Writing Tip: Indulge Your Taste
Nice to see you again! Join in the discussion!
If anything says more about a character than it has to be his indulgences. When developing characters, think about what your characters crave, whether it be an activity or a particular food. Welcome to National Caviar Day!
Think about it. A character that has a yen for caviar has mature tastes. Caviar, based on my own experience, is not for everyone. You have to go beyond taste to experience and mouth feel.
It is also a more mature taste in terms of actual taste and expense. How many people do you know would seek out, much less pay for a tin of caviar?
I can remember the first time I had caviar. I was at a fundraiser. The atmosphere was festive and gay. The spread was magnificent. I joined a few colleagues in some caviar with a nice white wine. I don’t remember especially liking it, but the idea of indulging was incredible.
You can use similar associations to say volumes about your characters. It doesn’t have to be something extensive. Just a little blini will do the trick.
Give Me Some Gold
Writing mysteries gives you great insight into people. You must delve into a character to discover their motivations, what makes them tick. One of the best ways to do this is to study how they use money.
Of course, you’ll have those types that spend money as soon as they get it. Spending is a foreign word. Then there are those that are truly fascinating. They will take the opportunity to better their situation. They will invest, buy gold. Those characters will be the ones that know all about firms like Goldline International. They will know what to do with their money.
You have to appreciate these characters and their attention to their financial health. I enjoy reading about characters who are intelligent and plan well. The careless characters are just careless. The ones that succeed are the interesting ones.
As you write, think about your character and his concern for the future. Does he live day by day or is he always on the lookout for a way to achieve security?
Exploring Character Weaknesses
The crux of good writing depends on character development. Characters who always say the right thing and who never fail are frankly, quite boring. We all have times when we fall off the bandwagon or take a wrong turn. It’s human.
I’ve been exploring the possibility of including a character that has been through alcohol rehab. Unfortunately, I have witnessed alcoholism and the effects and trauma it causes loved ones.
Alcohol treatment and the healing make for a long journey. These emotions can fuel a character’s backstory with many interesting elements. Even if the character himself has not experienced it, his proximity to the issue is vital. The insight of the people around are just as valuable. It’s only a weakness if you cannot rise above it.
Whether it is private alcohol rehab or public, the experience has much to teach us about people and how they behave. This is the fodder for good writing–taking the time to understand people for both their virtues and their sins. As writers, it is our job to tell our stories with real people and their struggle with this thing we call life.
The issues is not an uncommon one as the statistics will bear out. We all have our main struggle in life. It’s up to us to find a way to prevail.
Mourning the Loss of a Character
Tears are streaming down my face as I write this. This is the curse of being a writer. You love your characters. They’re like family and friends. It is horrible when you lose one. Today. I know how it feels.
I loosely based one of my characters on a local institution. Everyone loved him. He was quite the character, a real ladies man. He reached out to everyone, young and old. Today we learned that he died this past Monday.
We knew him as a regular at the local watering hole. We talked to him occasionally, but didn’t know him per se. We know that he was a vet. Around Veteran’s Day, he was the guy with the poppy in his hat. He was the one who sat quietly reading, with an American flag at his table.
The bar set up a memorial for him with his obituary with flowers and tributes. I couldn’t help but feel sad. I mourned for his friends and the people who loved him and for the man that inspired me to create a delightful character.
Rest in peace, Patrick. You will be sorely missed.
Dressing Up Your Characters
Creating characters, I think, is one of the most enjoyable tasks when writing a new novel. I enjoy the whole process, from naming them to dressing them. Give me my credit card and load up the Zappos site and I’m shopping! So much can be revealed about a character through clothing. It’s another aspect of the show, don’t tell process.
A woman who always wears skirts vs. shorts says a lot about that woman. Likewise, a man who always is seen in Hawaiian shirts conveys a different message. Taking care to select the appropriate clothing for your character can help round out your character and give him a personality. You can also look at less obvious ways to show your character’s personality.
A character who wears clothing too tight could be saying how he doesn’t want to admit a weight problem. Another character with holey jeans and worn shoes could be someone who likes comfort–or doesn’t have the cash to buy new clothes. Likewise, a character that wears a watch and one that doesn’t can be very different people. A woman with a Coach purse but shabby clothes has a story too.
While developing a backstory reveals much about a character, equally so dressing your characters for their part can add dimension to your work.
Put Your Characters In the Spotlight With Squidoo
I’m a huge fan of Squidoo.com, not only as one who creates lens, but because of the lens themselves. They’re fun to create and read.
SquidooWho isn’t a new feature. For a published fiction writer though, it can be gold. What are lens, you ask? Lens are like static website, a mini site if you will. You choose a topic of interest. It can be anything–a movie you like, a sport, a hobby, even a person. You write about it. You can add modules like Flickr and YouTube to add media. You can even add moneymaking modules like Amazon or eBay.
The SquidooWho is a feature that allows you to create a lens about a person. You name your person, claim the lens, and a pre-populated lens is created for you. Of course, you can modify that to whatever you’d like. I said a person, but I didn’t specify living, dead–or a character from your book, maybe?
Say you have a character that grew up in the Chicago area. He’s a big Bears fan. He likes dry martinis, but only with vodka. He loves the blues and has a secret obsession for bodice ripper novels. There you go. Give your character a face and a voice.
In this case, you could add modules for Amazon, featuring some of his favorite artists. Or you could feature those novels he likes. How about some info on the Bears? Maybe a list of his favorite vodkas. The possibilities are endless. Of course, there is the big prominent sticky note with a link to buy your book too. Now, doesn’t that sound like a great way to get to know you character and market? How Web 2.0 is that?
My Favorite Character
His name is Whiskey Bob, which probably tells you a lot of itself. He’s a minor character, though he could be considered taking the archetypical role of the, Helper. His initial introduction to the main character is, “The name is Whiskey Bob, that’s Bob with one ‘O’”. You get the idea.
Whiskey Bob is a vet of the Korean War, so there’s a bit going on there. His inspiration is part real life, part whimsical, but leaning more to real life.
I wish that I knew Whiskey Bob in real life. He’s such a sweet man. I’d appreciate his wisdom, his common sense, his tell-it-like-it-is attitude. He’s a man whom I could love, in the platonic sense. More than anything, I wish that I could raise a glass with Whiskey Bob and listen to another story.
Subcribe: Listen
While You’re Surfing
Articles
Writing Samples
For Writers and Readers
Extras
BookSwim
