FOUR KEYS TO DYNAMIC CHARACTERS by Lisa Phillips

Hello! I’m so happy to be here, and glad to be a guest today. Recently I’ve been doing workshops in my 6^th grader’s English class, and one of the topics I spoke on was: Characters.

This caused me to dig deep. To look at how I craft characters, and how I show their arc through the character.

Characters should NEVER be the same at the end of the book as they were at the beginning.

Here are 4 keys I came up with to crafting dynamic characters:

1. PERSONALITY

Start with an established archetype: the guardian type as a police officer, the nurturer type as a nurse or teacher. Now blend that archetype with a unique character: the police officer who is a gossip, a mom character who is a thrill seeker.

Your readers will see themselves in your characters. They’ll see their flaws. The things they want to do, or how they wish they could have reacted in a situation. Get creative with who your characters are at their core.

2. GOALS

What does your character want? Dynamic characters have goals. There is something they want more than anything. To get into college, or to get their coworker fired. Maybe they’d like their child to survive middle school (yes, please) or they want to get the one ring to Mordor. Even at the outset of Lord of the Rings, before he even found the ring, Frodo’s desire was to have more adventure in his life than just living in Hobbiton.

Your readers have wants, and goals. So give your characters the same. A yearning for peace. A way to make their marriage better.

However, underneath that there is something your character needs to LEARN in order to obtain this goal.

Which takes us to…

3. a LIE or WOUND

The Lie. Your character believes a lie about himself, or the world he inhabits. Your character suffered a wound in his past that taught him something. Unfortunately, what it taught him is wrong.

Only through this process of learning what he needs to know in order to reach his goal will your character realize what he believes—and that it’s wrong.

Take our thrill seeking mom. She believes, because of the trauma of losing her own mom as a child, that life must be sucked dry. Lived to the fullest. And so she goes after all the skydiving, bungee jumping and free climbing she can. What she wants (her goal) is to build a better relationship with her teen daughter. So she suggests a skydiving date. Well, the teen is afraid of heights.

Can you see the conflict building?

Our thrill seeking mom needs to learn that life can be full, but also quiet. And safe.

It’s not about one thing belief being wrong and the other right, necessarily. There’s nothing wrong with thrill seeking. There’s also nothing wrong with life being quiet. What it’s about for the story are those preconceived things we believe, that hold us back.

And we ALL have them. 

4. A DESTINATION

Every character needs a destination. Is this the place where they achieve their goal? Maybe. Sometimes they get what they want, and sometimes they don’t. It’s about what’s right for them to break the chains of what has held them back their whole life.

And so your character will arrive at a new place in their life by the end of the book—physically, metaphorically, or spiritually. Maybe one, maybe all three. They have learned the great truth that they needed to know. They have overcome the past, and those chains have been broken. Susan May Warren, whose writing advice can be found HERE, calls this the “new man.” The person they were always supposed to be.

A great example of this is THOR. At the beginning of Thor’s first movie, he’s a hotheaded prince who thinks he’s ready to be king. He’s all about fighting and conquering in the name of his people.

By the time he gets to Avengers: Infinity War, Thor is scarred. He’s gotten a serious haircut, lost an eye and now he is the Asgardian king. The thing he always wanted. But it was a hard-won battle that changed him. He’s humble now. He cares about people. And he’s willing to give his life to save others. 

What examples of great dynamic characters from books or movies can you think of? I’d love to hear your favorites.

Characters should NEVER be the same at the end of the book. 4 keys to crafting dynamic characters from Lisa Phillips on #SeriouslyWrite #Writetip

A British ex-pat who grew up an hour outside of London, Lisa attended Calvary Chapel Bible College where she met her husband. He’s from California, but nobody's perfect. It wasn’t until her Bible College graduation that she figured out she was a writer (someone told her). Since then she’s discovered a penchant for high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-other love that always ends in happily ever after.

Find out more at authorlisaphillips.com

LISA’S LATEST RELEASE

His brother was the intended victim…

Now someone’s after him in this Secret Service Agents story
After a man is killed while carrying his brother’s navy ID, Secret Service agent Declan Stringer is determined to figure out why—even if it turns a killer’s sights on him. But first he must convince NCIS agent Portia Finch to partner with him on the case. As attraction sparks between them, Portia knows she’s on dangerous ground…because Declan is hiding deadly secrets.

