Write Well Wednesday: Creating the Active Character

Today's post is the second in a series on characterization.  To read last week's post go here: Creating the Physical Character

Today's topic is creating the active character.

Once you've established the physical characteristic of a character (what anyone might be able to see from a photograph), you're going to start the second dimension of your character's personality -- what people would see when your character is moving.  This is a secondary visual characterization, so think silent film.

A huge amount of human interaction can be boiled down to physical action and reaction.  We're incredibly expressive and, often, we take that for granted when we build characters.  So here, we will make sure that we cover this base.

1.  Quirk your character.  Everyone has at least one physical quirk.  Ask someone what yours is.  Do you chew on your lip or your nails?  Are you a leg jiggler?  Do you click pens, snap gum, twirl hair?  All these little things are physical traits that we take for granted, but subconsciously integrate into our physical profiles of the people we surround ourselves with.  Decide what you believe a certain character's quirk should be and then make sure that you sprinkle it in throughout your manuscript.  Like any trait, you don't want to mention it all the time because you'll start to annoy the reader.  A really ingenious way to build in quirks is by making another character notice it (because we don't often notice our own quirks, right?)

2.  Build your character's active presence.  Depending on the type of character your trying to create, you're going to give him/her a presence.  This can be both an active and static physical characteristic that other character's notice about the character in question.  Is the character passive?  Then make them stand off to the side, maybe hunch their shoulders or hide behind their hair.  How about that military man from the last post?  How would he stand?  Probably erect or at attention and his presence might somehow feel a little overbearing...Perhaps he looms over others or scowls a lot?

3.  Make the physical and emotional work with the active.  If you've got a tall character then make sure the way he walks and stands matches his physical characteristics.  Have you noticed that most seven feet tall people tend to stoop slightly?  Perhaps that's out of fear of hitting their heads or a need to bend closer to others to hear them or look them in the face?  What about an overweight person?  How would they walk and what sort of active challenges might they face?  Depending on how overweight they are they may have to turn a particular way to get through a turnstile at a train station or might need to constantly adjust their clothing.  If your character is depressed, make him drag his feet when he walks.  If she's high powered business woman who hunts demons by night, she probably walks quite confidently and stands proudly.

4.  Characters must save face!  I don't know how many books I've read where characters don't make facial expressions.  The likelihood of finding someone who never smiles or doesn't express their feelings through their eyebrows is pretty darn low.  How someone uses their face to express themselves can tell a huge amount about their personality and how they interact with others.  It can also tell us a lot about what other characters feel about them.  Is there something fake about their smile?  Does their joy reach their eyes?  Does the character arch one eyebrow or two?  Do they tend to use the physical instead of the verbal to express confusion or a question?  And don't forget!  If you make a facially expressive character, give them static physical features that might indicate this (i.e. wrinkles).

5.  Reaction.  Pretend you are producing a silent film.  You have no words to express how your character is feeling.  Someone just pulled a gun on your main character.  How is your character physically going to react?  Recoil?  An expression of defiance?  A deer in the headlights eye-widening?  Every action deserves reaction.  Any interaction between a character and his/her world or other characters will illicit some type of expressive or active response from the character.  Make sure these reactions fit with the personality you're trying to create for your character.

Write Well Wednesday: Creating the Visual Character

I'm going to create a series of entries over the next few weeks!  This series is going to be on characterization.  Specifically, how to create multidimensional, believable characters.  I'm breaking it up into multiple entries because putting everything about characterization into one blog would make it quite long! 

Today's topic is the easiest part of characterization: Creating the visual of your character.

If you're going to create a character of any kind, you have to provide the reader with a template by which to visualize your character.  This, like setting, should be established early on to prevent the reader from creating their own idea of what the character looks like.  The most confusing thing to a reader is learning that your heroine has brown hair and eyes three books into the series.

1.  Establish the basics.  Decide what your character's driver's license would say about them.  What is their hair and eye color?  How tall are they?  How old?  These are the basic things that readers want to know so they can at least create a shadow puppet of your character.

2.  As you continue writing, provide additional physical descriptives.  Lots of readers want to know what the character's build is, what their face is shaped like, and what sort of fashion sense they have.  Depending on how important you feel a feature is to a character's personality is how close it should be to your basic description.  If your character is overweight and you feel that it's important to the story and the character's development, you need to alert the reader to this feature.  Discovering little quirks like knowing someone has a birthmark on their elbow or a gap in their front teeth lets the reader feel like they are learning about the character and the character thus becomes more like a real person.  Almost like making friends!

