Using our Better Selves to Sort Through our Lesser Selves

As writers, we're constantly confronted with what we do well in craft, and what we don't do as well (this ratio might be higher if you're part of a critique group or an MFA program).

The thing is, most writers know what they need to fix. But the problem isn't in the knowing. It's figuring out how to execute the things we have trouble with. For example, I've consistently struggled with character development, one of the basic corner stones of any story. The gist of my feedback usually goes along the lines of, "I don't really know this character..." or "I don't really care about this character..."  or "I'm not sure what this character's motivation is..."

But I think my favorite was the most recent feedback I got from a writing instructor: "What will she sacrifice or learn about herself to meet her goals? Give the girl a STORY!"

And it's not like I hadn't thought about ways to enhance my protagonists. But even after that, I still had trouble translating them to the page.

Then it occurred to me. What if I used what I did well to help the things I didn't do as well? Used my better self to sort through my lesser self?

Like this, but much more convoluted.

I've been complimented on my world-building, so I decided to use that as my catalyst, and see how my characters were affected by the places I'd created for them.

When I did this, I discovered the following: 

My external worlds played directly into my protagonists' main motivations

Both my current works-in-progress deal with characters who feel trapped in their situations. And I realized--the settings I'd created for them had no literal windows. None.

It turned out my world-building self was trying to tell my character development self something. That these characters wanted windows. Wanted options. And I could use that to motivate their actions and move their stories forward.

My external worlds demanded that my characters take action

One reason my characters tend to fall flat is I put them in these rich worlds but don't let them do anything. It's almost like I'm afraid to give them freedom to move within the spaces I've created.

So today, when crafting a scene where my protagonist finally has to confront the antagonist, I had her speak up and be an active agent of change in her own story.

While it was harder to write because I was stretching myself to places that weren't as comfortable, it helped me get more into her head. I ended up writing a scene where she actually had to struggle (I'm also way too easy with my protagonists a lot of the time).

Instead of taking the usual advice I've heard about character development, I made it work for me by putting it in terms of world-building, something I knew inside and out.

And now, I pose the following to you all:

1. First, consider which writing aspects you receive the most compliments on.
2. Now, consider something you don't do as well.
3. Consider how you think through the thing you do well. For example, if you're good at characters, how do you build them? If you're good at plotting, how do you develop it?
4. Use this same thought process for the thing you don't do as well, and discover ways to perceive it in a newer light.
5. Apply this to your writing.  

What do you struggle with in your writing? What strategies do you use to work through challenges? 

Making a connection: sympathizing with the characters

Recently, I was asked a question for my upcoming blog tour for the release of If I Speak True in January. It was: What do you think makes a well-written story? I kind of surprised myself when I didn't even have to think before giving my answer: well-written characters, tension, mystery, and humor.

Later, as I was thinking about my interview answers, I had to laugh. Apparently, a plot--of any kind--wasn't even on my list of necessities. I've found that I love to be in the characters' heads more than anything, which leads me to today's topic: How do you keep that happy medium of delving into your characters' heads enough that you readers connect with them, but not so much that they can't stand reading it?

I know some people have felt that Pity Isn't An Option is way too into Jonas and Hattie's heads, and I get it. Sometimes readers are in the mood for a story like that, and sometimes not. Sometimes they're in the mood to get to know characters and coast along on their journeys, other times they'd rather see a wide scheme of things played out before they reach the back cover.

So here's my question for you: How, as writers, do you attain this? I've often seen reviews where readers share their frustrations of feeling no connection to the main characters (or the opposite--they were tired of the characters and wanted more action), and I've wondered, Does the author's voice have anything to do with this? Is it a conflict of personalities (the reader's and the MCs) that makes this such a touchy experience? Or, Did the author simply miss the opportunity to get you to sympathize with the character/s by not helping you understand where they're emotionally coming from, first?

Enabling the reader to sympathize with the characters is, after all, part of writing a "well-written" book in the first place--something all of us writers are striving for. Below, I've listed a few books that really made me connect, sympathize and root for the characters. 

How about you? We'd love to hear about your own personal character connections in the comments!

Hey I just met you and this is crazy...

What first impression is your character giving? 

 I wrote a book back in 2008 for Nanowrimo that was pretty awful. I loved it at the time, of course, but it didn't flow. It meeeaaaaaanderrrred like a snake through a really, really big garden. The beginning didn't match the ending (a common problem for pantsers, I hear). But worst of all, the first impression I'd created for my main character fell completely flat.

 If you write romance, or anything with a romantic element, you know how important that first meet cute is. You plan it out: wouldn't it be fun if they met at a doughnut shop or a dog park or a moon colony grand opening?

 Yet many of us make the mistake of introducing our main character to potential readers in a dull way.

 Back to my Nanowrimo 2008 novel: 

 It started with a man-child science fiction writer waking up and going through his day. He got irritated by things a lot, and the reader got the full dose because I did this all in first person POV. Eventually his book publicist/mother figure walked in and started giving him orders. He reacted. She left. He went on to the next boring thing he had to do.

 I don't know why I thought it was so important to show this boring part of his life, but I did. I was convinced it was the best way to characterize him for the reader. That way they could be super excited when something different happened.

