Character Bios

I’ve been waiting for so long for November to start. To get myself through October, without starting any new projects, I’ve been working on prewriting. To say that I’ve done more for this book than any other would be an understatement. My Bible is filled. Background stories, setting, culture, maps, outlines, and yes, character bios.

When creating a character, I usually say that all I need to know is the most important event in their life so far and how it affected the character. I usually steered clear from the character questions and interviews because I never thought they were that relevant. I mean, I have characters living in a fantasy world trying to survive. Who cares what their favorite color is, right?

But since I have so much time, I figured I would actually try them out and see what happened. I went through multiple questions and picked the ones that I thought would apply the most to my characters, and yes, I left the question about favorite color in there. There were times that I really got stumped.

What kind of music does my character like to listen to? I have no idea.

What time do they go to bed or wake up? Does it matter?

Apparently, it does. I found out that one of my character loves to go stargazing, which means he stays up late to look at stars. I have another character who like silence, no noise, no music. Things I would not have known if I’d just focused on the most important aspect of their lives.

It doesn’t feel like I’ve gotten everything about the characters figured out, but there are small details that separates them from all of the other characters. It’s not a replacement, but I will definitely be using it in the future.

What do you do to build your characters? How do you get their backgrounds and personalities figured out?

Emotional Engagement

Last week, my brother and I got in a teensy argument about the difference between books and movies. 

He said that it was difficult to really become emotionally engaged while reading because they can’t see the emotions being portrayed by the characters.  With movies and TV there’s always background music to alert the watcher as to how they should be feeling and reacting.  It’s more than just reading, it’s a whole experience.

For me, I feel like reading can get more emotional for me.  There’s the opportunity to really get into the character’s head.  I don’t just know what they’re thinking by watching them, I know because their thoughts are right there.  Their reactions and emotions are available for me to experience with them.

So out of curiosity, I want to see what you all think!  Please vote below!

What medium do you find the most emotionally engaging?
	Reading
	Watching a Movie
	TV
	All of the above
pollcode.com free polls

Dum dum dum! I’m the Villain!

Last week, I wasn’t feeling so well, so I pulled up Netflix and decided to try “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2.”  I’m not always a fan of sequels, and I went in not expecting it to be as great as the first one.

I thought it was actually pretty creative, though there was one thing that really bothered me.  The villain came in the first few minutes of the movie and announced to the audience that he was indeed the villain.  Then he went on to become the main character’s mentor, though everything he did was clouded by the fact that I already knew that he was up to no good.

As I was watching, I started wondering why it was so important for the audience to know that he was evil to begin with.  Would the story have been different?  Probably not.  The young, enthusiastic inventor would have still learned from the older, wiser inventor.  He would have been sent out to save the island and ultimately saved the ‘animals’ living there.

The difference would have been that I wouldn’t be waiting for the other shoe to drop.  And I kept wondering how the main character couldn’t see it.  I mean, after all, he’s been so obvious in his evil intent that I told the audience within a few minutes.  How couldn’t he see it too?  I think I would have enjoyed the movie more if I had been with the main character, wondering if he was doing the right thing, instead of knowing he was making a mistake.

Which, in turn, made me wonder what kind of villains I’m creating.  Are they all so evil that there’s no chance of redemption?  Does the main character know who they really are or do they have an angel face hiding what they’re really up to?

Personally, I’m starting to really enjoy creating angel faces. 

How about you?  What kind of villains do you like to read?

Working on Multiple Projects

I have a question for all of you.

Do you work on multiple projects at once? 

I tend to work on one at a time, but once I finish a draft, I move to the next one.  However, this month has been a bit odd for me.  I don’t know if it’s that I’ve got enough going on that I feel like I’m jumping from one thing to another without any clear direction.  Maybe I’m losing my ability to multitask.  Or maybe I’m using it too much.  I don’t know.

In April, I finished my Blue WIP, and now it’s up for critiques.  I’ve been getting some awesome feedback, and I love it.  While I wait for the critiques to finish, I’ve been trying to use May to work on revising my Yellow WIP.  As much as I’m enjoying this one, (and trust me, it’s one of my favorites) I’m having a hard time concentrating on it. 

Actually, it’s not as much a matter of concentrating.  It’s a matter of getting down to work.  Every time that I start a section, I get so caught up, I keep reading to the end.  I think I’ve read the whole thing three times this month already.  I love these characters and the story, but I can’t concentrate on it enough to focus on revisions. 

