When I wrote my first novel which begat the next novel, which begat...yes this is how I seem to write. Am I alone in finishing a book, knowing it's rubbish but picking at the bones of it and creating another and another until, maybe, I'll have something that works?My first novel, Sitting Pretty, had three POVs all in first person present and each protagonist was me, me, me.
My current WIP has just one and I'm using third person which took a while to feel as intimate with. But unlike Sitting Pretty when I rushed to just finish a M/S, I know that I have to build believeable people and let a good deal of the plot come from them.
There are lists all over the internet of questions to ask your characters which is all well and good but you have to know your actors before you can answer these and how to you do this?
Once you do know them inside out, then you can reveal them by the actions, thoughts and words of other characters but until then, you - or rather me because you may know how to do this all ready - have to put them together.
I don't have this problem with all of the people in my book, but two or three of them are proving a nightmare. I have started to build one of the men by using bits and pieces of past boyfriends - ouch! And then I've added a bit of 'what ifs' so I'll just have to see how they go.
Until they are all comfy in their skins, I can't write any more or do any more plotting apart from a loose story arc. I need them to get their bottoms into gear so they can add the tension, my flabby plot so desperately needs.
I am an Aries. I have zero patience so perhaps I can be forgiven for being a bit snarly while they discover themselves? Oh, and any books you can recommend would be much appreciated. I have thought about one or two I've seen on Amazon.
Sorry about the stick people with their elephant ears. Poor things, no wonder my characters don't trust me.
I love your stick people! I'm an Aries too, and want everything to be sorted right now.
ReplyDeleteMy novels don't begat the next one, although it's probably because I do begat, but keep the same title, and just completely change the book every time I rewrite it. So it is begatting but in a slightly different way. Will we ever be happy with what we've written?
Books I can recommend are probably the ones you already have, Stephen King, On Writing; Robert McKee, Story, etc. I read, reread, and then can't remember everything I'm supposed to, and only think of it when the book is finished, again.
Debs - you do cheer me up. I forget everything I've read too even though I makes notes here, there and everywhere. I haven't read the Robert McKee and Story(?). Might have to fork out some more library money to order these in.
ReplyDeleteI've been hopeless at planning, structuring and all the things you're meant to do. I'm two chapters from the end now, but I know I'm going to have to go back and unpick so much. All my characters are quite eccentric and deeply flawed, so I've had fun letting them just get on and do strange things - although I do now have to try to pull all that together in a way that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteWe must all be feeling very writerly at the moment! I wrote a bit about characters this week too - totally agree with you about knowing them first. Have you signed up for A363?
ReplyDeleteHelen - I think letting your characters take the lead sounds like fun. Have they developed as they've gone along or did you 'know' them to begin with?
ReplyDeleteChrish - I am trying to feel writerly but it all seems so big and difficult to do.
ReplyDeleteI have indeed signed up for A636. While A is a student, the course is free so I am making the most of it.
I did do a fair bit of work on my main character at the start, and a few other characters started life in short stories I'd written previously, so I already knew a bit about them and their back story. Others I've just thrown in at the deep end and let them get on with it which has been good because they've gone on to do some realy interesting things.
ReplyDeleteHelenM - funny you should say that. I've been writing a short story featuring my antagonist so that I could get to know her as a child. Good fun but distracts me from the novel.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward very much, to reading your novel. Meanwhile I'm loving your shorts:)
Found you! Hadn't put your new blog on my google reader so completely lost. I've just got back from the Winchester writers' conference where about 5 different speakers talked about fully developing your characters first, else you'll find they don't fit your plot and you'll end up staring at a blank page in frustraton.
ReplyDeleteGot some fabulous advice there generally, but one of the character things was deciding what traits they have. Are they nosey, bear a grudge, patient, a perfectionist, do they sulk, generous to a fault etc etc. I thought that was a great starting point which would help you to decide how they'd react in lots of different situation. Or maybe picking a couple of traits and seeing where that would lead the character and if that works with the plot you have in mind. The first thing I'm going to do now is go back and further flesh out my main character. I thought I knew all about her, but on one of the courses I got grilled about what she wants from life, her goals and short term ambitions and got stumped!
I have a book by Nancy Kress called Dynamic Characters, which I find useful. She's written quite a few books on writing as well as some great novels.
I'm a Libra and I can never make decisions. Or I change my mind about a character and throw the whole thing off.
