Characterization

I have a friend who is recently divorced. Last December when she told me that she and her husband were splitting up, I was shocked. They seemed like the perfect couple, but she told me that I only saw what was on the outside and not what was going on at home.

She seemed lost, and having to start over with a new mortgage, car payment, and furnishings made it that much more difficult. Being downsized to one income means picking and choosing what is a need, and what is a want.

Over the last few months, however, I’ve seen quite a change in my friend. She is branching out, and trying things she never would have before, and doing activities that she never showed interest in before. I was amazed when she emailed me and said she signed up for a blood drive. I’ve been telling her for years what a benefit it is to donate, but she’s always shied away from the needle. After her blood drive, she emailed all the details of how much she thought it hurt, and how queasy she felt, but said she’s going to sign up again.

Last night when I talked to her, she told me about the hikes she’s been going on with her co-workers, and the girls’ weekend they’re going on in a few weeks. She’s also going to drive part of the Alaska Highway with her dad this week.

This is a complete change of character for her. But she told me, that instead of sitting at home feeling sorry for herself, she decided that she deserved to have fun and get out and see what else was going on in the world.

I thought about how my characters change from the beginning of the story to the end. My characters have to make choices, sometimes good and sometimes bad, in order to grow. I have to put them into situations they must get out of and create tension that readers will care about. I have to show not only what is going on externally, but what is “going on at home” behind closed doors, or internally.

My friend is a great example of characterization in real life. So far, she’s making good choices. Even though she’s having great adventure and is happy with her life, for a reader, her story will get boring after a while. You can look at the tabloids or newspapers for examples of those that are doing more controversial things. Whether they change for the better or not remains to be seen, but those bad acts make for more interesting reading.

My point is that characters need multiple dimensions in order for a reader to care about them. Mix the good with the bad, and show how they change over time, despite the odds. Make them relatable so they have issues, that at their foundation, everyone can understand and connect with. If your reader doesn’t care about your characters, they won’t keep reading.

Plot & Structure

A plot is technically defined as a “sequence of events that moves a story forward”, which doesn’t in itself sound difficult. But when you put those events down on paper for your reader, it must done in the proper way. Plot and structure is so integral to our work as writers, and I love the James Scott Bell book by the same name (see my review here).

I’m critiquing some short stories, and most of them have a plot with proper structure. Every once in a while, I run into a story that has a sequence of events, but doesn’t move the story along. Just because something happened doesn’t mean you report it, if it is insignificant. I have to remind some writers that we only need to set forth the sentences that will make a difference, and we don’t need a blow-by-blow account of what Ann did from the moment she opened her eyes until she got to the office and found her boss dead.

Who cares that she measured her coffee, put the water in the coffeemaker, turned on the machine, put bread in the toaster and buttered it when it popped up? Who cares that she got in the shower, blow-dried her hair, put on mascara, eyeliner, and blush before brushing her teeth? I don’t, unless she is doing this because this routine is her post-kill habit.

It’s a good reminder for me as well. I’m still editing the second book in my science fiction trilogy, and after I read a scene, I ask myself what its purpose is. Does it need to be there? Or is it a passage of pretty words that the reader will have to slog through? I’m cutting and slashing my hard work, but doing so makes my novel that much better. The plot moves, the scenes and overall storyline are structured, and the book is more enjoyable.

By taking a hard look at my plot and structure before I write, I end up with a better result when it comes time to edit. Every scene seems important at the time, but after careful consideration, I realize some do nothing for my audience. Keeping my readers happy is the goal, and paying attention to the sequence of events that matter makes that happen.

Plot and structure are two of the most basic foundations of writing, so review your own work to be sure that you’ve done it just right!

Being Likeable

Have you ever read a cringe-causing rant or comment online? Have you ever vented publicly on your social media sites? Have you ever been the recipient of online rudeness?

It seems with the advent of immediacy in sharing thoughts, especially if it is anonymous, people sometimes act/react badly and maybe later regret their words. If you are striving to be a professional, being likeable on social media is a must.

Does being likeable mean that you can’t be honest and open about your thoughts and feelings? No. Does being likeable mean that you can’t disagree with someone else? No. Does being likeable mean that you have to be meek and passive? No.

According to Likeable Social Media by Dave Kerpen (read my review here), being likeable means that you are genuine with your customers. Think about that for a moment. You are who you are. You write what you write. Not everyone will like you or your writing.

Even best-selling authors are who they are and write what they write knowing they have a specific audience. Within that audience, there are some who will hate the next book. I love Patricia Cornwell’s “Kay Scarpetta Series”. When Ms. Cornwell went away from the “Scarpetta” books to Isle of Dogs, Southern Cross, and Hornet’s Nest, I had the same one-star reaction that most readers had. Ms. Cornwell is who she is, wrote what she wrote, and thankfully left those books behind.

Is it because she listened to her critics? Could be. Her audience is her most important asset, and if she’s paying attention to her customers, then yes, she responded appropriately.

Reading a terrible review hurts. How you respond matters. Fighting back doesn’t usually help, but trying to understand the person’s point of view, if it’s constructive, may. Unfortunately, few people are constructive in their online criticism. I think I fall into the camp of “ignore”, because it’s impossible to please everyone.

I can only be who I am, write what I write, accept whatever comments come my way, and be what I think is likeable. It may help me win readers or it may cause me to lose readers, but if I can sleep well at night, that’s good enough for me.

Why Don't Writers Care?

I overheard some people lamenting the fact that they can’t find a good book to read any more. The conversation went something like this:

Person 1: I always read my favorite authors when their books come out, but in between, I have nothing.

Person 2: I know what you mean. I see books that look interesting, but I’ve been burned too many times now and don’t want to waste my money on a promise.

Person 1: Why don’t writers care about their readers?

Person 2: I don’t know, but I shouldn’t have to do research just to find out if someone has had their book edited.  Why does everyone think they’re a writer?

At first, I smiled and nodded with understanding.

Then I got mad.

Most of us work hard to be the best writer we can be. Most of us spend a lot of time and energy working at our writing to produce something readable. Most of us care about our readers and want to give them a great reading experience.

Why does everyone think they’re a writer?

My husband once lamented that every man thinks he can build. He complained regularly that his craft was being diluted by people looking for work who didn’t know how to pound a nail. He was always proud of the end result of his work—the beautiful building that would serve many and that would be a landmark for him, for years to come. Building, to him, was a form of art, and a reminder of the time and energy he expended to create something functional and usually, aesthetic.  He left the construction field several years ago because it was no longer satisfying, and his annoyance level was high since he worked with people who didn’t care.

What are writers who care supposed to do? Continue to put out good product, market ourselves and get known so people can’t wait to read our work again, and keep our audience amazed and delighted.

People are looking for good authors, and we’re out here. Let’s do our best to maintain the integrity of our craft so the public doesn’t discount us and our hard work.