Whenever I’m working on a novel, the characters take up residence in my brain.  In my spare time, or when I have a chance to stare out the window, I let them bumble around in there.  They tell me what their story needs or if there are any changes that need to be made.

Except this time, the characters from the Blue WIP haven’t moved out.  They’re fighting over space in my brain and I feel torn between the two stories.

So now I’m wondering how all of you deal with it.  Do you work on multiple projects at once?  How do you bounce from one to another?

Blog Hop!

I want to thank Gina Drayer for inviting me to join in the writing process blog hop.  We met through an online critiquing site and joined a Social Media help group when we both started blogs.  She’s got some exciting stuff going on, including the debut of her novel Lotus Petals on July 4^th.  Be sure to check it out!

Here’s a link to her website: http://ginadrayer.com/

1)      What am I working on?

Right now, I’ve just finished a draft of my Blue WIP, tentatively titled The King’s Councilor.  I’ve been having critiquers tear it apart, which has been fantastic help.  I’m moving on to revising my yellow WIP, which still doesn’t have a name.  This one is a favorite of mine, probably just because this is the first one I’ve written from the point of view of a teenage boy, and he makes my heart break. 

Here’s the quick logline:

Rowell never quite fit in his family, and it's all his mother's fault.  If she'd just stuck with her own people, then maybe he would have the same abilities as the rest.  When Rowell accidentally spills his close friend's secret, he realizes he can't go on blaming everyone else. 

 It's his turn to make things right.

2)  How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My work focuses a lot on family relationships.  Yes, there are orphans, but the family unit is a very strong, and focused force.  None of my characters would be who they are without their family.  More than romantic relationships, family always comes first.

Another thing that makes it unique is that despite being fantasy, there is not very much fantasy.  At least, not in the first 1 ½ novels.  It’s like a whisper that finally comes into play in the third book.  It’s been fun exploring the world and the distant idea of magic.

3)      Why do I write what I do?

This is like asking why I am who I am.  These stories are a part of me, they come from my brain, from my imagination.  The first book came to me in an afternoon, and within a day or so, I had a whole, fleshed out story.  It had nothing to do with the idea of becoming famous, or reaching an audience.  It was very much about getting the story out.  These characters are stuck in my head and they want to get out.  Sometimes they surprise me by the direction they take, but they always know where they’re going.

4)      How does my writing process work?

Ahhh.  This is question that every writer gets asked.  My writing process usually involves getting an idea, a character who taps on my brain and asks for entrance.  Then over the next few days, I let them bounce around as their story unfolds.  I plan every last detail before even getting the words down, but once I start writing, it can go pretty fast.

I also do a lot of revision before I get to the final draft.  I love having it read by multiple betas, people who are willing to let me know what works and what doesn’t.  I don’t know what I would do without them.

And that’s the short version of my creative process! 

And for those who I’ve tagged, I hope you pop over to their blogs and check them out!

R.S McCoy is an author that I me through the social media, and she’s got some amazing writing skills.  Her novel, Sparks, is already out, and a fantastic read.  Here’s a link to the review I wrote a few months ago. Her second Novel, Spirits, should be coming out soon! 

Here’s a link to her blog: http://rsmccoy.blogspot.com/

Amy Ross is a writer who is working toward publishing a children’s picture book.  She’s already got some cute illustrations lined up, and it looks like it’s going to be great! 

Here’s a link to her blog: http://alphabetsoupandcrackers.blogspot.com/


Taylor Lavati is a writer who's already published the first of her series: The Curse Books.  Her blog is great help for us writers, and she provides writing prompts weekly to help get our juices going.  
Here's a link to her blog: http://thecursebooks.blogspot.com/

Pet Peeves

When I was in 9^th grade, I took a speech class, and I really didn’t enjoy it.  It wasn’t that the teacher was bad, it’s just that I have really bad stage fright, and being graded on speaking in front of people was one of my biggest nightmares.  One of the topics we had to speak about was our biggest pet peeve.

As the wise, mature, 9^th grader that I was, I had no idea if I even had a pet peeve, let alone one that was a higher priority than the others.  I ended up giving my speech on being called short, and even that was a stretch.  I was short, and so I could understand why someone might call me that.

