RendezvouswithGretchenRhue

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Great Expectations for Great Characters

Have you ever named fish after your characters? Added them to your ‘contacts’ on your phone (the characters, not the fish, ha ha.) Are they your friends or enemies? What if you met them in a dark alley? Or what one question would you ask your character? Do they have a Facebook page? Do they Tweet?

Believe me, you can go really overboard with this thought process: delving into the mind of your character until they become actual people to you, but usually characters (many of mine) suffer from being too flat. I’m preaching to myself when I say, “Hey, if you’re gonna do this writing thing, don’t waste time on flat characters. Give them life. Make them real.”

What are their quirks or habits? What makes them different from others? ‘Interview’ your character until you find out everything you can about them. At this point, you are ready to start writing their story. Just like how an investigative reporter researches the facts before sending the story to print, it pays to investigate and research your character.

Have you sketched your character or found their photos in magazines or catalogs? You may find you need to describe them more fully. I’ve even heard of writers creating collages that represent their books to inspire them. A picture tells a thousand words, right?

Some friends and I participate in a long-established writers contest every Labor Day (for the last three years anyway.) It’s called The 3-Day Novel Contest— a brutal exercise where you pack as much writing as you can into only three days. It’s incredibly fun, but horribly excruciating as you can imagine. But at the end you have a complete novel. Of course, the average length in three days is only about 20,000 words, so it will need expanding, but the story is there. No, I haven’t won…yet (ha ha), but I highly recommend the experience. It’s especially fun because our friends invite us to stay with them, so we can suffer together and take breaks, whining and asking ourselves “Why do we do this?”

I told you about this grueling opportunity to tell you this: The rules of the contest say you can’t write even a word of the book before 12:00 am on the first day, but you can outline, sketch, research, etc as much as you’d like. If you enter the contest knowing your character inside and out, then you will produce more words because you won’t have to stop and figure things out as you go. It really forces me to create the character before I type a single word.

Whether your characters are saints or villains, have great expectations for them!

Okay Writers, time for number three…that all important CONFLICT!

Without conflict there would be no story, right? That’s a ‘no brainer’, but time and time again, writers in our critique group— myself especially— have been seriously lacking in the conflict department. “Amp it up!” they tell me weekly.

One of my children was afraid of the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid. I told her, “Without the Sea Witch, there would be no story; nothing for Ariel to do.” She thought about it and then said she’d just cover her eyes.

As much as we love the well-thought-out, descriptive passages we forge as we build our worlds, what keeps the reader engaged is the conflict. In fact, I have a friend that professes to (on a regular basis) skip passages of narrative to get to the action and dialogue…where the conflict usually occurs.

We live in a fast-paced world. The action has to keep up with the average mindset. Gone are the days of Dickens, Hemingway, and Tolstoy. Most novels of today open with a car chase and don’t let you breathe until the end.

Why do we love conflict? Sheesh! Don’t our lives have enough already? Why do people choose to entertain themselves with more problems to solve? The only answer I could find for that was…maybe solving the problems in a book or movie gives them closure, resolution, and hope their problems will also be resolved. It’s like playing seven notes of a scale. Musicians go insane if you don’t play the last note. It resolves everything. It just feels good to finish it.

One way to amp up conflict in your story is to think ‘opposites’. If you drastically contrast everything, the dialogue and plot will nearly write themselves. They will naturally scream opposition to one another.

For example: If your main character is environmentally conscientious to a fault, then you could offset their ‘green’ passion with a character who doesn’t recycle, drives an old gas-hog, and uses paper plates at every meal.

When I have a strong thread of conflict, I try to follow it through to the end. Perhaps I would have the gas-hog owner drive-up in a Prius. Or the ‘green’ character could use their paper towels only once before throwing them away. This could show how the opposing character has smoothed out their hard edges a bit; had an influence on their choices.

The biggest advice I’ve ever read or heard about conflict is… just when you think it can’t get any worse for the character…make it worse. Create situations they could not possibly get out of, amp it up even more, and then watch them find their way out.

If you want to try outlandish scenarios without too much of a commitment of length or word count, try using writing prompts. Give yourself a time limit and slather on the conflict as thick as you can. It’s even more fun when you do this in a group. We’ve had some wild characters struggle through outrageous predicaments.

In the end, don’t shy away from conflict like most do in real life. In your writing, embrace it, welcome it, and amp it up!

Setting the Table for a Great Setting

Paper plates or fine china? Your characters could eat straight out of Chinese to-go boxes with chop sticks. Or how about picnic style? Maybe they dine on brightly colored Mexican pottery and a bold-striped tablecloth to match. A great ‘table setting‘ can say a lot about your characters. If they insist on washing and reusing plastic-ware, it could imply they are thrifty, concerned with the environment, or just plain crazy! LOL Whatever you choose, make it distinct; think outside the box.

And as they taught us in English classes, setting covers so much more than just where your characters will eat their meals. It creates the mood, establishes the culture and class, and tells the reader when and where the characters live.

Mood

Whether your story’s tone is ominously eerie, is a fast-paced thriller or is a lively comedy, the mood is set by all of the areas discussed in the next few paragraphs. These factors affect dialogue, action, and narrative passages. For instance, if your story is set in a graveyard, it would most likely not be humorous. The time would also reflect the mood…it might be midnight or during a funeral.

Is the story set in a place that’s OCD clean or pig-sty dirty? Clutter can reflect a chaotic mood. A sterile environment suggests someone who’s uptight possibly or has a medical condition.

How about the lighting? Natural, filtered sunlight? Pitch blackness? Moonlight? Candlelight? Desert sun? Florescent bulbs? Flashing neon? You can do a lot to set the mood with lighting. A good way to observe how lighting is used in movies is to watch without sound.

