Character Creation

Character Creation

So last week, we looked a little at developing a character--kind of my spaghetti train of thought as I considered things for the character. 

Since I'm scheduling these posts in advance (that's the only way to make sure they happen) and I'm waiting on the comments to get a last name for my protagonist, I wanted to sidebar and look into character creation as a whole. 

There's a lot of resources out there...

Yep. Tons. And it makes sense because, as I said last week, the characters really do make or break the story. 

I come from a different place than a lot of writers, however, because I have a background in acting and theater. What has always been REALLY cool to me is how much overlap there is. The biggest difference is that for an actor the information is there for the character, they just interpret it, whereas for the writer, we have to come up with everything from scratch.

So I started compiling my resources.

Some of my favorite parts of acting class were the portions dedicated to character development. We got all sorts of sketches, worksheets, and other materials to help us develop our characters. My favorite was probably where we did a study--we picked a person who we wanted to base the character off of, and (sometimes covertly) studied how the person breathed, walked, moved, everything. It was really cool, and it definitely helps you get physically into the character. 

Anyways, I looked through all these notes, and compiled them with some other resources I found on the Internet to make a master spreadsheet. 

If you want to download your own copy, use this link.

It's so cool (yes, I am a nerd). You can expand or collapse categories as needed, and by the time you get all the information together, you have a fully fleshed character. 

I'm going to start working on that now, with the plan of sharing a few other characters while I wait for the winning post with an awesome last name for Carrigan. 

Comment below!

As with all these posts, commenting frequently can earn you a free copy of this book once it's out! If you're an author, you can share your favorite character building tools...and if you're a reader, share some of your favorite characters!

Protagonist

Main Character

Nowadays, characters are what REALLY make a story. Let's face it, most stories have already been told. What makes them new, exciting, and different are the characters. And since our protagonist is the main character, we really need to like her. We should identify with her, want to be her, and root for her to win the whole time.

This is easier said than done.

Those of you who are writing friends know this. Our protagonist should be awesome...but not too awesome. Because no one likes someone who is perfect. So our character needs a flaw--and a real flaw, not the lame "I work too hard" answer we all give at interview when asked what our biggest weakness is. 

I actually started a spreadsheet just for capturing character traits, including weaknesses, and whatnot. I'll fill that out on my own, but for here, I want to try to capture some high level ideas, and brainstorm a little. 

To be honest, I can't wait to see what your comments are!

The details

So I've already decided to align the protagonist with Morrigan, the goddess of war. In fact, on babynames.com. the name Morrigan means War Goddess. Like most Irish myths, however, she wasn't a one-trick pony (no Ares here). She also cared about sovereignty, and would predict the death of warriors in battle. She appeared often as a crow (but we're going to use ravens, because then I can feel like Poe as I write). She was crafty to a fault, and with her ability to prophecy, she was very powerful indeed.

I like the idea of her as an outcast--she was instrumental in the death of Cuchulain, one of the greatest Irish mythological heroes. So if every druid has a "sponsor" deity among the Tuatha de Danann, the Morrigan's druid would meet with a lot of dislike, hostility, and opposition among the community. 

To me, this makes sense. The person who has to do what is right (protect sovereignty) even if it isn't popular, and who can see and predict the death of brave warriors in a martial society would certainly be...well, not the first picked for the dodge ball game, that's for certain. 

Now for the protagonist

So our protagonist should be sympathetic enough with the Morrigan that they connect, and it makes sense that the Morrigan would sponsor her. But I feel like there should also be some conflict--some pieces that don't connect, as that would make DRAMA (which we need) and help make things difficult for both characters to get what they want. 

The character should also be able to be a druid--meaning perfect memory, able to learn lots of language and memorize codes of law, sing, and just be very smart. 

I think the foil of having the Morrigan not care about death, but just about results as opposed to someone who is sensitive and cares a great deal about life would make for a difficult relationship--but would also make the character a perfect druid (they are, after all, usually pacifist). 

I also like the idea of Morrigan being very calculating, whereas the protagonist is more impulsive. 

But they should both be fighters at heart, who will not back down. 

