Deepening Characterization

by Normandie Fischer

We've all been there, haven't we? Curled up with a book that has become a favorite, even though our unread stack threatens to topple. 

Here's my question for today. Why do we read some books more than once while setting others aside with barely another thought?

Last month, I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with an out-of-town reader who’d been so affected by one of my books that she’d had to pick it up and dig through it again. Something about that book's characters resonated with what she'd experienced, and she wanted more. I was charmed, of course, but that’s what we want, isn’t it? For our characters to touch hearts and change lives.

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A Storycrafting Checklist

by Susan May Warren

Do you have all the pieces of a brilliant novel? Before we dive into our storycrafting checklist, let’s talk about the debate between character driven and plot driven novels.

Character Driven versus Plot Driven Novel

Think of the last story you read, the last great movie you watched. Even your favorite television series. Were you more interested in the plot or the person? I would bet that the element that drew you into the story were the characters.

Let’s think about this. Plot is interesting, but not unless it is about someone we care about.

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If You Don’t Know What To Do, Make ‘Em Sad

by Rachel Hauck

Riding my bike the other day, musing over my work-in-progress while also contemplating the book “The Nightingale” which I’d just finished, I realized that there is a certain sadness to the protagonist in books I love. In books the world loves.

Not morbid sadness. Not depressed. But a certain longing if you will.

Save for Elizabeth Bennett who covered her longing for true love with “snark” and piety.

In The Nightingale, the sister protagonists had a sad upbringing. Left with a minder by their father after their mother died.

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I Hate That Guy: Crafting Likable Characters

Even despicable characters need to be lovable.

post by Michelle Griep

I love sarcasm. Give me a character who's snappy and snippy with their dialogue and bam...instant like fest. So it surprises me when snarky characters aren't always well loved. What's the deal?

Well...apparently I'm in the minority. Sarcasm doesn't head the list of likable traits. So what does?

Top 3 Ingredients of Crafting an Endearing Character

Admirable motivations.

Even if your protagonist resorts to doing something naughty, give him an empathetic reason for doing so. Maybe he's trying to protect a more vulnerable character, or perhaps he's trying to hide a potentially debilitating flaw. A reader must feel that the mean justifies the end.

Show him capable of love.

No matter how self-centered your character may be, how vile or criminally minded, the teddy bear factor must be present. Give the character a pet, a younger sibling, or something else cute and cuddly to love.

Vulnerable vs Capable

Too much vulnerability makes your character a wuss. Over the top confidence labels him as snooty. The ironic thing is that you should have a blend of both in your protag . . . and also in your villain. No one is all bad or all good. To make a believable, relatable character, you need to include both.

For further reading on character development, I recommend Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder. It's really a book about how to write screenplays but one that every fiction writer should have on their shelf -- especially if you struggle with connecting your characters to your reader. And honestly, who doesn't wrestle with that?

Like what you read? There’s more. WRITER OFF THE LEASH: GROWING IN THE WRITING CRAFT is a kick in the pants for anyone who wants to write but is stymied by fear, doubt, or simply doesn’t know how to take their writing to the next level.

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. Follow her adventures and find out about upcoming new releases at her blog, Writer Off the Leash, or stop by her website. You can also find her at the usual haunts of Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

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Common Mistakes in Character Development

Make your characters stand out from the crowd.

Post by Michelle Griep

New writers make all kinds of goofy-butt mistakes . . .

 - an overabundance
   of adverbs and 
   adjectives

 - enough backstory 
   in the first chapter
   to choke a hyena

 - prose so purple it looks like a bruise

But one of the biggest gaffs author wannabes make is found in character creation. Never fear though, little rookies, because here is a handy dandy list so that your writing won't scream "newbie," leastwise not in your character development.

5 Things NOT To Do With Your Characters

Talking Heads
Not that I'm dissing dialogue, but too much talking and thinking creates characters floating in a vacuum. Yeah, that's probably not scientifically possible, but whatever. Tether your reader to your characters by putting them in situations every reader experiences. This is where imagery comes in. Make sure to use sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.

Playing Too Nice
Face it, life sometimes sucks. It needs to for your characters as well. A reader doesn't care about Suzy Sunshine and in fact may want to punch her in the head for being all Pollyanna. You can't go deep with your character's personality unless you torture them, because it's when a character is stressed that what's inside comes out. Your hero can't be heroic unless something dastardly happens to him -- repeatedly.

