UPDATED TO ADD: I almost always open up our guest blogger appearances with an introduction. I don’t know why I zoned out on this one…perhaps because Joanne Rock NEEDS no introduction! She’s the wonderful, amazingly talent and undeniably gorgeous author of contemporary and historical romances that are always sexy, always fun and always wonderfully romantic. Joanne and I have been friends for years, since I first read a contest entry of hers and was blown away by her talent. And this writer’s series she’s doing at MySpace is NOT. TO. BE. MISSED! Welcome, Joanne!
As a former teacher, I enjoy sharing what I know with others. I feel rewarded when I share, for one thing. And I’d like to think I’m fairly good at it since my practical Dutch heritage prepared me well to take even the most confusing of material and put it into plain-spoken words. Nothing irks me more than writers (consider some high-brow scholars you may have read) who make things sound more difficult than they really are. Not me! Give me a minute and I’ll pare any text down into what it really means. I love clear, concise instructions when I’m reading something new, and that’s what I like to give back to the world about writing.
That’s the tact I’ve taken with a new blog series I’m writing called “Setting the Story Free” over at my MySpace blog. The articles are straight forward, no nonsense, practical tips on storytelling, beginning with “Getting Started with Your Writing,” to pieces on plot, brainstorming, and description. I’ll be adding lots more articles this year as I have time and I invite you to stop by and comment if you have questions or additions. Mostly, I just want to share! Here’s a sampling from the series… my most recent addition on characters….
People the Story: Building 3-D Characters (Part 1)
One of the most intriguing parts of writing a novel is developing character. Or at least, it should be. The biggest potential pitfall in creating characters is that you won’t dig deep enough to craft truly three dimensional heroes and heroines. And flat characters are the death knell of even the most interesting plot.
So how do you create interesting, realistic characters that pop off the page? Start by becoming a student of human nature. Watch real people in action and study the subtleties of how we behave. For example, how many people do you know who say what they really mean? Often, we talk around what we mean to hide our feelings or to preserve a social façade. That’s a trait you might adopt for your characters. Or watch how people behave physically when they interact with one another. Do they fidget? How do they convey hostility with body language versus disinterest? Flirtation versus more generic excitement? Try muting the volume on the television now and again to really focus on body language and how it showcases character.
Next, you might try developing a character profile for the people who populate your story. Take an inventory of their physical characteristics from head to toe. Then ask them probing questions about their past and about their dreams for the future. What is your hero’s deepest secret, for instance? If you don’t know it, how can you poke at it uncomfortably during the story to create tension? What is your character’s greatest fear? Until you know that, you’re not ready to move forward with your story since you’ll probably require your character to confront that fear at some point.
Character is revealed through backstory, so you’ll need to know your hero’s inside and out. Who was his first love? Has his heart ever been broken? Even if these elements don’t make it onto the page—and many of them shouldn’t—your story will be richer because you know the character’s backstory down to the last detail. Character is also revealed through thought and action, so you’ll want to think about how your character speaks and behaves versus how he thinks. Consider the clothes he wears, where he lives and what he drives. Are they reflective of his past and how he was raised? Or is he making an effort to be someone else than who he was as a child? Answers to those questions will help uncover layers to your character.
When it comes time to start writing your character, your preliminary studies will pay off in spades. Your deep knowledge of character will inform his choices and actions, but if you need some help revealing what kind of person he is, don’t be afraid to use your secondary characters as confidantes or foils to highlight what is unique about your hero. Give the hero a best friend or a girlfriend to talk to and we’ll undoubtedly see another side of him than what he offers the rest of the world. Conversely, creating a worthy foe for your hero will reveal still other layers. Utilize the people in your story to press your hero into making choices that show who he is, what he values, and what he’s willing to risk.