And for the name:

I'm thinking Carrigan. It's nice that it's spelled like and rhymes with Morrigan, which will help link them together. It also means pointed, or spear, which highlights that she is more blunt, more direct, more impulsive than the calculating Morrigan. It also makes her Morrigan's spear, and an instrument of the goddess's mission to maintain sovereignty and balance. This will tie in well with where I think the plot is going. 

Don't forget to comment!

Tell me what you like, what you don't, what you want to see.

Also, I would LOVE some suggestions for a last name for Carrigan. It should be Welsh, Scottish, or Irish if possible. If I love your idea, you DEFINITELY get a free book, and a note in the acknowledgements!

If I don't pick yours, keep commenting--you'll get that free copy if you interact with enough blog posts!

Inspiration Strikes

Time to Start a New Story!

So on my dad's side, I'm Scot Irish. Like, completely. 

And I LOVE it.

When I learned this, I started researching and learning all I could about Celtic and Irish mythology. To me, it was MUCH more interesting than the Greek/Roman we all learn in school. 

That was almost 20 years ago. 

Fast forward to now, with the huge success of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, and I want to bring my Irish myths into the mix!

I actually got the idea at lunch at work one day. I worked in this office building that had a few nice outdoor tables. I was out at lunch, and the most beautiful glossy black raven decided to chill out right next to me (by right next to me I really mean about 100 feet away...).

The thing is, ravens are SMART. And very important in Irish mythology. Badb Catha and the Morrigan are both shown with ravens. 

So I got the idea of someone having a raven as a familiar, or a spirit animal, or something like that. 

That was over 5 years ago.

I hadn't done a whole lot with the idea besides note it and move on. I was planning my wedding, then buying a house, then focusing on my career...

When I decided to start writing seriously, I had other projects in mind. But I keep coming back to this idea. So about a year or so ago, I started researching, and developing an idea in my mind.

Druids

For those of you who aren't as familiar with Iron-Age Irish and Celtic cultures, druids were the people. They acted as priests, doctors, lawyers, historians...they did everything. All their lore was handed down orally, and they trained for years before becoming an actual druid and being allowed to practice. Even Kings deferred to them, or (if you're familiar with the Ulster Cycle) regretted ignoring them.

So my character with the raven...she would have to be a druid.

Oh, and would have to be a she, because I love writing female characters (sorry guys! I promise I'll have some awesome men coming soon!).

And then I got this crazy idea...

What if druids still existed? What if they served as a tie to the spiritual world? What if they helped keep our planet healthy? And as sacred places were destroyed (that is, developed), they lost the power they needed to keep our planet healthy?

Now I have everything I need to start some serious worldbuilding:

Setting--modern day, in North America, preferably close to my Eastern PA base, so I can do research while on hiking and camping trips (tax write off, anyone?).

Characters: Protagonist would be the up and coming druid, and would have a foot in two worlds--new friends who are also druids, but old friends from college as well. 

Plot: Well, I think a traditional hero's journey and a little saving of the world would be perfect. 

Next Time

I want to start fleshing out this world some--so I'll look at druids some more, and start the plotting part (which is still top secret!).

I hope to have some rough drafts posted in May--so keep checking in!

Don't forget to comment on the post! Commenting on #WIP posts can get you a free ebook!

New WIP!

Rough Draft Time!

So, how would you (my like, 5 readers?) like an in-person look at developing a manuscript, from beginning to end? Since I really should blog with this account (more than once a quarter) and I really should work on my writing, I've decided to put them together.

What's In It For You?

You'll get to see the start of an idea, see how I flesh it out...and fix it up to make it better and better! And feel free to toss me some feedback along the way. 

If I see you commenting regularly, I'll give you a free copy of the ebook when I publish--just for your help!

What to Expect

I'll start by posting about my inspiration so far--and get into worldbuilding! 

Once I have the background fleshed out, I usually outline--but I don't want to ruin the story for you. So once the outline is complete, I'll go ahead and post the rough draft chapters as I write them. 

Warning: This may take a while.

Warning 2: Rough draft is just that--rough. There will be some issues. 

Start Commenting!

