C IS FOR CRIMEBAKE

The 8th annual New England CrimeBake is only 3 months away! The conference, which features Sue Grafton as special guest of honor, will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Dedham, MA from November 13th through the 15th. In these tough economic times most writers are trying to save money and still attend a conference. If you are a New England writer, I believe the CrimeBake is the ideal choice. It is geared for New England writers, is held close to Boston and has been described as being as good as the big ones by at least one literary agent.

Past guests of honor have included: Janet Evanovich, Robert B. Parker, Tess Gerritsen, Lee Child and Harlan Coburn. The conference also affords the following services for writers: Master classes, free seminars, and (most importantly) the opportunity to pitch your work to an agent.

For more information and registration visit the New England CrimeBake's website.

Bill Tapply

This morning I got the disturbing news that a good friend of all New England Mystery writers has passed on. William G (Bill) Tapply was a writer, teacher and friend to all of us in the New England Chapter of MWA. He will be missed.

I met Bill in 2002 at the first New England CrimeBake Writer Conference and over the past seven years have attended a number of events with him. He was a man of few words, both in speech and in writing, and spent most of his life passing on his love of the art. If you wanted to get Bill talking, all you had to do was ask about his two favorite pass times, writing or fishing.

Bill was prolific and published more than 45 books and thousands of magazines. I use his book The Elements of Mystery Fiction: Writing The Modern Whodunit as a primary resource. True to form, he has several books slated for release this fall, among them a new thriller and a new mystery.

Bill is going to be missed in both the writing and fishing worlds. I am certain that somewhere on the other side, Bill and his closest friend, Phil Craig, are casting a line as we speak.

PLOT: The Plan or Main Story (2nd in a series)

The plan or main story. That's how Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines plot. It is the force that drives the story. I cannot count the times that I have started out on a story with one intent in mind only to find that the plot is not strong enough to support a novel; yet is a good short story. One thing I find a lot in many published writers is that they take what would be a great short story and drag it out until it is novel length with multiple sub-plots and page upon page of unnecessary description. (Can anyone think of a character that Stephen King has described in detail? I can only think of one instance in which he did so. However, that's a topic for another time...) I have come to believe that as a direct result of the short story market drying up, many good short story plots have been expanded into plodding novels.

So, what is a plot? It is the things that characters do, think, or say that (and here's the key point) make a difference later. Let's take the simple daily act of taking a shower. Of itself, it usually does not make a great deal of difference in a given day (although co-workers may argue that the lack of one might); however, taking that shower in Robert Bloch's story Psycho has a major effect on all that follows. In fact, the scene is so crucial to the plot that readers (and viewers of the Hitchcock classic) overlook the fact that a great deal of money was stolen by the victim. So what makes one shower an integral part of the plot and the other merely an incident in the story? How the shower is weighed and presented in the story. It boils down to several key elements:

1. What's At Stake? If you want the reader to care about your story, something must be at stake. Something of value must be on the line and in danger of being lost--the protagonist must have something to gain; but equally as important something to lose. A good example is Harry Potter. In each book the protagonists seek new knowledge that will help Harry over come another of Voldemort's evils and what's at stake? Harry's life of course.



2. Making A Scene. How many times have you been warned "Don't make a scene..." My late wife would always forewarn me before we went to any social event (again, a topic for another blog). As a writer you want to make a scene. In fact you want to make a number of them. When creating a scene in fiction always remember that age-old axiom: SHOW; DON'T TELL. A scene is a single connected and sequential action, to include its embedded description and background materials. There is a simple test you should keep in mind when writing a scene: Does it move the story forward? I will never forget the first time I read a scene for a writer's group. I thought it was a powerhouse of a scene and it quickly became one of my darlings (by now I'm certain you can see where I'm going with this). I finished reading and sat back, waiting for the accolades I was sure were to follow. The first comment was, "It's a very good scene." My chest began to swell with pride. The critiquer (an editor by trade) said, "But it doesn't belong in this story--take it out." The loud noise that filled that room was my ego smashing against the floor. So, you might ask (then again you might not), how did you react? Like all great writers, I pouted for a day or so and then took out the scene and read the story. Taking out the scene had no impact on the story and was therefore not needed.



3. ARE YOUR ANTAGONIST AND YOUR PROTAGONIST EVENLY MATCHED? Is the playing field even? If the reader feels that either the hero or the villain has no chance they will not invest their time in your story. That's not to say your protagonist shouldn't win; just don't make it too easy. In fact, make it hard as hell for he/she to overcome the obstacles. The bottom line is this, we all want the hero to win; nevertheless, conflict, struggle, dissatisfaction and aspiration are more interesting that a walk in the park.

Effective Plotting: A way to Avoid The Saggy Middle.

