Characters are Born on iPods by Author Jodie Bailey

I tend to be a character first kind of girl. More often than not, book ideas come to me not in the form of a scene or a plot—although that has happened—but in this feeling somewhere around my heart.  It’s hard to explain, really, but I’m betting if you’re a writer you’ve felt it.  And if you’re a reader, you’ve probably experienced the same tug when you met a really well-written character.  Because, you see, great characters start from the heart.

Not that it happens very much lately, but I’m a huge advocate of letting your mind wander. The best way to do that?  Take the iPod, get in the car, roll down the windows, and drive.  Aimlessly, preferably through the back country.  Sometimes I do it when I’m first starting a story.  Other times I do it when I’m stuck and can’t hear my characters talking. When I hit the road, inevitably there’s a moment where one song suddenly catches my attention.  It might be because the light hit a tree just right or the breeze through the window was perfect, or it could just be something about the words or the tune, but it unlocks a character’s voice.  There’s that feeling, right behind my heart that quiets me.  Someone has something to say.

It happened when Kate—whom you have yet to meet—told me she was a Colbie Caillat circa 2009 kind of girl… when she was so full of anger I’d have sworn she was an angry rock band blow out the speakers chick. When her hero, Ryan, let me know Tobymac’s “Ignition” guided his life walk, it fit everything I knew about him and made writing his scenes even more fun. 

It happened when Shane in Freefall showed up in an old 90s Def Leppard song, “Two Steps Behind.”  And his ex-wife Cassidy? She never would tell me.  And you know what? It took me longer to get to know her than anyone else.  To this day, I think she believed music was a waste of time.  I’m thinking that’s not cool, even though she grew on me until I love her just as much as the rest.

In Quilted by Christmas, Taryn didn’t have a song right off.  Like Cassidy, she was slow to let me get to know her.  But one day, I had the iPod on random and heard that ol’ Nitty  Gritty Dirt Band song “Fishin’ in the Dark.”  If you’ve ever heard it, that song just bounces.  And I remembered in high school, one of my best friends and I would open up the sunroof on my old Maxima and spend hours driving around and singing old 60s music our dads had taught us and always, at least once, bouncing up and down in our seats to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Suddenly, I could see Taryn in her grandfather’s old pickup, Justin in the passenger’s seat, zipping around the curves down the mountain to their high school, and singing at the top of their lungs.  It was crystal clear and Taryn grabbed me… right behind the heart.

Jodie Bailey writes novels about freedom and the heroes who fight for it.  Her novels include Freefall and Crossfire, from Love Inspired Suspense, as well as Quilted by Christmas, from Abingdon Press.  Her devotions have appeared in Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home and Sweet Freedom with a Slice of Peach Cobbler. She is convinced a camping trip to the beach with her family, a good cup of coffee, and a great book can cure all ills. Jodie lives in North Carolina with her husband, her daughter, and two dogs.

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Keeping Secrets: The Power of Secrets in Your Characters’ Lives by Author Sarah Sundin

“Want to hear a secret?” Those words make ears perk up from elementary school playgrounds to high school cafeterias to corporate offices. Secrets fascinate us.

Secrets can be powerful tools in fiction. When readers sense a secret is in play, their ears perk up, and they’re drawn into the story to ferret out that secret—and to watch the consequences.

Almost all characters keep a secret. Your job as a novelist is to know why she keeps that secret, to decide when and how to reveal it, how to conceal it beforehand, and what the consequences of revelation will be.

Why a Secret?

Why does your character keep her secret concealed? Perhaps she fears physical consequences, such as being arrested for a crime she committed. Perhaps she is ashamed of something she’s done and doesn’t want people to think less of her. Perhaps she’s hurt or betrayed someone and doesn’t want that person to know. Perhaps she thinks she’s moved past it and would rather forget about it, thank you very much. In In Perfect Time, World War II flight nurse Lt. Kay Jobson comes across as bold and confident. If her secret were revealed, she’d be seen as weak and vulnerable, everything she’s worked hard to overcome. So she doesn’t reveal her past to even her closest friends—and she rarely broods on it.

When to Reveal?