Comment on any of the #WIP posts to get entered for the free ebook. Ideally, I would love to see you commenting on at least 5-6 posts--but depending on how many comments I get, I may have to adjust. 

I want to send as many free copies as possible, so tell your friends!!!

New Year, New Me...

Yep, it's January. Cue the multitude of blog posts with resolutions, people Instagramming themselves at the gym, and skyrocketing sales of Nicorette patches. As much as I dislike the new year "let's change everything" while changing absolutely nothing, there are some perks in sharing ones resolutions. Namely, accountability.

So to the 3 readers I have here (yes, I know that's how many there are...) let's do this differently. Let's not make resolutions--let's make goals and stick to them!!!

Resolution: Write More

I have SO MANY story ideas...but I have to sit down and actually do the work. Finding time is hard. And this resolution, if I just make it, won't change anything. So, let's make it a goal instead.

Goal #1: Outline Druid Work

So I had the idea of a modern-day druid. Sort of a cross between a Rick Riordan work and an adult paranormal fantasy work. And I have some outlining done, but I want to get it more solidified. My hope is to start writing it, and have something finished by the end of the year, or be in a good place to start for the next year. So, going to have this outline done and posted on Scribophile by March.

Goal #2: Finish 1001 Days Edits

My first work. I need to finish with this already. So, I will finish the edits on it by April. So far, the feedback I've gotten on the edits I've finished has been pretty good, and I think if I can get the A4A editor to crit it as well, I can get this on the shelves in the fall. So, finish it by April.

Goal #3: Finish drafting East of the Sun and West of the Moon

I'm so close with this one, y'all. It was the NaNo project of 2016--and while I "won" NaNo and wrote 50,000 words, I didn't actually finish the story. I really only have a few chapters to go. I need to finish it and get the rest on Scribophile for crits. Once it's up, I want to leave it there, and then do an alpha read cycle for it with my critique group. I don't want to work on it again this year once it's done, so it will be a major editing work for 2020. So, finished and posted by June.

Goal #4: NaNoWriMo 2019

I failed NaNo 2018 SO hard, mostly because with the lack of time I didn't have the outlining done that I needed in order to really dig in. Once I have my other projects out of the way, I want to really dig into the outline for this one. I anticipate it taking a good chunk of summer--and I'll be doing it while (hopefully) preparing 1001 Days for publication. So outline must be done by October 31, prepping me for NaNo 2019, and at least 50,000 written for this work through November. 

Resolution: Exercise

I'm actually going to put this on hiatus--because they're building a gym at my office, and once that's there, it will be SO MUCH EASIER to do this. Once the gym is up, however, coming back to this hardcore. 

Resolution: Time Management

In order to get this writing done (as well as my fair share of work for A4A) I'm going to step back from other things I've done throughout the year. So less hours teaching (or the same hours, but consolidated down). No more other extra projects. 

I want to try something different--I want us to make these goals and keep them together. So, post your goals as a comment, and let's hold each other accountable!

Some Great Writing Advice

I recently stumbled upon a website (for lack of a better term) with 424 (yes, you read that right) rants about writing, specifically fantasy. As someone who reads, writes, and publishes fantasy, I decided to take a look....

Not Writing Crap

This is probably my favorite rant. OK, I only read two, but this really spoke to me as a publisher. I am fortunate enough that, in my writing group, most people are open to feedback. But the authors who submit to us...Well, if it wasn't an issue, I wouldn't be blogging about it here, would I?

#1, 2, and 3: Fix your writing.

I can sum this up with what should be obvious but for some reason still isn't--only submit a CLEAN copy. Yes, this means you will have to check it. Yes, this means maybe having someone help you proofread it. And if you think I'm being harsh (it was just a few mistakes!) let me show you the other side of things.

We receive more submissions than we can possibly publish. Add to that the fact that, when we choose a piece, we are putting our money on the line to publish it. Your manuscript is not a final manuscript--it's a pitch for what, after editing, we could publish for you. If you went to a job interview, would you wear all except a few pieces of clothing? Wash all but a few hairs?