3.  Avoid the cliches.  Most authors think the whole character in front of the mirror thing does an awesome job of giving you the physical description (especially if the piece is written in first person).  It doesn't!  Think of a more creative way of portraying these details.  Avoid laundry lists of features!  One of the marks of a good writer is being able to pepper physical features in without saying, "He was 6'2," had sharp brown eyes, and wore an expression that matched his military buzzed black hair."

4.  Bedazzle the ordinary.  Don't just say she had pale skin.  How pale is it?  Is it like a canvas or maybe like freshly pressed paper?  What's it like? Does it glow?  Does it have a pink hue?  Is it soft or firm?  Does it remind the person looking at her of something in particular?  Maybe rose petals or velvet?  What about those black eyes of his?  How do they twinkle?  Are they bright like stars or more ominous, like obsidian?  What do they make her feel like?  Do they stare right through her or make her feel a dark comfort?  These details add additional building blocks to your character (which we'll talk about later) while laying the foundation.  Plus, spreading things out with additional descriptives helps prevent that laundry list from piling up!  However, be careful not to get cliche here either.

5.  Don't go overboard.  A little goes a long way with a reader.  Readers like to imagine when they read a story, if you feed them everything, then there's nothing fun left about learning your character.  Save certain tid-bits for later or never mention them at all.

How to Punk Your Steampunk

This posting is a follow up to Get Punk'd.

So, one of my followers asked me to talk about HOW to get punk'd when writing a Steampunk piece.  This is a little difficult for me to explain because punking things up seems organic to me (blame it on my revisionist tendencies), but I'm going to try my best to explain how I do it.  In the process I'm going to cover, in general, how to write Steampunk.  In the interest of space and time, this is a little disjointed and it's quite close to midnight and I've been going since the wee hours of the morning, so yeah, apologies ahead of time.

Action One: Decide on a story to tell.

One: TELL A STORY.  Just because there is Steampunk in your book doesn't necessarily mean it has to completely swallow your MC whole.  Stop focusing so much on making everything Steampunk and let it develop organically. I think where a lot of people get caught up with writing Steampunk is the fact that they focus too much on how it will be received.  "Is my technology right?"  "Did I adequately describe the taste of treacle?"  "Would a woman say that back then?"  "Is it "punk" enough?"  It becomes all about how your readers could bash you for getting it wrong.  Before you worry about any of that, you need to worry about the kind of story you want to tell.  Is it about a romance between a maid and an airship captain?  Because if she's the main character, she's not going to understand anything about the technology she's seeing on your Captain's lovely ship.  And, if you're that worried about what your readers are going to say, then perhaps she is the POV you should be writing?  There's an idea:  Write to your handicap!  If you are the type than can imagine something up but have no clue how it might work in real life, then write from the perspective of a character that doesn't get it OR knows it so well that they talk and think about it like you're an idiot for questioning how it works.

Two: TEASPOONS vs. SHOVELS.  Once you know what kind of story you want to write, figure out WHO your readers are.  Are they YA readers?  Cause they aren't going to get half the techno-babble you throw at them and you may be making that political entanglement too complicated for them to follow.  Are you writing romance?  Romance readers care a lot more about the way someone's dress looks than how the mechanical "toys" function. Your readership is going to determine how much of what goes into the story, including how punky you want to get.

Action Two: Once you have a story to tell, punk it up.

One: PERIOD CHARM.  The first part of Steampunk is "steam," which means you need to have a "steam" period element in your piece.  This is pretty much the Steam Era or the industrial revolution. Though it has a mostly Victorian connotation, I've seen Steampunk swing all the way into what others might consider Dieselpunk.  Since I have an anthropology background, I enjoy building entire cultures; which is why my Steampunk tales take place on an alternate world that looks similar to earth during the Victorian Era.  But most Steampunk is alternate history, so I'll focus on that.  Writing alternate history isn't easy.  Remember that whole Writing What You Know post  I wrote?  Well, you should know as much about something as you possibly can before you completely pull it apart and re-write it.  Depending on WHEN and WHERE your blip in history takes place will depend on how much you need to do research.  If, for example, your blip happens during the Victorian Era, then you're going to have to build a believable Victoriana.  Know the area, the clothes, the language, the social hierarchy, the political structure, etc.  Then find out who was in charge and who didn't like it.  That's a perfect platform for your punk establishment. 

