Characters

Professional writers talk about the mechanics of the thing. How to be successful as a writer, how to publish, how to get the plotline and characters correct. How to keep readers engaged. 

And we are ever-grateful for their endless points and tips that without which we might die of heartbreak at having to do everything without knowing what on earth we’re supposed to be doing. (Can I get an amen?)

I however, am not a professional or published author… yet. *grins* (Unless blog posts and short stories count? Do those count?)

So while I can offer you no advice (YET), I can do something that I am rather good at: talking about characters. 

Let’s take a moment to pause from the frustrations of writing… those pesky word counts, dire plot holes, having no clue how to open your first chapter, even though you’ve nailed the rest of the book. 

And let’s talk about the most important component of your writing. 

Your characters.

You know, those people who pester you in the middle of church, movies, and serious conversations. The people who don’t really exist, yet you find yourself talking to them like they did. The people whose fates you hold in your hand. 

The people who love causing you pain, tears, and self-inflicted hair-loss.

Without my main lead (he’s a handful all by himself) I would not have walked out of the office, found my dad, and asked him if you could jumpstart an SUV with a motorcycle. 

Yeah. 

We do a lot for these people. Including taking home motorcycle manuals… which leads our family to wonder what happened to their poetic writer daughter who randomly smiles at her computer (who else has been there, done that?). 

Beyond just our characters, some writers even have the problem of knowing other people who act like their characters. It’s horrifying and sensational at the same time. And you begin to wonder if they’ve ever noticed you taking notes on their behavior.

Male or female, short or tall, hysterical or serious, characters reflect a part of our personality. They represent the good and the bad, they showcase the creativity that has been bestowed upon us. Characters touch others, make them laugh, cry, smile. Writing is a gift, and story-telling an art. 

Our characters are at the center of that. 

They represent real people, in real places. They teach us compassion, empathy, and… you guessed it: character. 

Despite the eye-roll worthy things they do, they’re a piece of our imagination we put on the page, to show and teach others of another story. Another life lived. The characters whose points of view you read from, are little bits of the author, expanded and fleshed out. It’s a peek into their lives, their hopes, dreams, aspirations, thoughts, dilemmas. Each time you pick up a book, you’re delving into the mind of another person. 

It’s something to be contemplated, thought about, discussed. And at the end of the day, like I said last week, perspective plays a role. How do you view the world vs. the author? And why does that matter?

What does your character have to say about their world, and how does that reflect how you as the author see the world? Will people walk away uplifted? Thoughtful? Will they smile? Laugh? Cry? How can you craft your characters to better your novel, and leave the reader with something to think about?

And with that, I wish you the best! ~Louise