Birthing Great Characters by Dora Hiers

Dora here. Over the last few years, I have been blessed with many writer friends whose encouragement and fellowship make this writing journey so much sweeter. One such friend is award-winning inspirational author, Myra Johnson. Shortly after she moved to NC, we began teaming up to offer presentations covering a number of writing topics. One of our most popular workshops is Creating Characters that Come Alive. With her permission, over the next couple of months I will be sharing a few "teasers" from our workshop.

Are you a visual person? Do you see my hand waving high in the air?

How many times have you shelled out good money to watch a movie after reading the book, and then been disappointed that the actor/actress didn’t look anything like the image in your head? Did it spoil the movie for you?

Or, perhaps as a writer, you have no trouble glossing over body parts without a firm picture in your head...

“Kindness glimmered from his rugged, just-woke-up-and-no-time-to-shave face, and his powerful shoulders suggested he was a man who could carry any burden, no matter how heavy.”  ~Rori’s Healing, coming soon with Pelican Book Group

But what about painting the picture of your hero's face? Do you need something concrete? An image you can relate to, eyes for you to glimpse into their soul and to discover who they really are beneath the mask they show the world?

So what's the first step I take to bring my characters to life? 

I give them a face.

Here is a list of my favorite spots to find faces.

Magazines or department store sales fliers. Sometimes you can get several pictures of the same model in different clothes and poses.

Online sites like IMDb (an entertainment site) or Pinterest. Keep in mind copyright infringement laws. I only use these pictures for my reference.

Wikipedia. Not only is Wikipedia loaded with photos, it’s also a great source for character bios, which can be tweaked for your story.

Someone you know in real life. Maybe you know someone with the right look or a certain characteristic, like hair or eye color. Readers will appreciate and relate to your characters more if they’re not perfect or model gorgeous.

I don’t know about you, but my hero and heroine have to look good together or match. Initially in Journey’s Embrace, my love interests weren’t clicking for me, so a few pages into writing, I switched the hero out with another, and whoa! The words literally flowed from my fingertips, and the romantic tension was exactly what the original characters lacked.

Just a note of caution, though, as we’re discussing characters. Do what works to get the words on the page, but don’t become overly attached to the images you’ve formed while writing. Once you get that contract, you’ll submit a description of your characters to your editor, but it’s up to the publisher to find the closest match from their available stock photos. You may or may not have a final say in their choice.

Writers, what is your favorite destination to find faces for your characters?
Readers, chime in with your favorite fictional characters and why they are special to you.

Join us next month when we’ll give our characters a ...
hmmm, you'll just have to stop back by to find out. :)

Journey's Embrace
Purchase Link

After an injury forces Deputy U.S. Marshal Sage Michaelson off duty, he heads to his hometown with two things on his mind: recuperating and reevaluating, but Sage can’t refuse his best friend’s plea to keep a protective eye on his little sister after someone ransacks her house. But Delaney’s not so little anymore—and definitely not the young “Dane” Sage remembers. 

Flight Medic Delaney Hunt has loved Sage forever. But, he’s all about control and order while she embraces life and takes risks. As much as the idea appeals to her, she doesn’t need Sage looking over her shoulder. But when things go wrong and she finds herself hanging by her fingertips, who does she call to rescue her? 

Dora Hiers

Will Delaney ever be the woman Sage wants by his side? Can Sage learn to live by grace, recognizing that God is in control? Can they overcome their fears to embrace life together?

Dora Hiers is a multi-published author of Heart Racing, God-Gracing romances. She’s a member of RWA, ACFW, and the Treasurer for ACFW-Charlotte Chapter. Connect with her here on Seriously Write, her personal blog, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

Do Readers Love Your Hero?

Incredibly Deep Hole

Yes. 

My dog dug this Incredibly. Deep. Hole. 

Grandma and Grandpa had just left after visiting for a few days. Do you think he was upset?

Hey everyone. Dora here, and when I posted this picture on Facebook, a friend who works at the fire station with my hubby asked if I planned to cover the hole before "the chief" got home.

What? Why would I do that?