Available from all great book retailers now.

The Importance of Asking Why by Lisa Jordan

Before I became the Operations Manager for My Book Therapy in June 2017, I’d spent the previous nineteen years owning and operating my in-home childcare program. While working as an early childhood educator, one of the children’s most common questions was, “Why?”

 

Sound familiar? I’m sure if you’ve been around a child for any length of time, that question popped up. 

 

Children ask this question constantly because they are sponges, soaking up all kinds of information. If they’re given one answer, chances are they’ll continue asking why to find another. Sure, it can be annoying, but it’s how they learn. Many times I’d ask them why and they’d usually tell me "because."

One of the best bits of writing advice came from a workshop I attended years ago at an ACFW conference taught by Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck. Each attendant had been given an envelope with a cutout letter Y inside to remind us of the importance of asking “Why?”

Asking our characters "Why?" is one of the best ways to get to the core of their identities, dark moment stories, and motivations for their actions and behaviors. Learning their responses enables us to understand how to craft their stories. 

Think about characters from your favorite books and movies. Why do they act in a certain way? Usually, their motivation stems from a specific event in their past, which is what Susie May Warren calls a “dark moment story.” 

Recently, I rewatched Leap Year and The Proposal, even thought I’ve seen them half a dozen times. What can I say? I love Matthew Goode's accent and Ryan Reynolds’ sense of humor. 

In Leap Year, Anna, the heroine, likes to have a plan in place and know where she is going through life.

Why?

While she was growing up, her father was a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of guy who was always on the lookout for the next big idea. His lack of structure and gainful employment had Anna working after school in order to keep their house, which ended up being repossessed on Christmas Eve. That trauma affected the decisions she made as an adult. 

 

In The Proposal, the heroine Margaret works hard, demands much, and has very little fun.

 

Why?  

 

She'd lost her parents when she was a teenager and had forgotten what it was like to have a family to love. Her work became her purpose in life, so she demanded the same from her staff.

 

As you continue to get to know your characters, keep asking 'why' to learn their story goals and figure out their motivations for wanting them. That will allow you to put believable obstacles in place to keep them from achieving their goals. 

 

Amazon Buy Link

In my current novel, Season of Hope, Jake wants to create a fatigues to farming program. 

 

Why?  

 

Because his best friend, a wounded warrior, lost his hope and took his life. Jake, a former Marine, wants to teach veterans with disabilities how to farm so they can create their own small businesses and have a sense of hope and a purpose for their lives. Additionally, he feels responsible for being the reason his youngest brother is estranged from the family, so he hopes the program will bring his youngest brother back home. 

 

So, before you begin your next book, take the time to ask your characters "why."  This exercise will enable you to:

 

• get to know them.
• create strong goals and motivations.
• build in realistic obstacles.
• help maintain consistency with their character.
• help them to change and grow in order to do something at the end they hadn't been able to do at the beginning.

By doing so, you will have crafted compelling characters with a solid story that keeps your reader turning pages. 

 

If you would like to read the first chapter of Season of Hope, click here: Season of Hope preview

 

Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive sneak peeks and giveaways: Lisa Jordan Books Newsletter

Bio: Heart, home, and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. Represented by Rachelle Gardner, Lisa is a Carol award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing contemporary Christian romances that promise hope and happily ever after. She is the Operations Manager for My Book Therapy. Happily married to her own real-life hero for thirty years, Lisa and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys family time, kayaking, good books, and creating with words, photos, and fibers, especially with friends. Visit her at lisajordanbooks.com.

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5 Tips For Writing Romance Novels By Linda Goodnight

Linda Goodnight offers some practical advice on how to write a better romance.

Tip #1 - A romance novel starts with great characters.

Make them strong, realistic, flawed, sympathetic characters that we can like. Even if he’s a damaged bad boy in need of redemption, the hero should be a man with deep worth, a true hero whose actions
show he respects and admires the heroine even as he’s struggling not to fall in love with her. Create a heroine worthy of that respect and admiration. Whiney, wimpy, helpless heroines without their own goals and dreams turn today’s readers off.

