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Writing Help--Characters

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  • #16
    Originally posted by Zymologist View Post
    It's a fantasy, roughly, but I am also inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, so it's a bit of a genre mash-up. I suppose you could loosely call it a fantasy with horror elements. You?
    Also fantasy. One set in the modern, real world with fantasy elements, the other more "high fantasy" like Lord of the Rings.

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    • #17
      Originally posted by Zymologist View Post
      Hey all, I'm looking for suggestions.

      As some of you may know, I've been trying to write a novel for like two years now. Only recently have I actually gotten a well-rounded plot for this thing, so now I think I've really got something worth writing here.

      ...However, now my problem is with characters. I have two protagonists in mind (one primary one), which came about naturally by way of their fit within the plot. I also have two (likely) antagonists in mind. My issue is with my protagonists, and imbuing them with life. I'm not sure how to go about this. Does anyone have any suggestions, preferred methods, etc.?

      I've considered filling out one of those character sheets you can find online, but those seem...of suspicious usefulness. Especially the ones that ask for your character's eye color and favorite ice cream, or whatever. Have any of you found anything of value?
      I think character sheets are counterproductive. At best, they can frame aspects you might want to develop, but filling them in sterilizes the character by mixing inconsequential aspects with aspects that are important to the story. A character should be given "blue eyes" only if having "blue eyes" advances its development, in my opinion.

      You've got a plot, and a couple of heros and villains to drive it. If you want to fill them out, set them free in sketches outside the plot lines. It doesn't just round out the characters; it also creates a ready cache of quotes for chapter starts.


      There's a plot:

      Jill, the vixen, is planning a tumble down the hill with Jack.


      There's a sketch:

      Mornings at the farmstead were a febrile cacophony of motion, with Jill directing a chorus of unwilling chore slayers. "Get your sweet buns into that oven, Jack, and stoke it before the fire burns low. Mallory, quit your dawdlin' with those boots before I plant one of mine where it'll get your attention. Breakfast wants eggs. Get 'em. Wood, Samantha. We need wood split, likely more than you need your tail switched, but feel free to test that."



      And then there's the sketch as used in the story:

      Chapter 1: Climbing the Hill
      Mornings at the farmstead were a febrile cacophony of motion, with Jill directing a chorus of unwilling chore slayers. "Get your sweet buns into that oven, Jack, and stoke it before the fire burns low. Mallory, quit your dawdlin' with those boots before I plant one of mine where it'll get your attention. Breakfast wants eggs. Get 'em. Wood, Samantha. We need wood split, likely more than you need your tail switched, but feel free to test that."


      "Jack, would you be a doll and help me bring a pail of water down the hill?"

      Jack turned a suspicious eye toward his cousin. A fawning request from Jill was as likely as the primped up petticoat she'd chosen that morning. But willing agreement with Jill had a better history than unwilling agreement, and disagreement with Jill was never an option.

      "Sure 'nuff, cous'," said Jack, "Nothing better to do," thinking offhand of half a dozen, starting with driving nails through his wrists and ankles.

      Wrapping a hand inside his elbow and squeezing close, "I could think of something," she said. "But there's a hill that needs climbing first."
      Last edited by Juvenal; 04-04-2015, 09:01 AM.

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      • #18
        Originally posted by lao tzu View Post
        I think character sheets are counterproductive. At best, they can frame aspects you might want to develop, but filling them in sterilizes the character by mixing inconsequential aspects with aspects that are important to the story. A character should be given "blue eyes" only if having "blue eyes" advances its development, in my opinion.

        You've got a plot, and a couple of heros and villains to drive it. If you want to fill them out, set them free in sketches outside the plot lines. It doesn't just round out the characters; it also creates a ready cache of quotes for chapter starts.


        There's a plot:

        Jill, the vixen, is planning a tumble down the hill with Jack.


        There's a sketch:

        Mornings at the farmstead were a febrile cacophony of motion, with Jill directing a chorus of unwilling chore slayers. "Get your sweet buns into that oven, Jack, and stoke it before the fire burns low. Mallory, quit your dawdlin' with those boots before I plant one of mine where it'll get your attention. Breakfast wants eggs. Get 'em. Wood, Samantha. We need wood split, likely more than you need your tail switched, but feel free to test that."



