2022 - September - Color Revelations for Characters

 

A lot goes on in a reader's subconscious mind, as well as the writer's. In that basement (or attic) of the writer's mind are feelings and impressions garnered over a lifetime of experience in the real world. Especially buried are clues to characters that are based on real people as well as the fictional characters a writer has encountered while watching TV, videos, movies, and reading. As to reading, that includes stories as well as what's been read in newspapers, magazines, and advertisements.

Yes, advertisements. Take for example the perfume and cologne ads. On the page is that suavely handsome man or movie-star gorgeous femme fatal. What caught your eye about them that you paused to look at the ad—and in particular the male or female in that ad?

Nine times out of ten, it's the hair color or the eye color, which includes the makeup around the eyes that enhanced them. When a writer describes their characters or jots down the initial character data on a character, chances are hair and eye color will be among the first "descriptions."  

But what the writer may not be aware of is that in those hair and eye colors are clues to the character's character. For example, why did Scarlet O'Hara have emerald-green eyes? Answer: that specific color represented jealousy and envy.

When it comes to hair color, a writer should ask: why that particular color? Several years ago, in my characterization session from my The Project Bible Course, students had to submit a short description of their protagonist and antagonist. One student filled out the "Hair Color" line with: red hair and stated "all witches have red hair." I replied that was an ad hoc fallacy—not every witch had red hair. I also pointed out that red hair ranged from palest strawberry blond of angels to the darkest down-to-earthiness of mahogany. In the middle of that wide range of color was the carroty-red and fiery-reds.  

On a subconscious level, carroty-red implies zaniness and fiery-red implies a quick temper. Does that mean good witches have blond hair or dark brown hair? Not necessarily. What it does mean is that the writer's subconscious chose that color for a reason and it's up to the writer's logical mind to decipher "why that particular color" in order to better understand the character and help the reader like or dislike the character. 

Where did I originally find out about hair and eye coloring influencing personality? From a study done on traits people perceived that went along with hair color. (It pays to read eclectically.) 

So, you're thinking, what about dyed hair? Then ask: What color of dyed hair? Then ask why that character chose that particular shade and what does that mean. Also ask the character: "What do you dislike about your own hair color that you feel you need to dye it?"

Go to your work in progress, or a story you've written and if you gave your major characters eye and hair colors, list them. What do the colors imply about each of the characters? Did they match the characteristics that went with the character? Let me know what happened by leaving a comment.

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2022 August - Having A Project Bible

For a writer, having a Project Bible for their story writing is a means to sorting through ideas, characters, and plot points to verify there is a story with a beginning, a middle, and an ending worth the time to invest in writing it.

Basically a Project Bible is a plan of action a writer creates and uses for themselves. No two Project Bibles are alike because of each writer is unique in the way they tell a story. Project Bibles range from hard-copy, 3-ring notebooks and others are a series of master computer files.

Some Project Bibles are even as simple as 3x5 index cards that contain reminders such as the basic questions to evaluate a character:

First Name - (How is the name spelled and what subconscious reaction will the reader infer from the spelling or look of the work. That is, is the name positive/heroic, negative/villainous, or neutral/too ordinary to be a major character? What does the name mean?)

Middle Name - (Why that name? Is it positive, negative, or neutral? Does the name have a meaning?)

Last Name - (Is there a nationality associated with the name or does the name have a particular meaning—positive, negative, or neutral—associated with it?)

Initials (Initials must not inadvertently spell anything derogatory—the exception is for humor or irony.)

Nickname - (Not all characters have nicknames, but why that nickname? How did they come by it? How does the character feel about the nickname?

Another card might be for:

Body type - (How does their build help or hinder them in seeking their life's goal or the story goal or suit their occupation?)

Hair color - (Why that specific color? What traits does the color represent—or on a subconscious level, what does the color telegraph to the reader?)

Eye color - (Why that specific color? What does the color represent—or on a subconscious level, what does the color telegraph to the reader?)

. . . and the questions go on.

Some Project Bibles include very specific items like full character questionnaires, time-line calendars, maps, research material, short cuts to tags and traits, shortcuts to getting at a character's core values and morals, plot diagrams or questions on plotting (such as the Hero's Journey), collected worksheets garnered from the writer attending workshops and conference classes, and much more.

