Writing Tips: Crafting Characters

Theresa, from my novel, The Wolf's Torment

Characters are the heart and soul of your story, but what makes them cross the line from two-dimensional to three-dimensional? What makes them compelling?

Author David Corbett offers four elements that you can add to your characterization and I think they're spot on.

To cross the line, keep your character's internal compass consistent, yet ensure they can still surprise you.

First, a character has to have a driving need, desire, or goal. What makes a character interesting is what that character wants, and the stronger the desire, the more compelling the drama. Desire helps to create conflict, and how your character manages conflict makes the story interesting.

Second, secrets make interesting characters. If there's a trait or an incident the character wants hidden, but is revealed, it might make that character lose standing with family and friends. What makes secrets delicious is that they tell readers what characters have to lose and why.

Third, contradictions bring to light what readers can't predict and thus shows surprise. For example: a character can be desperate, yet proud, and decide to take a job that might not be up their alley, just so they can earn a living.

 

Mihai, from my novel, The Wolf's Torment

Lastly, nothing draws a reader to a character than vulnerability. When people need help or are wounded, we're drawn to help or feel sympathetic to that character. Secrets play into this trait. If the character is afraid of the secret getting out, it gives the character a vulnerability they might not have had.

What can you do to help deepen characterization? Flesh your characters out. Cast the character. Write character bios. What do they like? Dislike? Write a flash fiction or short story to get to know them. Draw on real life inspiration such as friends, family members, and co-workers. You can also make a list of your emotional triggers. For example: What's your greatest fear? When did you show true courage? By drawing on your triggers, you can bring added dimension to your character's desires, wants, needs, secrets, contradictions, and vulnerabilities.

I'd love to hear how you "craft" your characters. Share your tips, comments & feedback. 

Reference: "Hooked on a Feeling," by David Corbett, page 32-36, Writer's Digest, Jan 2011.

Writing Tips - Types of Romantic Men

I thought I'd talk a little about the types of romantic men we come across. 

The Alpha Male

Superior. Powerful. Assertive. Masterful. Those are just a few words that describe the alpha male. I remember reading Rebecca Brandewyne's "Upon a Moon Dark Moor." Draco was the quintessential alpha hero.  He was silent about his feelings, yet steadfast in his desires. Draco possessed a ruthless nature, but he was passionately in love with the heroine, Maggie. An alpha hero is one who owns the company and runs it himself. Like James Bond, he's dangerous to the bone. An alpha male is very determined and won't hesitate to charm the heroine into changing her mind if their wishes aren't the same.

An alpha hero thrives on confrontation. He's serious, rarely laughs, and captures a larger than life presence. His peers believe he's the toughest guy around and the alpha male thrives on the recognition.

The Beta Guy

He's the good-looking affable, family type guy. He's got a lot of friends/unlike the alpha and omega men. A beta guy doesn't care for a confrontation, but he won't back down from one either.

Beta guys have a great sense of humor and are down-to-earth. Beta guys own companies too, but they put the capable guys in charge so they can enjoy their leisure time.

The Omega Man

The omega man is the toughest guy on the block, like the alpha male, but unlike the alpha male, he cares little for the recognition. He's confident in the fact he's tough, smart, and strong.

The omega man isn't a "joiner." He has no desire to join or belong to a group, and he usually has one or two intimate friends. The omega man doesn't care to have acquaintances, but the alpha male thrives on them. For the omega man, he's much more subtle than the alpha. The alpha male is "in-your-face," where the omega man isn't.

Motivations

Each hero type must have a motivation. If he wants to prevent the heroine from doing something (conflict) he better have a good reason or he'll come across as a control freak or a stalker. All hero types need to have enough character introspection to help the reader understand why they do what they do.

Question for you: What type of "romantic" man do you prefer? Does it matter? Do you have anything to add, questions, comments, concerns? Feel free to share. 

Reference: On Writing Romance, by Leigh Michaels, F&W Publications, 2007

Writing Tuesday - Tips on Creating Characters

You've got a great idea for a story and a plot that won't leave you alone. You dream about it at night. It haunts you during the day. Now all you need are some characters for your plot.

Before you can write, you need to flesh out your characters a little bit and get to know them.

Inspiration for your characters generally have four sources:
Yourself
Real people you know
Real people you hear about
Pure imagination

There are strengths and weaknesses to each category so consider it all before you start to flesh out your characters

Yourself
You, the author, were there emotionally, so you can draw on your own experiences and feelings. The drawback is you might be too close and lose your objectivity. The inside knowledge you bring is great, but be mindful to keep your objectivity.

Real People You Know
Say your best friend loves to tell jokes and that's a trait you want to bring to your character. You can blend traits with others (such as a fear of being alone) for depth to craft the character you want for your plot. The drawback is this might limit your imagination so that's something to be mindful for.

Real People you Hear about
Oh, those Kardashians! We know them from what we read about them, but we don't really know them. Look at Kim. I don't think we'll really know if the marriage was real for her or not. When you base a character on a real person you've heard about, it can work well because you're not held to any facts. You can get very creative with your character choices.

Pure imagination
You are only limited by your imagination. From the spark of an idea, you can build the character you need for your story. It takes creativity and time though to really flesh out this type of character, which might take time away from other aspects of your writing.

Characters in a story are either "changers" or "stayers." The main character is usually a changer – a character who grows or learns something due to the events of the story. A "stayer" is a character who can't/or doesn't change. (emotionally, they don't grow.)

Change for the main character is what a story/plot is all about. Readers love a good emotional arc and to be convincing, the author must make the reader believe the character can change.

As part of my "preliminary work," I like to put together character mini bios. This helps me to flesh out the basics: their names, backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes. I also like to "cast" them so as to get a feel for them visually. If I have time, I like to write a short story or a vignette to see how they'll react to certain events. This way when I'm ready to write my story, my characters are ready for the ride.

Feedback: Do you have any tips you can share?

Reference: "Characters, Emotions, and Viewpoint," by Nancy Kress, Writer's Digest Books, 2005, 231 pages.