Chances are that at one time or another you've had the problem that I'm dealing with now. Your novel or story started off great guns...then suddenly it came to a screeching halt. I usually know how I want to start and end my stories (I imagine many of you do too) the dilemma is how to get from start to finish and maintain interest in the story. Well, there is a simple answer. Have an effective plot.

I am a very undisciplined writer. If anyone were to ask me to describe my writing style I would say: "Prolonged periods of procrastination intermixed with periods of frenetic writing..." I get a new idea and off I go before I even know if it's going to be a short story or a novel. I currently have 4 novels (and who knows how many short paragraphs describing ideas) in process. At the risk of dating myself, I can be like the 60s cartoon character Ricochet Rabbit. I'll be working on something, get a new idea and off I go on a tangent. Ricochet Rabbit was like that. He would take off in an incredible burst of speed and bounce off things until he reached his destination. So, ol' Ricochet here has all these great novels sitting on a thumb drive; each one stalled at various places.

In this series of posts, I'd like to explore some ways a writer can beef up a plot so that it sustains itself until the end. I will try to emphasize two basic problems: plot creation and plot control. It is not enough to create a good plot; you must control the plot until you reach that terrific climactic ending you have in mind.

New Book on PTSD Available

If there is anything more gratifying than seeing your own name in print, it's seeing someone you've helped get a book published. Such is the case of Dr. Diane England.

She and I met several years ago, shortly after my wife passed away, and I was able to introduce her to Paula Munier, Director of Product Innovation at Adams Media. Diane and Paula discussed Diane's work as a family counselor for the U. S. Air Force in Aviano, Italy. Paula immediately said, "I can use someone with your experience." The outcome of that meeting is THE POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER RELATIONSHIP.

Dr. England has many years experience in dealing with dysfunctional relationships and is a recognized expert in working with narcissistic substance and spouse abusers. She has a PhD in Clinical Social Work from the University of Texas, a Masters Degree in Family Studies from Oregon State University, and a Bachelor Degree in Child Development from the University of Maine (the Alma mater of yours truly) and has practised as a psychotherapist. Her counseling style is empathetic and her writing style makes you feel as if you're sitting in an easy chair having coffee with her.

The book is very readable and is full of case studies that illustrate the issues involved when one or more members of a relationship suffers from PTSD. It is available at most bookstores as well as amazon.com . For more information about Dr. England and her practise visit her web site at PTSDRelationship.com.

Congratulations Dr. Diane!!!

Mysteryman

Tired Of Dealing With Microsoft Word?

Are you like me, in that you've had it up to your keester with Microsoft? Well there is a solution and better yet it's FREE!

Sun Microsystems has developed an office suite every bit as powerful and useful as Microsoft Office and they are giving it away! All you need do is go to Open Office's website and download it. I've been using its word processor for several months now and find it as functional as Word in fact it will open Word documents and save in Word format as well as its own format.

The product is not a new to the market come-on either. It has been around for a while (I believe it was formally known as STAROFFICE) and users can submit suggested changes to SUN. WOW! A software package that you might actually have some input into! So if you are in the market for (or have recently purchased) a new computer, rather than pay Microsoft for Office download a free copy of Open Office and give it a try--I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Not to mention I'm sure you can find a way to use that licensing fee...

Another DEADFALL Event

In the event you were unable to attend the events in Exeter, NH or Freeport, ME, several of the DEADFALL writers will be appearing at the York, ME Public Library at 7 PM on July 14, 2009. It's a great chance to get some of us to sign our stories...if you haven't bought a copy of the anthology yet, don't worry, there will be copies available for purchase.

PROCRASTINATION Or Excuses Always Sound Good To The Person Making Them

This morning as I drank my first cup of coffee, I looked at two things. (1) How I was progressing on the rewrite of a novel and (2) the last time I posted to this blog. It didn't take long to realize that I have not been active enough in my writing career. I asked myself why haven't you been writing on a regular basis. Suddenly my Random Excuse Generator kicked in...

Here's a partial list of why I have been sitting on my keester and not writing (By The Way, each and everyone of them sounded good to me at the time!)

1. I've been helping a friend move. The truth of the matter is that while I have been helping her move, It has only taken up two days a week at most--and even then I own a laptop and could have easily squeezed in time to write.



2. I've been busy doing spring things around the house. Truly, I have put up ceiling fans and planted a small flower garden, none of which took more than a few hours to do.



3. I'm just not in the mood to write today... Duh? Since when is being in the mood a reason for not writing? Serious writers will GET in the mood.

In the forward of one of his earlier novels (forgive me for not listing the title), Stephen King said that some books write themselves and others are toughed out. Therein lies the difference between amateur writers and professional writers. Amateur writers will write as long as it comes easy and doesn't interfere with their other life. Pros have no other life and finish those books that need to be toughed out.