Stay tuned for more on character as we discuss a diverse set of character maps to help guide you in your creation of 3-D people that will lead your story to a strong and satisfying conclusion…
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Thank you, Plotmonkeys!! It’s always a pleasure to visit. :grin1:
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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Hi Joanne, welcome to the jungle. I found your blog article very informative. There are so many layers to go through well building a character; even more than ones used for short stories…sometimes it is difficult to look at the bigger picture when writing a particular character…that’s the trouble I have with writing longer stories…my characters, at least to me, are so insular that I don’t take the time to look at how others influence them…creating a perfect foil is also difficult…my characters are usually overcoming some deep painful issues, and I zoom in on that right away; I guess that is why I write short stories…I know the back story of that particular character, but I focus more on how s/he deals with their own issues within themselves…
I love the suggestions you made…people watching is a great tool for finding characteristics. I will definitely check out your blog…
Question: This particular question popped into my head as I was reading the section on people watching. Have you ever used yourself as a template, for lack of a better word, when building characters?
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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Hi Joanne Thanks for stopping buy and sharing I love your books. I’m headed over to your blog after this. I’m in the beginning stages of writing basically I’ve got the characters talking to me I’m just trying to get it on paper. I’m always looking for advice some things I read I’m looking at saying huh and have to reread so I like the idea of simple. Thanks for sharing
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Hi Joanne,
Thank you for swinging through the jungle with us today. It’s always great to have you here. Thank you for the info rich post about character building. Great stuff we always need to be reminded of.
Have a terrific day all,
Cher
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Michele, please do drop by! My blog is very much geared toward where you’re at in writing… that time where you’re just trying to get a story on paper and you don’t want to wade through whole books’ worth of advice. I’m all about keeping it simple! When I started writing I was struck by how much different it was to put together a novel as opposed to anything I’d written before. And I wanted guidance… but I didn’t want to read a whole tome on how to move forward!
Paula… template describes it so well
. Actually yes… I used my whole marriage as a template for the first Temptation I ever wrote (Tall, Dark & Daring). I was nervous about penning a contemp after writing several historicals and my critique partner suggested I take the roots of my own relationship and transplant it onto fictional characters. I knew the core conflicts so well, you see 
. I had a very uptight heroine (ahem) and a work hard/play hard sort of hellraiser for the hero. It was a neat experiment!
Thanks for the kind words, Cher! It’s always a treat to visit here :-).
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Welcome back to the jungle – and what a great article!!! I’m taking an online class right now and the first exercise was to write 10 things that we love about our favorite books, and 10 things we don’t like about our least favorite books.
I realized, while doing this exercise, that almost all of my answers revolved around the characters. Plot has very little to do with it, for me. And I should have known that because when I think back about my favorite books, I can always remember the characters, what they looked like, what they did, etc. But sometimes I have a hard time remembering what the story was about, other than how it relates to the characters. Does that make sense? :giggle:
Anyway, I’m off to friend you so I can make sure I catch all your blogs. Thanks for taking the time to share this information!!!
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You know, the one thing I didn’t do with this post was an introduction…I’m so sorry, Joanne. I’m adding one RIGHT NOW!
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Hi Joanne,
Nice to see you here visiting The Jungle. I am Donna M from the Blaze thread at eHarlequin! I love the reader/author community and how most authors seem willing to share with others including their readers. Your suggestions seem very wise to anyone that is having trouble putting the story on paper. I don’t write, have no desire to write but it is a revelation to see how hard you all work to give us books we don’t want to put down. It also makes me wonder why some authors books click for me and why others just don’t grab me! Human nature, I guess. It would be such a dull old world if we all liked the same thing.
Everyone enjoy your Saturday. :wave:
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Very informative, Joanne!
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I’m a reader, but I can appreciate all that authors go through to build the characters
which we come to love. Thanks for the information.
Pat Cochran
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Alannah, I’ve never done that exercise and can’t wait to try it! What a neat thing to sit and think about. The first few things– good and bad– come quickly, but you really have to scratch your head to fill out a list of ten. Time well spent, I’m betting!
And Julie, your intro was sooo worth waiting for
. Thank you!!
I’m so glad I got the chance to visit today! I also hosted a party for 11 nine-year-old boys at the same time. I have to say I appreciated the occasional cyber escape!!!
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thank for coming congrts ont eh book
