Almost There

By next Tuesday, March 3, 2009, I should be back in business with full internet connectivity. Be sure to check back then for the return of regular posts.

Mysteryman

Bear With Me

I just got back from another trip up north and should have this relocation completed by next week. So, hang in there and by the end of the month the posts should be coming on a daily basis again.

Mysteryman

Revealing Characters (Characterization IV)

The last 3 posts have been discussion of effective methods of revealing characters. So, lets look at methods 5 through 8:

5. Character Tags: A tag is defined in dictionary.com as " a descriptive word or phrase applied to a person, group, organization, etc., as a label or means of identification; epithet". In writing a tag isolates a character's dominant quality and repeats it. These tags can be one of 4 different types: (a.) Physical: such as repetitive mention of the character's height. (b.) Appearance: This tag is should not be associated with the Physical Tag. It usually related to some aspect of his appearance. A common usage is describing a character's attire as a means of revelation. (c.) Mannerism: uses a mannerism with a motivation behind it to help reveal character. Perhaps a character may be aware of his/her separateness from the other members of an organization or social gathering and covers it by frequent grinning. (d.) Habit: whereas a mannerism is a self-conscious quality, a habit can be acquired thoughtlessly. Behaviors such as cracking one's knuckles or having to smoke after a meal can reveal much about a character. Finally there is the (e.) Favorite Expression: this tag is often used with minor characters. Perhaps you have a minor character who habitually says, "You know what I mean?" whenever he/she is having a discussion. This expression obviously reveals a character's fear of not being clear or of being misunderstood.

6. Emphasizing a minor character by a single dominant trait: A novel in which every character is well-rounded would be so long that many readers may be scared off by its bulk. So the writer must be content with revealing a single dominant trait for minor characters. This is usually adequate because the purpose of a minor character is to help the writer bring out some information the he/she wants the protagonist and the reader to know. Their role is limited and therefore does not require the depth of a major character.

7. Contrasting characters: This allows the writer to strengthen those traits he/she wants to emphasize. The writer need not contrast opposites but can point varying degrees of the same trait. Such as two gamblers can be contrasted by revealing that one is cautious and conservative while another is reckless and operates by the seat of his pants. This method is utilized in all contemporary novels.

8. Names: names tell the reader a lot about character. Consider the following names by which Natty Bumpo is known in James Fenimore Cooper's Leather Stocking novels: Hawkeye (The Last of The Mohicans), Deerslayer (The Deerslayer), Pathfinder (The Pathfinder), and Leatherstocking (The Pioneers and The Prairie). Each of the names reveal different aspects of Natty Bumpo; we know he's an expert marksman (Hawkeye), tracker (Pathfinder) and hunter (Deerslayer). The name Leatherstocking reveals that he is a man of the outdoors and forest, a rustic person. Also if one looks at the chronology of the novels the names are a resume of a sort. Chronologically, the first book in the series is The Deerslayer in which as a young man, Natty is 23 or 24 and gains a reputation as a hunter. In The Last of The Mohicans, Natty is 36 or 37 years old and uses the skills he has gained to rescue a woman from hostile Indians. Not to belabor the point, Cooper effectively tells much about the role his protagonist will play in each novel through the various names bestowed on Natty Bumpo, usually by other characters.

In my next post, I'll discuss methods 9 through 12.

Revealing Character (Characterization III)

In yesterday's post I introduced 16 ways in which a writer can employ to reveal character and create well-developed and rounded. Today, I would like to discuss methods 1 through 4.

1. Conflict With Environment: One of the most important tenets in writing is to place a protagonist in conflict with his/her environment. The protagonist's response to this conflict determines his/her primary motivation. Everything the protagonist does to resolve the conflict and everything any other character does to hinder the protagonist, reveals something about their character.


2. Action: This is possibly the most effective and significant way to reveal character. There is a great deal of truth to the axiom: Actions speak louder than words. Think of your own life, to a time when you believed you would react in a particular way only to find that when you were actually confronted with the situation you acted completely different. As an example, think about one of the most catastrophic things that can happen to anyone, their house catches fire. A person may believe that if this were to happen they would calmly assist everyone out of the house and then use whatever is at hand to fight the blaze. However, once he/she smalls the smoke and/or sees the flames they freeze and are incapable of any form of action. Under these circumstances our fears, impulses and reflections. Returning to the fire analogy, if your character runs into the burning building to save a child, this does not necessarily denote a heroic character; rather it may be a sudden impulse. If on the other hand, he/she freezes in place it does not mean they are cowardly, possibly they had experienced a fire in their childhood and have a strong fear of fires. What about reflection? What does that mean. If your character reflects upon the situation, overcomes fear and then runs into the burning building it reveals bravery.