There are as many recommendations about how to overcome procrastination as there are excuses for it. It all boils down to one thing...put your fanny in the chair and write!

Well, I guess I won't get to do any writing today. I had to do a blog post! (I'm only kidding!)

SHOULD I WRITE A NOVEL OR SHORT STORY FIRST?

At several recent writing events, I've received questions about the difference between a short story and a novel. This question is usually followed by a statement such as: "If the markets for short stories is rapidly diminishing, why should I write them?"

The answer is simple, writing has been defined as saying the most in as few words as possible. A novel allows the writer to drift off in any direction they wish (provided the new path passes the key test: does it move the story forward). The short story, on the other hand, makes the writer stay on task. Most periodicals and e-zines place strict word requirements on submissions (usually no more than 4000 or 5000 words) and failure to follow the restriction will result in immediate rejection. I've yet to meet an editor who is impressed by the length of a submission. Quality not quantity is the key here. As an editor friend of mine says, "Is that writer selling books by the pound?" I also remember sitting in a restaurant reading a rather lengthy novel by a highly successful mystery writer when a literary agent passed by my table and asked, "What are you reading?" I showed her the book and she said, "Looks like a door stop to me." Bottom line, read the periodical or e-zine to which you're submitting and then look closely at the submission guidelines, they are not there because the editor felt they make the magazine look professional.

So what is a short story? A short story is a convenience store robbery. The writer must get in, get the loot, and then get out in a finite number of words. A novel on the other hand is a caper or bank robbery, it requires much more planning and the writer has the ability to use as many words as he/she feels are required to communicate with the reader. (This leads to another problem: How do I write enough to have my work considered a novel--usually 50,000 words or more?)

I've read a number of novels that were in reality expanded short stories. I can usually tell when I'm reading one of these. I jump ahead 10 pages and see if I still know what's going on. In other words, did the 10 pages move the story forward? If not, those pages could have been deleted.

One of my favorite writers is Robert B. Parker. I am hard pressed to think of any other best selling writer who says as much as he does in as few words as he uses. I usually can read a Spenser, Jesse Stone, or Sonny Randall novel in 3 hours and come away knowing all I needed to know about the characters and the plot.

So, what is the answer to the title question? If you can write as tight as Robert B. Parker, then by all means jump right in there and write a novel. If, however, you are like me and most writers, writing short stories will hone your skills at putting the story on paper in a way that you don't waste the reader's time (if they stick with you and don't throw your book down) by including a lot of good writing that doesn't belong in that particular piece. I recall my first experience with a professional critique group (only I would join a group that consisted of 3 editors/published writers and a single unpublished writer--yours truly). I read the intro chapter of a novel I was working on and sat back waiting for the great feedback and flowing praises from my audience. The first comment I got was: "That was a great piece of crime writing; however, it doesn't move the story along--get rid of it..." I was devastated, but I quickly learned that something I'd learned years ago also applies to a GOOD critique group (by good I mean effective): Your true friends will always tell you what you need to hear; not what you want to hear.

So, write that novel if you want, but even if you never send them out for publication, hone your skills and develop your craft with short stories...

DEADFALL EVENTS SCHEDULED IN MAY

Level Best Books has scheduled two events featuring DEADFALL their latest anthology of mystery and crime stories by New England writers.

At 6:00 PM on May 9, 2009 a number of DEADFALL writers will be at Water Street Books in Exeter, NH and at 7:30 PM on Monday, May 11, 2009 Level Best will be at the Freeport, ME Public Library. Come on out and support a talented bunch of writers.

Also keep in mind that Level Best is accepting submissions for their 7th anthology. For submission guidelines visit their web site at http://www.levelbestbooks.com/

MAKE YOUR HERO (AND VILLAIN) HUMAN!

Ever read a book in which the hero is perfect? Did it bore you? Did you place the book down saying "No way would this ever happen..."? I read a couple of books by a best selling author (I'll keep the name to myself) and will probably never pick up another by him. Why not, you ask, it is a best selling author? My answer is simple, I find his hero to be unbelievable and the most boring character since Tom Swift (remember him? At least Tom was written for an adolescent audience, not an adult one...). His hero was an all-American quarterback in college, lives in an aircraft hangar filled with antique cars and airplanes, and (the most incredulous thing of all to me) is an expert at anything he tries! If deep sea diving is called for the hero can do it (and he'll probably parachute into the ocean for the dive). There is no machine he cannot operate, drive, or fly... To top it all off, this character owns all those priceless cars and planes while working for the government! (Maybe that part is believable...it seems you have to be independently wealthy to be in U. S. government anymore!) The character is about as believable as Batman, Superman, and Spiderman all of whom are fantasy characters. To me the cardinal sin of this author is that the writer leaves me with the impression that I should believe his character could exist. My response to this "Pllleeeeeeeaaaasssssse! Give me some credit." I cannot abide a writer who thinks of his/her audience as a bunch of pliant, mindless drones who will accept and believe anything that appears in print.