Two: ATMOSPHERE.  Whether you're building from the ground up or going back in time and trying to re-write history, if you're going to put the "punk" in your steam, you need to have some kind of socio-political hierarchy.  If there's no one to rebel against, there's no room for your punks.  I think first and foremost, if you write fantasy or science fiction of any kind, you need to get in touch with your inner social scientist.  Having a believable socio-political structure is one of the pillars of making you a good writer in any reader's mind.  Whether your focus is social, political, economic, or religious, there needs to be an established system and there needs to be someone who doesn't like it.  There will always be discontents in a society and in your Steampunk these will be your "punks."  If you've studied anthropology, political science, or sociology it should be easier for you to build a believable socio-political system for your characters.  If you make a set up where someone benefits more than the others then you've got a very easy situation where there is an obvious villain and an obvious person who will fight to get what the one on top has.  Then, all you need to do is make the person who want son top to be active in that desire.  Women wanting to break out of social molds can dress or act certain ways, miners can picket, young lads being drafted into the military can start holding up trains.  Anything goes in punk.

Three: INSPECT THE GADGETS.  Part of what makes Steampunk appealing is all the fun gadgets.  You'll have to decide who makes the gadgets, why, and when they started coming about.  Also, make sure to research what was available to tinkers during the Victorian era.  If you incorporate something that was not available in that time period, you'll have to explain why it's there in this alternate history.  Keep in mind that part of the punk ideology is a strong DIY mentality, so it might be beneficial to have a couple of tinkers or engineers in your punk group, and it might be necessary to let your imagination run wild.  If you can't churn out tons of fantastical things to play with, then you may want just one crazy piece of technology that your MC is working on (like a time machine or a weather balloon or something), and have everything else be normal.

Four:  NOT ALL PUNKS ARE ROCKERS.  Remember that your punks can run the gamut between just being a little off-color to blatantly wanting to bomb parliament.  All people are different, some more extreme than others.  Keep that in mind when deciding just how punky you want your punks.  You could have something as simple as a cooky old codger who tinkers in his basement, to an avaunt garde aristocratic explorer, to a surly airship pirate, to an alchemist who's into pyrotechnics.  The beauty of Steampunk is that your MCs don't have to be the "punks."  What we need to understand as writers is that there are always bystanders in any world.  The hero doesn't always have to be the guy with the ball-peen hammer or the airship. Watson anyone?   And even if they are, these characters are people too!  They have other aspects to their lives than just repairing clockwork soldiers or hijacking the Empire's latest dirigible.  You could write about an airship pirate who doesn't go anywhere near an airship for the duration of the story; or your character can be someone who has never experienced the punks until one fateful day when XYZ happens; or they can be someone who is watching the "punks" from afar.  Whatever you choose, just make sure that your punks know what they want and aren't afraid to fight for it!

Five:  HAVE FUN.

I hope that helps?  Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

What Dreams May Come--Kickstarting You Creative Mind

Okay, so I know I promised a post on why we retell fairy tales, but I've been working on it and finding that it's taking me longer to gather all my thoughts than I originally expected.  So, in order to keep you all marginally interested, I'd like to talk about dreams and how they help with my writing.

If you've been following this blog, you'll know that I've been dealing with intermittent spells of writer's block.  As time has gone on, I've managed to pinpoint factors in my life that deter or aid my creative spirit.  As we're addressed previously, having an adequate muse is one. 

Letting your dreams run rampant is another.

I know I'm not the only writer who writes according to dreams.  Stephanie Meyer supposedly wrote the entire Twilight series because she had a dream about a boy and a girl lying in a field of flowers.  She felt that if she didn't tell their story she'd be doing them a grave injustice. 

When I first read her comments I thought to myself, "Wow, that's just like me."  Nearly everything I have written is based off of dreams.  I often have sequential dreams.  In other words, sometimes my dreams will pick up right where they left off the previous night. 

I know exactly what Ms. Meyer means.  When you are visited by this sort of creative spirit, it seems a crime to ignore it.  I feel compelled to share my dreams with the world.  So, when the dreams first started coming when I was in high school, I started writing them down.  I wrote the entirety of my first three novels (which will one day be re-written) while I was in high school.

Sad to say, as I went to college and my life became more hectic and stressful, the dreams became less.  I still had them from time to time -- that's how I started The Will of the Fallen series -- but not nearly as much.

As time has gone by and I've become more serious as a writer, I've learned what triggers my creativity and what doesn't.  Believe it or not, reading and listening to audio books doesn't do it for me.  This is a tricky fix because a writer should always do a lot of reading in order to study the work of other authors, increase their vocabulary, and broaden their conceptual horizons.  However, while reading other works may help my writer's craft, it doesn't give me dreams and it doesn't give me entertaining plot. 

My theory is this: If I'm feeding my imagination with someone else's story then my brain stops trying to entertain itself with its own stories.  Think about it this way: The Universe is trying to send you a signal, but you've got too much interference going on to receive it. 