When do you want the secret revealed to the reader or to other characters? These may or may not be the same moments. The most powerful times to reveal secrets are at the turning point between Acts I and II, the crisis moment in the exact middle of the novel, the turning point between Acts II and III, and at the climax. The revelation of the secret can drive one of those crucial moments or the secret can be revealed by those events. You may also choose to reveal a secret at other times, particularly when the revelation serves to build relationships. In In Perfect Time, Kay reveals her secret at the end of Act I. However, the hero, C-47 pilot Lt. Roger Cooper, reveals his secret to Kay in a quieter friendship-building scene early in Act II—but Kay’s knowledge of that secret drives the novel’s midpoint crisis.

A Slow Revelation

Sometimes the reader knows the secret from the beginning. But when the character conceals her secret from the reader, clues need to be dropped to build the mystery. When the secret comes out, you don’t want the reader to feel cheated and say, “What? How could that be?” But you also don’t want them to say, “Duh. Saw that a mile away.” Instead, you want them to say, “Ah ha. Now I understand.” Carefully spaced, carefully worded clues intrigue the reader. Sometimes I list or highlight all those clues in the manuscript and examine them. Do they tell enough? Too much? Should I pare them back? Or do I need more? The best time to drop clues is when the character is unguarded, due to stress, grief, anger, or intimacy.

How to Reveal?

Sometimes secrets are wrested out into the open against the character’s will. Sometimes they are revealed by trauma, when the character’s defenses fall and she spills her heart. Sometimes characters deliberately reveal their secrets to shock or repel people. And sometimes characters reveal their secrets in sweet moments of trust and friendship. What works best for your story?

The Consequences

Now her secret is out. Does this bring utter devastation as her world falls apart? Does it drive away her friends and loved ones? Does it bring closeness and deeper friendship? Remember, different people respond in different ways. The same secret may lead one person to reject her and another to embrace her. Ultimately, if you are writing a story about hope and honesty and faith, the long-term consequences of the revelation should bring healing for the character.

Do you like to use secrets in your novels? Do you have any tips to share?

Bio:

Sarah Sundin is the author of six historical novels, including In Perfect Time (Revell, August 2014). Her novel On Distant Shores was a double finalist for the 2014 Golden Scroll Awards. Sarah lives in northern California with her husband and three children, works on-call as a hospital pharmacist, and teaches Sunday school and women’s Bible studies.

Social media links

Website: http://www.sarahsundin.com

Blog: http://www.sarahsundin.com/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SarahSundinAuthor 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahsundin 

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahsundin 

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If You Give a Character a Lie by Author Beth Vogt

Beth K. Vogt is a nonfiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an air force physician who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. She’s discovered that God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.”

If you give a character a Lie that is tied to some Dark Moment in his past. . .he is going to believe it.

And if he believes it … he is going to act certain ways in both his relationships with people and with God.

And if his relationships with people and with God are influenced by a Lie he believes, than he’s going to make mistakes – both with the people he loves and the God who loves him.

With that brief nod to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by children’s author Laura Numeroff, let’s talk about why lies can be good things – at least within the context of writing compelling characters.

We are taught early and often that it’s wrong to tell lies, but it’s not until much later in life that we are taught not to embrace lies. But by then, it’s too late – we’ve listened to lies about ourselves and believe them to be true.

While we often carry around a multitude of lies-that-we-believe-are-true, there is usually one lie – the LIE – that affects us more than all the others. This Lie is created by some sort of Dark Moment in our past – an experience that wounded us emotionally and possibly physically.

Let me specific:

In 2007, a life-threatening illness took me down for months. In the early days of the illness, my doctor-husband closed down his practice and stayed with me around the clock. My fever was almost 104 and at times I didn’t recognize him. Here’s what we didn’t realize until 18 months ago: In the midst of all the fear and stress and questions, our then six-year-old daughter sat outside my bedroom door, waiting for her daddy to come out and tell her that I had died. 

Dark Moment for my daughter? Yes.

And the Lie she believes because of that incident six years ago is that I’m going to leave her – at any time, without notice. If my husband and I allow our daughter to continue believing this Lie instead of reassuring her, praying with her, telling her who God is – that Dark Moment could affect her relationships with both God and others.

Now let’s talk about when lies are good. Your fictional characters need to believe a Lie – and you, as the author, need to know what the Lie is. 

Your character’s past – who  they were before they appeared on page one of your manuscript – determines why they say certain things. Why they make certain decisions. Why they stiff-arm God. Why they want nothing to do with love.