 Um, setting up low expectations for a big surprise later is a bad idea in a novel. Apparently, readers with low expectations just. stop. reading. This isn't rocket science, I know. My MC was bored with his life, so why wouldn't readers be bored by his life, too?

 I soon found out this is a common problem for newbie writers. A friend of mine showed me the beginning of his on-a-whim attempt at a novel start. He, too, had come up with a plot involving a troubled dude. He, too, had begun by describing just how troubled the dude was. It, too, bored my socks off. Eventually, it was going to get into corporate theft, blackmail, and scapegoating -- but the first chapter felt like standing in line at the DMV.

Nowadays I understand the importance of tension and EVENT in the beginning of a novel, but I still struggle with creating the perfect first impression of my main character.

In life, people like to think they have you pegged from "Hello." The statement, "Oh, you're one of those people," may be said rarely, but it's secretly thought about a gazillion times per second. This isn't a terribly bad inclination of humankind. It has its roots in our survival instincts, which are pretty important. Babies study their parents' faces. When we meet someone new, we do the same thing but in a (we think) more sophisticated way.

We listen for

• jargon or slang
• pop culture references
• vocabulary level
• accent

If a person uses a $10 word like 'ephemeral,' we either think he's stuck up or nerdy or just plain impressive. It all depends on the sum of the pieces.

If he uses it in a stuck elevator after you've been sitting on the floor talking about the difference between happiness and joy, it will strike you differently than if he says it while staring wistfully at his spilled vanilla latte.

We aren't just listening, either. We're breathing, which means we can smell the way-too-minty toothpaste she's using or the cologne that takes us back to a golden summer of a first kiss, or the movie popcorn butter on his still-greasy fingers.

Beyond the obvious visuals we all remember to include like hair style, dress, and weight, there's an every-sense meeting going on between our reader and our main character. If you're leaving something out of that first-impression equation, make sure you're doing it on purpose.

It's okay to let your reader think the protagonist at the pharmacy is a self-righteous line-cutter with anger management problems, and then to explain a few pages later that he was actually buying an inhaler for his asthmatic five-year-old, waiting in the car with his panic-prone wife.

Meeting your protagonist should be entertaining and make us as readers feel like we've already got him or her pegged. Oh, she's one of those people.

So, to sum up:

• use all five senses
• put the MC in an interesting situation right off the bat (make sure the character isn't bored)
• make us guess wrong - never let a stereotype stand

Homework:
Try writing a first scene about your main character from the perspective of a mind-reader watching from a bus stop bench. How do the MC's thoughts reinforce or belie his other identifying features? Are his clothes ratty but his thoughts highly educated? Does he smile while he's in pain? How would a non-mind-reader perceive these contradictions? What physical evidence gives it all away?

Have fun and Happy Weekend!

Your Main Character Doesn't Want To Be Liked... And That's Okay

 

Some of you may know that I'm a huge fan of realism. Not only is contemporary YA my favorite genre to read (and the trickiest for me to write), I also fall head over heels for fake people who are multidimensional. My absolute faves are the so-called unlikeable main characters. The more my beliefs clash with theirs, the more intrigued I am by them. 

Exhibit A: Emily Thorne from ABC's Revenge. 

I'm the kind of gal who let's fate deal with people. I don't make it a point to bring down anyone (unless they badmouth Jensen Ackles. Because that is a SERIOUS OFFENSE, folks!!). Emily Thorne, whose actual name is Amanda Clarke and is seeking to avenge her father's death and wears awesome clothes and I think is Batman's illegitimate daughter, disagrees with me. She's like, "Pffft! Amparo, you are LAME. Someone does something bad to you? GET EVEN. *cackles*". 

I am both appalled and fascinated by this woman.

I love her even when I dislike the crap out of her.

I want to slap her across the face and hug her at the same time.

And that's what makes Revenge such an awesomesauce show to me. Emily/Amanda feels the same things I feel when someone does me wrong (anger, resentment, a need to wear awesome clothes), but we choose to react differently. We choose to be who we are to the fullest (I am slightly fierce while she is OH SO FIERCE). At the end of the day, Emily/Amanda isn't asking me to like her. She wants me to understand her, which I totally do. 

So pretty please, writing buddies, don't write the characters you wish you were. Write real people in a world that doesn't exist. Even if that means writing about real people you disagree with. 

 *hides from Emily/Amanda*

Now tell me: are you writing--or have you ever written--an unlikeable main character? If so, what were the most difficult things about him/her? AND ARE YOU WATCHING REVENGE BECAUSE OMG???

Awesome Book Reviews: WILDEFIRE by Karsten Knight

Every flame begins with a spark. 

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. 

But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

Review: Read. This. Book.

Long review: Read. This. Book.

Because I said so.

Longer review: Okay. I am aware that my powers of persuasion are a bit... rusty. So I've decided to explain myself. *cracks knuckles* Folks, Ashline Wilde is my BFFAE (Best Friend Forever And Ever). Maybe it's her bluntness, or her wit, but something about her feels real to me. Not that I know any Polynesian volcano goddesses. Which makes me sad. Because that would be awesome. 