Keep your reader guessing what your characters will say.

Stilted Conversations
Think about this for a minute . . . do you know anyone who consistently speaks in complete sentences? Other than seventh-grade English teachers or academic nerds trying to impress a girl, people don't talk that way. Neither should your characters. Get over your junior high grammar class and give up the fear of using fragments. You can. See? Just did. That's how your characters should speak.

Predictability
One-dimensional characters are boring. If a reader can predict exactly how your hero will react in any given situation, then you've made your character too flat. And ditch the stereotypes as well. Just because you've got a Native American in your story doesn't mean the dude is super connected to the earth and has a dream catcher hanging in his bedroom.

Too Many Characters
Make your main characters quirky, fun, and unique, but don't overdo it by giving every possible character a name or an outstanding characteristic. Readers don't want to know the nickname of the dogcatcher and don't care if there's a bum with a case of psoriasis sleeping on a bench as the hero passes by. If a character isn't a necessity to moving the plot forward, then feel free to gloss over him.

Keep in mind these five tips and you'll create characters that will haunt the reader's mind long after they've finished your story.

Like what you read? There’s more. WRITER OFF THE LEASH: GROWING IN THE WRITING CRAFT is a kick in the pants for anyone who wants to write but is stymied by fear, doubt, or simply doesn’t know how to take their writing to the next level.

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. Follow her adventures and find out about upcoming new releases at her blog, Writer Off the Leash, or stop by her website. You can also find her at the usual haunts of Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

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Essentials of Character Building

POST BY MICHELLE GRIEP

No matter the genre, every story has characters. Otherwise, you'd be writing a phone directory. Hold on. Bad analogy. I know plenty of characters in a phonebook, and who uses a phonebook anymore anyway?

As I was saying, sans phonebooks, characters are the main ingredients in a story recipe. There are lots of tricks to jazz up a memorable character, but EVERY character needs some basics.

Fear

What's makes your character scream like a little girl? Centipedes? The IRS? The threat of an alien probe shoved up their—wait a minute. I'm scaring myself. And that, my friends, is the point. Everyone is afraid of something. Identify what your character is afraid of so you can use that fear to ramp up the tension.

Strength

I'm not talking six-pack abs here, though in the case of your hero, that's never a bad idea. Think about what skills your character possesses. Is he a crazy freak with nunchucks? Can she hit a raccoon in the eyeball with a slingshot from fifty yards away? Maybe this character has x-ray vision and can see into people's souls. Whatever. Give them something to work with.

Flaws

Nobody is flawless, so make sure your character isn't either. Not even your super stud that rushes in to save the day and the damsel in distress in one fell swoop. This can be something as small as an inability to balance a checkbook, or you can create a whopper of a wart like a gambling habit using stolen money copped from nuns.

A Secret

Yo. Buddy. Step a little closer. No, closer. I’ve got a juicy secret for you. Are you leaning toward the screen? That's because you want to know what I've got hidden. Secrets are like big, plump nightcrawlers wriggling on a hook, irresistible to the literary fish. Characters with secrets reel in a reader.

Motivation

Everybody wants something. A brand-spanking-new Tesla. A mutton lettuce tomato sandwich. The stupid hangnail on your thumb to go away. Your character wants something as well. What is it?

Depth

Great characters have lots of layers, and the best kind are those at odds with each other. Example: show a heroine battling insecurity on the inside while acting and speaking with careless arrogance on the outside. The more complexity, the better. Your characters are human after all. Okay, so maybe they’re not real humans. But living, breathing people are reading your story, and that’s who your characters must relate to.

Passion

A compelling character needs a cause about which they are passionate, usually one that involves justice. Not that they have to be over-the-top, protest-sign waving hippies. Just give them an issue they care deeply about.

Make sure to incorporate these building blocks next time you construct a character and you'll be well on your way to making him or her memorable in a reader's mind. 

Like what you read? There’s more. WRITER OFF THE LEASH: GROWING IN THE WRITING CRAFT is a kick in the pants for anyone who wants to write but is stymied by fear, doubt, or simply doesn’t know how to take their writing to the next level.

