I am so excited about my WIP, which is a fantastical thing.
The fact that I'm excited, not the WIP. Necessarily.
It's a full blown high fantasy, full of magic and mystery and milk. Milk? Yes, milk. Actually, no, there's no milk, but "milk" starts with "m" and I was looking for another m word so I just stuck with that. What even is this paragraph?
This WIP presents a lot of firsts for me. I've been learning so, so much while writing and these characters have been stretching me in ways I didn't think was possible. I've realized that a lot of my characters are copies of each other as well. And it's not just me--I've come to realize this is how it is in most books. Even in books where we're lucky enough to come across a unique MC, the supporting characters all fall back into either black or white. Or vice versa. Unfortunately, people are neither black or white; our personalities are millions of shades of gray. There is so much originality in our world!
I've been working really hard on communicating that originality. I've been focusing a lot on the speech and reactions of certain characters. Also, I've been working hard on withholding information. In the movie The Lady in the Water (really bizarre movie, never watch it), there's a character who is a film reviewer or something like that. After coming home from a movie premier, he says that the movie was terrible because everyone walked around and said what they thought.
That really struck me. I'm an extrovert, and I definitely say what I think a lot...but I probably don't communicate fifty percent of my thoughts. Characters are really two-dimensional (if not even one-dimensional) when there is no distance between mind and mouth.
My MC is definitely more introverted than extroverted. That's been weird to write, because usually I write extroverted MCs. However, writing an introverted MC has taught me a lot. One, I can't rely completely on dialogue to tell the story. Dialogue is one of my biggest strengths, but a lot of times, I let it overpower my descriptions of the setting, body language, etc.
My dialogue has improved even more, though. I also had the realization that all of my characters talk similarly. Again, not realistic!
There is a large cast of characters in this WIP, and I was worried about making them all the same. Additionally, I was concerned that they would all just get lost and my readers wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them or remember them.
I've fixed this by the different things that they say. For example, I have one character who says everything twice. I have another one who never speaks besides when spoken to, another who asks a million questions, and other one who just talks constantly to fill the silence. Of course, these are general, but I've fleshed them out more in the story (as you'll hopefully see some day!) I've found that it's important to figure out how the character expresses himself verbally in the stages of pre-writing character development.
So! My mind is full of different characters, plot points, and great motivation for writing. Unfortunately, life has been absolutely crazy, so I haven't had as much time to write as I would like. However, I'm inching closer to completion...one word at a time.
What has your writing been teaching you lately?
(NANOWRIMO INFORMATION! Check out my profiles and friend me: adult site (A.M. Schlueter) and YWP site (schluetera656). If you're a teen doing NaNo and would be interested in joining an email-based NaNo support group, please email me: 11anniem@gmail.com! Don't know about NaNo? Visit ywp.nanowrimo.org or nanowrimo.org.)
Showing posts with label Characters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Characters. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
Write Now Monday: Characters, Plotting, and Randomness--OH MY!
I had an absolutely fabulous weekend. My brother John Paul was confirmed, which was awesome. A bunch of relatives came in, including my best friend and cousin, Alex. So that was incredible. Then Mother's Day of course...I'm waiting until Friday to post a tribute to my mom, because her birthday is actually Friday. Stay tuned!
Today, I'mranting talking about my WIPs. Advance apologies if nothing I say makes sense. It's been that kind of day.
I've been learning so much about writing while being in the process of two different WIPs. If I was a mom, I might compare it to having two kids, but I'm not sure if that's the case, as I'm definitely not a mother. However, it's what I imagine having two children to be like. Each has its own struggles as well as joys. There are things that come easy and things that come hard. I love them both and pour myself out into both of them, but in different ways.
With WIP no. 1, I really love the plot. It's going to be a trilogy and the story is just awesome. At least, I think it is. I love telling it. With WIP no. 2, I really love the characters. I love forming them, getting to know them. I just want to jump in and hang out with them.
WIP no. 2 has shown me how much the characters in WIP no. 1 are lacking dimension. And the plot in WIP no. 2 is definitely not as smooth as the plot in WIP no. 1.
Ugh.
It's frustrating, because I love the plot in WIP no. 1. But the characters...so meh. And vice-versa with WIP no. 2. Kinda annoying.
