our life, to do something we love even without the promise that we’ll make money or be famous for it. Making pies, fixing car engines, finishing every last crossword puzzle clue. What is the passion that drives your character–on that she could do all day, every day, miss meals and never make money from that fills her emotionally? Why does she have this passion, what does it reveal about her, and is there a way to work it into your story as a plot event?
It's pretty simple, really. I'm a writer who loves writing about writing, and sharing all the tricks of the trade with other writers. And when I'm not writing, I'm thinking about writing. I have a hunch you know what I mean :)