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. Follow her adventures and find out about upcoming new releases at her blog, Writer Off the Leash, or stop by her website. You can also find her at the usual haunts of Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

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Francine Rivers-Bridge to Haven

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers has published numerous novels—all bestsellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors, including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Francine’s novels have been translated in over twenty different languages. She and her husband, Rick, enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.

I "met" Francine via email when I needed to interview her for a project. I asked another author to see if Francine would allow me to email her about a potential interview. I got permission, her email, and because I'm such a huge fan of hers, in my excitement I embarrassed the fire out of myself by not asking her if I could send her some questions and just sent them. Thankfully, she saw the humor and graciously answered my questions, then and now.

What is your hope for your novels?

I hope the stories I write will increase readers’ hunger and thirst for Jesus, and the characters will inspire them to be more like Him. It’s so easy to follow the ways of the world, to get sucked into following the herd rather than be among the flock. I want to encourage readers to trust in the Lord always and to remember only His Word is truth.

You often say that each of your books is inspired by a question. Is that the case with Bridge to Haven? If so, what question inspired this novel?

We live in a complex, often-disheartening world. I know I always have questions about how to live for Jesus in a world that hates Him. Questions continue to challenge me. How do I live by faith and not by sight? How can I be an overcomer in a world that wants to crush the very heart of me? I take these questions into any story I write, and each story is a quest for God’s perspective.

With this particular novel, I wanted to explore how people can be bridges. Jesus is the ultimate bridge that takes us across the chasm over hell and into heaven to be in the presence of God. Each character in the novel plays a part as a bridge builder or bridge destroyer. Sometimes the characters begin as one and become the other.

What message do you hope will resonate with readers of Bridge to Haven?

I hope readers will ask themselves: Am I a bridge? How can I help someone who is struggling step onto the bridge of faith and begin the journey to a haven of rest? Do I point the way? Or do I walk with them? How does that look in my day-to-day life?

Why did you want to reimagine the parable of the Prodigal Son? Why was this important to you?

The Prodigal Son is the story of every human being. We are all God’s creations. But too often we try to go our own way. That way brings pain and separation from what we truly want: an everlasting love relationship with God. Only in Him do we find the happiness we crave from the womb. Some turn away from the world and head home to God. That journey all too often begins in desperation and follows a road of fear until we see the Lord has been waiting for us all the time with open arms.

Was there a specific person upon whom you based Abra’s character?

The story started as an allegory about the character of God and Jesus, but how can anyone capture the immensity of God, His all-consuming love and passion for each of us? I certainly couldn’t. His love is so immense, cleansing, healing, restorative. It’s beyond human understanding. I dumped my first attempt and started over. In this rendition, Zeke and Joshua strive to be like Jesus, and often fail. Abra represents those who fail to see the love offered and turn away, looking in all the wrong places for what they had from the beginning. It is a leap of faith to believe God’s grace is not earned, but freely given.

I was like Abra for many years. Despite the truth I was taught as a child, I took hold of a wrong view of God as a constant critical eye, a Being just waiting to condemn me to everlasting hell. When I turned to God, I felt like Paul when the scales fell away from his eyes. In a sense, I awakened and knew God loved me despite everything I had done and mistakenly believed. My stubborn pride had to be broken. There were always people around me who loved me and pointed the way to Jesus. That is true of everyone. God makes ambassadors and scatters them everywhere. When we open our hearts, usually out of desperation, God pours in His Holy Spirit and opens our eyes and ears to who He is and to those He has called to help us cross that bridge of faith God uses to transform our lives.

What is the significance of the title, Bridge to Haven?

**Spoiler alert for those who are in a book club.** If you are in a book club and would like Francine's answer to this question, then after you've read the book, email Ane through Ground Control and she'll send you the answer.

What research did you do for this title? What did you learn about Hollywood in the 1950s?

I compiled binders full of information about the forties and fifties, World War II, the Korean War, medics serving in Korea, Hollywood studios and stars, along with Scripture that always speaks to the mind and heart of any human being. The Bible is like God’s blueprint for mankind, how and why man was built, what happened when sin entered into our lives, and the cure. Since I don’t have a mind that retains information, I kept the binders and my Bible close at hand for constant reference. I am fortunate enough to have an exacting, knowledgeable editor (Kathy Olson) who makes sure the time lines and accompanying information are correct down to the smallest detail of which song might have been playing on the radio. And since I am very aware of my limitations and imperfections, I applaud and embrace her efforts.