Regardless of its size or type, a Project Bible can truly minimize the frustration of dead-ends and stories that go off on a tangent.

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2022 - July - The Long and Short of It

 

Quickly jot down your answers to these questions:

1. What is the average word length of a sentence?

2. A long sentence exceeds how many words?

3. What is the average number of sentences for a paragraph?

Here are the answers— 

1. 20 — The average word length of a sentence is considered twenty words, which is the exact word count for this sentence.

Why use such a benchmark for sentence length? Because twenty words can be said in one breath? Yes, that's true, but equally as important is that shorter sentences promote clarity (and as I've said many times— clarity trumps all rules.)

When writing fiction, it is the narrative voice (i.e., how a character or narrator thinks and talks) that the reader hears as they read. Does that narrator consistently speak and think in short, medium, or long sentences? Does that narrator consistently use simple sentence constructions or complicated or clause-filled sentences? Also, how complex is the narrator's language, diction, and syntax? Such things affect sentence lengths and brings characters to life on the page, making readers like them or hate them or feel neutral toward them.

Here's the thing: in fiction, a sentence can stand alone as a paragraph and a sentence can be as short as one word.

2. 30 to 40 — A long sentence is considered thirty to forty words. Exceed those thirty or forty words and clarity becomes an issue. So does running out of breath when speaking such sentences out loud. For the record, in READING LIKE A WRITER by Francine Prose, there is a 181 word sentence. By the way, no semicolons were used in that very clear-to-understand sentence. That sentence is broken apart by eight commas, one pair of dashes, and ends with one period. Those pieces of punctuation and the rhythm of the words allows for clarity and comprehension. It takes a pro to write with such clarity and comprehension at such a long length.

3. 3 — The average number of sentences for a paragraph is considered three (which translates to an average of sixty words.) However, all depends on the topic of that paragraph. After all, the supporting sentences to that opening line (i.e. the topic sentence) can range from three to five to eight. However, at twelve sentences, such a paragraph looks like wall-to-wall-words.

     Wall-to-wall words is a term used to describe blocks of type. When a reader comes to such a block, most readers think the subject matter is boring or too technical and they skip down to dialogue or the indentations to shorter paragraphs.

Here's a tip— any double-spaced manuscript page with four or fewer indented paragraphs should be looked at to see what's in those paragraphs. Those long paragraphs likely need broken apart for clarity. (For single-spaced pages, look for eight or fewer paragraphs.)

Take a few minutes today and go to your work in progress. Use your word processing program's zoom feature, reduce the pages to 50%. Count the white-space of paragraph indentations on each page. Also check for paragraphs that carry over to the next page. Do you have any wall-to-wall paragraphs?  

In those long paragraphs, did you find long sentences, semicolons joining clauses or sentences, or conjunctions like and joining sentences, or even run-on sentences?

Please share your findings with a comment to this blog.

Wishing you a safe and happy 4th of July celebration.

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                 Get the low-down on semicolons in Catherine's guidebook REVISION IS A PROCESS

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2022 June - The Long and Short of It

 

Quickly jot down your answers to these questions:

1. What is the average word length of a sentence?

2. A long sentence exceeds how many words?

3. What is the average number of sentences for a paragraph?

Here are the answers— 

1. 20 — The average word length of a sentence is considered twenty words, which is the exact word count for this sentence.

Why use such a benchmark as sentence length? Because twenty words can be said in one breath? Yes, that's true, but equally as important is that shorter sentences promote clarity (and as I've said many times: clarity trumps all rules.)

However, when writing fiction, what will affect the length of sentences is narrative voice. How does the character or narrator think and talk? Do they speak or think in short, medium, or long sentences? Do they use simple sentence constructions or complicated or clause-filled sentences? How complex is the narrator's language, diction, and syntax? Such things affect sentence lengths and bring characters to life on the page, making readers like them or hate them or feel neutral toward them.

Here's the thing: a sentence can stand alone as a paragraph and a sentence can be as short as one word.

2. 30 to 40 — A long sentence is considered thirty to forty words. Exceed those thirty or forty words and clarity becomes an issue. So does running out of breath when speaking such sentences out loud. For the record, in READING LIKE A WRITER by Francine Prose, there is a 181 word sentence. Interestingly, no semicolons were used in that sentence. That sentence is broken apart by eight commas, one pair of dashes, and ends with one period. Those pieces of punctuation and the rhythm of the words allows for clarity and comprehension. It takes a pro to write with such clarity and comprehension at such a long length.

