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"Writing, like life itself,
is a voyage of discovery.
The adventure is a metaphysical one;
it is a way of approaching life indirectly,
of acquiring a total
rather than a partial view of the universe.
The writer lives
between the upper and lower worlds:
he takes the path
in order eventually to become that path himself."
Henry Miller
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The People in My Story
I love writing. I especially love writing in the month of November. Eleven months out of the year, I'm a non-fiction writer. But, for 30 days in the 11th month, I abandon my article writing for the creative free-ness of fiction. Ah, fiction --where I kick off my shoes, roll up my sleeves and jump right in...where I get to create, design and otherwise make up my stories. During Novemember, when many folks across the country are eating turkey and entertaining relatives, I'm hiding in my office pounding the keyboard doing NaNoWriMo, a fast-paced writing project where individuals sign up to write a novel in one month. (For those unfamiliar, visit NaNoWriMO.org for more details).
With the 1st of November two weeks away, I'm itching to start my word count. At present, I'm developing my characters. My plot and story arc barely conceived, yet I’m busy working on my “people”. As Action/Adventure writers, you, too need “people” for your stories. If you're ever stumped at the whole character development process, why not try some the following:
Having a loose plot idea helps point your creative writing brain in the right direction when looking for characters, it does not however, limit your possibilities. So go ahead and develop your characters first(or second) thing. This seems backwards? I know, but it works for me. I have to live with these "people" for a month of NaNo, then months, or even years during countless revisions. I want to like these, hate these people, believe these people, and identify with these people. These people, will make my story.
When it comes to developing characters, I develop in stages.
First, I make grids. I love taping huge pieces of butcher paper on my office walls. I label the top row with information headers like; occupation, age, education, disposition, goals, hobbies, strengths, weaknesses, moral make-up, etc.. I make sure to leave one column for notes --any additional tidbits of information that may pop into my head. The left column is for my character's names. If you're like me, details can change, so pencil everything in.
Second, I purchase index cards. I label the top right corner with each character's name then jot down all the information that was on my wall grid. Main characters can have as many as five or six index cards. Characters are clipped together and then the entire stack bound with a rubber band. Not only is the stack portable(I take it every where I go --ya never know when and where inspiration will strike), my notes are organized. Plus, I now have a reference point if I'm struggling with details like what hobbies Andrew likes, or how long was John married?
I use the back of each index card for additional notes and updates during my actual writing.
Third, I interview them. Sit 'em down, ask 'em questions…see how I like 'em. At this point, I’m open to change. Maybe Elizabeth started out as a teenager with a lisp and an intelligent brain with aspirations of web design, but as I "interview", take notes and think about my storyline, I decide she needs to be a little more energetic, strong and powerful, as well as older. I'm not above incorporating athleticism into her personality. Making her a college student instead of a high school one is easy. During stage three, I'm willing to abandon everything and start over at stage one.
Things to keep in mind when developing characters:
 Believability - Readers want characters they identify with. They want to cheer the protagonist, loathe the antagonist, they want characters that move, speak and accomplish. As writers, it's our job to give this to them. While being a blind artist(http://www.lisafittipaldi.com/) may be a true fact, it can be difficult for your readers to "buy into" this scenario. If you're stringing together odd quirks, physical handicaps, mental challenges, make sure to create an environment in your setting and such. Doing so alleviates the "Huh?" from the reader.
Flaws - Everyone’s got 'em. And so should your characters. As tempting as it may be to write the perfect hero; blue eyes, brown hair, white teeth, it also detracts for the believability factor mentioned above. Common flaws? Jealousy, rage, and an over consumption of Zaxby's delicious French fries. Gosh, I wish I had some now.
Problems - Like flaws, everyone has ‘em, this includes your characters. Think about it, when was the last time you arose,( before the alarm rang), hopped out of bed, hit the shower, ate breakfast without spilling coffee or jelly on your shirt, arrived at work(on time), waltzed into the boss's office, asked for a promotion and a raise, and got it?
Odds are, you did spill coffee on your shirt before the big meeting with your boss. Or, your projector malfunctioned in front of huge clients with large bank accounts.
Problems create suspense; engage the reader and spice up your fiction.
Important decisions – Any decisions can be written as important. Your main character leaves the house without his watch --the one that doubles as a compass. He's late already, does he proceed without it? Or run back into the house to get it. Both scenarios create lots of room for different types of upcoming action.
Readers are curious about how your characters will handle decisions made, and how they will affect the overall outcome of his/her quest/journey.
Putting it all together:
In the end, make sure your character isn't an exact replica of someone you actually know, but rather a mysterious blend of a co-worker and your sister-in-law; your boss and your mother-in-law with a little bit of the president mixed in…Sometimes, as stated above, the exact truth injected into a fiction piece is difficult for the reader to buy. Smooth out the edges, or sharpen the peaks for a three-dimensional character.
When all is said and done, you are the author, go with your gut, invite your people in, sit them down, interview them…if they answer the questions correctly, write them into your story, your readers will be glad you did.
Until next time,
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Action/Adventure: October 15, 2008 Issue [#2664]
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