Most of our readers are writers and love to learn from multi-published and successful authors. How do you develop your characters?

Usually they start whispering to me long before I begin development. I know that may sound strange, and I’m only partly joking. I start with a question and the more I ponder and study, the more I begin to hear characters (people) talking about the issue; real people as well as those who begin to come to life in my head. Some voices are louder than others, and I try to listen. I will even take dictation, jotting down their conversations.

I always have one strong Christian as a central character, and this person keeps me anchored in Scripture. Writing is a quest for answers and an attempt to find God’s perspective, so this character is essential. Remember the “What would Jesus say?” from Charles Sheldon’s classic, In His Steps.

That question becomes: “What would this particular character/person say in this given situation? How would Jesus want him/her to behave? What attitude toward the antagonist or crisis would come through if they were fully bonded to Christ? What part of their backstory would come into play and might cause havoc?”  Frankly, the negative characters are easier for me to understand. I still struggle with my sin nature. I relax and think about what would come “naturally”. Living for Jesus is supernatural and requires His enabling power. Writing is an exercise and a way for me to practice living by faith.

I look for names that fit the roles the people in the story take on. Sometimes those names change several times in the course of writing the novel – which can make it confusing for me when I’m trying to recall names after I’ve turned the manuscript in and not picked it up again for months at a time. Who was that guy? What was that girl’s name? I need to read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) to remember!

 

The main challenge for me is getting out of my own way. By that, I mean I have to dump all my preconceived notions about who the characters are, what they believe and why and what they’re going to do. They need the freedom to take on a life of their own, and when they do (which doesn’t happen early in the work), that’s when writing become truly exciting.

Pictures also help. Often, I’ll see a face in a magazine (like National Geographic) and know who it is (in my story). I feel an instant recognition. That’s what she looks like!  Snip, snip, snip, up she goes onto my bulletin board. It doesn’t happen for every character. I’m careful not to describe in too much detail because it’s always better for the reader to create the face in their own imagination. But it’s nice to look over and see her/him staring at me and hear that mental whisper: Tell my story. Writing is hard work, but when characters take on a life of their own and I’m just sitting at my computer and letting them have their say, it’s the best job in the world.

Bridge to Haven

To those who matter in 1950s Hollywood, Lena Scott is the hottest rising star to hit the silver screen since Marilyn Monroe. Few know her real name is Abra. Even fewer know the price she’s paid to finally feel like she’s somebody.

To Pastor Ezekiel Freeman, Abra will always be the little girl who stole his heart the night he found her, a wailing newborn abandoned under a bridge on the outskirts of Haven. Zeke and his son, Joshua—Abra’s closest friend—watch her grow into an exotic beauty. But Zeke knows the circumstances surrounding her birth etched scars deep in her heart, scars that leave her vulnerable to a fast-talking bad boy who proclaims his love and lures her to Tinseltown. Hollywood feels like a million miles from Haven, and naive Abra quickly learns what’s expected of an ambitious girl with stars in her eyes. But fame comes at an awful price. She has burned every bridge to get exactly what she thought she wanted. Now, all she wants is a way back home.

In this riveting and highly anticipated tale of temptation, grace, and unconditional love, New York Times best-selling author Francine Rivers delivers big-canvas storytelling at its very best. 

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Pete Klismet ~ Writing Authentic Characters, Part 1

Pete Klismet served two tours in Vietnam on submarines, attended college in Denver, then was a police officer in Ventura, California for ten years. He was appointed a Special Agent in 1979 and retired from the FBI in 1999 after 30 total years of law enforcement service. He was one of the original ‘profilers’ in the FBI, serving in four FBI offices. He was named the 1999 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year by a national organization.Having recently retired as a college professor, Pete and his wife Nancy live in Colorado Springs, CO.

As many of our readers are novelists I want to pick your expertise a bit and ask you some questions that will help us authentically write in the areas of criminals and profiling.  If a novelist wanted to write a criminal profiler as a main character what major things would be important to include in the characters abilities or tendencies to make the character realistic?

There is one common thread I’ve seen in the best criminal profilers I’ve ever worked with, including two of my mentors – Robert Ressler and Roy Hazelwood.  Bob was one of the brightest and quickest people I’ve ever known.  Bob was a brilliant guy who had the foresight to see into the future and understand the potential of criminal profiling.  Bob’s approach was somewhat ‘shoot from the hip,’ but the neurons in his brain operated at a speed unlike anyone I’ve ever seen.  