Tip #2 - Create realistic conflicts.

One of the major complaints against romance novels in the past has been silly, contrived conflicts. To avoid this, think of your characters as people. Real people have problems, fears, inner wounds, etc. Notice how these are all internal. While a romance may include an external issue between the main characters to move the story along, their main
conflict is internal.

Tip #3 - Focus on the emotional journey

Go deep inside your characters, figure out their emotional baggage, what hurts them, what are they afraid of, etc., and then show those emotions on the page. The heart of your book is inside your characters. Letting the reader see this internal angst adds to the conflict discussed in #2 and creates motivation for the character’s behavior.

Tip #4 - Keep the romantic relationship front and center.

While it’s great to include interesting subplots, always bring your reader back to the reason for the novel--the developing relationship between the man and woman.

Tip #5 - The Happy Ever After is a must in romance novels.

Consider it the emotional pay–off your reader has been longing for. This union of two hearts, this transformation from alone to committed love, is why she/he has followed the characters through all their trials. Don’t skimp on it. Tie up the plot’s loose ends and finish the story with an “ahhh” moment. If your reader tears up or swoons or smiles as she
closes the book, chances are she’ll be back for another of your stories.

"I could give you dozens of tips for writing a good romance novel..."    Linda Goodnight

NY Times and USA Bestseller, Linda Goodnight writes novels to touch the heart as well as to entertain. Her emotional stories of hope have won the RITA, the Carol, the Reviewer's Choice, and numerous other industry awards. A small town girl, Linda remains close to her roots, making her home in rural Oklahoma. She and husband have a blended family of eight, including two teenagers recently adopted from Ukraine. Many of her books are about family and children and rightly so, as she draws her deeply emotional stories from her surroundings, her great love of family, and from personal experiences as a nurse and teacher. Connect with Linda on Facebook, Twitter, or at www.lindagoodnight.com

This post originally appeared on the Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writer's Blog in January 2018.

Four Reasons Why Writers Should Read Newspapers By Marie Wells Coutu

Early Morning Newspaper

With so much information at our fingertips via our phones and tablets—or through voice control, like “Alexa, what’s the news?”—there’s a tendency to skip buying or reading the newspaper. After all, we have Facebook, TV, and news apps to keep up with what’s happening in the world.

But in the last few days, I’ve found several reasons to keep reading newspapers (or magazines). All were items of interest that I would not have discovered or gone looking for on the Internet. So here are four reasons writers need to keep reading newspapers, at least once in a while:

1. Story ideas.
   My local paper runs a column every week that looks back at some interesting tidbit of state history, such as an Iowa woman who became the first female ticket agent for the railroads. That article went in my “Ideas” file, since I’m now writing historical novels. For speculative writers, the Science and Health section of a recent Minneapolis Star-Tribune contained several items that might inspire stories: the disappearance of key flying insects such as bees, butterflies, and ladybugs; a man-made rover exploring an asteroid surface; a link between air pollution and cognitive decline. I doubt I’m the only writer who sees plot potential in those items, even though I don’t expect to use them in my writing. (I’m sure you suspense writers already mine the newspapers for story ideas.)
2. Character development.
   The same section featured a story on personality types. Instead of using Myers-Briggs Type personality assessment—which apparently social psychologists dislike--for your characters, a huge new study has defined four distinct personality types: Reserved, Self-centered, Role Model, and Average. Since I’m always seeking ways to develop characters that are not all like me, I found this article useful. These four types are based primarily on five established personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. I look forward to learning more about these traits and the four types to help me in creating interesting characters.
3. Marketing.
   In a typical newspaper, you might find listings of local clubs you could approach to offer yourself as a guest speaker. Or you may learn of a news event that relates to your book, providing newsy posts for social media. And of course, you can check out the book reviews or best-seller lists to stay aware of the competition.
4. Humor.
   Don’t skip the comics. You may think you’re too busy or that reading the “funnies” (as we always called them) will distract from your writing. It won’t, as long as you finish in a timely manner and get back to work. Every now and then, you may even find a comic strip that resonates with you as a writer (besides Snoopy writing about the “dark and stormy night.” The laugh break will do you good and may inspire your creativity.