*sigh* 

On the surface, Ashline is that girl you don't want to mess with (see above: Polynesian. Volcano. Goddess). The girl that could call you out on your flaws without any remorse whatsoever. But guess what? That's only the surface. To me, author Knight did an amazing job layering Ashline's personality, making her go from I-think-this-sucks-and-I-will-let-you-know, to Holy-crap-I'm-terrified-and-I-need-your-help. There's an honesty in her choices (and her mistakes) that made me connect with her. 

Also, she plays tennis. A sport that has mocked my motor skills since forever. So yeah. Ashline is my hero.

As for the rest of the book, it. Doesn't. Disappoint. There's a healthy dose of action, which I appreciated. Mythologies from all around the world, which rocked (#culturaldiversityFTW). And, of course, romance. Ashline's love interest is not a guy you usually find in other YA books (he's a bit older than her, and absolutely loves nature), and that's one reason why I liked him. The chemistry between them is off the charts, and seeing them banter back and forth always put a smile on my face.

In sum, this book reeks of awesome. 

Don't believe me? Well, go see for yourself when Wildefire hits bookshelves on July 26th! 

The Lonely Hero a la Dr. Who

Doctor Who (pic from this site)

Lindsay's Dr. Who pictures in her Stages of Rejection post inspired me to watch the show, if only to find out why there appeared to be two different Doctors, three if you count the one I saw in a random episode I caught last year. So now I'm on Season 3 and one main characterization of the Doctor has my mind ruminating:


The Lonely Hero


We see this everywhere in literature, and I think it's something to which we can all relate because at some point in our lives, we have been or will all be alone. Frodo alone must carry the ring. Though he has helpers, nobody else understands what he's dealing with except Gollum, who's not really reliable since he'd kill his best friend for the ring. Harry Potter is lonely from the very beginning. He has moments of friendship that are crucial to his development, but when it comes down to his hero arc, he is basically alone - the only person who understands what it's like to be connected to the Dark Lord through the painful scar on his head.


Back to Dr. Who. He's the last of the Time Lords. His planet is destroyed. It's hard to say what drives him forward other than a will to survive and his personal code which seems to be protect and defend the helpless at all costs. We come to find out he keeps traveling companions as he ventures through time and space, solving the problems and hiccups in the universe temporal stream. The problem is that his companions are more, well, mortal than he is. They age, they die, they crave their families. And none of them can really understand him. He is alone. Always. And I think both the actors playing Doctor Who, whom I have seen thus far, convey that tragically. 

Pic from this site

These pics from this site

The episode I watched last night (at 1am) really broke my heart. Doctor Who was just hanging out in Depression era New York when he spotted his arch nemeses, the Dalek, who are responsible for his entire species dying, except for him. He stares after the Dalek once it has safely passed (because they're terrifying creatures with no emotion) and with fierce and deep pain, he seethes, "They survived. They survive while I lose everything!" And because we've seen what he's lost, we cry for him. 


The Lonely Hero. 


I want to know, Who's your favorite lonely hero? 


And this one's just for you to think about: In what way can you make your own main character the lonely hero?




Now for three giveaways for books and critiques I don't want you to miss if I can possibly help it!

• Have you entered Afterglow's Beginning of Summer Giveaway yet? It's easy to throw your name in the hat for a chance to win a free book! We're giving TEN books away. Click here!

• Operation Awesome's June Giveaway

The prizes:

Amparo: A query critique.Angie: First five pages.Lindsay: A query critique.Michelle: First chapter or query critique (winner's choice)Katrina: First ten pages or query critique (winner's choice)Kristal: First chapter critique.
Enter here.

•  My own 1,000 twitter followers thank you giveaway. Come enter to win Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros.

Wanted Part Deux: Male Protagonist

So. I l-o-v-e-d reading the feedback on my strong female protagonist in YA post! I loved it so much, I figured it would be cool to talk about another hot topic: dudes.

*fans self*

Along with wanting to see strong female protagonists, some agents/editors are eager for more male protagonists, especially in YA. Of course, there are great books out there with boy protags (John Green, anyone?), but it seems as if girls are EVERYWHERE. 

On the other hand, there are some agents/editors who say publishers have limited space for male protags on their lists. One of the main concerns for pub houses relates to the following debate: why aren't more boys reading YA? Apparently, once boys hit their teen years, they ignore the YA shelves and head straight for adult fiction. It seems girl protagonists scare them off... or something... *shrugs*

Once again, I'm leaving this one up to OA's lovely followers. What makes a YA male protagonist appealing to you? Bonus points if you tell me which YA dudes are your favorites :)

And since I gave a shout-out to Bella Swan in my original post, here's the dude a bazillion people can't wait to take center stage in a certain YA book called Midnight Sun:

"Bella, you are my everything. Seriously. I am nothing without you. Oh, hang on... WHO IS THAT SHIRTLESS GUY BEHIND YOU?"--Edward Cullen, Twilight.

Reminder: There's still time to enter the Invincible Summer contest!! You can win a copy of Hannah Moskowitz's latest book, as well as one of three signed bookmarks!