Roy, on the other hand, was like a pit bull, doggedly determined, patient, methodical and thorough, almost to a fault.  They were two of the best ever, yet completely different personalities.  The one thing I saw as being common to both Bob and Roy was ‘common sense.’  John Douglas completed the triangle of what I still call the ‘Top Three.’  Douglas was probably the best ever, but was not someone who was personable, perhaps even a little aloof, not an instructor as I recall.  

John, however, possessed an ability to see things very few could see, and using great common sense, could determine the ‘why’ of a crime better than anyone.  He’s still called the “Modern Sherlock Holmes.”  Deservedly so.  The character Jack Crawford in “Silence of the Lambs,” was based on John, who himself has authored quite an impressive number of books. 

Having said that, let me illustrate what I mean:  In Atlanta in the 1980’s, young black boys were being killed at an alarming rate.  Ultimately the death toll reached 33.  During the investigation, Roy Hazelwood was brought down in an effort to provide a profile of this prolific serial killer.  The common belief was the killer was white, probably a member of the KKK.  Roy was with 3 detectives, looking around the area where most of the kidnappings occurred.  All of the detectives happened to be black.  

Suddenly, Roy noticed that all activity stopped and people were looking at the four of them.  He asked a detective what that was about, and the reply was “There’s a white guy (Roy) in the area.”  From that, Roy concluded the killer had to be black, a person who could move around freely without being noticed.  This was not a popular opinion, but it turned out to be correct when one Wayne Williams was arrested and ultimately convicted for the murders.

During the investigation, John Douglas came to Atlanta to help Roy.  After the coroner made a public statement that they were getting good forensic evidence off the bodies which had been found, John made a prediction to investigators.  He said, “The next body will be found in a body of water.”  So, surveillances were established in likely places.  Sure enough, about a week later, an officer on surveillance under a bridge over the Chattahoochee River, heard a big splash.  He then saw a car leaving and stopped the driver.  

With no further evidence to go on, the officer took the driver’s information and description of the car.  A day or so later, the body of Nathaniel Cater was pulled from the river.  Sure enough, the person who threw the body over the side of the bridge was Wayne Williams.  This was the critical link in breaking the case, and all because of a criminal profiler’s experience, knowledge, and the common sense involved in his assessment of the overall situation.

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Five Sentence Synopsis -- Surgery for Your Work In Progress ~ Camy Tang

The 5-ss to Doctor Your Book

By Camy Tang

A tool I use for self-editing or when I’m stalled in plotting my novel is the 5-sentence synopsis (5-ss). It’s 5 targeted sentences you write about one character focusing on either story structure, internal journey, or romantic arc. I end up writing each type of 5-ss for each character.

Writing the 5-ss makes me take a bird’s eye view of the story and distill it to basic elements, enabling me to doctor my own book. I can see if I’ve included all the necessary steps for each character’s plot or arc.  This helps me with pacing my manuscript if it’s unfinished, or to revise my pacing if my book is completed.

Types of 5-ss

For Main Character #1:
1) The External Goal 5-ss: a 5-sentence synopsis for the character’s external goal, including all the obstacles that directly impact the external goal. I try to keep myself from just including general conflict or “bad things that happen to the character”--each obstacle in the sentences has to work specifically against my character’s external goal.

2) The Internal Arc 5-ss: a 5-sentence synopsis for the character’s internal or spiritual arc. This should include the three major steps forward or backward that the character takes in her internal journey, and then the epiphany and resolution at the end.

3) The Romantic Arc 5-ss: if it’s a romance, I also write a 5-sentence synopsis for the character’s romantic arc. This includes the three major steps forward or backward that the character takes in developing a relationship with the other main character, and then the romantic epiphany (the “a-ha” moment) and Happily Ever After at the end.

I do the same 3 types of 5-ss for Main Character #2, and if there are other characters, I do the same 5-ss for those characters.

How to write a 5-sentence synopsis

The External Goal 5-ss:

SENTENCE ONE: Introduce your main character, her life situation when the story opens, and what happens to disrupt her world and start the story rolling.