Still not convinced? Consider this--using the wrong word, spelling of a word, or punctuation changes the meaning of a sentence. I just edited a manuscript that had two people "whelping" each other with swords. 

Whelping is what mother dogs do...and has nothing to do with swordplay. It was clearly the wrong word. Imagine all the other ways this could go horribly wrong. At best, you'll look like an idiot. At worst, you'll look lazy. And, as I said before, this is a pitch, a job interview. Trust me, lazy is NOT how you want to look. 

#5: Worth Quoting

Don’t decide that you are A Sensitive Artist, and the world Does Not Understand You. Almost nothing kills fiction faster (other than perhaps a shoddy understanding of spelling and grammar). Everything you write is not great. Everything you write is not publishable. You must revise. If you’ve trained yourself to write really great first drafts, you’ll probably still have to go over them for typos and factual errors if nothing else. If you have a problem with angst, teenage or otherwise, and can’t manage to keep your fiction separate from your personal problems, then don’t post anything for others to see until you’ve worked that out. “To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim.” -Oscar Wilde.

So much this. For the majority of writers, there is a disconnect about what querying is to them versus what it is to an agent or publisher. When I read a submission, my thought is "Can I sell this?" There are works I've requested (#PitMad) that sounded so great...and what I got was so bad.

I will own, I am human. Once I decided to request a manuscript, I wanted that manuscript to succeed. I wanted, more than anything, to say yes. The disappointment when it falls flat--it sucks. Period. And, since I want the author to win, I offer feedback so they can improve.

BIG MISTAKE.

For one of our first submissions, Becky spent a month critiquing and offering ideas and edits to a manuscript. The author's response? He basically told us that we just didn't understand his genius, and that making any of the edits we asked for would ruin his story. For reference, the title character, who was interesting and engaging in the first chapter, basically disappeared from the rest of the book. And us asking to make that character the forefront was not something he could do. (Cue smacking of head.)

I recently had a submission where the idea was so fun, but everything just needed more. With work, the manuscript could easily become four or five books, and something that we could publish each month, one after another, and really skyrocket the author. I won't give you the author's response, but will sum up that he owned to not editing the work at all, it was a first draft churned out one NaNo, and admitted that he got rid of a bunch of characters just to avoid having to name them.

Again, if you were at a job interview, would you confess to not wanting to take time to do your job right?

A Good Read

Overall, the post is pretty good, and if you follow the advice listed there, it will help you improve your writing. Thanks for indulging in allowing me a rant of my own. 

Please comment any questions you have about publishers. While I am part of a start-up operation, I love giving feedback and information based on my own personal experiences.

Book Review: City of Kings by Bree M. Lewandowski

So I was trying out a reviewing group on my writing critique site. My first (and so far only) review for the group is for City of Kings by Bree M Lewadowski.

A note on how I review: I want to be honest about what works (or doesn't) with a story. I also want to discuss lots of different aspects. I'll try to use the same categories every time I review a book.

Synopsis

City of Kings is a romance/dystopian novel. Set in a futuristic America where some apocalypse has demolished democracy, two lovers have a second chance at happiness when fate brings them together. 

Genre

Genre is important, especially in the Age of Amazon, because we use key words and genre categories and subcategories to find that "perfect book" that has all the things we like (for me, real and believable fantasy or futuristic worlds) and none of the things we don't (if you've ever tried to find a good erotic romance, you know EXACTLY what these are).

In City of Kings, Ms. Lewadowski tries to blend a science fiction/dystopian setting with a second chance romance. On paper, it sounds good. Use the dystopian world building to develop a setting, and the second chance romance beats, characters, and plot points. The problem is that this particular blend was too much for the length of the story, and not layered and detailed enough to really hit the specific genre conventions that make these genres popular. 

Dystopian/Science Fiction

The general dystopian conventions are the sense of self (protagonist) against the large establishment (usually government or state) and the underlying sense of futility with regards to the conflict. That's how The Handmaid's Tale, which has a regression of technology, is on par with Brave New World. The end result is that the protagonist either defeats the establishment, even if temporarily (Katniss and Peeta both winning the Hunger Games) or succumbs to the pressure of the antagonist agency (the pigs becoming like men in Animal Farm).

