Building Character

Anatomy Of A Novel

According to Syd Field "the story has to move forward, from beginning to end, whether in a linear or a nonlinear fashion. The way you drive your story forward is by focusing on the actions   of the  character.  ... every scene in a screenplay should fulfill one of two functions:  Either it moves the story forward, or it reveals information about the character."   From The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field

The story I am writing first appeared to me as a series of plot points complete with a handful of what ifs. That was the easy part. Populating the story with real characters was a little harder, but not impossible. I quickly recognized the antagonist and the protagonist and a bunch of supporting characters.

The main character arrived with two young sons and a whole lot of baggage. She's determined, overwhelmed, and single. She's also attractive, nice, energetic and a lot more unsure of herself than she was willing to admit. She has a ex-husband and an ex-boyfriend and isn't sure what had happened in either relationship. She sorta  knows what a relationship should look like.

I treated her as the main character. After all she was the one who caused things to happen in the story. I made a list of plot points, gathered my characters together and started writing. By page 52 I was less sure of myself.

Instinctively I knew that there was a problem with this story. Was it the order of events? The chapters did seem to be choppy and sloppy. I kept moving the index card into different patterns. It just didn't seem to matter. Did I have too many scenes? too many characters? Maybe.

I was so sure I knew what the story was about; the dramatic premise. I took another look at the characters. All of the characters ... and slowly realized that I had failed to recognize the main character. It wasn't her  at all, it  him  and his name was Dominic.  His problems are bigger .... deeper and more difficult to fix.  Dominic needs something (or someone) to resurrect him. 

He needs her. And she is the last thing he wants.  She is so obviously wrong that he is unable and unwilling to look beyond the complications. And suddenly this new information provided a different opening.  And a new direction. A new twist on complications.

Pema Chodron Heart Advice

Writing a novel requires action, commitment, creativity, a plotline, and characters ... yesterday was suppose to be a writing day ... it wasn't, because I was stuck. So, what's the problem?  The main character is incomplete. Defining him has been an ongoing problem.  I know him, know where he's been, what he needs (which is different than what he wants), understand his fears and insecurities.

He's been successful in the past,  thought he was happy and believed that there was enough time to fix things in his marriage. He was wrong. I know that the past will bring forth the best in Dominic. I want the reader to recognize this truth. 

In The Art of Fiction, Henry James says that the incidents you create for your characters are the best ways to illuminate who they are -- that is, reveal their true nature, their essential character. How they respond to this particular incident or event, how they act, and react, what they say and do is what really defines the essence of their character.

Dominic's life is about to change. A lot. My job is to make him believable, likable, worth investing in. I have to chose my words well. Yesterday I didn't write because I was stuck. I have a lot of bad writing habits.  Yesterday I stared at the sky waiting for the answer to reveal itself. I should have been actively writing. Today this appeared in my email:

Getting Unstuck

"We can contact our inner strength, our natural openness, for short periods before getting swept away. And this is excellent, heroic, a huge step in interrupting and weakening our ancient habits. If we keep a sense of humor and stay with it for the long haul, the ability to be present just naturally evolves. Gradually we lose our appetite for biting the hook. We look* our appetite for aggression. "  Pema Chodron

* I think this should read lose.

I spent most of the Sunday afternoon hanging out on the Internet doing research for my next writing project. The novel that I am currently writing is set in a real place, Baltimore’s Little Italy neighborhood.

Although I’ve not lived there, it is a place I’m immensely fond of and somewhat familiar with. Growing up in Hampden, another prominent Baltimore neighborhood, I experienced the same type of homegrown loyalty and love for place. Baltimore is known for its neighborhoods and these are two of my favorites (Fells Point is another).

Over the years I’ve shared meals in most of the restaurants in Little Italy, gone to Mass at St Leo’s Catholic Church, attended the St Anthony Festival in the Spring and St Gabriel Festival in the Fall (consuming even more food), shopped at the stores and shops, including Vaccaro’s Italian Pastry Shop, strolled High and Stiles Streets hanging out and talking with the residents of this historically rich, charming and very proud ethnic community.

My story could only happen here. These characters live here, work here, they are who they are because of the culture of the community and their heritage. But like the rest of us they have to deal with what’s really going on in their lives and what, if anything, they will do about it.

The setting is as much of a character as the lead protagonists and if I do my job well, each will be clearly and memorably defined. It is important that I choose concrete details and set the stage properly if I am to succeed. But the job of a writer is bigger, we have to find meaning and share a bigger truth among the familiar sights and sounds and scents of the places and stories we define. This community has been around since the late 1800s and has undergone a few changes in its lifetime, yet always remaining true to it authentic self. The theme of my novel is all about personal transformation, openness to change and second chances while remaining true to one’s self.