You can briefly mention the antagonist and the other protagonist if you have two major ones (like in a romance), but most importantly, you must include the character’s external goal.

Often I have revised a character’s external goal while writing the 5-ss because I’ll realize that the character’s external goal is weak, or maybe she changes it halfway through the book, or maybe it ends up being only a sideplot and the real external goal is something else.

A list of what to include when writing this first sentence is:
A) character’s life situation
B) the story’s inciting incident
C) antagonist
D) other protagonist (optional)
E) character’s external goal

You do not need to include everything on this list, but if you can include most of these things, that’s great! The only thing you absolutely need to mention is the external goal.

SENTENCES TWO, THREE, AND FOUR: These three sentences should be the three major events or points of conflict or turning points in your story. This loosely follows the classic 3-act structure. If you have more than three events, then you can expand this to more sentences, but typically it’s best to keep this to three.

The fourth sentence could be the climax, or you could make sentence five include the climax.

Remember that the three major plot points in your story should be Disasters that are Obstacles in the path of your character’s external goal. They’re not just “general bad things that happen to her.” Every point of conflict in sentences two, three, and four must directly stop the character from achieving her external goal.

You’re going to be DYING to include all the other minor conflicts and backstory in the novel. It will kill you, but don’t include any conflict that doesn’t DIRECTLY STOP the character from reaching her external goal. Save the other conflicts for later.

SENTENCE FIVE: This will include the climax (if it’s not in sentence four) and the resolution to the character’s goal.

The Internal Arc 5-ss

Write five sentences only about the character’s spiritual/internal arc, not the external plot. Take sentence one from your External Goal 5-ss and tweak it into a sentence that’s about the character’s spiritual/emotional place before the story begins.

Then write three sentences (or more) that show how the character gradually changes through the course of the story.

The last sentence will be the final choices the character makes and how that impacts her spiritual/internal state at the end of the story, showing what she’s learned.

The Internal Arc 5-ss is very similar to the External Goal 5-ss, but it focuses on the internal journey rather than the external plot. These sentences for the internal arc DON’T have to have all the plot elements in it and it may not make much sense, but that’s okay. This is simply a tool to help you to doctor your character’s internal arc.

The Internal Arc 5-ss helps you solidify the character’s growth and change in the story. Maybe some of the conflict doesn’t actually impact the character’s spiritual journey and you’ll need to adjust things so that they do. Maybe the spiritual journey stalls in the middle and you need to add more steps along the route toward internal resolution. Events in the story should mold your character internally so that at the end, the character is different from how she was in the beginning.

The Romantic Arc 5-ss

Same for the other two 5-ss, but this time focus on the romantic arc.

More than one character?

Write each of these 5-ss for each main character.

I hope this tool is helpful to some of you in doctoring your plot or character!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camy Tang grew up in Hawaii and now lives in San Jose, California, with her engineer husband and rambunctious dog, Snickers. She graduated from Stanford University and worked as a biologist researcher for nine years, but now she writes fulltime.

Camy is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders knitting, spinning wool, dogs, running, the never-ending diet and other frivolous things. She loves hearing from readers and encourages them to write her. Keep up with Camy at camytang.com.

Her latest book is Whispers on the Dock, the third release in the Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn series (Guideposts).

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Creating Compelling Characters: Know Their Past... Beth Vogt

Creating Compelling Characters: 

Know Their Past to Write Their Now

by Beth Vogt



As I crossed over from the nonfiction side of the writing road to the fiction side – a.k.a. the Dark Side – I needed to master new rules of the road. Even as a novice novelist, I knew a can’t-put-it-down book needs compelling characters. But how did I go about developing captivating imaginary people? I found an online “character questionnaire,” pages and pages of getting-to-know-you information deemed vital to my hero and heroine.

When I was done filling in the blanks, I had a severe case of writer’s cramp, a worn-out favorite pen, and all sorts of Intel about my main characters: birth dates, professions, political affiliations, church denominations, favorite snack foods, favorite colors, favorite movies … you get the idea.

I was ready for a game of character trivia – and nothing more.

My Book Therapy, best-selling author Susan May Warren’s writing community, provided the first key to developing true-to-life characters: the Dark Moment. The Dark Moment is a specific negative event in your character’s past that shapes them into the person they are today, i.e. at the beginning of your novel.