ReplyDeleteTaking bits of 'real' people is a good idea. I based Maud the kennel woman on a real kennel woman, but exaggerated her. The trouble is with that though, is that you can go too far and end up with a character that resembles a French and Saunders caricature, rather than a real person.
Am liking Denise's advice.
I love getting to know new characters. I try hard to be patient and to know them inside out before starting Chapter One. Doesn't always work, though.
ReplyDeletePat
There you are missis! I'll add you to my blog roll forthwith.
ReplyDeleteI don't really get to know my characters properly until I'm about halfway through, even if I plan them first, and then I have to go back and change things, but I do give my main character a major trait early on (insecure, uptight, or whatever) so I can check her behaviour is consistent throughout.
A good trick is to write your novel in a nutshell from each character's perspective to get their take on it, which I enjoy doing :o)
There's a good article here:
http://writingfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/characters_in_fiction
which leads to other articles on the same subject, which may or may not help.
And good luck :o)
Denise - sorry, I'm always getting lost. Hope Winchester was great. Next year...
ReplyDeleteLane - Ahh, that explains your lovely balanced personality and your penchant for pretty notebooks (I made that last bit up:))
Pat - But it's so hard to hold back isn't it? I think I'm getting more disciplined but only because it does make it easier if you have a rough idea what your people might do in any given situation.
Karen - so sorry, I thought you knew where my humble blog was. Great link, thank you.
I have found also that asking one character what he/she thinks of another, is quite illuminating too.
Multiple POVs is a bit of a bugbear. Can't give advice but maybe I can use some so I'm off to check that link.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes think about my character so often than I disconnect with real life. I think it makes the plot easier to plan if you base your characters just a little bit, on someone you have been associated with in life.
ReplyDeleteCJ xx
I liked what Kevin Brooks had to say about his character development, he just sits with them in his head waiting for them to grow until they just have to get out. As I recall he said he felt like he was possessed by one of his characters to the point that it felt quite scary. Having characters harass me in the middle of the night, I kind of know the feeling... Good luck with yours!
ReplyDeleteFia, thank you for stopping by the Herald blog today. Much appreciated!
ReplyDeleteHi, I found your blog by accident - but I immediately identified with your problems! I wrote a novel last year, first draft in 3 months, I think so fast so I wouldn't do what I always do. The characters change so much from the beginning to the middle I drift away at the end, wondering who these vivid, opinionated characters are that won't do what I tell them (they did at the beginning!) Sometimes, they even change their name, appearance and age. So I start again ... and the whole dreadful cycle begins again. I'm trying to plan my next book, but have absolutely no idea how to blend careful plotting and planning with the stream of consciousness, finding-out-as-I-go-along type of writing that is my style. Besides, earlier books cry out and grumble like unwanted children in the attic. I'm just about to start A215 and would welcome advice.
ReplyDeleteLiane - It is a good link, thanks again Karen. Looking forward to your next book, Liane.
ReplyDeleteCrystal - I know what you mean, I have to put on my earnest listening face when really I'm thinking about my protagonist and why she keeps playing me up.
Apsolute Vanilla - God that is scary but I'm sure it's effective. I've always had too big a cast before but am killing them off now.
Rebecca - thanks for dropping by. Can relate to everything you say. I have had to force myself to write as much about each character as I can and to think about them as often as I can but I do feel I know them reasonably well now which helps.
Planning - Oh God. Again I am very impatient and I know a lot of writers believe it kills creativity to plan but if, like me, you're a beginning writer I think you have to. My plans are edited almost daily and I have a template of a chapter breakdown which helps. Email me and I will try and send it to you.
Hi Fia, I just popped back to say I'm getting a bit fretful about the results this week, eeeeek!, and to wish you all the best!
ReplyDeleteChrisH - Wishing you all the best too - even though you didn't let me sit next to you and crib. Speaking of which hasn't the debate on How Publishing Really Works been scary? Very brave of the writers concerned but I think it had to be done. I read it all through my fingers.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to do everything the books/courses tell you to do. Sometimes you know your characters in advance and sometimes you just have to get to know them after writing about them for a while, I reckon. That's an interesting idea of Karen's about nutshell vp. Also Denise's comment made me think. Trouble is, if you think about writing too much, you don't actually do it.
ReplyDeleteThanks vm for visiting my blog.