Air your characters' dirty laundry
Running short on inspiration? Look into your characters' pasts and air that dirty laundry.
Like real people, all characters have pasts. We may think we know what they are, but you'll find as you spend more and more time with your characters, more events from their pasts reveal themselves. Getting to know a character is just like getting to know a person you've just met -- they'll tell you some things about themselves, later some past indiscretions might come to light, and sometimes you just have to do some good old-fashioned snooping. If you're lucky, you'll find some skeletons in your characters' closets.
I'm still finding out all of what Tam did while he was the goblin queen's right-hand mage and magical enforcer. And I thought Mychael's past was completely above board. Nope. The man has a past and for the safety of a lot of people (including himself), he needs to keep it hidden. Naturally, Raine will find out what it is. Uncovering secrets that want to stay covered is yet another Benares family skill. ; )
Some of what's coming in the two weeks:
Lisa
Like real people, all characters have pasts. We may think we know what they are, but you'll find as you spend more and more time with your characters, more events from their pasts reveal themselves. Getting to know a character is just like getting to know a person you've just met -- they'll tell you some things about themselves, later some past indiscretions might come to light, and sometimes you just have to do some good old-fashioned snooping. If you're lucky, you'll find some skeletons in your characters' closets.
I'm still finding out all of what Tam did while he was the goblin queen's right-hand mage and magical enforcer. And I thought Mychael's past was completely above board. Nope. The man has a past and for the safety of a lot of people (including himself), he needs to keep it hidden. Naturally, Raine will find out what it is. Uncovering secrets that want to stay covered is yet another Benares family skill. ; )
Some of what's coming in the two weeks:
- How to keep a story believable
- Keep the action going
- Real dialogue for realistic characters
- Say no to "info dump"
- Start with a hook, end with a cliffhanger
- Let every scene advance the plot
- Never stop learning
Lisa
posted by Lisa Shearin at
8:09 AM
6 Comments:
Oooh, I like this approach. It makes the character's more 3 dimensional and interesting.
Thanks, Jen! It's amazing what comes to the surface once you start digging into your characters' pasts.
genius idea for sequels! i like it :)
Rachel, it's certainly given me some great ideas for future books. ; )
Yay! (about the snippet)Thank you thank you thank you! *grin quietly to my self - you just cheered me up*
And that isn't very nice, to tell us about his past! Mychael's, I mean. I'm just kidding, but now I am full of anticipation, and it might not even be in TTWD! It will drive me crazy.
But that's okay, I'm used to it. I am far happier with you telling me than with you hinting at some completely obscure something, or not mentioning it at all.
So thanks! Dirty laundrey, dirty laundrey... I should find some of that...
LOL! Glad I could cheer you up. ; )
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