Why is the Dark Moment so important to developing your hero and heroine? The Dark Moment leads to a:

• Wound – which causes them to act a certain way
• Lie – that they believe is true (usually some sort of lie about themselves)

How to develop the Dark Moment

When you mull over your character’s past, their Dark Moment has to be s-p-e-c-i-f-i-c. You can’t just say, “My hero had a rough childhood” or “My heroine feels like her father doesn’t love her.” You need to know why the character says and does the things they do – and to accomplish that, you have to go back to the Dark Moment and experience it with your character. When you write out the Dark Moment, include things like:

• Date – How old was your character when the Dark Moment happened? Hint: It should happen early in their life – no later than the end of high school or very early college. The Dark Moment event has to influence who your character becomes, so they have to be young enough for the event to shape their personality and beliefs.
• People – Who was involved in the Dark Moment?
• Location – Where was your character when the Dark Moment happened?
• Details – What happened? Add in Storyworld, five senses and dialogue.
• Results – Why was the Dark Moment so hurtful to your character?

Here’s an example of how you could be specific about a heroine’s Dark Moment: When Adele Smith was 12, her family vacationed in Destin, FL. Her parents told her to keep an eye on Jill, her 6-year-old sister. They were playing in the waves – and Adele was watching the cute lifeguard – and before she knew it, they both got caught in a riptide. The lifeguard rescued Adele – but Jill drowned. 

Dark Moment, yes? I would go into even more detail if I were plotting an actual novel, but for the sake of today’s word count, I kept it brief. Even so, I did hit date, people, location, details and results.

The Dark Moment is powerful because it affects your character – they say the things they say, make certain choices – because of that particular negative past experience.

The Power of the Dark Moment

Why is the Dark Moment such a potent way to create gripping characters? Because we are taking a real-life truth and weaving it into our fiction. Each of us has our own Dark Moment – a hurtful experience that influences who we are today. Here’s an example I often share during writers workshops:

In 2007, I had a life-threatening illness. My husband, who is a family physician, shut down his practice for a number of days, and took care of me at home so that I didn’t have to be admitted to the hospital. I was so sick that he rarely left my side. What we didn’t realize at the time was that our then six-year-old daughter sat outside our bedroom door, waiting for him to come out and tell her that I had died. 

Dark Moment? For my daughter, yes.

Six years later, she is still affected by that event. When we found out what had happened (and we only found out about it two years ago) we talked with her, prayed with her. The memory influences her actions when I get sick now or when I leave for a conference. She worries. She gets tearful. And as her parents, we have to remind her of the truth that we can trust God with my life – and with hers.

Is it fun to weave quirky things into your novel? Absolutely! In my just-released novel, Catch a Falling Star, both of my main characters are Jeep lovers, a fact I used to bring them together – and push them apart. I’ve written a character who has a linen closet full of OPI nail polish and another who noshes on beef jerky. But I’ve learned to go past these details and get to the heart of my characters so that my readers care about them.

What about you? When you start your novel on page one, chapter one, have you figured out what experiences in your main characters’  past have made them the (imaginary) people they are when your readers meet them? 

Beth K. Vogt knows all about her plans and God’s plans not being the same. There was a time when as a non-fiction author and editor, she said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Vogt has discovered that God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.”

Released earlier this month, Catch a Falling Star is her second novel, following her fiction debut Wish You Were Here, which hit bookstore shelves last year.

Visit Beth Vogt’s website at www.bethvogt.com to learn more about her books, sign-up for her newsletter, and read her blog

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A Rose By Any Other Name

Names are important. Think about it. Would you want to be named Benedict Arnold? Immediately brings to mind a traitor, right? Or what about Adolph Hitler? Super villain, hmm? Well, the same holds true for your fictional characters. Choosing names is a huge part of character development.

Charles Dickens is the best of the best when it comes to this technique. What kind of personality do the following names foreshadow when they're first introduced?

Wackford Squeers
Uriah Heap
Charity Pecksniff
Dick Datchery
Kit Nubbles

Personally, I don't think there's a hero in that bunch. Here's a grouping of names taken from my own writing. Who are the heroes?

Clive Witherskim    Ethan Goodwin      Nigel Thorne     Alexander Moore

You got it: Ethan & Alexander. Pretty easy, eh? And all accomplished with two little names.