In City of Kings, there is no solid, clear, defined antagonistic establishment. There is a group monarchy of sorts similar to what we might imagine Ancient Greece would have looked like had all the city-states banded together: large regions across former America all have kings. But the effects of the world are not the soul-crushing, impossible situations our favorite dystopian novels. There are areas of poverty and areas of wealth--not too different from the America of today. 

And while in the Chicago area, there is no classical arts allowed, there are clubs with live music and dancing. So a pseudo-censorship exists in one specific place, not the widespread book burning of Fahrenheit-451. Kal, the king of what was formerly Illinois, is an inept king--but he doesn't even come close to the classic vindictiveness of Richard III or even the ineptitude of King Lear, both models of the Shakespearean definition of unfit or tyrannical kings. 

There is the magical plant gathered in the agricultural areas of Illinois--but while Lewadowski waxes poetic about these plants, she never really ties the plants, growing them, and their importance into the function of the world. These plants must be gathered, but why? What do they do or provide? How widespread are the plants?

Which brings me to my feeling of incompleteness when reading the story. There were a lot of ideas presented that never really went anywhere. They just sort of existed. And for some people, that's fine (looking at Tolkien's magic system, or lack thereof). But for me, I like to feel immersed in a whole world, and it's how those little details add up to the big theme that matter to me. And from the dystopian angle, this story just didn't deliver. 

Conclusion--If you like the aesthetic of dystopian, but don't care if it actually does what dystopian stories do, you would be happy with the book.

Romance

When I read a romance, I'm looking for the connection between the characters, the blossoming of something that is unique and magical, yet accessible for everyone. My favorite "second chance" romance would probably be either The Princess Bride or the Notebook. While the Princess Bride would honestly be a better point of comparison for this book, since it also straddles two genres, I want to point out what The Notebook does well to illustrate what City of Kings is missing. 

With the Notebook, you fall in love with the characters. Noah and Allie are both interesting, engaging, and outside of the norm. Even the narratorial voice-over in the film version focuses not on when these characters were, or the setting, but on who they were. Despite being an unlikely match, they somehow find each other, and fall for each other--hard. And we experience those romance beats: meeting, trying to resist, giving in, realizing attraction, finding connection. 

With City of Kings, there are a few flashbacks, but since the story starts after the couple has split up, we don't have the sense of tragedy from before to make us really root for the characters getting back together. If I had to hazard a guess, I would postulate that Lewadowski simply didn't have the word count to show us these romance beats, even in a flashback, because the prose was too occupied with squeezing in the dystopian setting. While a linear plot makes the reading easier, she already added some flashbacks--why not go all the way, and make the flashbacks work as worldbuilding moments, making the genre blend seamless while allowing the reader the emotional fulfillment of standard romance plot points?

The end result was that the characters were described as being so in love and dedicated to each other--but it never scanned emotionally. And if we can't connect with the characters in the romance, as readers we can't do what we want, which is to live vicariously through the romance. 

Execution

The plot, characters, setting, and prose all come together to execute the author's vision. There were some successes in City of Kings, but ultimately the separate pieces never meshed and worked together.

Plot

As explained in the Genre portion of the review, the story eschews the use of typical plot points and beats which help shape and drive the genre conventions. While I'm all for subverting and playing with standard plot points, when weaving together two storylines and two characters, the author should approach the plot and decisions mindfully.

The first chapter is Judah at his army assignment in Kalispell. I don't understand the decision to start here, instead of with Maive waking up alone after the wedding night. Women are the largest romance audience, and therefore most likely to identify with a female protagonist and point of view. A prologue showing this could kickstart the worldbuilding, and get us set for the story. 

Overall, the story felt very improvised and immediate--and for some readers, that might pan as fresh, innovative, or interesting. For me, however, it made it less accessible. 

Characters

Maive

Our female protagonist, Maive is passionate, strong, determined, independent. As a character, she is probably the most interesting person in the story. She basically decides to sacrifice herself to a horrible person (King Kal) to try and bring classical arts back to Chicago. 