Think of wrapping a thin piece of rope around a wooden top and then releasing it to spin, spin, spin … and topple. The rope represents your character’s Lie. The Lie influences your character’s choices and beliefs because they believe the Lie is true. 

In Catch a Falling Star, my latest release, my heroine Kendall believes the Lie that she will never be picked. Why? Because she had severe childhood asthma, and was one of those kids in school who was never picked in gym class. Her Dark Moment, which involved her high school hopes for romance, proved the “I’ll never be picked” Lie in the worst possible way.  

Forget the adage not to tell lies. As an author, you want to craft characters that readers care about. One key to doing that is to create the Lies your hero and heroine believe. You understand how one major Lie affects them – emotionally and spiritually. Use the Lie to deepen your story. Then weave in the spiritual truth and allow God to heal the Lie. You’ve created true-to-life fictional characters. After all, we’ve all believed lies. And we know the release – the freedom – in discovering and embracing the truth.

What about you? Are you telling your imaginary characters lies?

Return Friday for a chance to win a copy of Beth's latest release "Catch a Falling Star."

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Author Karen Witemeyer: Using Fresh Comparisons to Deepen POV

Two-time RITA® Finalist and winner of the coveted HOLT Medallion, CBA bestselling author, Karen Witemeyer, writes historical romance fiction for Bethany House, believing that the world needs more happily-ever-afters. She is an avid cross-stitcher, shower singer, and bakes a mean apple cobbler. Karen makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.   

There are many craft techniques that go into the art of writing in deep POV. One of my favorite, however, is one that doesn't get much press—writing fresh comparisons.

When an author writes in deep POV, the narrative is no longer in her voice but in the voice of the POV character. So it only makes sense that when a comparison is used for descriptive flair, it should relate to something that would naturally occur to the POV character, something unique to his personality and background. 

If your hero is a western cowboy, the comparisons that mean something to him will be far different from those of a British nobleman. Similes, metaphors, analogies—all can be given a fresh spin that enhance your character's voice.

This takes work and creativity. Clichés are nearly always the first comparisons to come to mind when we write. Don't accept that lazy road. Work to make your analogies unique to your POV character. In doing so, you will deepen the POV and create memorable moments for your reader.

Examples:

I've chosen some examples from my latest release, Short-Straw Bride, to demonstrate. Note the differences between the hero and heroine's choice of comparisons. They both draw from their personal knowledge, Travis from his ranching background and Meredith from her more feminine perspective. 

Travis:

The curves she sported now were definitely new, but the determination and bravery he remembered clung to her bearing like a grass burr to a pant leg. 

All through dinner, Everett Hayes's demand hung over the Archer table like a boulder perched on an eroding precipice.

Meredith's words came back to him, flaying his defenses like a skinning knife cutting away a hide.

His wet trousers made the going slower than he would have liked, though, clinging to him like a bunch of woolen leeches.

Meredith:

Hiram's face scrunched up like a pumpkin that had started to rot.

Guilt pricked at Meredith like a row of sewing pins protruding through her corset seam.

An odd gesture for a man who wore authority like a well broken in hat.

Then he laced his fingers through hers and tugged her into his side in a motion so natural, it felt like a well-rehearsed dance instead of a spontaneous improvisation.

The way you craft your comparisons flavors the narrative in a way that will help your reader more deeply relate to your characters and keep your author voice from intruding. It will give your writing a freshness that will make it stand out from the crowd.

In my current work in progress, I have three POV characters: the hero, the heroine, and the heroine's father. In one scene, the heroine is racing on horseback to reach her father who is out with the cattle. We are in the father's POV, and as he notes her racing in, he makes a comparison.

Now, as I wrote this scene, the first comparison that came to mind was that she rode as if a pack of wild dogs were on her tail. This, of course, is a cliché. I searched and searched for a better simile. I came up blank. Finally, I dug deeper into who my POV character was. He is an ex-outlaw who's eluded the law for two decades. He's gone straight, but that outlaw blood still runs through his veins. As I pondered this character trait, the perfect comparison finally came to mind.

He twisted his neck to the side to work out a kink, and caught sight of his daughter riding down upon them as if a hangin' posse were in pursuit.

Not only does this analogy capture the POV character's personality, but it deepens the POV because that isn't something I as the author would say in narration. But it is exactly what an ex-outlaw would use as a descriptor were he relating the story.