And so on a warm Sunday afternoon I looked at pictures, prints and photographs that spoke to me, capturing them on my own online storyboard here at “Dialogue.” And thinking about setting as theme and character as I hang out with All Our Tomorrows my w.i.p.

Story Engineering Is A Must!

Author Larry Brook asks the question "does the world need another book about writing?" After reading this one my answer is definitely ... yes!

-Story Engineering "shows the storyteller what to write, where to put it, and why it works there without any of it being remotely formulaic." And any writer (beginner or seasoned) should know and practice the adage - show, do not tell.

-Using 6 core competencies (think concept, character, theme, structure, scene execution, writing voice) Mr Brooks takes the would-be novelist by the hand and guides them through the entire process ... "Step by excruciating step." Using well-known novels, popular TV shows and movies as examples the writer is taught what works and what doesn't. Working as a community writing instructor for fifteen years I know what writers need to write their first or next novel and this book delivers.

-"Nobody on the planet teaches story structure better than Larry Brooks. Nobody," says Randy Ingermanson, and he should know he wrote the book Writing Fiction For Dummies and is the creator of the snowflake method.

-The chapter on wrapping your head around theme is a must read (I judge all writing how-to books on whether they have an index - a necessity in my opinion and how the author handles the subject of theme.)

- Story Engineering will help the future novelist reach their goal and help save time doing it.

-This one goes on the keeper shelf.
--

Forbes Article - Author Janet Evanovich

It's a Plum deal for Janet Evanovich.

http://blogs.forbes.com/bizblog/2010/07/15/is-janet-evanovich-worth-50-million/?rss_people

The Help - New York Times Article

Since it came out in February 2009, "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett has been embraced by book clubs and bloggers who can't stop recommending it to their friends.  Below is the link for November 2009 New York Times article written by Motoko Rich ....


A Southern Mirrored Window

“The Help,” a novel about the relationships between African-American maids and their white employers in 1960s Mississippi, has the classic elements of a crowd pleaser: it features several feisty women enmeshed in a page-turning plot, clear villains and a bit of a history lesson.
The book, a debut novel by Kathryn Stockett, also comes with a back story that is a publishing dream come true: at first rejected by nearly 50 agents, the manuscript was scooped up by an imprint of Penguin and pushed aggressively to booksellers, who fell in love with it...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/books/03help.html


Note: I purchased my copy of "The Help" last week and glanced at the numbered print run (my copy is part of the 44th print run). Curious, I did a quick Internet search ... this book is a first novel that was rejected over and over. Lesson for aspiring writers, write a good book and keep it out there. Dreams do come true.

While I haven't finished the book I am hooked. Have you read this one?

Reflections on Editing

Read "Editing Is Essential" here:

http://patriciapunt-writing-coach.blogspot.com/

All Over But The Selling

Publishers and literary agents are becoming increasingly selective about the books they are willing to look at. As fewer books are purchased it is even more important to submit your best work. Yet revising, editing and polishing can be daunting. There is so much to look at.

For hints, tips, techniques and services available please stop by:

Reflections on Editing is my new blog

http://patriciapunt-writing-coach.blogspot.com/

Meet Lesa

A Reader’s Viewpoint

I am a librarian and a book reviewer, but, most of all, a reader. Since I wear all of those hats, I have a world of options open to me when I’m looking for something to read. Do you want to know how to capture my attention?

Give me a good character. Introduce me to a character that is lively and interesting, someone who I’ll want to follow for two or three hundred pages. I don’t care if the book is a mystery or romance, historical fiction or women’s fiction. If I don’t like the lead character, I won’t read the book. I’ve been known to stop reading after 100 pages if I realize I don’t care what happens to any of the characters. And, if I’m reviewing the book, it won’t receive a good review without a strong central character.

And, capture my attention in the first thirty pages. Those of us who are avid readers often share a fifty page test. If you don’t hook me in the first fifty pages, I won’t read any further. And, I’m going to let you in on a publishing secret. I screen mystery manuscripts for a well-known independent publisher. I receive a synopsis and the first thirty pages. If those thirty pages do not present me with a quality story with an exciting opening and an interesting character, my instructions are to reject the manuscript. So, you have thirty pages to entice me, and no more than fifty pages for many readers.

This is just one reader’s slant on what to do to catch my attention. I share my opinions regularly on my blog, www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com if you’d like to see other comments from a reader.

Good luck with your writing. Just give us good characters, please, and hook us early.