And speaking of sound…what music will be ‘heard’ in your story? A Sousa march? A love ballad? Totally different moods.

And here’s the biggie that I usually have to remind myself to include: set the mood through the sense of smell. Aromas are powerful— the good and the bad. They trigger deep and sometimes subliminal memories. Just think of how you feel when I say: dirty diaper, hot cinnamon buns, coffee, cat box, blood, diesel, pine, mint, garlic, urine, baked bread…

Culture

Consider spicing up your story by including different cultures. Mixing and contrasting cultures can add conflict while making it interesting. This is demonstrated in a children’s favorite The City Mouse and The Country Mouse. There’s lots of conflict as each mouse finds the other’s culture is difficult and even life-threatening. How about the clash between the human and vampire cultures in Twilight and the bazillion other ‘vamp’ or paranormal romance books and movies out there? The sky’s the limit with cultures to jazz up your story. Just remember to keep your details consistent without being stereotypical.

Class

Whether your characters are wealthy or penniless, both can be interesting. Again, pit one against the other for added conflict. A fanciful setting can be just as memorable as a poor one if you dig in and really show how they live— good or bad. The hardest class to make interesting is the wide and well-known middle class. But even in this class, you can find quirky details that set your characters apart from Joe-average. Your readers probably live in the Joe-average world, so they know what that’s about already. Give them something new to read in a way they can still connect on an emotional level. Maybe your main character has painted his house neon orange because he’s fighting with the neighbors. Just an average white-collar guy…with an orange house. No matter what class you’re dealing with, make it pop.

Time

This is the fun one. When will you set your story? In prohibition time? During war? A Medieval story? When Christ was born? Future? Past? Pick an interesting time in history, do tons of research, and immerse your story in it. But I say this with a word of caution. You will find many, many more details about the time period than you need to include. Pick a few key ones to highlight the era, and let the reader’s imagination take it from there. If your readers want ‘history’, they’ll pick up a history book. Just flavor your story with the facts you find.

Location

Can’t think of a good location? Check out travel magazines or National Geographics. You can also harvest locations from your personal address book or Facebook friends list. Once you’ve chosen a place on the map, go there physically if possible if you haven’t already. If you’re unable to go there, ‘Google’ the spot to see images of it and take a virtual tour if one is available.

Of course other dimensions, science fiction, fantasy worlds, utopia, heaven, and hell always make for exciting locations, but these require more world-creating…and traveling there may prove difficult.

Whether your characters are dining at The White House or inside a dumpster, make it a memorable ‘table setting‘.

So here we are…finally at #5. I have been enjoying summer vacation instead of blogging. Naughty, naughty! Back to the top ten!

# 5 – Write a Gourmet Story

Have you ever been stuck having to eat a bland diet? Yawn.

Readers crave flavor!

Just like marinading a steak or adding cinnamon to coffee, stories should be rich and scrumptious. Here are a few ways to make your story a delectable feast for your readers:

Catch Phrases

A good example of a catch phrase comes from Star Wars (Episode 4,5 & 6) when Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia take turns repeating the famous line “I have a bad feeling about this.” It’s used just enough to be funny and endearing. And because different characters say it with the same emphasis on ‘bad’, it becomes almost an inside joke between the actors and the audience.

Catch phrases should be chosen very carefully and used sparingly or they will just be annoying or cheesy. Done correctly though, they can add interest to the story and pull the reader in.

Twists

Make sure you surprise the reader. Maybe even more than once. I can picture them reading like crazy with their eyes bulging out because they never expected a particular turn of events. And don’t save all the twists for the end. Sprinkle little ones throughout the story. If you have trouble thinking of twists, ask “what if.”

For example: “What if a main character’s dad didn’t really die? Was only presumed dead? Maybe they never found the body? Of course when the dad returns, it has to be believable, so provide a way to reassure the reader that you didn’t break rules of physics or ‘pull a rabbit out of a hat’.

Another easy way to create twists is to work backwards from ‘the reveal’ to any hints or clues leading to the twist.

The Power of Music

When at all possible include music in your story. Music evokes memories and feelings.

Perhaps your characters attend a rock concert or an opera. These two very different venues illustrate their tastes in music and helps to define them.

How tech-savvy are your characters? Do they have an iPod, an MP3 player, a transistor radio, a record player? How about an 8-track tape player? LOL! Do they download tunes, listen to Sirius Radio, or do they even illegally pirate songs for free? You can see how these details could help paint who your characters are.

What music is playing in the background? In the movie Twilight, Bella turns-on Edward’s stereo to see what he listens to. She is getting to know him and seems impressed that a vampire would be listening to “Clair de Lune.”

How about having your characters play an instrument, or even just whistle or hum a particular tune. In the movie Lady in White, (spoiler alert) the killer is discovered because of the song he whistles. To this day the song still gives me the chills! The choice of song tells a lot about them as does their instrument—whether it be a cello or just putting their lips together!

Tickle the Senses

Every scene should be a smörgåsbord for the senses. What do the characters see, hear, taste, smell and feel? The more unusual the better! In the movie Parent Trap, the twins (both played by a young—and more innocent—Lindsay Lohan) connect because they discover they both prefer to eat their Oreos with peanut butter. The audience imagines what that would taste like and then ‘connects’ with the characters.

The feelings the senses evoke don’t always have to be good. Readers will connect with ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly.’ In the movie Nanny McPhee, the children trick someone into eating ‘wormy sandwiches’. Every time I watch this with my kids, I squirm more than the worms do because it’s so disgusting.

Overall…

Your story should aim to make the reader react mentally and physically. They should laugh, cry, wish, hope, hurt, cringe, shiver, ache, smile, remember and/or be shocked, etc. Take a hard look at your story. Does it have the ingredients to make it gourmet?