If you want me to read your book and enjoy it, give me a hero that has bad as well as good traits. If the character has to use specialized skills at least let him/her struggle a bit as they learn and master that skill.

Everyone loves Batman (well those of us who love dark fantasy anyway). However, the biggest Batman hits were Batman Begins in which we actually see the years of suffering and training Bruce Wayne had to endure to become the Caped Crusader. You can actually make a case for a multi-millionaire who roams the world and becomes a martial arts expert, who will use his bucks to develop special technology. Like I said possible if unlikely.

So, above all else make your hero human. Instill character flaws and fears (remember young Bruce Wayne's fear of bats?) into your hero. While you're at it, give your villain a redeeming characteristic or two... It will add suspense to your plot and make the characters believable...

Mysteryman

I'm Back!

Wow! It's been a month since I did a post! I've been out straight since mid-march with all the settling in stuff and helping a friend plan her relocation. A couple of things have developed though:

1. The New England Crimebake has extended the deadline for submissions to the Al Blanchard Award Short Story Contest. Check out crimebake.org for submission requirements and other requirements.


2. Level Best Books is having a couple of DEADFALL events in the next month. May 11th we'll be at the public library in Freeport, ME and sometime near that date at the Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, NH (actual date is still TBD). Writers whose work appears in the anthology will be on hand to read from their stories and sign books.


3. The New England Crimebake planning committee (on which yours truly is no longer a member--but my thoghts are with them) has announced the keynote speaker for the conference. None other than Sue Grafton! Check out the link in item #1 for details on the conference and how to register.

Now that things are settling down in my personal life I'll be posting more often. If there are any writers out there who want to post on this blog as a guest please contact me!

Mysteryman

The Basic Elements of A Synopsis

At one time or another, an agent/editor has asked us for a synopsis and our first reaction has been similar to the cat's! What should be in a synopsis? What should not be in one? These are the two questions that usually come to a writer's mind when they are asked for a synopsis. There are as many answers as there are people to ask the question of. Here is the format I've used:
First let's discuss some generic format rules.

1. How long should a synopsis be? If the requester does not give specific guidelines, 1 page for each 10,000 words in the manuscript, to a maximum of 10 pages, is a general rule of thumb. As in all things we write, say the most in the fewest words, if you can do it in 5 pages, do so.


2. Write the synopsis in present tense. Example: A sniper kills 4 people on Boston Common and homicide detective MIKE HOUSTON is called to the scene... Try to avoid long blocks of text; keep the paragraphs short.


3. The first time a character name appears put it in caps or bold face. See the example in item 2. Restrict the number of characters to only those important to the story line. Too many characters can lead to confusion.

Content. As stated earlier there are many theories as to what should be in the synopsis. Over time you will become familiar with what your agent/editor requires, however until then here are some pointers.

1. The Setup. This is the beginning point of your story: premise, location, time frame and main characters' backgrounds. Like the opening line/page of your book, this is where you need to hook the reader. The object here is to hook the agent/editor.


2. Why? This should be considered throughout the synopsis. Unlike the manuscript, in a synopsis you don't want to keep the agent/editor in suspense. In other words this is not the place to tease the reader. In the example above tell the reader what the sniper's underlying motivation is as well as the reactions and decisions made by your characters.


3. Characterization. This includes background, personality, occupation--everything that makes your character who he/she is. It does not, however, include a physical description of the character. Unless there is something about the character's physical attributes that affects him/her emotionally, leave it out. A good rule of thumb here is: The less said, the better. You do want the reader to make a connection with your character, so focus on emotional aspects of the character. As I said earlier, only include major characters in the synopsis.


4. Plot Points. Include all major plot points; do not include subplot points. Focus on the basic story line and your major character.


5. Conflict. You must present the conflict clearly. Conflicts are simply the barriers your main character must overcome to achieve his/her goal. For example, if your main character has a fear of birds and must pursue the villain into an aviary. The main point here is that the conflict must be difficult for the hero to overcome. The American Indians believed a warrior's ability was as good as those of his enemy...the better the enemy was; the better the warrior was. No conflict = no story...


6. Emotion. Emotions are always a key element, however in some genres, such as romance, it may be the key element. Inject emotion into your synopsis whenever possible, it keeps it from being a dull read. After all, if the reader finds the synopsis boring, what does that tell them about the manuscript?


7. Action. Action is what drives most stories forward. However, don't put action into the synopsis unless it results in some important consequence to the plot. When putting action into a synopsis it is better if you adhere to another old axiom: If in doubt, leave it out.


8. Dialogue. Dialogue should only be used in a synopsis when it creates more impact than a description of the conversation. It is best to use no more than a couple of lines of dialogue in a synopsis.