Bruiser the puppy

Hubby, aka "the chief", enjoys the antics of his baby, and if you lived through this cutie's puppy stage, you might understand. As a pup, Bruiser loved to swim in our pool. Once, when our older son fell asleep with the sliding door open, Bruiser went swimming, dragging along my hubby's, er...undergarments. He's a bit mischievous, (OK, a lot) so digging a hole that deep clearly wasn't an issue. 

But my friend's comment made me think about...

Perceptions of a hero.

"How could I possibly make that connection," you ask. 

"What correlation does a hole have with a hero?"

Not the hole necessarily, but how different people perceive the same person. 

At the fire station, hubby may be the chief, but at home, he's my husband, my sweetheart, my best friend and life partner. My hero.

While he may be gruff and authoritative at work, at home, he's cuddly and kind, helpful and considerate, devoted and loving. While the community sees him as a public figure, someone who often must reject their building plan, or as a manager, the final decision maker on discipline or firing, I see a man devoted to God and family.


As a writer, I must create heroes that readers admire or like. 
Although my hero may be gruff on the job or around others, he must have redeeming value to the heroine, and ultimately, to my readers. 

How do I do that? Let me show you by giving you an inkling of why I perceive my hubby differently than others might:

• He immerses himself in the Word every morning.
• When one of our sons call with a problem, he drops everything to listen and works together for a solution.
• He rides along with me on all my library presentations (and believe me when I say that's a bunch!) to offer moral support and a helping hand.
• When our grandson spends the night and wakes crying, hubby's the first one out of bed to comfort the Little Man. When I finally stumble into his bedroom, Little Man's already cradled in hubby's loving arms.
• When our cat stranded herself in a tree, hubby dragged out the ladder to rescue her. At midnight.
• Hubby could go to lunch with the guys, but he chooses to share lunch with me. And  sometimes he jots "I love you" on the receipt so I'll see it later.
• On a recent day trip for business, hubby invited me to ride along. He could have just driven himself, but he wanted to share the day with me.

Do you get the idea? 

Your hero may be unlikable to some people, but show him being nice and sweet to your heroine, and your readers are sure to fall for him, too.

How do you perceive your hero?

If your hero is gruff, how do you make him lovable?

Journey's Embrace
by Dora Hiers

After an injury forces Deputy U.S. Marshal Sage Michaelson off duty, he heads to his hometown with two things on his mind: recuperating and reevaluating, but Sage can’t refuse his best friend’s plea to keep a protective eye on his little sister after someone ransacks her house. But Delaney’s not so little anymore—and definitely not the young “Dane” Sage remembers.

Flight Medic Delaney Hunt has loved Sage forever. But, he’s all about control and order while she embraces life and takes risks. As much as the idea appeals to her, she doesn’t need Sage looking over her shoulder. But when things go wrong and she finds herself hanging by her fingertips, who does she call to rescue her?

Will Delaney ever be the woman Sage wants by his side? Can Sage learn to live by grace, recognizing that God is in control? Can they overcome their fears to embrace life together?

Writing from Conception to Completion Using a Desk ~ Really?

My old desk

After using the same desk and office configuration for more than ten years, recently I decided it no longer fit my writing needs. I needed more working table space and less vertical storage for things to get lost in.

But what would I want? I went on a quest to find the perfect desk and matching storage space. Know what? I didn't find anything.

I liked this desk at Pottery Barn, but it didn't come with a matching storage unit. But now, armed with a concept or idea, I had something to work with. A lot like writing, don't you think? Once you have an idea, you can start working on it, right?

Hubby and my dad

I had a particular storage unit in mind, one that would accommodate at least six cubbies to hold files and folders with the potential for a couple smaller shelves. Hubby designed the storage cubby and found plans for a similar desk to the one I liked. The planning or design phase, similar to "plotting." 

The actual creating of the desk took coordination and help from my whole family. Legs and shelves had to be level, measurements precise, and, of course, the appropriate balance between looking nice and being practical. We bought and tested about five different stains until we achieved the right look. 

My new desk

Here it is. My new desk and storage unit. I'm still looking for a couple little baskets and a wall board, so until then, my office is still in the tweaking stage. 