3. 3 — The average number of sentences for a paragraph is considered three (which translates to an average of sixty words.) However, all depends on the topic of that paragraph. After all, the supporting sentences to that opening line (i.e. the topic sentence) can range from three to five to eight but at twelve sentences, such a paragraph looks like wall-to-wall-words.

     Wall-to-wall words is a term used to describe blocks of type. When a reader comes to such a block, most readers think the subject matter is boring or too technical and they'll skip down to dialogue or the indentations to shorter paragraphs.

Here's a tip: any double-spaced manuscript page with four or fewer indented paragraphs should be looked at to see what's in those paragraphs. Those long paragraphs likely need broken apart for clarity. (For single-spaced pages, look for eight or fewer paragraphs.)

Take a few minutes today and go to your work in progress. Use your word processing program's zoom feature, reduce the pages to 50%. Count the white-space of paragraph indentations on each page. Also check for paragraphs that carry over to the next page. Do you have any wall-to-wall paragraphs?  

In those long paragraphs, did you find long sentences, semicolons joining clauses or sentences, or conjunctions like and joining sentences, or even run-on sentences?

Share your findings with a comment to this blog.

Buy at Amazon.com 

Buy at Barnes & Nobles

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2022 May - RUE Resist the Urge to Explain

  

 

I often tell writers that there is one rule to writing, which is: Clarity trumps all rules. 

Unfortunately, in an attempt to make things clear to a reader, a writer often overexplains. The result is that editors and critique partners will place RUE in a manuscript's margin (or in a comment box). RUE stands for Resist the Urge to Explain.

Let's look at the most notorious place for overexplaining, which is the opening of the story, and the two most common types of overexplaining, which are setting details and characterization.

Prologues that open a story are notorious for being explanations of characters or settings. Here's a tip—if anything in that prologue is repeated in the story, ax the entire prologue.

Back to setting details, in particular, those in the opening chapter of a story. Novice writers often think they are setting mood or tone with such an expository chapter one opening. Trouble is, such openings have no drama or action underway, making the opening sound like a travelogue or documentary. Such openings bore readers.

Keep in mind that setting details should be sprinkled into the  ongoing action. This is best done through the sensory perceptions of a major character (protagonist or antagonist) who is actively engaged with some sort of worthwhile problem at the beginning of a story.

Yes, writing science fiction and fantasy often requires explanations of strange worlds and settings or how gadgets, technology, or weapons work. The rule of thumb is to allot no more than one to three sentences of description in any one spot (that's 20 to 60 words). In other words, use only those precise, vivid, image-provoking details of a setting, the society, etc. that can be tucked into the story's action or given in small doses by a major character. Unfortunately, putting in such details is where research complicates things.

In all honesty, resistance seems futile in the face of researched knowledge that so intrigues a writer that the writer feels they must share and teach the reader about the history, the theology, a cause, a disaster, or social mores, etc. of a story.

A story is not about everything.

A story is about 

the most important elements that 

support the plot and theme.

Now, let's turn to characterization and the information dumps that are back story, flashbacks, remembrances, and recalls by the protagonist (and sometimes the antagonist or second major character, who is often the romantic lead or sidekick). 

Recalls are short quickies amounting to a sentence or two. Remembrances are often triggered by a sensory perception and are brief, just a paragraph or two. Flashback are lengthy scenes of many pages. A flashback will stop, or slow down, the story's forward movement and action. Such flashbacks force a reader to stop, go back in time, reorient, and forget the now of the story. Getting in and out of flashback requires skills and techniques that most new writers don't have.

Here's another thing—those lengthy information dumps, explanations, or back story details were necessary for the writer to get to know the story and characters but the reader only needs ten percent of it. Which ten percent? The ten percent that succinctly fills in the back story of why a character is who they are or justifies their particular long-held belief or moral value. Such elements are tied into the story's theme and plot and should be inserted only when it is absolutely necessary for the reader to know and understand.

In writing this post, I've had a hard time resisting the urge to explain in greater detail. Suffice to say, I've just touched on the tip of the iceberg.  