9. The Black Moment. The moment of reckoning should always be in the synopsis. At what point does your character believe that the odds against him/her are so great that everything is at stake?


10. Climax. This is the moment you having been building up to since page one, word one. The final confrontation. It must always be in the synopsis.


11. Resolution. Tie up all the loose ends. Any questions posed in the synopsis should have been answered by this point. This is not the place to keep the reader in suspense about the ending.


12. Essential Basics. The 1st essential is to write the synopsis in present tense. Tell the story as if you were relating it to your best friend. Avoid passive language, you want to keep the reader involved. Focus on the main story and avoid extraneous information.


13. Formatting. Check the submission guidelines! Strictly adhere to them. If you are unsure about something--ask.


14. Submission. At the risk of being redundant: check the guidelines! Strictly adhere to them. If you are unsure of something--ask.

A writer's clearest work should be the query and synopsis. After months of work completing a manuscript it would be a shame to ruin its chances with a poorly written example of either. Put as much effort into them as you did when you wrote your great American novel!

Mystery Man

THE DREADED SYNOPSIS...

Sooner or later, an agent or publisher is going to request a synopsis of your novel. I've known a number of oft-published writers who will readily state that writing a synopsis is the hardest thing for them to do.

So, what is a synopsis? It may be best to first say what a synopsis is not. While it is a selling tool for your novel, it is not a sales pitch; that's the purpose of a good query letter. The primary goal of the synopsis is to show that you can write...

It demonstrates your ability to write a story that is coherent, logical and well thought out and organized. It should show that the plot unfolds logically, that the interaction between characters is realistic, and that the story moves at an appropriate pace and will hold the reader's attention.

"So," you may be asking yourself, "what's the big deal?" The big deal is how do you condense a 90,000 to 100,000 word novel into a 5 to 10 page summary. Obviously, it isn't easy; but it can be done.

While some publishers still request a chapter-by-chapter synopsis, most prefer a narrative that follows the story as a whole. The narrative format allows you to concentrate on the key elements of the story without beating your head against a wall trying to say something about each chapter. I believe the primary advantage of the narrative format is that it allows me to focus on the plot and my major characters without mucking up the issue with subplots and minor characters.

In my next post, I'll discuss synopsis format and content...

Keep writing!

Mystery Man

Writer's Chatroom

Interested in an on-going forum about writing? Check out the Writers' Chatroom, http://writerschatroom.com/, a twice weekly chatroom for and about writers.

Famous writers, up-and-coming authors, and other notables closely tied to the writing and publishing industry are featured guests each Sunday at 7:00 PM EST. These chats are moderated to allow those in attendance to gain the most from each chat. Each Wednesday from 8:00 to 11:00 PM EST, the chatroom features un-moderated discussions between writers and aspiring writers. However, you should read the caveat listed on the website before joining in.

Admission to the Chatroom is free of charge and there is an easy sign-up located on the website's homepage.

The chatroom also offers workshops, contests, a 24/7 forum and a newsletter. Check it out!

Mystery Man

Mark Your Calendar

The public library in Freeport, Maine has scheduled a book reading/signing with Level Best Books to be held on May 11, 2009. Authors whose work has appeared in Deadfall, the 6th annual anthology of stories by New England writers will be there to read portions of their story and to sign books.

Level Best is currently accepting submissions for the seventh anthology, current untitled. They are seeking original crime stories by New England writers in the following genres: mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror. They will consider stories with elements of the supernatural. The book is usually launched in November at the New England Crime Bake, a writer/reader conference sponsored by the New England Chapters of Mystery Writers of American and Sisters in Crime. Submission guidelines are pretty basic and can be found on their website: http://levelbestbooks.com/.
The guidelines are:

• Original stories should be no more than 5,000 words in length and should not have been previously published anywhere, including on the web via an e-zine or your own website.
• Stories should not have torture, cruelty to animals, or depict violence toward children.
• Each story should be 12 pt., double-spaced. Please number your pages.
• In the upper right-hand corner, please include your name and address, phone number, e-mail address, and word count.
• Please submit hard copy with a SASE and include a brief cover letter describing your publishing experience. We do not accept electronic submissions.
• Level Best Books will accept submissions from January 1, 2009 to March 31, 2009.
• If you have any questions about whether you qualify as a New England writer, please query before submitting, info@levelbestbooks.com

Mail submissions to: Level Best Books, P.O. Box 161, Prides Crossing, MA 01965

Revealing Characters (Characterization VI)

I've come to the final post on characterization. These techniques may be numbered 13 through 16 on my list, however they are by no means less important that those preceding. In fact, they may be the most often used and important of the techniques. They are so intertwined that it's almost impossible to separate them as individual components. They are:

13. Reveal Character By Exposition. The most direct form of revelation, novelists usually resort to it when only exposition will work. It is usually done when two characters discuss another who is not present during the conversation.