What have you read in a newspaper recently that inspired you, helped you with your craft, or made you laugh? I’d love to hear about it.

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 4 reasons #writers need to keep reading #newspapers by Marie Wells Coutu @MWCoutu  on #SeriouslyWrite. wp.me/a5RrYq-KH bit.ly/2E6vh1y

About the Author

Marie Wells Coutu

Marie Wells Coutu’s newest novel, The Secret Heart, from Write Integrity Press, was named a finalist in both the 2018 National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Awards and the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Awards sponsored by Florida Writers Association. Her debut novel, For Such a Moment, won the Books of Hope Contest. Thirsting for More, the second book in the series was a finalist in the Selah Awards Contest and a semi-finalist in the Royal Palm Literary Awards. An unpublished historical novel set near Golden Pond has been a finalist in five contests.

The Secret Heart by Marie Wells Coutu

You can find more about Marie and her novels on her Facebook page (Author Marie Wells Coutu), at her website (MarieWellsCoutu.com), or follow her on Twitter (@mwcoutu) or on Amazon.com.
Marie is a regular contributor to Seriously Write. For more posts by Marie, click here.

Assembling Your Cast by Angela Arndt

Who were you in high school? Were you the class clown? The popular gal or guy? Surely you weren’t the bully! 

Throughout my teaching career, whether tutoring a group of seven-year-olds or teaching ethics to an auditorium of corporate executives, I've always found certain roles within groups. In fact, some roles are so vital to the group dynamics that if one person leaves, someone else will take his or her place. 

In fact, one year I had a bully in my class who was so hurtful to others that the principal expelled her mid-term. You can imagine my surprise when her favorite target soon took her place as the aggressor in the classroom.

Using Roles to Create Flawed Characters

If we want to imitate life with our stories, we need to use these roles to create complex characters, not one-dimensional stereotypes. Casting misfits who become heroic even with their flaws are a great way to create and maintain interest in your story.

Character Roles

Character roles within most groups, especially those who are together for a long time, are usually set. The roles include:

• The Intellectual One: the smartest one in the group.
• The Popular One: the one everyone loves.
• The Athlete: the most athletic and competitive.
• The Loner: the shyest, with the least number of friends.
• The Clown: may not be the funniest, but still tries to make people laugh. The Clown usually has a secret or is hiding something.
• The Rebel: Resists authority, usually because someone in authority has abused his or her power.
• The Cheerleader: people-pleaser, feels an intense pressure to be the best at everything, make everyone happy.

But don't stop there. Combine these roles and add another characteristic that can be turned on its head by the end of the book. For example:

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 

Mary Lennox, Socially Awkward Loner to Authoritative Cheerleader. Begins the story as a spoiled, unhappy little orphan until she finds someone who is worse: her sickly cousin. From the first stamp of her foot at his crying tantrum, she begins to change.

Colin Craven, Poor Little Rich Kid to Enthusiastic Outdoorsman. Mary’s cousin, Colin, is a depressed invalid, convinced he’ll grow a hump and/or die before he grows up. With Mary’s help, Colin changes to a child who can't wait to get outdoors and see life.

You can use roles to create supporting characters, too.
Dickon, Mischievous Guide. Dickon doesn’t change but remains the children’s encouraging guide throughout the story.

Mrs. Medlock and Ben Weatherstaff, Grumpy Caretakers. Both fill the same role, one inside, the other outside.

Archibald Craven, Depressed Loner. Colin’s father shares his son’s depression over the loss of his wife. Although he’s an absentee father, when he finally returns to find his son walking, he also changes to find hope for the future.

The Princess Bride (movie)

• Westley/Dread Pirate Roberts – Poor Loner to Swashbuckling Hero
• Buttercup – The Picky Princess to Loving Wife
• Inigo Montoya – Revenge-Seeker to Swashbuckler Hero
• Fezzik – Gentle Giant
• Vizzini – Arrogant Intellectual

Next time you want to create a satisfying cast of characters, consider the roles your characters play, then add a surprising characteristic to create dimension to your story.

