How I develop my characters...

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Characterization (n):1.portrayal; description: the actor's characterization of a politician.

2.the act of characterizing. 3.the creation and convincing representation of fictitious characters

 

Some characters are easier to develop than others. While there are many books on how to make your characters believable, this is my approach:)

 

1. I stalk family members, friends and co-workers and write their little quirks, habits, accents, phrases they use. They don't know but I'm watching all the time (well, I guess they know now if they read this).

 

2. I figure out what role they will play in the story. 

 - Are they the protagonist or antagonist. 

 - Are they in the main story or the back story

 - Do they have an occupation, hidden talents

 

3. I think about what they look like and who they are

- their sense of fashion

- physical description including scars, posture, crooked teeth etc...

- personality, fears, accomplishments, goals (these may change as the story develops)

- habits/mannerisms (ie: chewing a thumb, fixing their hair, snapping fingers)

 

4. I think about their background and what made them who they are

- how do they relate to the other characters and their surroundings

- what kinds of conflicts can I expect from their background, what they've been taught, how they were raised

That's pretty much the gist of it. Some characters come alive immediately and take over. Their names come to me right away and it feels like I've known them once in a past life. Others need a little work and nurturing. I feel like a mother all over again raising her babies.

Do you have a secret to developing your characters?

p.s. I've completed 6/26 posts for the A-Z Challenge. They are not in any particular order, I pretty much wrote for the letter that popped into my head. I hope to have another three done tonight. Have you joined yet? Are you ready and excited?

Marked available for Free

"Marked: A Two Halves Novella" is available for free today and tomorrow at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007AIZUOG Feel free to pick up your copy:) 

Don't have a Kindle? You can download Kindle for PC for free on Amazon's site
 
Cheers!


 Xander is a shapeshifter, a watcher, a demon. Stuck in an oblivion between good and evil, he impatiently waits to be marked—with the sphere that will identify him as a servant of the underworld; or with the water mark, serving the keepers of humans, vampires, and warlocks. His twin sister, in love with a man bearing the water mark, wants Xander to follow the path of the good. But Xander is in love with a black witch, minion of the underworld. All he has to do to join her forever . . . is kill. After all, there's something good about being bad.

In the news and award answers...

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Censor (n): 1. an official who examines books, plays, news reports, motion pictures, radio and television programs, letters, cablegrams, etc., for the purpose of suppressing parts deemed objectionable on moral, political, military, or other grounds.

Some interesting things happening in the news that I'm sure will be talked about by many writers in the coming days regarding e-book price fixing. Check out Thursday's article on CNN:  Apple and publishers targeted for e-book price fixing.  What do you think?

Beginning of this week I was awarded the Sunshine Award by Annalisa Crawford and I haven't had a chance to answer the questions which go along with the acceptance of the award. So here are my answers today :)

1. Favorite Color?  Green

2. Favorite Animal?   I don't really have one, and I think it's because I love all animals. But if I could have any animal I think it'd be a monkey (because of Pippi Longstocking for those of you who remember her).

3. Favorite Number? 21 (b-day)

4. Favorite drink (non-alcoholic)? Coffee (always)

5. Facebook or Twitter? A little bit of both.

6. My passion. My family and writing.

7. Getting or Giving presents? Both. I would give everything away to those I love but I love getting presents, especially if someone can surprise me (and that's very difficult to do).

8. Favorite pattern? I don't think I have one.

9. Favorite day of the week?  Sunday because it's a family day.

10. Favorite flower? Daisies (my wedding flowers)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Insecure Writers Support Group

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Insecure (adj): 1. subject to fears, doubts, etc.; not self-confident or assured: an insecure person.

It just occurred to me today that I have not defined 'insecure' yet. Perfect day to do so above as today is the First Wednesday of the month and time for the IWSG.

The brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh and Matthew MacNish :)

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

I follow many blogs and once in a while someone writes something that makes me say "OMG! That's exactly how I feel."  Today, I'd like to post a quote by J.A. Konrath from one of his latest posts. Whether you agree with Mr. Konrath's views or not, what he said rings true for all writers and authors - at least it should. I found these words very inspirational, to know someone who has been successful in this industry feels exactly the same way I do about writing. I hope these words help you with today's insecurities:)

"I love writing. I loved it for the 12 years where I didn't sell a single thing, and I've loved it for the 12 years I've been a professional. I have all the conceits that every writer has. I think about my characters as if they're real people. I dream about scenes. I secretly believe my stories are the best in the world. I laugh at my own jokes, cry at the emotional parts, and often dislocate my elbow patting myself on the back after a good bit of dialog or a fun twist. Being a writer does more than define me; it isn't a job, it's a way of life. And when I put my life out there for the world to see, I want it to be the very best that I am capable of. I want readers to enjoy it as much as I have. I want every chapter, every scene, every sentence to be deliberate, to convey exactly what I want it to convey."

Have a great Wednesday everyone! 
If you have not yet done so, don't forget to sign up for the A-Z April Challenge!

This is a Blog Hop!

Why Books are like Fish

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Sate (v): 1. to satisfy (any appetite or desire) fully. 2.to fill to excess; surfeit; glut.

First, I don't know what's going on with my Google Friends Connect, because the box seems to be loading forever and my friends are not there  :(  So, if you're a follower of this blog, sign in using the new Linky Tool on the right.

Thank you to Hope Roberson for the sunshine award! I'm still smiling.

Books vs. Fish

The thought of books being like fish came to me last week. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. So, here are my thoughts on why books are like fish:

* there are plenty of fish in the sea with millions being born each year

* many books available to buy, with millions being published each year

* schools of fish survive longer than singled out ones
* authors with larger backlists have greater chances of survival through sales

* fish often attract mates through display of their colours, size, strength

* books attract readers (their mates) with beautiful and well designed covers

* fishing takes patience

* finding a good book and being published takes patience

* a good hook will catch a good fish quicker

* a good blurb will catch a reader quicker

* a fish that's thrown back in the sea is lucky to live

* a book that's picked up by a new reader is lucky to live

* fish will lay many eggs to increase its chances of survival

* a writer will continue writing, increasing their word count and number of titles to survive 

* it takes luck not to be eaten by a bigger fish

* it takes luck for a small author to be discovered amongst the big ones

So, are you a shark or a sardine? I'm a carp, hoping to be a barracuda by the end of the year:)

Will you be swimming with us for the A-Z Challenge this April?

I am a reader not a writer interview

Today I'm at I am a Reader not a Writer and there is a giveaway! Pop on over and say hello :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Why I love my Scrivener

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Croft (n):  1. a small farm, especially one worked by a tenant.

Friday's featured blog is: Melissa Sugar's blog. I encourage you to visit it. She walks through the options for keeping your blog friends if and when Google friends connect disappears and she explains it much better than I could.
I've added a Linky tool just under Google Friends connect, so click away and follow.

Scrivener

Haven't heard of it? It's writing software and you can find more information on it here. If you're not sure about it you can give it a try for 30 days (that's what I did). They walk you through a tutorial (very clear, precise and informative) on how to use it. It takes a couple of hours to get through, but well worth it.

But, I'm not writing about it to sell it, I'm writing to let you know the three reasons why I love it and I haven't even used all of its features.

* I'm a writer who may jump all over the place, seeing scenes in my mind further in the story. Scrivener makes it easy to jump chapters, re-arrange them, put them on a "cork-board" where you make notes on what the chapters contain.

* I can have all of my research in one file. Right under the chapters I have a heading called:
   - Characters (where I keep all important items on each character.  From clothing to appearance, quirks, manners, favorite sayings etc.)
   - Spares (anything I don't use or cut out from the chapters goes there. You never know when you'll need to use it.)
   - Outline (self-explanatory, but it stays empty for a while for me as I'm a panster. I begin to write down ideas I want to see in the story as I write, so I guess it's sort of an outline)
  -  Places (the different cities or areas my story takes place in)
  - Research (includes reference photos, websites)

* It allows you to convert your document to format for ebooks and print. I haven't done that yet, but will brave to do so very soon. I'm looking forward to learning about this feature.

* ok, cheating here, fourth reason is I no longer have a need for tons of post-its, papers, notes etc, because it's all in one place.

Have you used Scrivener? Do you like it? Do you use different software or do you prefer the pen and paper style instead of the computer? (I know many authors do)
And, most importantly, have you joined the A to Z April Challenge yet?