I spent a lot more time outlining with WIP no. 1 and more time with character development with WIP no. 2. I like the main idea of what is going to happen in WIP no. 2, but it needs to be fleshed out more.
I have moments with both stories where I'm like THIS STORY IS TERRIBLE AND NOT GOING TO WORK AND I'M JUST GOING TO STOP WRITING AND HIDE UNDER MY BED but then my characters keep screaming my name and practically leave a trail of oreos to a pen and paper and I start all over again. Or when I'm just so flustered and like I HAVE NO CONNECTION WITH THESE CHARACTERS AND THEY HATE ME AND EVERYONE HATES ME SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO BECOME A HERMIT IN THE WOODS AND NEVER TALK TO ANYONE EVER AGAIN but then my fingers start to itch to describe what is going to happen next and I dive right back into it.
We writers, who are truly writers, are stuck. We can never stop.
I love it and I hate it, but I really, really love it.
On top of all this though, my allergies are seriously killing me. I think I've used about three tissue boxes up today and it's not even 1pm. I have work training this evening...and a bunch of paper work I still have to get in. Ugh. I very much dislike having to adult, it's very unpleasant. However, to end on a positive note, thankfully I have a job. And a very supportive mother who is willing to drive all over the city to get my papers signed. Love that woman.
Be sure to tune in Wednesday for my review on BONE GAP! Have a great week.
Today, I'm
I've been learning so much about writing while being in the process of two different WIPs. If I was a mom, I might compare it to having two kids, but I'm not sure if that's the case, as I'm definitely not a mother. However, it's what I imagine having two children to be like. Each has its own struggles as well as joys. There are things that come easy and things that come hard. I love them both and pour myself out into both of them, but in different ways.
With WIP no. 1, I really love the plot. It's going to be a trilogy and the story is just awesome. At least, I think it is. I love telling it. With WIP no. 2, I really love the characters. I love forming them, getting to know them. I just want to jump in and hang out with them.
WIP no. 2 has shown me how much the characters in WIP no. 1 are lacking dimension. And the plot in WIP no. 2 is definitely not as smooth as the plot in WIP no. 1.
Ugh.
It's frustrating, because I love the plot in WIP no. 1. But the characters...so meh. And vice-versa with WIP no. 2. Kinda annoying.
I spent a lot more time outlining with WIP no. 1 and more time with character development with WIP no. 2. I like the main idea of what is going to happen in WIP no. 2, but it needs to be fleshed out more.
I have moments with both stories where I'm like THIS STORY IS TERRIBLE AND NOT GOING TO WORK AND I'M JUST GOING TO STOP WRITING AND HIDE UNDER MY BED but then my characters keep screaming my name and practically leave a trail of oreos to a pen and paper and I start all over again. Or when I'm just so flustered and like I HAVE NO CONNECTION WITH THESE CHARACTERS AND THEY HATE ME AND EVERYONE HATES ME SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO BECOME A HERMIT IN THE WOODS AND NEVER TALK TO ANYONE EVER AGAIN but then my fingers start to itch to describe what is going to happen next and I dive right back into it.
We writers, who are truly writers, are stuck. We can never stop.
I love it and I hate it, but I really, really love it.
On top of all this though, my allergies are seriously killing me. I think I've used about three tissue boxes up today and it's not even 1pm. I have work training this evening...and a bunch of paper work I still have to get in. Ugh. I very much dislike having to adult, it's very unpleasant. However, to end on a positive note, thankfully I have a job. And a very supportive mother who is willing to drive all over the city to get my papers signed. Love that woman.
Be sure to tune in Wednesday for my review on BONE GAP! Have a great week.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
How To Kill A Character: Or Rather, Why
Welcome to yet another post from AM Station for the A-Z Challenge...no, kids, we're not done yet! Still have...a lot more days to go...so...much...blogging...
I am TIRED. So much blogging lately. I have to admit, my MS has been suffering this month due to my attentiveness to my blog. But that's fine, as I've definitely neglected my dusty little corner of the internet in the past, so I suppose I'm making up for it. I'm certainly proud to have made it this far, and it's been such a blessing to have interacted with so many incredible bloggers!
So, How To Kill A Character, as told by Anne Marie Schlueter.
