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| Kathryn Springer |
The Road to Creating Great Characters
By Kathryn Springer
Recently I had the
absolute privilege to attend the Country Memories Farm Writing Conference in
Manitowoc, Wisconsin, as a workshop leader. A beautiful setting, sweet
fellowship with other writers, words that blessed and encouraged and. . . alpacas!
Speaking anywhere is a gigantic leap out of my comfort zone, but for a girl who
loves God’s creation, it was better than a day at the spa. :)
My topic was creating great characters
because, well, because I love great characters! The books that line my “keeper”
shelf (okay, shelves!) all have
something in common. The characters became so real it was like making a new friend.
And you keep your friends close, right?
The more you get to know
a person, the more they reveal about themselves, which results in an emotional
connection. It’s the same thing when it comes to our characters. We want the reader
to get to know them. To bond with them. To remember
them.
During the workshop, I shared
some of my favorite ways to bring characters to life—habits and hang-ups (we
all have them!) and the use of props.
Inward thoughts and
feelings are usually expressed in outward behavior, so when it comes to your characters,
make them count. Tie a habit to something in your character’s past. One of my
heroines kept butterscotch candies in her pocket. When she was a little girl,
her dad knew she struggled to control her temper so he doled these out to her
with the rule that she couldn’t speak until it was gone—and she couldn’t chew
it! It was a habit she carried into adulthood. She even knew how long it took
for one to dissolve (6 minutes and 38 seconds!). When she and the hero clashed,
she went through a lot of candy. In
one humorous scene, she handed him a piece and by the end of the book, he was
carrying his own private stash!
I brought a
life-size, cardboard cut-out of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz to use as a
visual aide for the workshop. She’s holding a basket and her dog, Toto, and
wearing the ruby slippers. They’re her standard “props,” aren’t they? But think
about props in terms of character.
When the story opens,
Dorothy is running away from Miss Gulch, who wants to do away with Toto. That
basket is more than just a cute accessory—it reveals Dorothy’s heart. It symbolizes
her desire to protect those she loves, even if it means putting herself in
danger. On her way to Oz, you see that quality again when the Cowardly Lion bullies
the Scarecrow. Dorothy puts her own fears aside and stands up to him.
Consider some of the props
in great epic stories. Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, King Arthur’s Excalibur,
Frodo’s ring. Props can reveal a character’s dreams and goals and values. Their
God-given gifts or abilities. Sometimes even their greatest fear.
Now think about props as they relate to your characters. Props can also represent
a specific career. A musical instrument, a paintbrush, or a laptop computer. A gun
if you’re writing suspense. A diary, a piece of jewelry, even a stray dog can
be a prop.
Ask yourself what would happen if they
lost it. What if it were taken away? Maybe the prop is holding them back from
becoming the person God wants them to be. Maybe it’s going to save the world. .
. or someone they love.
I hope some of these things got you
thinking about your characters in a new way! Now, off to the kitchen to grab
some chocolate. . . not that it’s a habit of mine. :)
~~~~~~
Annette here: I love this advice! So, how about your characters? What kind of props have you given your characters, or could you give them?
~~~~~~
USA Today bestselling
author Kathryn Springer grew up in a small town in northern Wisconsin, where
her parents published a weekly newspaper. As a child she spent hours at her
mother’s typewriter, plunking out stories about horses that her older brother
“published” (he had the stapler) for a nominal fee. Kathryn loves writing about
imperfect people, small towns and a great big God.
When she isn’t at the
computer, you’ll find her curled up (in the sun!) with a good book, spending
time with her family and friends or walking the trails near her country home.
~~~~~~
All Annie Price has
ever wanted is a place to call home. So when an online friend offers her a
fresh start managing a little bookstore in Red Leaf, Wisconsin, Annie packs her
suitcase and says good-bye to her former lonely life.
Deputy Jesse Kent
can't believe his mother has handed the keys to her bookshop to a woman she met
on the internet. Annie might be vivacious, smart as a whip and beautiful—but
what do they really know about her? Jesse has seen his mother taken advantage
of before, and he decides to keep a close eye on Annie.
But when a close eye
turns into a historical wedding reenactment with Jesse and Annie as the couple,
make-believe nuptials quickly give way to real-life emotions. As the wedding
approaches and Annie and Jesse's secrets some to light, the deputy has to face
the truth: this wedding was just a ploy, but he might want Annie to be his
September bride. . . for real.