You can practice this on your own. Take a clichéd comparison and rework it with your own character in mind. Here are some to choose from:

Light as a feather

Strong as an ox

Melted like butter

Stubborn as a mule

Leave a comment with a short descriptor of your character and your reworked cliché. The one I like best will win a copy of Short-Straw Bride.

I can't wait to see what you come up with! 


Website:http://www.karenwitemeyer.com 
Blog: http://petticoatsandpistols.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karen.witemeyer
 

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Characterization 101 ~ First Impressions

I have a friend who tends to write her female characters too harshly. Because of this, her critique group will often express how much they dislike her heroine. It's a problem I also struggled with as I developed characters in my early years of writing (okay, like last year). I can't tell you how many times I would re-write chapter one. Constantly tweaking dialogue and character qualities and. . .well, you get the point. Thankfully I have learned a trick that works to create a better first impression for my characters.

How do you write about a character who has issues in such a way that makes them likeable?

Think of their qualities.

Redeeming qualities, if you will. We all have them. What I have discovered as a writer is that it is possible to put off showing a characters dark side long enough to establish some good traits or tendencies. Instead of showing your shattered-heart heroine's bitter, impatient attitude toward others, because, afterall, that's how she really feels inside, give her a prop. Something that she cares deeply about, whether it be a dog, bird, or a hobby. Or maybe she is devoted to her aging mother. Whatever it is, be sure to show that soft side, then segue gently into showcasing her edginess.

First impressions count. If your reader doesn't like your character or make a connection, then you're sunk. Can you mix both elements? Edginess with redeeming qualities? I'm sure you can, but please be sure to let someone else, preferably more than two people, read your first chapter and give you feed back. If one of the three critiquers doesn't like your character then you might have a problem. But if two of three critters don't like your character, you *know* you have a problem. Of course, if all three unanimously hate your character. . .oh, dear. Back to square one.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

S. Dionne Moore is author of cozy mystery, Polly Dent Loses Grip, a 2010 Carol Award finalist, as well as several historical romances. Visit her at www.sdionnemoore.com.

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Characterization 101: Building Blocks

It is not hard to build good characters if we have the right tools and approach things logically. A list of what to consider:

1) The backstory of each character

2) MLR

3) Form of speech (according to education level)

4) How they are perceived by others (first impressions)

5) Genre

6) Character conflicts

7) Goal

8) Motivation

Since we have previously taught about the role of backstory and MLR we won't go there. Number 3 on our list is a very important tool to use while forming your characters. Afterall, you don't want your characters to all sound alike. The trick? Pay attention to your characters education level and backstory. Do they make use of pet phrases? Is there speech always informal? Do they tend to use more slang during times of stress or become more formal in their speech at those times?

What you don't want is two characters that sound alike. If possible, you can establish speech patterns for each character to such a degree that even without reader tags (he said, she said), the reader knows simply by the way the character is talking who is speaking. Think of Yoda from Star Wars. His speech was distinctive based on the kind of creature he was, and when reading the book, you would automatically know, just by Yoda's speech pattern, to whom the dialogue belonged. Does each character require that degree of variation? No. A few well-placed pet phrases or commonly used slang words can fit the bill.

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Characterization 101 ~ MLR: Most Likely Reader

We’ve discussed in our last two posts on characterization the need for our fictional characters to have diverse personality traits and to write about both their strengths and weaknesses in a way to connect with your MLR.

Before we go any further, lets untangle the web surrounding the question, “Who is my Most Likely Reader?” Think of your story. Who are the central characters and what are their ages? What is the theme of your story?

To clarify, let me use my first historical romance as an example. Promise of Tomorrow is a historical romance set in Johnstown, PA during the flood of 1889 that killed over 2,000 people. My central figures are Jack, a blue-collar worker at Cambria Iron Works and Alaina, a nanny for prominent members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. Since this is a romance, the central figures will be, of course, my hero and heroine. My theme is people being more important than things. This is also a Christian romance, which is important to know as well.

I don’t have statistics on hand, but Romance is driven by its broad appeal to women. No surprise there. So let’s say for example that an ABA romance enjoys the benefits of appealing to the (pulling a number out of thin air here) 40 million romance lovers in the world. Then a Christian themed romance will appeal to only a third of that number, narrowing the field of my potential readership significantly. Because my story features history, it will further divide my readership between those who love historicals and those who hate them.