First of all, consider your motive(s). Why are you killing your character? Because it's fun? You morbid person...I like you ;) Is it because J.K. Rowling killed Snape and you just have to take your anger out on SOMEONE and ruin his/her life like Rowling ruined yours?! SAME. Or perhaps because it's just something that's done in writing? I can relate.
Like everything we write, we need a reason. We need a good, solid, realistic reason for every single action that our characters make, for everything we authors throw their way. We need to take into account how this one action is going to affect each character and, of course, the story in its entirety. Basically, we need a pretty good reason to oft a character.
The reasons previously listed are not good reasons. I confess, I've bought into them before. Especially the second one (*whimper* But Snape....). However, they are quite shallow excuses for ending a life(even a fictional one). Our stories deserve better, as do our characters. I used to just kill my characters just because, perhaps for the shock factor or something. While death is a part of life (which is what books are about typically, right), there is a time and a place for death.
When I decide to kill a character, I consider a few different things. First, am I doing this just to surprise my readers? Second, is this furthering the story in some way, in particular, is it furthering character development? Third, is it necessary for the character to be alive in order to advance the plot? Fourth, is the death realistic?
If the answers to these questions lead me to the murder of a character, then I begin to consider how each character will react in a way that suits their respective personalities. People do crazy things when in grief...the craziness can be turned up or down, too, depending on the timing and gruesomeness of the death. Be sure to take that into account. Also, if cheesy dialogue is something you struggle with (my dialogue is the worst when my characters find out about a death), try reading it out loud to see how it sounds.
Lastly, I figure out how my characters will each handle the baggage of the death long-term. Pretty self-explanatory.
As previously stated, death is a part of real life. Therefore, for our writing to be realistic, we must have a place for death. Just be careful not to overuse it, and to think through the reasons why. The book Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is a great example of how death affects characters differently. It is definitely worth a read, for many reasons, but certainly character development being one of them.
While we're on the subject of death, here's a cool infograph on how to cover up a murder.
What are some reasons you kill your characters?
I am TIRED. So much blogging lately. I have to admit, my MS has been suffering this month due to my attentiveness to my blog. But that's fine, as I've definitely neglected my dusty little corner of the internet in the past, so I suppose I'm making up for it. I'm certainly proud to have made it this far, and it's been such a blessing to have interacted with so many incredible bloggers!
So, How To Kill A Character, as told by Anne Marie Schlueter.
First of all, consider your motive(s). Why are you killing your character? Because it's fun? You morbid person...I like you ;) Is it because J.K. Rowling killed Snape and you just have to take your anger out on SOMEONE and ruin his/her life like Rowling ruined yours?! SAME. Or perhaps because it's just something that's done in writing? I can relate.
Like everything we write, we need a reason. We need a good, solid, realistic reason for every single action that our characters make, for everything we authors throw their way. We need to take into account how this one action is going to affect each character and, of course, the story in its entirety. Basically, we need a pretty good reason to oft a character.
The reasons previously listed are not good reasons. I confess, I've bought into them before. Especially the second one (*whimper* But Snape....). However, they are quite shallow excuses for ending a life(even a fictional one). Our stories deserve better, as do our characters. I used to just kill my characters just because, perhaps for the shock factor or something. While death is a part of life (which is what books are about typically, right), there is a time and a place for death.
When I decide to kill a character, I consider a few different things. First, am I doing this just to surprise my readers? Second, is this furthering the story in some way, in particular, is it furthering character development? Third, is it necessary for the character to be alive in order to advance the plot? Fourth, is the death realistic?
If the answers to these questions lead me to the murder of a character, then I begin to consider how each character will react in a way that suits their respective personalities. People do crazy things when in grief...the craziness can be turned up or down, too, depending on the timing and gruesomeness of the death. Be sure to take that into account. Also, if cheesy dialogue is something you struggle with (my dialogue is the worst when my characters find out about a death), try reading it out loud to see how it sounds.
Lastly, I figure out how my characters will each handle the baggage of the death long-term. Pretty self-explanatory.
As previously stated, death is a part of real life. Therefore, for our writing to be realistic, we must have a place for death. Just be careful not to overuse it, and to think through the reasons why. The book Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is a great example of how death affects characters differently. It is definitely worth a read, for many reasons, but certainly character development being one of them.