14. Revealing Character By Description. This method brings the character to life for the reader. The reader gets a sense of who the character is by learning about the character's appearance, physical characteristics, and dress.

15. Revealing Character Through Narration. This method is employed when the reader learns about a character's traits, personality, and actions through the narrator rather than actions or other characters.

16. Revealing Character Through Action. It is my belief that this is the best way to reveal who your character is. A novel tends to use this method rather than narration to show the reader the details of a character.

Exposition, description, narration, and action rarely occur as isolated techniques, they are best when intermixed with each other. Writers often intermix action with dialogue to avoid what I call "talking head" syndrome where the reader is subjected to line after line of dialogue with no action to break it up. When people communicate there is a tremendous amount of action taking place. What is the speaker doing while talking? Are his/her hands stationary? What are his or her eyes and torso doing? Is he/she sitting, pacing, doing both? On the other hand, what the listener is doing can reveal a lot about how he/she is receiving the message the speaker is sending.

As a summary, the writer should consider one key element: What interests people most? Answer: Human behavior. If a character is to come to life for a reader, he/she must be Human. They must have the general, physical, emotional and emotional traits of a person. These traits must be probed and developed. The deeper you probe the more 3-dimensional your characters will be.

Mystery Man

Finally, A Winner!

Congratulations to Sharon L. Cook of Beverly, Massachusetts who sucessfully identified Nubble Light in York Beach, Maine.

Sharon your copy of Deadfall will arrive soon.

Mystery Man

Revealing Characters (Characterization V)

Now that I'm getting back in the groove, I'd like to finish up the posts on revealing characters. In previous posts we discussed techniques 1 through 8, so lets talk about methods 9 though 12.

9. Conflict Reveals Character. When a person comes in conflict with anyone or anything, there is an emotional response to that conflict. In fiction, as in life, conflict is the forge that either strengthens character or brings out a persons weaknesses. Conflict is the single most important element of any work of fiction. A story without conflict is not a story.

10. Moments of Truth Reveal Character. A short story may have one moment of truth, whereas a novel will have many, including the protagonist's final showdown with his/her antagonist. How a character handles these moments of truth will tell your reader whether they are brave or cowardly, generous or stingy, or even compassionate or uncaring. Each moment of truth should bring out the character strength (or flaw) the writer is trying to show.

11. Confession reveals Character. Confession is a very important principle for revelation of character. A character's self-confession reveals intimate and direct aspects of the character's personality. While this technique is used in all 1st person narratives, it is not restricted to them. In a 3rd person narrative one character can confess to another.

12. Giving A Person A choice Reveals Character. Which alternative a character chooses when faced with a choice tells the reader a lot about him/her. This principle has been discussed in earlier methods, but is important enough to bear repeating.

In my next post, I'll finish this topic by discussing methods 13 through 16. By now it's evident that there are a number of ways to communicate your characters' traits and personalities to your reader.

Back Live!

I am finally settled in and have internet access again. Look for daily posts to resume tomorrow, March 3, 2009.

Mysteryman

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?

Objective vs Subjective Writing (Last In A Series)

Now that we have discussed the 8 different narrators, lets look at the relationship between POV and the writing's degree of objectivity or subjectivity. First a couple of definitions.

Subjective Writing: The writer seeks to record the feelings and sensibilities behind his/her characters' thoughts, statements, and actions.

Objective Writing: The writer leaves it up to the reader to imagine/determine the feelings and sensibilities behind each character's thoughts, statements and actions.

Subjective writing enters into the thoughts and feelings of a character, whereas objective does not. It should be noted that POV does not determine whether writing is subjective or objective. What is the determining factor is how much of the character's emotions, feelings are explicitly described. In subjective there is a great amount of detail. Objective, on the other hand, has little if any. Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises was written using objective writing. Harper Lee's classic, To Kill A Mockingbird, uses subjective. LeCarre's The Spy Who Came In From The Cold utilizes both forms.

So, by now you may be asking yourself, "Which style of writing should I use?" The answer is simple, which ever comes naturally to you. Some writers are naturally subjective (this is especially true of the majority of new writers) and others are objective.

Writing is possibly the most personal endeavor done by Human Beings. No one can write for you, you must do it alone. You can get plenty of assistance from a good critique group once the writing is done. Until you write it there is nothing to critique. The greatest thing about writing (at least for me) is POWER! Can anyone think of any other endeavor where you are in effect GOD? You control the weather, locale, feelings, emotions and yes, even whether a character lives or dies... Now how cool is that?

Finally, the most important piece of information in this series appeared in this blog entry. It is: Write what comes natural to you; let your voice flow. Nothing is any more difficult than attempting to write against your grain, so to speak. Just watch out for those inadvertent POV shifts!

