Like the Closing of a Book by Sandra Ardoin

By now you know that we’re saying goodbye to Seriously Write, so I wanted to add my own farewell—or let’s just call it a “see you later”—to those of the others you’ve read this month. 

Don’t worry, you’ll still have access to past articles, and I hope you’ll come back here on occasion, looking for answers to some of your questions, or maybe some encouragement to keep plugging away in this business.

Is Your Story Too Good to be True? by Gayla Hiss

Are your stories connecting with readers? If not, author Gayla Hiss may have the answer for you. -- Sandy

Gayla: You’ve written the perfect story . . . never to be published. That was how I felt early in my writing journey. I had good plot ideas, but couldn’t get any traction with publishers. Their rejection letters rarely provided specifics, so it was up to me to solve the mystery like a sleuth in a detective novel. It finally came down to one fatal flaw: my story wasn’t true to life.

In order for stories to connect with readers, they should reflect all the challenges, complications and heartache that come with being human in a fallen world. While it’s tempting to sugarcoat the conflicts and disasters and gloss over the hard realities of life, doing so diminishes the impact of our characters’ triumphs and transformations. For instance, in the Bible, the woman caught in adultery faced an execution squad of male accusers ready to stone her to death. Jesus’ intervention at her lowest point is what makes her story so compelling. The Bible has many such examples, most notably the triumph of our Lord’s glorious resurrection three days after His excruciating death on the cross. For Christians, our lowest valley is physical death, but it is in death that we summit to eternal life with Christ!

Life is complicated. We have many people in our lives: family members, coworkers, friends, neighbors, etc. And each person has their own story, dreams and goals, which sometimes clash with our own. Likewise, our stories should include a good variety of secondary characters who add color and conflict as well as provide confidants and mentors for our heroes and heroines.

Unplanned and unexpected events also occur in our lives, some good, some bad. A person may reveal they are going to have a baby—or that they have a terminal illness. These surprises can often lead us down a different path than we’d planned, or force us to reassess our dreams and beliefs. When these types of events occur in our stories, our characters are faced with the same critical choices and consequences.

By enriching our stories with real-life conflicts, we make them more authentic. If we understand and relate to our hero and heroine’s struggles, we’ll cheer their triumphs even more, because in the end their challenges and victories are really a reflection of our own.

Do your characters face everyday issues in a realistic way that helps readers relate to them and your stories?

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Gayla’s writing journey began with her hobby painting landscapes. In her imagination, characters and scenes came to life as she painted beautiful natural settings. Her inspiring novels combine her love for the great outdoors with romance, suspense and mystery. Gayla and her husband often tour the country in their RV, visiting many state and national parks. She enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling, and lives in the Pacific Northwest. She’s excited to announce the recent release of her debut novel, Avalanche, book 1 of her Peril in the Park series. Visit www.gaylakhiss.com to learn more, and connect with her on Facebook, Amazon and Goodreads.

What's In A Name? by Susan Tuttle

So I recently started a new WIP and, as such, was digging into my characters. I have to say, it’s one of my favorite parts of writing. Getting to know them. Searching for their faces. Learning about their idiosyncrasies. But one part that can stump me is their names.

Do I go with something from the year they were born? Or something that tops the 2014 most popular list? I mean, I write contemporary, so really, the door stands wide open. Is my character born in the country or a city girl? Blonde or brunette? I can pour over lists on Nameberry.com all afternoon. It’s like naming one of my children all over again! Because the name has to fit, it works not only with the mood of the story but also helps shape the picture of the character being created.

You can make a name something the character has fought their whole life or deepen how the reader views them. You can have it be a part of the theme you’re weaving or finally get to use that name you would have given one of your kiddos if you’d had more—don’t laugh, I’ve done it:) There are endless options. So I’m curious…how do other writers pick names? What is the most important aspect of grabbing that label for your hero or heroine? And, as a reader, what do you like to see in a character’s name? Would you ever name a city girl Talulah or a businessman Chet?

I’d love to hear how and where you come up with names. So tell me, what’s in a name when you’re writing?

****

Susan Tuttle

Susan Tuttle is a homeschooling mom of three who is crazy about coffee, dark chocolate, and words—both reading and writing them. Combine that love of words with her passion for leading women to a life-changing encounter with Christ, and you’ll find her crafting Inspirational Contemporary Romance stories laced with humor, love, and healing transformations. When not cheering on her Ironman hubby, chasing the family dog, or tackling complex math problems to teach her kids (yes, even the third grader), you can catch Susan at her blog, Steps.

Sea Creatures and Hollywood Hunks by Sandra Ardoin

Writers put a lot of work into their characters, either before they ever start writing, or as they go along. For me, it’s a combination of both.

As I’ve prepared for the release of my Christmas novella The Yuletide Angel, I’ve answered interview questions and filled out media and book cover information forms. One of the questions I’ve been asked in this process is whether or not I chose an actor and actress as the physical representations of my hero and heroine. The cover design people want to get an idea of how I see my main characters so they can get as close as possible to the ideal.