She has a past with Judah that we learn throughout the story, and we also learn that she worked her way up from washing dishes to being a high-end exotic dancer. While not the most inspired character builds, the unique name and combination of interests makes her stand out and appeal in a sympathetic way to the reader. 

I wish the plot would have made things a little harder for her throughout the story--that the King would have made her suffer and do some truly horrible things, rather than merely insist she keep him company for a meal. I also would have liked more of her point of view, since as the main female, she is the character I can best understand and sympathize with. 

A great example of what I would have wanted would be Rhapsody in the Symphony of Ages series. The prologue lets the reader see her as a young woman, and then as a strong and independent heroine, we journey with her.

Judah

Our male protagonist, unfortunately or perhaps "punnily" named for a betrayer, is a little too perfect. With the sole exception of abandoning his wife the morning after they marry, he conducts himself well, behaves honorably (if we ignore the whole sleeping with someone else's fiance the plot demands) and honestly, doesn't really deserve Maive. 

His first scenes, in the army fort where he's stationed, do the character no favors. He is described as quiet, a loner, and excellent at what he does: a military man in every sense of the word. But that excellent characterization evaporates once we shift to a close point of view for the character. My guess was that the author wished to layer him--but instead only erased the hard work of the initial impression.

I would have liked to see more of a foil of him and Maive--maybe he couldn't dance at all, or was tone deaf. Something that would create more conflict between them (him not understanding just why it was so important to marry Kal and try to bring back art). 

Setting

Most of what I would review here I did cover in the genre section. 

I do want to note that Lewadowski's descriptions were sufficient and engaging. I actually wish the mechanics were explained more, especially the worldbuilding elements, but she did communicate and paint the picture of her world well enough for me to imagine it. 

Prose

I think herein lies the meat of the issue with this story. To me, prose is the choices the author makes in telling the story: choosing this word and not the other, order of scenes, and development of characters. 

Lewadowski already had a challenging task with the selected genres, and her characters and setting didn't do her any favors with unifying those disparate genres into a single story. 

If, as writers, we are trying to cram as much information as a typical science fiction or fantasy novel needs to create and teach the reader about a new world into a story, we MUST make every word do double and triple duty. There is no room for extraneous fluff.  

What needed to happen was a total synthesis of all elements: setting, genre conventions, plot, and characters into one cohesive and unified narrative. Instead, we got disjointed settings, plot points, characters, and situations. As I already stated, instead of wasting an entire scene on character building for Judah that doesn't persist, set us up from the get go with a young Maive abandoned without even consummating her marriage. Counter it with Judah waiting to go to work, and remember that morning. We would instantly know:

• the main characters and their past relationship
• Judah still has feelings for Maive
• and the plantation world building (the plant, Maive as the daughter of the plantation owner, Judah as the harvesting labor)

As sophisticated readers, we could expect and predict that the book would be about them running into each other again, and that the story would focus on their second chance of finding happiness. Which means we are now cheering these characters on.

Overall, a developmental editor should have found these issues and insisted on edits to improve the piece prior to publication.

That said, there were few grammatical errors in the piece, and it was readable and had popular themes and elements in it. A decent sampling of readers should enjoy the book, and while I would not purchase another one, I can easily think of a couple of friends who would enjoy the writing style and the story.

Overall

I gave the book 3 of 5 stars on Amazon, and would like to make that 3.5 out of 5 stars here. 

I would recommend the book to people who enjoyed Twilight, Divergent, and are ready for a slightly more adult romance. I would also recommend the book to a casual romance reader who likes non-traditional romances, or romances that don't feel like romances. 

The book is good for cold weather reading--snuggle with a blanket on a cold day when you want to ready three or four chapters.

I would not recommend the book for beach reading (too complicated and in depth) or for anyone not comfortable with emotional descriptions of sex, or for someone wanting a politically or thematically charged dystopian novel. I would also not recommend the book for a romance purist.

On the Authors 4 Authors Publishing content rating, the book would come in as 17+ due to sexual situations, or would be rated 14+ but with a disclaimer regarding stronger sexual content than usual for a 14+ book.