        And then there's the sketch as used in the story:

        Chapter 1: Climbing the Hill
        Mornings at the farmstead were a febrile cacophony of motion, with Jill directing a chorus of unwilling chore slayers. "Get your sweet buns into that oven, Jack, and stoke it before the fire burns low. Mallory, quit your dawdlin' with those boots before I plant one of mine where it'll get your attention. Breakfast wants eggs. Get 'em. Wood, Samantha. We need wood split, likely more than you need your tail switched, but feel free to test that."


        "Jack, would you be a doll and help me bring a pail of water down the hill?"

        Jack turned a suspicious eye toward his cousin. A fawning request from Jill was as likely as the primped up petticoat she'd chosen that morning. But willing agreement with Jill had a better history than unwilling agreement, and disagreement with Jill was never an option.

        "Sure 'nuff, cous'," said Jack, "Nothing better to do," thinking offhand of half a dozen, starting with driving nails through his wrists and ankles.

        Wrapping a hand inside his elbow and squeezing close, "I could think of something," she said. "But there's a hill that needs climbing first."
        So...when can we read your Jack and Jill novel?
        I DENOUNCE DONALD J. TRUMP AND ALL HIS IMMORAL ACTS.

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        • #19
          Originally posted by Zymologist View Post
          So...when can we read your Jack and Jill novel?
          I suspect some of our TWebbettes have already read my work unawares.

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          • #20
            I think you should also include 'voice' in your sketch. How does the character talk? Sophisticated or common? Use profanity or avoid it? Educated or not? Normal or not for the s/e class they come from? (Why not if not?) Quirks like never using contractions? Favorite phrases? (Rex Stout's Saul Panzer was introduced in the series as always saying the phrase 'lovin' babe'; Archie Goodwin makes a point of mentioning the habit. Panzer used it maybe four times in two books and never said it again in the entire 73 book series that I can find!) Other verbal or writing habits?
            "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

            "Forgiveness is the way of love." Gary Chapman

            My Personal Blog

            My Novella blog (Current Novella Begins on 7/25/14)

            Quill Sword

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            • #21
              Originally posted by Teallaura View Post
              I think you should also include 'voice' in your sketch. How does the character talk? Sophisticated or common? Use profanity or avoid it? Educated or not? Normal or not for the s/e class they come from? (Why not if not?) Quirks like never using contractions? Favorite phrases? (Rex Stout's Saul Panzer was introduced in the series as always saying the phrase 'lovin' babe'; Archie Goodwin makes a point of mentioning the habit. Panzer used it maybe four times in two books and never said it again in the entire 73 book series that I can find!) Other verbal or writing habits?
              That's a good idea, since it's important to differentiate between character's styles. I'm going to have to think about that.
              I DENOUNCE DONALD J. TRUMP AND ALL HIS IMMORAL ACTS.

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              • #22
                "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

                "Forgiveness is the way of love." Gary Chapman

                My Personal Blog

                My Novella blog (Current Novella Begins on 7/25/14)

                Quill Sword

                Comment


                • #23
                  I've decided that I'm going to write every day. I'm not setting any word goals, because those seem counterproductive to me, but I'm going to write for a minimum of 10 minutes every day. Doesn't sound like much, but I know that if I do that, I will stay motivated to continue and will make appreciable progress. It's also an easily achievable goal. Just putting this here as a sort of reminder to myself.
                  I DENOUNCE DONALD J. TRUMP AND ALL HIS IMMORAL ACTS.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Originally posted by Zymologist View Post
                    I've decided that I'm going to write every day. I'm not setting any word goals, because those seem counterproductive to me, but I'm going to write for a minimum of 10 minutes every day. Doesn't sound like much, but I know that if I do that, I will stay motivated to continue and will make appreciable progress. It's also an easily achievable goal. Just putting this here as a sort of reminder to myself.
                    I once read something from another author who said that you must force yourself to write every day, even if it's just a sentence. At least you wrote.

                    "Fire is catching. If we burn, you burn with us!"
                    "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay here and cause all kinds of trouble."
                    Katniss Everdeen


                    Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast.

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                    • #25
                      Originally posted by One Bad Pig View Post
                      I dunno, I wouldn't hold up David Edding's work as great writing.
                      I'm not saying they're good or bad, But the Riven Codex includes some tools that are useful
                      Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
                      1 Corinthians 16:13

                      "...he [Doherty] is no historian and he is not even conversant with the historical discussions of the very matters he wants to pontificate on."
                      -Ben Witherington III

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