Recently, I’ve had a shorter fuse than normal.  Little things that didn’t bother me now drive me crazy.  I know that there’s a lot going on recently, so it doesn’t really surprise me.  What does surprise me is that I’m starting to notice little things that have become pet peeves over the past few years.  Maybe it’s because I’m living in the adult world and interacting with more people.  Or maybe it’s because of what I’m dealing with.  Whatever it is, I now understand what people mean by pet peeve.

It’s that thing that makes your skin crawl and your stomach clench.  It’s that thing that you just want to grab the person and shout “what were you thinking?”

Or maybe that’s just me.

Here’s a few of my recent pet peeves:

1.       Drivers on the highway who drive under the limit but stay in the left lane.  If people are passing you on the right, then you are in the wrong lane!  If you’re not passing someone, then get out of the left lane.  There is no reason for you to stay in the left lane when you’re the only car on the highway.

2.       People who go back on their word.  Sure, there’s the odd moment when you forget something.  But if you schedule something, especially if it’s something dealing with your business, then don’t forget!  I work night shift.  If you say you’re going to be coming at 11am to fix an appliance, then understand that I’m staying up WAY past my bedtime so you can come.  Please don’t show up at 1:30 that afternoon.  And definitely don’t just not show up at all.

As a nurse, here’s my biggest one. 

3.       People who don’t take care of themselves.  You’ve only got one body.  Take care of it.  Treating it like a rental isn’t going to benefit you in the long run.  If your doctor tells you to reduce sugar or to exercise or if the dentist tells you to brush your teeth, then they probably have a reason to do so.  And if you don’t take care of yourself, if you ignore everything the doctor says, then accept the consequences, don’t blame someone else.

I’m not just writing this to vent.  As I’m dealing with my own little pet peeves, I’ve been working on my Blue WIP, and I’m noticing some of the same things in my main character.  I hadn’t realized it before, but she hates people who pretend they’re someone else.  It was already in there, but now that I understand how pet peeves can get under a person’s skin, it is much easier to write. 

And, if I do say so myself, much more fun to write.  I like creating characters who lose control every once in a while.

How about the rest of you?  Any pet peeves you want to share?  Need to vent?

Not all Advice is Good

About a year ago, I found an online critiquing site that really changed the way that I write.  The availability of people who were not only willing to read my writing, but also provide honest and thoughtful feedback was overwhelming.  Before, I’d had one critique partner at a time, but now, I had three critiques on a chapter, no matter what.

I had some great advice, and I had people point out some major flaws in my novel and my writing style.  I’m not going to say that some of it didn’t hurt, honestly that’s something what happens with a critique.  Not everything’s going to be positive, but hopefully it’s not all negative either.  However, I did quickly learn that sometimes, a writer has to follow their own gut instincts.  Just because someone suggests something, it doesn’t mean that it needs to be changed.  Whenever I start a critique, I always preface it by saying that what I say is my own opinion, but that the writer can take and leave whatever they want.  Ultimately, the decision is up to the writer.

But there were some instances where the suggestions just did not mesh with what I was looking for.  I had some critiquers who came in on chapter 12, not having read any of the previous chapters, or any of the following ones.  Their critiques may be based on the fact that they didn’t know my characters.  An action that may be sudden or unexpected for them may have been building for the past several chapters.

Then there’s advice that’s just wrong.

I think the worst advice I’ve ever received was: If you’re going to have dialogue, you have to have who’s saying it in front of the dialogue so that the reader can hear it in their voice.  Always preface dialogue with “John said” or “Jane said.”  That would really decrease the variety in sentence structure, and honestly, I feel like it would sound forced.  For me, that advice doesn’t work, and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen it in action in something that I’ve read.

Critiques are worth their weight in gold, but sometimes, it’s important to make sure you don’t have pyrite instead.

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever received?

Reading Reviews

I have a question for all of you reader-writers out there.

How much do you read reviews?  Especially before reading something? 

I’m finally through with the first two books in the Divergent series and just bought the third.  Unfortunately, I read a few of the reviews because I was curious.  And a lot of them were not positive, which was disappointing.  I hadn’t meant to do it, and I don’t think I’ve ever read reviews before reading a book.

Now that I’ve read the reviews, I feel like I’m going into the book with my perception already tainted.  I love reading reviews after reading a book or watching a movie because I enjoy comparing my own opinions to the opinions of others.  But knowing their opinions before reading makes me look for what the other readers pointed out. 

So my question is: Do you read reviews before reading a book?  Do you read reviews at all?