From conception to completion. 
Writing a book requires the same skeletal components:

• Concept or Idea
• Plan (plot or premise)
• Create (write)
• Tweak (edit)

In my current wip, I just wrapped up the creating phase and cranked up the edit process. 

Where are you in your writing phase?

Have you made any changes to your work space to accommodate your writing needs?

Journey's Embrace ~ Releases tomorrow, 3/1, with Pelican Book Group

After an injury forces Deputy U.S. Marshal Sage Michaelson off duty, he heads to his hometown with two things on his mind: recuperating and reevaluating, but Sage can’t refuse his best friend’s plea to keep a protective eye on his little sister after someone ransacks her house. But Delaney’s not so little anymore—and definitely not the young “Dane” Sage remembers. 

Flight Medic Delaney Hunt has loved Sage forever. But, he’s all about control and order while she embraces life and takes risks. As much as the idea appeals to her, she doesn’t need Sage looking over her shoulder. But when things go wrong and she finds herself hanging by her fingertips, who does she call to rescue her?

Will Delaney ever be the woman Sage wants by his side? Can Sage learn to live by grace, recognizing that God is in control? Can they overcome their fears to embrace life together?

Pantser to Plotter...Now What? by Dora Hiers

Last week we talked about my decision to migrate from Pantser to Plotter. Now what?

As a Pantser (not under contract), you have flexibility in your schedule. You may have a daily word count goal, but without a deadline, it doesn't really matter if you reach your goal. You can make up for it the next day or just extend the length of time it takes to write the book.

But what happens when you become a Plotter and submit a proposal for books that aren't yet written? A component of the proposal requires a completion date. How do you come up with a time frame to complete the books?

Hmmm...

A calendar? 

Calendar

Not the ideal solution. Especially when you're working on multiple books. There's just no easy way to adjust your schedule, if it becomes necessary. 

A timeline would work. One with the capability to insert tasks by book and keep a running word count total. You can google timeline and you’ll find hundreds of options. Be sure to pop back over here and let me know if you find something that works for you. I didn't.

Instead, I chose to create a fairly basic Excel document with the date, book title, task, word goal, and a running total. Starting with a realistic weekly word count, I mapped out each book, dividing the weekly goal into a targeted daily word count, taking into consideration vacations and holidays. I used "fill color" to highlight different books, so that I can easily decipher the transition from one book to the next. I add my word count for each day, and adjust if necessary. Now, I have completion dates for each book in my proposal.

It's not perfect, either, but it works for now. Here are some pros:

Accountability. A daily goal keeps me focused and on track. I completed my first book a few days ahead of schedule. 

Time saver. With the plotting already done, I know the direction the story needs to go, which saves time daily.

Freedom. When I accomplish my goal early, I’m free to work on other tasks or keep writing. It’s my choice.

Accomplishment. A sweet feeling, right?

And only one negative so far:

Pressure. So far, I’ve experienced only one negative. If you’re having a tough writing day and the words aren’t flowing, it’s tough not to get discouraged or feel the pressure. On these days, I really hunker down to keep at it. Some days I might type only dialog if that’s flowing better, or switch to action beats and what’s happening. If that still doesn’t work, I regroup by working on another writerly task and try to compensate my word count during the week. But, that’s a last resort.

It's your turn. 

If you're a Plotter, which organizational software works well for you?

After an injury forces Deputy U.S. Marshal Sage Michaelson off duty, he heads to his hometown with two things on his mind: recuperating and reevaluating, but Sage can’t refuse his best friend’s plea to keep a protective eye on his little sister after someone ransacks her house. But Delaney’s not so little anymore—and definitely not the young “Dane” Sage remembers. 

Flight Medic Delaney Hunt has loved Sage forever. But, he’s all about control and order while she embraces life and takes risks. As much as the idea appeals to her, she doesn’t need Sage looking over her shoulder. But when things go wrong and she finds herself hanging by her fingertips, who does she call to rescue her?

Will Delaney ever be the woman Sage wants by his side? Can Sage learn to live by grace, recognizing that God is in control? Can they overcome their fears to embrace life together?

Journey's Embrace ~ Coming March 1st!