Using photos of models and celebrities is a common ploy we enlist to help us describe our people even if it’s only meant to clarify the image for us as the writer. I’m not talking about cloning a celebrity so that his or her looks and personality fit the main character. That could lead to problems we don’t want to deal with. I’m talking about using things like coloring, height, and facial shape to clarify your imagination--to see that character as he or she walks around in your head.

I have a Pinterest board called Future Characters? where I collect images of various people. Not all of my photos are celebrities. There are old black and white photographs all over Pinterest of people whose facial features and expressions shout stories. I also collect images from the pages of fashion magazines. Even so, when I’m writing, I don’t necessarily “see” those people as my characters romp through the scenes. Usually, the features are vague. Maybe because I'm trying to be that character as I write.

Some writers choose not to disclose the people they see as those who come close to having the physical traits of their characters. They want their readers to develop their own ideas based on whatever descriptions they’ve used and not influence them toward a certain detailed look. There’s also the danger of a reader having a real aversion to that celebrity and, therefore, not liking the fictional character. 

One day, my daughter and I were discussing a popular actor, one she described as looking like a “sea creature.” (Really, I don’t get the connection, but …) When I told her I was using him as the physical basis for a character in a story (not the hero), she was appalled. **Uh-oh, I hope I didn’t lose a reader.**

So here’s a question for you. Do you think it’s wise for writers to pin images of character samples to Pinterest boards, or tell readers who they envisioned while writing? Let's get a discussion going. 

Do you keep a file of images that appeal to you as possible future characters? Have you ever read a novel, then been surprised to learn who the writer envisioned?

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Available for Pre-order!

On October 15, join me for a Facebook party to celebrate the release of The Yuletide Angel. We'll gather from 11:00 to 3:00 to talk about Christmas fun and food and give away a few goodies.

Sandra Ardoin is a multi-published author of short fiction who writes inspirational historical romance. She’s the married mother of a young adult and lives in North Carolina. Visit her at www.sandraardoin.com and here on the Seriously Write blog. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

How to Discover Your Characters by Letting Them Journal

After reading an interesting post on Carrie Lewis's blog, I asked her the following question: 

"You recommend keeping a character journal to get to know your characters better before writing the story. How does a writer go about this?'" - Sandy

Carrie: There are lots of ways to get to know your characters. Interviews. Family histories. Questionnaires.

One of the potentially most fun and most revealing, but also the most difficult, is journaling.

With journaling, your character keeps a personal journal. A diary, if you will. They talk about deep, dark secrets; dreams they’ve never shared with anyone else; triumphs and tragedies.

Journaling from the character’s point of view is a great way to get into the character’s mind and personality and to learn about a character from the inside out.

But there are a couple of caveats.

First and foremost, don’t ask questions. You want to write as the character so don’t allow any author intrusion. Step back and let the character speak for him- or herself.

Second, don’t edit. Take a minute or two (or three or four if necessary) to get into the character’s frame of mind, then just start writing.

What your character journals about will be different from day to day and character to character, but if you need something to get started, consider these topics.

·         Childhood

·         Young adulthood

·         Fondest dreams of the future

·         Biggest pet peeve

·         Biggest fears

Still not sure where to start?

Here is an excerpt from my current lead character.

The worst thing that could have happened just happened. The perfect layout. A nice old lady who treats me like a son. A big house and a great neighborhood. Access to anything I want and honest pay for a cushy job to boot. What more could a guy want?

So here comes this guy breaking into the house and here I come, protecting my territory. Next thing I know, I’m a hero. Didn’t plan for that. Don’t necessarily want that. It might have its advantages in other situations, but right now, it’s the last thing I need. A little bit of press and there goes my hiding place.

I didn’t actively solicit this character’s comments, but I had written myself into what looked like a corner. The character was able to not only remind me who he was and why he was in the story in the first place; he also suggested an aspect of the storyline I hadn’t previously considered.

That’s what you want with a character journal. The interaction between you as the author and the character as the one who is actually experiencing the story.

Don’t worry about getting it right the first time. It takes time and practice to turn off your author’s voice and personal voice well enough to hear nothing but your character’s voice.  This is an activity that improves with practice, so don’t give up too soon.

And don’t worry if a character seems reluctant to journalize. Some will step forward and take over eagerly. Getting others to speak will be like pulling teeth. Be patient. Learn to roll with the punches and follow the character’s lead.

And most of all, feel free to step back and let them rant!

You won’t be sorry.

~~~

For over thirty years, Carrie's writing took a backseat to full-time work outside the home and to her small business painting portraits of horses and other animals from across the country.

In 2008, she rediscovered writing and, in late 2009, became a full-time artist, which opened up time each day to pursue writing.

Her favorite genres are mystery, suspense, and political thriller, with manuscripts in the works in each of those categories. She also is an active crit partner for other authors, both published and unpublished.

Carrie’s writing blog can be found at http://writing-well.carrie-lewis.com/ and includes quarterly Writing Well Story Clinics. Her art website and blog is http://www.carrie-lewis.com/.

Have you ever tried the method of journaling to discover your characters or write your way out of a corner? Do you have another way you've found helpful to get to know your people? Please share your method with us.