Lesa is more than just a reader. Her website is one of my favorite blogs and I visit it a couple of times a week. She is a contributing Book Reviewer for Library Journal. Her Book Critiques is syndicated through Bloghurst, and her reviewers have been picked up by Reuters, USA Today, and other news distributors. Thanks for stopping by Lesa!

Mystery Loves Company, Part II

Hi,

This is Kathy Harig again from Mystery Loves Company. As I said in my earlier Blog 1, writing the book is just the beginning. It is a business. You may think it is early in your writing career to think of publishing, but if you are aware of the pitfalls and means to success, you will have a better chance of seeing your work published. There are four key people in the equation for writing a successful book -- the author, the agent, the editor(s) and the publisher. In recent days we have seen this list shrunk to two, the author and the publisher, due to self-publishing technology. Sometimes the author even does away with the publisher, entirely. But all good books, I believe have these four elements. More and more we see books that are grossly unedited and good ones that are badly distributed, i.e., do not reach a bigger market because they have a tiny publisher, or one who does not have the means nor care to really promote their authors' works. If the author had gotten him/herself an agent, the problem probably wouldn't have been so severe. Agents are hard to come by, but there are several good listings on the web. Also attend mystery or fiction conventions, or writing seminars. Agents frequently attend.

Spell check does not an editor make. I have had several books published and each time the second or third reading, or editor always caught improvements that needed to be made. Fact checking is really up to you. Don't expect help with this at all in fiction. I recently received an advanced readers copy from a major publisher in which there were at least twenty errors in the first fifty pages. A badly edited manuscript will not get you an agent, and certainly won't get you a major publisher. Even with a major publisher, there are pot holes along the way. Respect your work and your audience. Do careful editing yourself, and hire a professional editor/ fact checker and/or reader. Then let the manuscript rest for a while, and read it again, and again.

Choosing a publisher is one of the biggest decisions an author can make. Choosing the wrong one, can lead to heartbreak and a ruined career. Choosing carefully can insure that your work will find its broadest possible audience and the success it deserves. One can hardly count the number of publishers that have sprung up on the web. Remember one thing, if you have to pay a publisher to publish your work, they are not a publisher. Many of them are not reputable, and can ask for more and more money that you eventually will give them, only to end in disaster. Mystery Writers of America has approved a list of publishers that they find reputable. Check with them if you have any doubt. The other reason to go with an approved publisher is the need for wide distribution of your work. Small publishers are not normally linked to broad networks and distributing companies that market and distribute your work.

In choosing a fiction or mystery publisher, look at your favorite mystery books. Who published them? Is your book going to have the same tone or sub-genre as they have. Then they might be a good bet for a author/publisher match.

If you intend to make writing your career, understand the homework you have to do. It is a profession and a business. Place your posterior in the chair according to a schedule that suits you best, and when you are not writing or editing, take care of business.

Best in your writing careers,

Kathy Harig

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

If you have a novel idea you're invited to join NaNoWriMo for a breath taking month of writing. Think first draft ... quantity vs. quality ... a chance to write the novel you have been putting off. Forget editing as you go, instead the goal is to create a 175 page (50,000 words) first draft. Its free, the website is great, and there is round the clock support online.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

A Simple Plan

Ideas. Where do they come from? Its a familiar question, one that authors are often asked during a book signing or when being interviewed. All writers know that ideas come in all shapes and sizes and are everywhere, in the people we meet, in the things we hear on TV and read in the newspaper, and in our past experiences or those of others.



The truth is ideas are all around us. All of us are bombarded with ideas each and every day. Successful writers however, have trained themselves to recognize these nuggets and know what to do with them. Published authors are willing to spend the hours it takes to put these ideas, these nuggets to work. They begin by asking "what if"....




The idea: what if three men find $4 million dollars in unmarked bills and decide to keep it. What if these same men agree to a plan that will let them safely keep the money?



A Simple Plan is a film about three men, Hank, (played by Bill Paxton), his simple-minded brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton), and their friend Lou (Brent Briscoe), who find a bag full of money in a downed plane and decide to keep it. The plan is that Hank will hide the money in his house until winter ends, and then the three of them will divvy up the cash and move away. They promise to tell no one.



Plotting the story: What if things go wrong, horribly wrong. What if the sheriff shows up. What if the secret is shared. What if someone else wants the money. What if someone dies?



A writer can learn a lot about motivation and character development by watching this film. A questionable decision is the basis for this film and layer by layer the story is revealed.



What if you sit down and spend some time asking your character what if? It really is a very simple plan to use when writing your next novel.