Want to try it yourself? Choose a classic such as The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe or your own story and identify the roles used to create the main characters.

About the Author

Angela Arndt writes women’s fiction with a thread of romance, telling stories of strong, independent women in difficult situations set in small Southern towns. Her biggest hope is that she will encourage others to overcome their “back roads” and find their own joy in the Lord.

Angela has a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of South Carolina. She and her husband, Charles, live on a bee farm in the middle of a big wood with their furbabies: Beau, Harley and Buddy the Wonder Dog.

Character Development by Alexis A. Goring

Alexis A. Goring

We fiction writers focus a lot on character development, but what about our own growth? Author Alexis A. Goring encourages us to take another look. ~ Dawn

Character Development

Recently, a reader who reviewed my new novella, A Second Chance, pointed out that, “There wasn't a lot of time for character development.” She is not the first reader to comment about character development in my fictional stories. Years ago, when my first book was published, a few readers expressed the same view.

Since the publication of my first book, I worked hard to improve my craft as a writer. I invested in books for writers, went to workshops, networked with seasoned authors and hired an excellent editor. So by the time my second book was published in Jan. 2017, I thought that my characters were well-developed and believed that no one would say that the story moved too fast or that they’d rather it have been a full-length novel to give them more time for…you guessed it, character development. 

While it was disappointing to find that I had not yet mastered the skill of fully developing my characters even after four years of practice, I also found this reader’s comment to be inspiring because I thought of a spiritual parallel that’s true to our real-life story as humans on this Earth.

I realized that The Creator of the Universe (God) is always working on our character development. No, not for the fictional stories that those of us who are authors may write, but He is working on our real-life characters. The only attribute we’re taking to heaven is our character. We cannot take our money, our possessions, our food, or any material thing that we acquired on this Earth. Therefore, God works on our character development.

Just like earthly authors who create plot twists, obstacles and other challenges for their fictional characters to grow, our Heavenly Father (God) is continually putting us in situations and pruning us to develop our character and make us more like His Son (Jesus Christ).

It gives me hope that according to Hebrews 12:2 (KJV), God is the Author and Finisher of our faith because that means He doesn’t discard us or give up on us when it takes months or even years to develop our characters to be more like Jesus. He patiently works with us to get us to where He wants us to be and complete our character.

The Bible says that we can be “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:5, NIV).

Now that Bible verse gives me great hope because it means that no matter what obstacles are placed in my path to develop my character, God is not going to give up on me until my character in my real-life story is perfected. This applies to everyone who believes in God and follows Jesus Christ.

So if you’re in the fight of your life and you just don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, keep pressing into God. He is right there with you and He promises to never leave you (Hebrews 13:5). So be patient as your Heavenly Father completes your character. It will enrich your story and you will be a blessing to others because it’s Jesus Christ who lives in your heart and it’s His Love for humankind that shines through you.

And if you’re an author of fictional stories who struggles with character development, keep learning how to improve your writing. Ask God for His blessing on your stories and trust that if it’s part of His plan for your life then He will teach you how to develop your fictional characters as He develops your real-life character.

A Second Chance

A Second Chance

Newly single food critic and newspaper reporter Traci Hightower is done with dating. After the man of her dreams left her at the altar on their wedding day and ran off with the woman she thought was her best friend, Traci resolves to focus on work and resigns herself to being a bachelorette for life.

Marc Roberts is a political reporter who is known as Mr. Nice Guy, the one who always finishes last. However, Marc’s compassion and kindness are of invaluable help to his newly widowed sister Gina Braxton who is trying to raise her two kids in the wake of her firefighter husband’s death.

Traci and Marc may be the perfect match, but they don’t know it yet. With God’s guidance and the help of Gina’s matchmaking skills honed by her career as a bestselling romance novelist, there is hope for a happily ever after for these two broken hearts.

Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.

To learn more and connect with Alexis, please visit the following sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexisAGoring/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PennedbyAlex

Website: http://www.screenwriteralexis.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/capturingidea/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7260528.Alexis_A_Goring

“God is Love” blog: http://capturingtheidea.blogspot.com