| |
| |
|
Writing Information |
|
|
|
Getting To Know Your Characters
Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important 'ingredients' in your novel. That might sound like a fairly sweeping statement, but think about it. You can have a wonderful plot with twists and turns and a humdinger of a surprise ending... but if the reader doesn't believe in your characters, all that plotting has gone to waste. You can have a setting that seems so vivid you could imagine walking into it... but if the reader is bored by your characters, you might as well have not described the setting at all. Characters are all important. To identify with them, the reader must believe in them. The reader must like them (at least the main character) - otherwise, why bother reading about them? TIPS ON CREATING CHARACTERS READERS CARE ABOUT 1. You have to get inside the character's skin. Why? The reader 'becomes' the main character. What happens to that character happens to the reader. If she is cold, the reader is cold. If she is in despair, the reader feels that heavy weight of hopelessness. If she is scared, the reader looks over his shoulder. A common problem with beginning writers' manuscripts is that the story is told 'from a distance' - it's as though someone is looking on, rather than being in the scene and experiencing everything for herself. 2. You must have the main character stay 'in character'. Don't let her do something foolish just because you need to get her into a sticky situation to suit the plot. Don't let her suddenly become 'helpless' just so someone else can rescue her. The same applies in reverse: don't let her suddenly start taking incomprehensible risks if you have shown her thus far to be sensible and moderate. 3. You need to give your characters a backstory. Your characters should not appear as though they've sprung fully formed into the world. Our life experiences leave their mark on us all - it's the same with your characters. Take the time to sit and think about your character: build a profile on paper if you think that will help. What were the key experiences in this person's life? What was the worst thing that ever happened to her? What was the best thing? How would she react if physically attacked? How would she react if verbally attacked? What was her childhood like? What were her parents like? What are her politics? When you really know your characters, their actions and words will flow far more eaily from your brain to the page (or screen!). 4. You must think carefully about your characters' names. The number one rule: try to avoid having two characters with names that look similar on the page. Laura and Linda. Brendan and Ben. Nick and Mick. The reader can easily get confused. The number two rule: choose names that are appropriate for the generation into which your character was born. Many new children's writers use names that are thirty years out of date. Think about the people you know of different ages. What are their names? What are their friends' names? The number three rule: Choose names that suit the character. The reader can be totally turned off if you (for example) use an ugly name for a beautiful girl - unless this is relevant to the story, such as someone being teased unmercifully throughout her childhood because of an ugly name, so she still bears the mental scars when the story opens. A FINAL TIP: When you finish a book with a sense of regret because you don't want to leave well-liked characters behind, put on your writer's hat. Why did these characters appeal so much? Can you identify any techniques the writer has used? (Think about how the writer has appealed to the emotions of the reader - this is usually the key to strong identification with characters.) (c) copyright Marg McAlister Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
On Giving and Receiving Feedback Writing is a personal and introspective process. To share with another what we wrote is to risk. Fight The Fluff! The first and final rule of quality writing is this: what doesn't strengthen your writing, weakens it.There are no neutral words when you're trying to be persuasive - every word must be doing real work and every sentence must be necessary. Write Strategy: Think, Believe, Attack Think of writing like karate.. Writing Made Them Rich #4: Paulo Coelho Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.At age 17 he announced his intention to be a writer. Write A Better Newsletter! You've decided to write your very own Newsletter to promote your business, communicate with your customers, or just for FUN.You've read hundreds of newsletters. How To Write for the Web The Scanning ReaderWriting for the Web is different than writing for print. The differences are slight but significant. Finding The Book Writing Resources, Tips, And Help You Need! Writing can be more difficult that just compiling your thoughts on a few pieces of paper. In fact, it can be a challenge to find something new, interesting, and publishable to write about. Write Your Way To A Better Brain Boost Brain Power Through WritingHave you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to clarify it in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing. Revising Your Manuscript: Fourteen Questions to Ask Yourself 1) Can you summarize the story in about a sentence or two?Example:Three daughters try desperately to save their father from his conniving new wife.A cop has to fight a losing battle with the bottle and discover the identity of a serial killer. Are Writing Exercises Effective? It was reported that the great American author Sinclair Lewis was once asked to give a lecture on writing to a group of college students: "Looking out at this gathering," he said to the assembled students, "makes me want to know how many of you really and truly wish to become writers?" Every hand in the room went up. Lewis looked at them for a moment and then folded his notes and put them away. Five Common Errors to Correct Before Submitting a Letter or Report First impressions count in writing too! So it is always a good idea to carefully check documents such as letter, reports, and proposals before submitting them. Below are five of the most common errors. Before You Write Your Book, Organize Its Parts - Part 2 If you are a serious writer who wants to publish and sell books and informational products, you need to be able to find all of its parts in a minute or less. Filing only the important parts of your book will yield fast-writing your book. Writing For The Web: Where To Get Article Ideas A friend and I were talking the other day about writing. He liked to write, but even so his biggest problem was finding things to write about. Benjamin Franklin: His Ageless Writing Tips If Ben Franklin were alive today, he would be.. Why Researching Is Good, And A Failure To Do So Is Not What a lack of research could do to you.When creating an ebook how well do you research the topic before hand?It's absolutely crucial that you research what problems your target market is having and what they're spending money on. The Work Flow Cycle of the Editorial Industry As an editorial professional, I'm sure you're aware of the market slump right now. What you may not be aware of is that this is due to more than just the economy. Top Ten Ways to Write Like a Pro Checklist Sure you can write, but can you write crisp, compelling copy thatezine publishers, related Web sites, and book audiences willclamor for? To sell well, your articles, reports, books, and copywriting need to pass the checklist below: 1.___Make your book or article title or headlines grab your reader by the collar. Mind Mapping Your Journal Entries Clustering, also called Mind Mapping, is a great way to save space and time when you journal. For those of you that aren't familiar with Mind Mapping, you can search in Google on the words or reading one of Tony Buzan's (the creator) books. How to Avoid the 11 Biggest Mistakes of First Time Authors "If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote in The Invisible Touch, "write a book." But writing a book can also be tremendously frustrating and unrewarding. Dont Get Burned: Evaluating Script Writing Contests Hundreds of writing contests tempt screenwriters with the lure of prize money, instant film industry contacts and personal feedback from film professionals. But contests can be costly, screenwriters should choose intelligently.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2008 ReV Brown and LaMesa Gifts |
