CHARACTER DRIVEN...
I'm a character person. Don't get me wrong, hopefully something happens as well in one of my stories but to me, it's the character that drives a piece of writing.
I'm not talking 'she was 175 cm tall, weighed 70 kg, had long blonde hair, blue eyes'
To me that's boring.
For me it's the small details that add interest, that help to build a multi-layered character.
Let's create a character. How about a woman, a stay at home mum.
And that is boring. It's a simple sketch- we have no idea about this woman at all.
Let's add some details.
She is shy and finds social occasions something she has to do, rather than want to do.
Parties tend to send her into a panic.
She's still boring, and now sounds like a wall flower as well.
How about if we add this information -
She had an idyllic beachside childhood, with assorted siblings, loving mother and father. Although she is terrified of deep water and never learnt to swim, she loves boats.
Perhaps a bit more interesting?
Let's add some more details- perhaps some quirks?
She can not buy a packet of mixed fruit without eating the cherries (and she knows they are not real).
She often thinks of words then mentally plays how they would be typed on a keyboard, how many letters with the left hand, how many with the right.
She has parachuted, abseiled, para glided, flown a small plane (for a few moments), climbed Mt Feathertop and Uluru (when it was still Ayers Rock)...yet still won't learnt to swim.
We now have a character- perhaps not the most interesting, perhaps not the most obscure...
But we do have a character...and from here on we could do anything with her.
Add some tension, some other characters, add a plot with a twist or two and stir.
Stir slowly.
For me character is a vital part of anything I write. Novel and short story, definitely, and even poetry. Don't be afraid to watch people, note their actions and reactions, the way they speak, the way they interact (or not) with others. And from there, build a character or two.
And see where they will take you.
(for those interested the above description of a character - is actually me:) )
I'm not talking 'she was 175 cm tall, weighed 70 kg, had long blonde hair, blue eyes'
To me that's boring.
For me it's the small details that add interest, that help to build a multi-layered character.
Let's create a character. How about a woman, a stay at home mum.
And that is boring. It's a simple sketch- we have no idea about this woman at all.
Let's add some details.
She is shy and finds social occasions something she has to do, rather than want to do.
Parties tend to send her into a panic.
She's still boring, and now sounds like a wall flower as well.
How about if we add this information -
She had an idyllic beachside childhood, with assorted siblings, loving mother and father. Although she is terrified of deep water and never learnt to swim, she loves boats.
Perhaps a bit more interesting?
Let's add some more details- perhaps some quirks?
She can not buy a packet of mixed fruit without eating the cherries (and she knows they are not real).
She often thinks of words then mentally plays how they would be typed on a keyboard, how many letters with the left hand, how many with the right.
She has parachuted, abseiled, para glided, flown a small plane (for a few moments), climbed Mt Feathertop and Uluru (when it was still Ayers Rock)...yet still won't learnt to swim.
We now have a character- perhaps not the most interesting, perhaps not the most obscure...
But we do have a character...and from here on we could do anything with her.
Add some tension, some other characters, add a plot with a twist or two and stir.
Stir slowly.
For me character is a vital part of anything I write. Novel and short story, definitely, and even poetry. Don't be afraid to watch people, note their actions and reactions, the way they speak, the way they interact (or not) with others. And from there, build a character or two.
And see where they will take you.
(for those interested the above description of a character - is actually me:) )
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