Third-Person Shifting Viewpoint Narrators (9th In A Series)

Even though I have listed this POV as being the 8th of 8, it is the second most popular (First-Person Protagonist Narrator being most popular). Some novels are best told by a single narrator, others by multiple narrators. Shifting narrators in third-person is no problem so long as the writer observes a couple of rules. Before we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this POV lets review these important rules.

1. Whenever possible, the introduction of a new narrator should be done with a new chapter. This allows the reader to adjust to the new viewpoint and it allows the reader to become acquainted with the character from whose POV the chapter is being related. Using multiple narrators within a chapter can be utilized, however if the writer is not skillful when doing it the reader may become confused. This leads us to rule #2.


2. Once the reader has become acquainted with all of the narrators and can interpret each of the different POVs, the viewpoints can be shifted back and forth even within a chapter.

Let us now review the advantages of this POV:

1. The writer has a choice between restricted and unrestricted omniscient powers.


2. Multiple narrators gives the novel a broader perspective.


3. Shifting viewpoints provides relief and variety to the reader, thereby sustaining interest.


4. It allows the writer to communicate more emotion to the reader. The reader can vicariously experience the role of each narrator.


5. The writer has greater scope to characterize the individual narrators and other characters through their 5 senses.

This POV only has one disadvantage, or maybe pitfall is a better word. It can lead to the writer being too analytical, going into more detail than a character requires.

A novel that successfully uses this POV is LeCarre's The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

First-Person Shifting Viewpoint Narrators (8th In A Series)

This style of writing uses a POV that shifts from one character to another. It seems to be utilized more of late than at any time in the past. Many thriller writers use different variations of this. As an example, James Patterson has used it in several of his Alex Cross novels in which he tells the story from Cross's viewpoint in First-Person Protagonist narrator and also relates the antagonist's viewpoint, usually in Third-Person Protagonist (maybe Antagonist is a better choice of words) narrator. Mr. Patterson it should be noted is an extremely experienced and accomplished writer and he is able to do this without revealing the antagonist's identity unless he expressly chooses to (as he did in his most recent Alex Cross novel, Cross Country).

Some writers will use a mixture of viewpoints using this one and Third-Person Shifting Viewpoints. Patterson does this in Cross Country.

However, this POV can be very useful if you are relating a story from the viewpoint of multiple characters. For instance if your novel deals with a sequestered jury, you might alternate chapters so the story can be told from the viewpoint of each juror. The writer should take great care to ensure that they do not become redundant by rehashing facts and event the reader is already aware of.

Another novel that uses this POV is Wilkie Collins's classic The Woman In White .

Third-Person Minor Character Narrator (7th In A Series)

This POV is seldom used because the writer must continually use proper names instead of pronouns so the reader will know who is talking. Unless you are a very experienced novelist, I would suggest you avoid this POV at all cost. Below is an example of how tedious this POV can be to a reader.

Ed Traynor didn't see Buck Buchanan until Buck returned to town a week later. Buck told Ed that he had found a terrific fishing place in the White Mountains. Ed said they would have to check it out one of these weekends.

Imagine 250 to 300 pages of this type of narrative? It wouldn't take long before this book found its way back to the bookshelf or onto a table at the next yard sale.

First-Person Minor Character Narrator (6th Of A Series)

This is a POV where the narrator takes a detached view in relating the story. It is possibly best illustrated in the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories and novels. This POV offers many of the advantages of writing in the First-Person Supporting Char actor and Third-Person Supporting Character Narrators POVs. The advantages are:

1. 1. It can make the stories believable and realistic. Image how telling the stories with a First-Person Protagonist narrator would have made Holmes sound like an egotistical braggart. Having Watson narrate turned Holmes into a believable and interesting character.
2. The narrator can describe the protagonist.
3. The narrator is never asked to prove his/her knowledge of the protagonist.
4. It makes it easier to sustain reader interest.
5. It allows the narrator to present a philosophy of life that might be presumed as being presumptuous if recounted using any other POV.

Disadvantages include:

1. Use of omniscient powers is restricted.
2. The reader can participate in events and actions only to the extent the narrator does.
3. This POV tends to be more detached than either of the protagonist narrator POVs.

One of the difficulties with using this POV is that it forces the writer to use he said/ she said a lot.

Third-Person Supporting Character Narrator (5th in a series)

This POV offers no real advantage and is in fact difficult to use in an effective manner. The problem lies in its inherent ambiguity. It forces the writer to use multiple references. The following is an example of the problem:
What follows is taken from Structuring Your Novel: From Basic Idea To Finished Manuscript by Robert C. Meredith and John D. Fitzgerald:

Fred James was tired as he and Jim Harding found the trail leading to the old mine. He knew they couldn't reach the mine before nightfall. He watched Jim stare at the weeds and bushes that had grown over the trail. He asked Jim if he would mind camping where they were overnight.

