Two Articles About Character Creation

I wrote two articles about character creation that I think (and hope) might be of help to people out there struggling with the topics the articles cover. Both articles have been published at Writinghood.com, so I'll merely link them here. (Expect a regular full post soon.)

1. Crafting Great Heroes and Villains

Creating epic heroes and villains is a difficult task. Many writers struggle with it, particularly in the fantasy genre, because they have a lot to live up to (think Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader). This article sheds light on how to achieve the epic heroes and villains you desire.

2. The Dos and Dont's of Naming a Character

Naming a character is one of the most difficult aspects of character creation. Their name is, more often than not, the first thing that represents them to the world. Even people who've never read the Harry Potter books know who Harry Potter is. A name is oh-so important; what's even more important is not to make any naming mistakes you'll kick yourself for later.

Personally, naming characters is the one thing I can say, with all confidence, I excel at. That's not to toot my own horn. It's just that every writer must know their own strengths in order to succeed. I hope my experience will benefit some people out there. (Just as I hope the experiences of many of you other writers will benefit me.)

Again, look forward to a regular post to be posted sometime later today.

How to Get Motivated Enough to Write (even when you're tired, sick, or braindead)

Image via Wikipedia

Most writers are self-employed -- especially those book-type writers who write those big ol' long chapters and agonize over subtext. Even freelancers are technically self-employed. They hire themselves out for a specific job, and when it's over, they move on to the next.

What most people don't realize about being self-employed is: you are your own boss. Nobody is in charge of you but you. There is nobody there holding your hand. Your successes and failures are all dependent on YOU.

That said: how do you motivate yourself? After all, the threat of being fired by yourself isn't really that terrifying. Some people even think "Ah well, I'll get by (financially) this month without my writing." Even though writing is your job, there is (or at least there should be) more to it than that. You should do it because you love it. There should be a passion for it, a burning deep within your soul that proclaims: “If I don’t write this down, I will suffocate and/or spontaneously combust.”

But even those who are all lovey-dovey with the concept of writing thousands of words a day (in coherent sentences, nonetheless) are often apt to proclaim loudly to the heavens: "But I don't FEEL like it today!"

And here's the thing: when people who love writing go ages without actually doing it, they feel this unexplainable emptiness in their hearts. A lack of writing is crushing to the soul. Writers must write. It’s in their DNA. They’re obsessed with it, and obsessions tend to lead to compulsions.

So, without further ado, here are ten important reasons and tips for keeping yourself motivated and focused on writing:

1. Writing is the perfect way to vent your frustrations about your idiotic best friend.

2. It’s a proven fact that using your mind constantly keeps you young. Writing (and utilizing languages in general) is a perfect way to do that.

3. You have a story to tell and you MUST tell it, or else you will simply curl up in the fetal position. If you don’t get it out of you, thirty years from now, you’ll be telling your children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren “I could’ve been a contender”.

4. You are a valid and productive person. People care about what you have to say. (Or at least the intelligent ones are willing to hear you out.)


Image via Wikipedia

5. You get to reward yourself with a piece of nice, healthy dark chocolate after each chapter you finish in a day. (*Note: that is no reason to write thirty one-page Dan Brown-like chapters and eat thirty pieces of chocolate in return. That’s abusing the system.)

6. You know that if you write the chapter that is nagging you, you’ll get to move on to another chapter that you’ve been looking forward to. (You can always go back and revise the nagging chapter once you finally spit it out.)

7. Accomplishing something is good for your brain and soul. It makes you happy. Happy people release endorphins that make them even happier, which reduces stress and anxiety, as well has high blood pressure.

8. Each day you write, you’re one step closer to publication.

9. Prioritize. How important is writing to you? For most writers, writing comes only behind their chosen deity (if they’re religious), their family, and their health. Only let things more important than writing deter you from actually writing, if writing is your dream. Don’t let a bad day get you down.