Note: This alone should help young writers understand why it is important to appeal to as wide an audience as possible and why romance is a much more certain genre for any writer to publish in than, say, Christian paranormal.

Now let’s get back to finding our MLR. I see that my audience is comprised of history-loving romance readers. Most fall in the age range of 25-55. They are women. If my characters are older, the books would probably appeal less to the lower end of the age range than the higher, but the opposite, interestingly enough, is not true as long as the heroine shows signs of maturity. If my heroine is a flighty eighteen year old, this will turn off the more mature readers of my books.

Issues important to my MLR are not necessarily going to be related to current issues since I'm not writing contemporary, therefore I have some leeway in my choice of theme. I consider more what is important to the Christian in general, then what is going to be of utmost importance to the Christian woman specifically.

So why is this information important? When you do a market analysis for a publishing house, they will want to know that you've done your research and understand the needs of your target audience. It also, as I suggested earlier, makes it easier to market your books. In my case, I won't bother stopping a teenage guy and try to get him to purchase my books. Nor would I ask an adult male. But if I was writing a western themed romance and the guy was wearing a Stetson. . .

Now, I'll stop there before your head begins to whirl. If you have questions, post 'em and I'll answer as best I can.

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Characterization 101-Personalities (and how to drive your characters crazy!)

You know those people who drive you crazy? Yeah? Well, you need to have some of them in your book. You see, variety is key to a good story. It also helps set up personality conflicts. Know what I mean? Think Odd Couple. Oy, I just dated myself. But truly, Felix Unger and his polar opposite are the perfect example of a way to generate conflict using characterization.

Just like marriage is the blending of two personalities, fictional characters (especially in romance) should also discover ways to reconcile their differences. To learn the give and take of seeing things through someone else's eyes. Eventually, in your writing, if you work at it enough, the swapping of personality strengths and weaknesses between your characters will begin to make them multi-dimensional. Real.

Opposites *do* attract. Iron sharpeneth iron, and all that. In a romance particularly, and really in any genre, though to a lesser extent, these conflicts of personality can be an integral part of your story arc and produce many hurdles for the protaganist to overcome.

Think of the angst of someone who wants to learn to "get along" with someone else but doesn't know exactly how to go about it. What happens to this person? One of two things. Either he learns the process, or he gives up.

Characters who resist any chance at getting to know others (anti-social) can also be an interesting twist. Thrillers employ this type of character trait all the time in their villains.

What is one of the most interesting play of personalities that you've read in fiction?

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Characterization 101

Week before last, I asked you to consider what qualities make a character memorable and draw you to continue reading the book. The verdict?

Reasons we care:

*We care about a character because their issue mirrors something of our own life, thus a connection is made.
*The character has a goal that we deem worthy or noble.
*We see something in them the other characters do not see, pressing us to cheer for them.
*Sympathy for the character has been stirred because we know what they have experienced/endured (through well-laid snippets of backstory).
*Their goals and attitudes are similar to our own.

Unlike life, reading gives us the opportunity to not only see a characters reaction, but understand the basis for it. This is important to understand. In real life, we want others to judge us not by our actions but by our motives. The problem is life doesn’t afford the ability to explain our motive before we propagate a reaction that can be viewed negatively by others.

Now really think that through. It's a lot to comprehend. Perhaps an example will help.

Character A just screamed at her eight year old child for tripping and tearing a hole in the knee of her new pants. Viewed by a stranger in real life, Character A’s reaction to the child would be a big negative and there would be no second chances for Character A to redeem herself. How dare that woman scream at that poor kid. But in story, if we need to draw sympathy for the character in order to build a connection with the reader we simply show the course of her day. She just got fired and returned home early to find her husband in bed with another woman. Then, after crying and packing her husband out the door, her child’s bus pulls up ten minutes earlier than expected. . . Under these circumstances we can better come to terms with the reason why Character A might lash out at the child.

So writing as a whole allows us unique opportunity to create a character that we are sure will connect with our intended audience. We must learn how to manipulate information and interaction within a scene to show the best and justify the worst traits of our protagonists. And then, according to how many main characters you have, do this again for each of them. Easy-peasy, right?

Next week: Personalities (and how to drive your characters crazy!)

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