The last sentence was purposely written to illustrate this POVs major disadvantage, which is that the narrator must refer to the protagonist as He. In the same paragraph, the protagonist refers to the narrator as he which in the hands of an inexperienced writer can lead to confusion on the reader's part--this could be disastrous...

Do You Know This Place?

I will send a free copy of DEADFALL, Level Best Books latest anthology of crime stories by New England writers to the first person to correctly identify the location in the picture above.

Send your answer to: vhardacker@comcast.net. Contest will end on January 31, 2009 or until the someone wins. Be sure to include your mailing address in the email.

First-Person Supporting Character (4th in a series)

A supporting character narrator can be any character who is the protagonist' relative, friend, or associate and can be either supportive or unsupportive of the protagonist. Probably one of the best know of these is Dr. Watson of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Since the narrator is a participant in most of the action, the first-person singular I is used less than the first-person plural we. The advantages of this POV are:

1. It can make a story more believable and realistic than if narrated by the protagonist. A supporting character narrator can describe the protagonist as the best, the greatest, or as being heroic and the reader will accept it without thinking it is bragging or boastful. He/she can also relate events about the protagonist without the reader questioning their credibility.

2. The supporting character narrator is seldom called to support his/her knowledge of the protagonist. He/she can reveal personal things about the protagonist's life going back to childhood to the reader. The reader will assume the narrator either experienced these events or the protagonist related them to him/her.

3. This POV allows the narrator to describe the protagonist. He/she can show how the protagonist's responds physically and emotionally to events as they occur.

4. This POV can reduce or eliminate reader boredom. If at some point n the story, the author feels the reader may become bored, the narrator can relate something interesting or exciting about another character.

5. The supporting character narrator has more freedom than a protagonist narrator and is therefore less restricted in the use of omniscient powers.

Disadvantages of this POV include:

1. A reader can only participate in events to the extent the narrator does. This can be a huge disadvantage because many dramatic and exciting scenes cannot be written in action. For example, if the protagonist and his/her significant other have an argument off screen, so to speak, the narrator can only tell about it. This violates the "Show; Don't Tell" Rule. In a court of law the event would be labeled "Hearsay".

2. The reader may identify with the narrator rather than the protagonist, this is not the case in the First-Person Protagonist Narrator or the Third-Person Protagonist POVs.

This POV has its place. It lends itself well to humorous novels, however a new novelist might be better off if he/she kept the protagonist as the focal point.

Third-Person Protagonist Narrator (3rd In A Series)

This POV has all the advantages of the First-Person Protagonist Narrator, discussed yesterday, except the writer loses in the personal touch that use of the pronoun I allows. However, it affords the writer the added advantage of using either the restricted or unrestricted omniscient power. This allows the writer to describe his/her protagonist and inform the reader of things the protagonist doesn't know.

Let's now look at the disadvantages.

1. The loss of the intimacy the pronoun I allows.

2. All the disadvantages of the First-Person Protagonist Narrator.

3. The danger for inexperienced writers to shift POV in midstream.

This last item is the greatest of the disadvantages. Avoiding it is a matter of projection. If the writer can truly project him/herself into the character when using this view, POV shift can usually be avoided. However, if they cannot, they must use unrestricted omniscient power exclusively when writing in this POV.

First-Person Protagonist Narrator (2nd In A Series)

In this viewpoint, the narrator is the protagonist singular. There are many advantages to this viewpoint, especially to the first-time novelist. These are:

1. Writing in 1st person comes easily since it is the most common way in which we communicate with each other. It offers a self-imposed discipline that the writer obeys. Use on the pronoun I confines the writer to the protagonist's POV and avoids inadvertent POV shifts.

2. The protagonist is the center of attention, which allows the reader to participate in all the events.

3. Since the reader shares the protagonist's most intimate thoughts, feelings and attitudes, they easily identify with the protagonist.

4. The protagonist shares his/her personal experience thereby nullifying any reader resistance to the story's credibility. It enables the narrator to speak with conviction and adds realism to the story.

So, what are the disadvantages?

1. The writer's omniscient power is restricted. He/she must confine themself to those things the protaganist sees, feels and experiences first hand. Since the protagonist can only be in one location at a time, this restriction is physical as well as mental.

2. Modesty is forced upon the narrator. While he/she can act brave and heroic, he/she cannot say they are brave.

3. There is a danger that you cannot hold the reader's interest, forcing the writer to make the protagonist colorful and exciting.

4. Description of the protagonist is confined. The protagonist cannot describe the expression on his/her face while experiencing an event.

In summary, the advantages of First-Person Protagonist Narrator, out weigh the disadvantages. More novelists employ this POV than any other and it is the predominant one in mystery novels.