While we're on the subject of death, here's a cool infograph on how to cover up a murder.
What are some reasons you kill your characters?
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Don't Tell, Show
This has been my greatest struggle as a writer. What? Being weird?
No, stupid, keep up. Telling and not showing. I mean showing not telling.
I hated hated hated HATED this rule so so so MUCH. I did not understand how one simply cannot tell. I have so much to tell! How could I just show it?! I'm a writer, not an artist for goodness sake.
When I took a creative writing class freshman year (best. class. ever.), this was something we definitely touched on. But I needed a blueprint, a handout, some sort of exact instruction! Because I did not understand why telling got such a bad rap.
I just love looking back at old writing and seeing how much I've grown. Even from reading things I've written less than a year ago, I can tell how much I learned.
Showing not telling was something that I learned gradually. There wasn't a formula I applied to suddenly become incredible at it (which I'm still quite far from. Being incredible at it, that is).
Since I've learned the art, I purpose that we rephrase "show don't tell" to "show over tell".
It's okay to tell. In her book This Is Not A Writing Manual, Kerri Majors discusses how a teacher once told her that it's perfectly okay to tell, as long as your telling is working. Some writers are masterful at telling. Like Kerri, my telling does not always work. It usually doesn't. My showing is more captivating and fills out the story much better.
Show over tell is the difference between telling someone about your best friend and actually introducing them to your best friend. While both are perfectly lovely, the later is the more desirable.
I think this quote sums it up quite nicely:
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| https://writerswrite1.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/quotable-anton-chekhov/ |
On another brief note, thank you all so much for reading my blog and for the kind comments! You all make me smile. Have a blessed Easter and I'll see y'all next week!
Friday, December 14, 2012
The Joy of Reading
Life can be hard. High school life can be really hard, I'm finding out. Some teachers are nicer than others; some make more sense than others. People float around in bubbles, you could say, not wanting to let anyone in or anyone out. Friendships change. They fade away or strengthen. Everything in this life changes. And that can be a good thing and a bad thing. Actually, I wouldn't keep everything the same even if I could.
But in this ever changing world, books are the only thing that remain the same. And I love that. They can be the most real part of this world. They can be the most sane part of this insane life. Their characters are just as real to me as the air I breathe. I can always visit them in my mind and feel them in my heart. They are the only people who can be guaranteed to never change, to always remain faithful. Some of the most real relationships I've had, I've had with characters. From Anne Shirley to Severus Snape, every single character of every single book I have read has a place in my heart. From Elizabeth Bennet to Minny Jackson, they are all part of me.
My ten-year-old sister is officially hooked on reading. She began reading Harry Potter a few days ago and is enthralled. She has been swept away in the fascinating world of Hogwarts. My mom told me that she's been smiling and crying and laughing. I'm so happy that she is finally enjoying reading! I guess the only that I am disappointed about, though, is that she "HATES" Severus Snape. Ugh, I'll have to work on that. . . .
I'm so happy, though, that she'll meet the characters that never cease to amaze me. And that she is discovering that not all things that take place in your head aren't real. . . .
"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?” -- J.K. Rowling, via Albus Dumbledore
But in this ever changing world, books are the only thing that remain the same. And I love that. They can be the most real part of this world. They can be the most sane part of this insane life. Their characters are just as real to me as the air I breathe. I can always visit them in my mind and feel them in my heart. They are the only people who can be guaranteed to never change, to always remain faithful. Some of the most real relationships I've had, I've had with characters. From Anne Shirley to Severus Snape, every single character of every single book I have read has a place in my heart. From Elizabeth Bennet to Minny Jackson, they are all part of me.
My ten-year-old sister is officially hooked on reading. She began reading Harry Potter a few days ago and is enthralled. She has been swept away in the fascinating world of Hogwarts. My mom told me that she's been smiling and crying and laughing. I'm so happy that she is finally enjoying reading! I guess the only that I am disappointed about, though, is that she "HATES" Severus Snape. Ugh, I'll have to work on that. . . .
I'm so happy, though, that she'll meet the characters that never cease to amaze me. And that she is discovering that not all things that take place in your head aren't real. . . .
"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?” -- J.K. Rowling, via Albus Dumbledore
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