Things I've Learned About Writing -- Keep your characters up to their eyeballs in trouble
I'm past the halfway point on The Trouble With Demons, and I thought I'd pass on something that I've learned over the years -- Always keep your characters up to their eyeballs in trouble, especially your main protagonist, in every chapter, and on every page.
I constantly ask myself the question: "How much worse can I make it for Raine?" I've found that if I don't need a yardstick to measure the crap, then Raine isn't in it deep enough. And since I have an ensemble cast: Mychael, Tam, Piaras, and Phaelan -- I try to keep the boys in just as much deep doo-doo.
Of course, I know that I have to find a way out for everyone, and that the way out can't be easy for them either. I've got a rule for Raine getting herself out of any sticky situation -- if she uses magic, it can get her out of that particular situation, but it gets her into more trouble down the road. I prefer for Raine to rely on her brain, not her magical brawn. And in each book, she's getting more magical mojo courtesy of the Saghred. There's the temptation (and need) to use it, but there's the greater need to not use it, and of course to get rid of it. And when she goes up against those who have more magical power/experience than she does, it's a blast to figure out a way for her to use brains and street smarts to defeat them.
So in every book/chapter/page, I'm going for the same thing with Raine (and my other main characters as well):
1. Get them in trouble.
2. Having them try to get out of trouble, find a solution to the problem, solve the crime, etc. propels the story forward. Each page must propel the story forward. I try to start each chapter with a hook, and end it with a cliffhanger.
3. The characters grow and change as a result of all of the above.
And a reminder of what's coming up for the rest of this week:
Name that character/actor: This "game" will run through Friday. When you all read MLTF, you probably thought of an actor or actress who would be great as that character. And as a writer, it helps me to visualize a character if I can put an actual face to the name. So if MLTF was ever going to be made into a movie, I already have some actors in mind for specific parts. Who do you see as Raine, Mychael, Tam, Piaras, Phaelan, Sarad Nukpana, Prince Chigaru, Garadin, Tarsilia, etc. ? Send your character/actor pairings to me all this week, and on Saturday, I'll give you my list. I've gotten some great ones so far. ; ) And if you can, when you send in a character/actor name, email me a pic to go with it.
Tomorrow or Friday, I'll post another "Things I've Learned About Writing." It's "Momentum matters and persistence pays."
And for those of you who have taken a holiday break from all blog reading, as a Christmas present to all of you, I posted Chapter 3 of Armed & Magical. Enjoy!
Lisa
I constantly ask myself the question: "How much worse can I make it for Raine?" I've found that if I don't need a yardstick to measure the crap, then Raine isn't in it deep enough. And since I have an ensemble cast: Mychael, Tam, Piaras, and Phaelan -- I try to keep the boys in just as much deep doo-doo.
Of course, I know that I have to find a way out for everyone, and that the way out can't be easy for them either. I've got a rule for Raine getting herself out of any sticky situation -- if she uses magic, it can get her out of that particular situation, but it gets her into more trouble down the road. I prefer for Raine to rely on her brain, not her magical brawn. And in each book, she's getting more magical mojo courtesy of the Saghred. There's the temptation (and need) to use it, but there's the greater need to not use it, and of course to get rid of it. And when she goes up against those who have more magical power/experience than she does, it's a blast to figure out a way for her to use brains and street smarts to defeat them.
So in every book/chapter/page, I'm going for the same thing with Raine (and my other main characters as well):
1. Get them in trouble.
2. Having them try to get out of trouble, find a solution to the problem, solve the crime, etc. propels the story forward. Each page must propel the story forward. I try to start each chapter with a hook, and end it with a cliffhanger.
3. The characters grow and change as a result of all of the above.
And a reminder of what's coming up for the rest of this week:
Name that character/actor: This "game" will run through Friday. When you all read MLTF, you probably thought of an actor or actress who would be great as that character. And as a writer, it helps me to visualize a character if I can put an actual face to the name. So if MLTF was ever going to be made into a movie, I already have some actors in mind for specific parts. Who do you see as Raine, Mychael, Tam, Piaras, Phaelan, Sarad Nukpana, Prince Chigaru, Garadin, Tarsilia, etc. ? Send your character/actor pairings to me all this week, and on Saturday, I'll give you my list. I've gotten some great ones so far. ; ) And if you can, when you send in a character/actor name, email me a pic to go with it.
Tomorrow or Friday, I'll post another "Things I've Learned About Writing." It's "Momentum matters and persistence pays."
And for those of you who have taken a holiday break from all blog reading, as a Christmas present to all of you, I posted Chapter 3 of Armed & Magical. Enjoy!
Lisa
posted by Lisa Shearin at
8:13 AM
4 Comments:
Love the advice about torturing your character. However, I have seen stories where either it was too much, or it was too obvious, e.g., you could see the author/screenwriter at work trying to torture their characters. I don't know if you've seen these movies, but some prime examples are in "The Children of Men" and "The Pursuit of Happyness." Now, I enjoyed these movies, but, maybe it was just because I'm a writer, but the putting the protagonists in constant trouble seemed a little over the top.
Great comment, Bill! I agree completely. I've put down books where the protag has one torment after another endlessly heaped on their head. And much of the torment has little to do with developing the story. Like you said, it's like the author is just trying to torture their character (and the reader). Annoys the heck out of me. But what annoys me the most is that the character has no way to take control of their situation.
Each situation I put Raine in serves to build the story (at least that's my intent). ; ) And though Raine's troubles build on each other, she does escape one before I hit her with something else. But most of all, she fights for control of her situation. She may lose it briefly, but she always takes it back. No one else gives it to her -- she takes it back herself. And rather than feeling defeated, Raine meets trouble head on, feels challenged by it, and through it all never loses her sense of humor.
I tried to do this in one of my novels. Tory gets her nose broken, a gun pulled on her, shot at, on the bad side of a corrupt police officer, on the bad side of a jealous thief, plus more, and all through this she is wanted for a crime she did not commit. It's fun.
I try to have some kind of action on every page, and if two characters are talking, that dialogue has to be compelling and move the story forward.
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