3. Self-Discovery and Self-Realization: This method is a corollary of method 2. Character is revealed through action, but the character's ability to judge him/her self is also introduced. This method has been used effectively in war novels and movies. A character may believe he will be brave when faced with combat, only to freeze in place and be unable to act. Conversely, he may be fearful of combat and discover once he is subjected to it that he has courage he was unaware he possessed.


4. Motivated Action: This technique is a corollary of 2 and 3 above. The delineating factor here is that the character is clearly motivated to act a certain way. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is clearly motivated by his belief that the law is a sacred thing and therefore is compelled to defend Tom Robinson, whom he believes to be the victim of a miscarriage of justice. This method is utilized in many traditional novels.

It easy to see how a writer cam employ any combination of these methods to reveal character. In my next post I will discuss methods 5 through 8.

Revealing Character (Characterization II)

Now that we have learned that there are four traits to a well-rounded character, how do we go about revealing these to the reader? The last thing we want to do is to present them, in other words how do we show the character's traits rather than tell the reader what they are. Novelists actually employ as many as 16 techniques to reveal character and to develop characters who are three-dimensional and well-rounded. This series of posts will look at each of these in detail. However, before we can effectively discuss them we must know what they are.

Character can be revealed by:

1. Conflict with the environment
2. By Action
3. Through self-discovery and Self-Realization
4. Through Motivated Action
5. Character Tags: These tags may be physical, appearance, mannerism, habit and favorite expressions
6. For minor characters, emphasizing a single dominant trait
7. Contrasting characters
8. Names
9. Conflict
10. Moments of truth
11. Confession
12. Giving a person a choice
13. Exposition
14. Description
15. Narration
16. Action

Obviously, I can't cover all of these methodologies in one or two posts, so I'm off on another series of them.

Next up: Discussion of methods 1 through 4.

Characterization

Ever get a rejection letter that states: "The characters are not well developed." or words to that affect? Me too...

So what does that generic statement mean? It's the editor/agent's way of saying the characters are not realistic and don't come alive for a reader. How can you make your characters interesting and realistic? Well, let's take a look.

In their book Structuring Your Novel: From Basic Idea To Finished Manuscript, Robert C. Meredith and John D. Fitzgerald define characterization as: "...the use to which each character puts the traits with which he or she is endowed." In a short story showing one side of a character is acceptable, in a novel, however, you must show all 4 sides of the major character. These 4 sides are:

1. General Traits: those formed by heredity and environment.
2. Physical Traits: those expressed in the person's physical make up.
3. Personal Traits: found in the character's social and ethical aspects.
4. Emotional Traits: the mental or psychological cast of the character.

If you expect a reader to get involved or at least become interested in your protagonist you must effectively communicate his or her traits. This requires the writer to know his/her protagonist intimately and to truly care for him/her. If the writer doesn't care about a character why should a reader?

I utilize a couple of forms that I created on each of my major characters. On these forms I conceive my characters. I include everything from date and place of birth to describing the character's relationships with a number of different types of people. The forms are too detailed for a single post, however drop me an email vhardacker@netzero.net and I'll send them to you as a Word attachment.

Can You Identify This Location?

There's another copy of DEADFALL on reserve for the first person who can correctly identify the location on the picture to the left. Contest is open to anyone who has not won in the past year.

Email your answer along with mailing information to: vhardacker@comcast.net.

We Have A Winner!

Congratulations to Paulette Littlefield Clark of Junction City, Kansas, who correctly identified the Bush waterfront home at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine!

Paulette, your copy of DEADFALL will be in the mail shortly!

Breaking News

Due to an unexpected turn in my personal life, I'll be relocating back to northern Maine. As a result, blog updates will be sporatic at best through the month of February. I promise that by March 1st I'll be back.

Contest Answer

Unfortunately, nobody correctly identified the photo to the left. So, since I'm itching to give away that copy DEADFALL, I'll run this until someone wins. Now ain't I a nice fellow?