10. Talk to your support system. Most writers have family and friends that understand that writing is their passion and their business and are very supportive. Lean on them during troubling times so that you might move on and get back to doing what you love.

Image via Wikipedia

To the Kings and Queens of Three-Word Sentences: Stop It!

Never underestimate the power of a good narrative. No matter how good the idea for your story is or how engaging you think your characters are, the narrative has to be there.

When writing, it's very important to develop a certain flow. I don't claim to have mastered this myself (I think there are even famous writers out there who haven't done such a good job either), but I know what works and what doesn't.

Example of a no-no:

I went to the mall today. I wanted to look for something nice to wear for my date. I didn't find anything. Then I ran into my friend Leslie. She was very mad about something her boyfriend said.

Okay, it's a very short snippet. Even though it shows action, it's not very good. Worse still: it's as dull as dirt. Reading it, you're probably thinking the same thing. And there are many reasons for that.

The flow is poor. The paragraph has an awful flow, mainly because the sentences don't vary in length and the word "I" is said far too much.

Rules to make this better:

1. Never overuse the word "I" or any other noun or pronoun. It makes the flow choppy and uninteresting. Furthermore, it gives the idea that someone without a strong command of their native tongue wrote it.

2. If all of your sentences are roughly the same length, it further adds to choppy-ness. Just refer back to the paragraph. They're all about the same length. When you read it, it forms an annoying rhythm or cadence in your head. That being said, don't make all of your sentences too long either. That also annoys the reader.

Remedy: Mix things up in a natural way by making your sentences vary in length. If you listen to yourself speaking, you don't speak in such a stilted manner. Some of your sentences are long; others are short. If you speak correctly (or close enough) aloud, try writing as though you're talking. That's what I've always done. Sometimes it leads to grammatical errors, but it definitely helps with flow. (Errors can be fixed during your revision process.)

Another thing -- and this is something that every writer should know -- is that when you write something that you intend others to read, read it out loud! I can't stress it enough. When you read it aloud, you will perceive it similarly to the way your readers will. And more often than not, if there's a glaring problem with flow, you'll find yourself all like "wtf, mate?".

There's still some more things wrong with the paragraph though. It's boring. Yes, there is action. But it's boring. It's not something someone would want to read -- and that's the thing, isn't it? You, as a writer, have to make people want to read your work. They aren't just going to read it because you worked long and hard on it. Even your friends won't read it if it's dull. That's just how it goes.

So, the remedy? Add description. Describe the scene and use words that pop to enhance visualization and add substance and relevance. If you do this, it'll make your reader want to read more.

Here is where I try to fix the paragraph using the rules and remedies I laid out:

I went to the mall around two o'clock this afternoon to look for something to wear for my date with Billy. Eternity was spent going through every store, thumbing through endless racks, and hoping for something that would make him drool -- something so edible it'd make him want to rip it off with his teeth.

By four o'clock, my search was still fruitless. Perhaps I was picky, or perhaps my local mall had a narrow selection. Either way, the situation remained the same and our date was in less than three hours. Just as I was drowning myself in my own sorrows, I ran into Leslie. Her face was bright red and her fists were clinched. She began muttering about Algernon and I resolved to listen, as the prospect of finding the perfect dress in time was completely and utterly hopeless.

Okay, so it's not a good or interesting fix, but I did use my rules while still keeping the general meaning of the "no-no" example! Even though my improved example was not great, you can still see that it is, in fact, improved. I added length and details to my story to make it more readable. Better still, since it's a first person narrative, I wrote it in the way the character might speak. That automatically allows the writer to vary the length of their sentence in a very organic way.

In the revised version, you learn more about the protagonist -- not only about what she's doing, and what her angle is, but also how she thinks. You know what she wants: she wants to find a dress so pretty as to make Billy rip it off with his teeth. And she can't find the dress. But the details give the reader the sense of conflict that they didn't in the first example. And if you can only remember one thing about story writing, remember: There has got to be conflict!