But sometimes it's more complicated than cracking open a baby name book and running your finger down the page. Different genres call for different tactics. For instance, in writing historical, specifically in the regency era, I can't have a character named Zuba Starshine and have it be believable. That would be more of a 1960's hippie kind of name. And what if you're writing a pirate series? How to come up with something more original than Blackbeard?

I came across some great name generating sites for help in situations such as these. Stop by and check them out even if you're not currently looking for character ideas...they're a 'Heap' of fun.

Ethnic Name Generator

Pirate Name Generator

Fantasy Name Generator

Nerd Name Generator

Jedi Name Generator

Hip Hop Name Generator

Celebrity Baby Name Generator

Mafia Name Generator

And those are just a few. Next time you need to name a character, do a little research and give it some meaning. It worked for Dickens (every one of his books is STILL in print). It can work for you.

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas…professionally, however, for the past 10 years. Her latest release, UNDERCURRENT, is available by Risen Books. You can find her at: Writer Off the Leash, www.mmgriep.com or on Twitter, Facebook, or 

Pinterest.

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Discovering the Story Question

Patty Smith Hall has been making up stories to keep herself occupied since her parents forced her on boring Sunday drives into the Georgia countryside when she was too young to stay home by herself. Now she's happy to share her wild imagination and love of history with others, including her husband of 29 years, Danny, two smart and gorgeous daughters, and a yorkie that she spoils like a grandbaby. She resides in North Georgia.




Discovering the Story Question

Anyone watch the television show, ‘Castle?’ It's one of my favorites but for those who’ve never watched, it revolves around best selling mystery author Richard Castle as he shadows NYC homicide detective Kate Beckett, investigating murders while searching for the killer of Beckett’s mother and fighting their growing feelings. 

The reason I bring it up is that in their season finale, the unthinkable happened--the lead characters took their friendship to the next ‘level.‘ 

So as the ending credits rolled, my husband asked the inevitable question--after four seasons, had the show had ‘jumped the shark,‘ following the example of another detective show, ‘Moonlighting?’ I’m pretty sure my answer surprised him.

An empathic no! The reason why? While ‘Moonlighting’ was based solely on the sexual tension between the two leads, ‘Castle’ has a story question that has yet to be answered. 

Some of you may be wondering what I mean by a story question. For writers, it is the one internal goal or question that can’t be achieved/answered until the very end of the series or story. It’s that driving force behind our stories, the motivation that pulls our characters toward an unavoidable change or a necessary resolution. 

Two Truths of the Story Question

For me, at least, there are two absolutes when developing your main characters internal motive or goal. First, the motivation needs to be strong enough to pull your character through every high and low of the story. And the stronger, more emotional detailed this motivation is, the more your characters evolve trying to obtain it, the more your readers will be vested in the story.

Let’s go back to ‘Castle.’ In this series, the story question isn’t ‘will they or won’t they?’ That’s the easy way out, and once the question is answered, there’s nothing to keep viewers tuning in or readers turning the page. No, the story question for the series revolves around finding the killer of Kate Beckett’s mother before they kill Kate. Yes, the two leads have a more intimate relationship now but it doesn’t answer the story question. In fact, it complicates it, giving way to even more conflict. Sounds like a pretty good motivation to get me (and every other Castle fan) to tune in next fall. 

The second truth about story questions is that it shouldn’t be answered or changed halfway through the  story. Think about it--how annoyed would you be if you are invested in a book, pulling for the characters and they reach their main goal midway through the book. 

Or worse yet, their motivations change midstream. What a breach of trust! That’s why its so important for we as writers to spend some time discovering what really drives your character. Do character charts. Find out what their basic selfish need is. 

To do so will help create a strong story that will stay with your readers long after they turn the last page of your book.




Hearts in Hiding

Engineer Edie Michaels loves her life—she has a good job, close friends, even a chance at romance with former soldier Beau Daniels. But she could lose everything if her secret comes out…that she's the German daughter of a devoted Nazi.

And when her father sends spies to force her loyalty, everything Edie values is at risk.

Time in a Nazi POW camp changed army medic Beau Daniels. When he discovers a letter of Edie's written in German, he can't help his suspicions. Is she truly the woman he's started to love? Or has she been the enemy all along? With Nazis on Edie's trail, the pair must fight for truth, for survival—and for love.

Available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Walmart.

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