So, if I want to receive that signal, I actually have to stop reading for a couple of weeks.  This clears the air waves and gives my brain a rest.  Even then, I might need something to kick start the dreaming.  Sort of my own signal to the Universe letting it know I'm ready for enlightenment.

You want to know what gets my mind cranking out subconscious imagery?  Television.  Yes, sitting on my tush and watching television gets my mind active.  I hate to say it, but reality shows are best -- at least for me.  I think because they lack a fantasy aspect, but provide me with real life characters and situations that my mind can accurately throw into a fantasy situation.  Perhaps television works because I'm a visual writer?  Many of my readers have said that reading my work is like watching a movie.  Guess you now know why.  :)

So, that's how I can clear my brain and getting pumped for story time.

However, even if I watch television before bed, there are other factors that complicate things.  Stress and lack of sleep time are obvious.  If I'm stressed my sleep is restless.  If I don't get enough time to sleep then I don't hit a deep enough sleep to dream or I'll dream but forget what I dreamed because the alarm makes me too alert too quickly.  I need to be in a Zen place in order to have an open enough mind for the Universe to send me some plot juju. 

How does this help you?

If you're having trouble writing, take a look at your life.  Assess what stresses you out and what disturbs your sleep and try your best to remedy it.  I drink herbal teas to help me relax before bed.  Stop overtaxing your brain.  Give yourself some "downtime" by just zoning out and letting your imagination have a break.  Put down the book.  Put down the stress.  Stop pushing yourself.  get in touch with your muse.  Your story will come when you are ready to handle it.

The Cog Heap

Sometimes I get the feeling that I'm some sort of under-programmed automaton.

Anybody else ever feel like that?

So, I'm slowly winning the battle with my writer's block. It's taking a lot of television, various visits to random fairs of interest, and tearful therapy sessions with my muse (she needs a leash and about five pints of Schnapps before she'll even listen to my demands, I swear). Ha, that makes me sound like some kind of BDSM alcoholic. Disclaimer: my muse is entirely a fickle creature of fiction and in no way shape or form reflects my personal sexual tendencies or drinking habits.

In all honesty, the best method I've come up with for combating my block is Writer's ADD. Tried and true, jumping from one project to the next -- often times scrapping what I've already written and starting anew (trust me, my characters are just as confused as I look) -- seems to be working. It's also spilling into my personal life. I've started like ten new television series (thank God for Hulu and NetFlix) and I'm in the middle of about five books. All I can say is: It's a good thing I'm happily married.

I'm cutting down on the audio books, listening instead to NPR and music while I'm at work. And I've decided to start reading things that wouldn't normally intrigue me enough to shell out the cash to purchase them. Lucky for me I recently attended a conference where I was generously showered with gifts. I came home with about 32 books, most of which are some kind of erotica.

So, I picked up the book full of paranormal gay erotica and I'm finding it quite enjoyable. Who would have guessed? And who knows, maybe I'll try my hand at it one of these days. Eh, who am I kidding? Everyone knows I've secretly written a steamy scene between every character of romantic interest for each of my books. Yes, all you Jeremy/Silver Rings/Amaya and Connor/Taylor/Lacey shippers, it does it exist! Even I can't deny the fanficer inside! And I utterly refuse to be judged.

Anywho, I'm still fighting the good fight, refusing to go down and all that. Still looking for an agent, but I feel really confident with everything that's been happening lately. So, fingers, toes, and other prehensile body parts crossed. On a breathtakingly good note, I finally finished plotting out the As-Yet-Unnamed-Steampunk. If I shoot for a low word count, I'm like 3/4 done.

But we all know I haven't even begun to tell the story! My issue is too much of the Free State and not enough Empire face time. If I'm going to sell this as a legit Steampunk, there has to be enough technological wonder. While the techno-babble I need for the Empire is continuing to elude me, I'm making headway on constructing the required scenes. Adelle's journey into the Free State allows for a lot of this. One airship trip to the intercontinental steam train and then an attack by Her Majesty's Fourth Air Raid Squadron should make it more interesting. It allows a couple spots for Neek and the other Seers to combat the Empire with the Suldal. It will probably be the highest action sequence in the book, so it has to be perfect.

Would you believe I spent 45 minutes last week just listening to YouTube clips of steam trains and steam engines? I think I finally have the noises and processes down. The airships are something entirely different. Sometimes I wish this book was in first person. It'd be so much easier to be all like, "I'm a spoiled princess that grew up in a social bubble, how would I know what that springy thing does?" I'm lucky that I'm at least working with one POV at a time.

Anyway, I should finish my descriptions for this poll so that I can get to working on said action sequence. I'm hoping to finish this manuscript within the next few weeks. Wish me luck!