If you go through your story and find it reads very much like my first example, apply my rules and just see if it helps. Add descriptions and use words that force the scene to pop into the reader's head. If you do, you will be pleased with the results.


******Author's Note: ******

This is a re-posting of a post from a previous (now defunct) blog of mine, but it's a topic I wanted to address here. It was written September of 2008, a year ago. Do you think my style has changed since then?

Beating Writer's Block: Making Changes (and how to apply them)

As writers, we are innately prone to brain lock. Our brains just fizzle up and all of the sudden -- nothing. Not a word. No thought, no plot, no sound, no muse, no nerve impulses – nothing. Our brains refuse to make a connection to our fingertips and we fall prey to what is, naturally, our worst enemy: writer’s block.

Writer’s block is a scary thing. Writers depend on writing to make money. When we can no longer process words or write a single sentence, that’s an extremely scary ordeal. Writer’s block is the writer’s version of depression; in fact, many writers feel depressed when they experience it. They feel as though all of their creativity has died. But feel is the key word in that sentence. Their creativity is still there; it’s merely locked deep inside their cerebellum or something (I don’t really know – I’m not a brain surgeon).

Unlocking Your Brain

The simplest way to unlock your brain and beat writer’s block (with a shovel) is to make some changes. Changes are simple to make. Nobody stagnates; humans are constantly changing. The key is to know how/when/where/why to do it.

Knowing how to change might seem like an abstract concept, but it really isn’t. Whatever you’re doing right now, do the opposite. If you’re the type of writer who literally sits in front of the computer all the time, typing away, your brain is probably overworked. Back away slowly from the computer (pry your fingers form the keyboard if need be) and then run far, far away and head straight to the nearest television. Do NOT watch TV on your computer (sorry Hulu fans). Watch an actual TV. Don’t read, because that keeps your mind in the whole literary mode. Dumb yourself down and watch some good old-fashioned television.

Watch whatever you like – it doesn’t matter. Let what you are watching seep into your mind and consume it. Suffering from writer’s block is the only time when it’s excusable to become a zombie television-watcher. If you’re lucky, what you’re watching will inspire you. You can’t copy it, obviously; that would be plagiarism. But let what you’re seeing expand your mind. It’ll free you and relax you; when that happens, ideas will start to seep in. Write your ideas down, but don’t write the full-on story just let. Allow yourself to mull it over in your brain. If you’re so addicted to the idea that you can’t leave it alone, you’re ready to get back to the business of writing.

The Other Type of Writer

On the opposite end of the workaholic writer, we have the mellow one, the type of writer who piddles around the house all day making tea (or coffee) until finally, an idea strikes them and they write. Still, this type of writer can also suffer writer’s block. And still yet, this type of writer can also overcome it; however, the way they are most likely to overcome it is rather different from the former example.

The mellow type of writer who happens to be a writer’s block sufferer does best when they put their butt in gear and get to work. This type of writer is too relaxed and need’s a good kick in the pants to get their ideas rolling. A mellow writer needs to actively search for ideas to unlock their brain. They need to get online and look at pictures, videos, read fanfics even – anything that makes them think and sparks an idea.

The Main Point in Beating Writer’s Block

The best remedy for overcoming writer’s block is to get ideas flowing and get yourself into a state of mind where you are capable of writing them down coherently. Play around with each method, or you can even invent your own. Find out what works for you and you’ll be saying adios to writer’s block woe in no time.

How to Start a Novel: Getting Started and World-Building

Beginning writers are often daunted by the task of starting their first novel; however, it's a lot easier than you might think. The key, as with all writing, is to keep it simple. By taking an uncomplicated approach, you keep your ideas clean and fluid. Later on, you can further complicate your novel and enrich it by adding more detailed plots and other devices to help it come alive more fully.

Getting Started

The very first thing you need to do is have an initial concept. Often, the idea will just pop into your head. It will come suddenly, an epiphany, and you'll say "Hey, I need to write this down!"

Unfortunately, however, that's not always the case. Some writers go into writing knowing they want to write, but haven't yet found their story.

Find Your Story

Think of what inspires you. What are you interested in? What moves you so much that you would spend hours upon hours (perhaps even years) writing it?

Say science fiction is your passion. That's a great start. Expand on that concept. What about sci-fi do you like? What's your niche? Is it the aliens? Is it the fantastical worlds? Do you like casual sci-fi or hardcore and uber-technical sci-fi? What's your bag? Figure it out and move on to the next step.

Building Your World

This part actually requires some thinking. The easiest world to write in is in the real world -- particularly in a setting that you're familiar with, such as your home state or city. Going along with our sci-fi example, however, that takes a bit more effort. Even if your sci-fi story is set on earth in the present day, you're still going to have to roll up your sleeves and do some world building.

Drawing From Human Culture While World-Building

An example of soft or casual sci-fi is the television show Battlestar Galactica. It's more character-driven, and all of the aliens are human beings. With Battlestar Galactica, the world building is more cultural-based, since it's a character-driven drama.

Battlestar Galactica (2003) borrows a lot from ancient Greece. Kara Thrace, Galen Tyrol, and Hera Agathon all have ancient Greek elements to their names. More than that, their culture is more Greek. The humans of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol are polytheists. They worship the Olympian gods, and in the show, there are even the smallest hints of ancient Greek cult worship (such as devotion to the goddess Aphrodite).

Aside of the Greek elements, there are other less specific and slightly pagan elements in the show. For instance, women are equal to men on the show. Instead of being call Miss or Madame, they are referred to as Sir. There is no indication whatsoever that woman play less of a role than men on the show. Furthermore, the polytheistic holy people on the show tend to be female, which hearkens back to ancient pagan priestesses and shamankas (female shamans).

You're probably asking: Why are you talking about a TV show on a writing blog? The answer is: it's a good example of using Earth culture to help build a science fiction world.

Obviously you can't (legally) copy Battlestar Galactica. Instead, you can learn from what worked for them. Borrow from Earth Culture what works for you and your story. For instance, the culture on your alien world might be imperialistic like the old British Empire, or they might be nomads like the Roma people (commonly and incorrectly referred to as "gypsies").

Culture plays an important role in speculative fiction. Aside of sci-fi, world building is an important aspect of fantasy and alternate history as well. Even if the stories are set on Earth, something about them is different than present day Earth (or else they wouldn't be speculative fiction).

Drawing on Personal Experience During World Building

For novels that are more real-world based, such as literary or romance pieces, it's often useful to draw on personal experience. You don't have to copy your life on the page; instead, take bits and pieces and shape it into something that's relevant to your story. For instance, you grew up on a farm. Maybe your main character lives on a farm. Since you grew up on a farm, you know all about the life of farmers and of people who live out in the country, and you can use it to your advantage.

Research for World Building

The most important genre to research during world building is historical fiction. Whether it be accurate period dramas, semi-fictional biographies, or alternate histories, it's still important to know how people lived at the time.

One of my favorite websites to look at while writing historical fiction is La Couturière Parisienne. This website takes a very detailed look at the history of fashion. Why is this relevant to world building, you ask? Well, it's because, young grasshopper, it's very important to know what clothes your characters wear!

Say your story is set in France and the year is 1722. The wealthy women might wear a silken gown with the then-fashionable contouche with Watteau pleats. Wealthy men wore powdered wigs of a fashionable quality (meaning they were neat, polished and of a high grade of hair and in the newest style). On the other hand, poor women would wear a dress made of linen (or some other rougher, cheaper fabric) in a style that might've been slightly out-of-date. A poor man would wear rough wool or linen clothes and, most likely, wouldn't be able to afford a fancy wig.

The Bottom Line

Know your world! I can't stress it enough. In fantasy and sci-fi, it's important to build an interestingly unique world that's all your own. Your world relates heavily to your characters and your plot, which I'll discuss in the coming articles.