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2022 April - What is Your Inner Ear IQ?

Let's start this month's topic with a Quiz:

When reading words, something magical happens, our brain's inner ear "hears" the voice—the narrator—created by the diction, syntax, vocabulary, and jargon of the words being read. That narrator might be the author or a character or the author-as-a-storyteller (using a storyteller's voice), etc.

So, how good an inner ear do you have? After reading each sentence below, identify the voice of the narrator:

   

    A - "It is half full of water."

    B - "Don't be an idiot, it's half empty." 

    C - "That's just a glass with water in it." 

    D - "Why do you humans concern yourself with a glass containing water?" 

    E - Marsha couldn't believe the conversation had deteriorated to analyzing a glass of water.

    F - When is my master going to pour that water into the bowl for me?

    G - "It is obvious, Sir Charles, that crystal goblet is barely half full."

    H - "Measuring . . .  In the glass is 0.236588 liters of water, which is the equivalent of one cup."

The basic problem with convincing writers about POV-Viewpoint is getting them to realize POV-Viewpoint is not about First Person, Second Person, or Third Person but about "the narrative voice," which is the voice of the person or entity that is narrating the story or article.

Too often a writer hears only their own voice and uses only their own diction, syntax, etc. Thus all the characters and the narration sounds alike. Which isn't good.

Two thing help hone an inner ear and help bring story characters to life. The first is to read voraciously in multiple genres, fiction and nonfiction, memoir, etc. The second is to actually take time to keenly listen to the way people talk.

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So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, 

then you are listening not only to the words, 

but also to the feeling of what is being conveyed, 

to the whole of it, not part of it. 

— Jiddu Krishnamurti, philosopher, speaker, and writer

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For those who took the quiz, here are the answers: 

    A - "It is half full of water." (Optimist)

    B - "Don't be an idiot, it's half empty." (Pessimist)

    C - "That's just a glass with water in it." (Realist)

    D - "Why do you humans concern yourself with a glass containing water?" (Baffled Alien Being)

    E - Marsha couldn't believe the conversation had deteriorated to analyzing a glass of water. (Omniscient)

    F - When is my master going to pour that water into the bowl for me? (A pet or being who cannot talk out loud)

    G - "It is obvious, Sir Charles, that crystal goblet is barely half full." (A highly educated and opinionated person)

    H - "Measuring . . .  In the glass is 0.236588 liters of water, which is the equivalent of one cup. (A machine, an automaton, a robot, etc.)

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2022 - March - Ups and Downs of Writing

 Being a writer, I bet you've experienced ups and downs, the surges and lulls of the struggle to get a story onto a page. So often a writer blasts off like a rocket ship with an idea and then the engine quits. The idea plummets to earth, the reality-check that what seemed so grand has exploded into nothing worthwhile. The pattern may look like this: 

1. This is the "ah-ha moment," the manic high, the stupendous exuberance of the idea's arrival. The thrill of "what if" that sets a writer off to scribble down the bones or a scene of the idea. But this "ah-ah moment" of conception can also be a character coming forward and intriguing the writer into telling their story. Such an idea is the most beautiful of wild roses, but— 

2. The rose has thorns. The first thorn-prick is a reality check—  there are problems with the idea, the character, the plot. And so the joy fades.

3. But the rose's scent lingers. That idea has the writer pausing, reflecting, and thinking that the idea isn't as bad as first feared. Hope renews with possible fixes, new information, and so on.

4. However, the fix nets another jab of a thorn—more problems, seemingly unsolvable. Then come questions without answers. The writer feels stuck in a depressing quagmire.

5. But the recalled, heady, first-scent of the rose, the idea itself, beckons anew, whispering of a promise that must be written. The stick-to-it-ness of being a writer kicks in, and a renewed sense of can do, must do, nets a draft to be shared and feedback sought.

6. With that feedback, the red-pen notations, the scowls and blank faces of readers, additional thorns sink deep and draws blood that the work is doomed. The pessimist within the writer whispers "you can't write this."

7. And yet, the realization dawns— the work needs a few Band Aids. A tweak here. A restating there. Another realization—the work is good enough, not perfect but worth shipping out to beta readers and keeping one's fingers crossed.

8. The beta readers seem to take forever to return their feedback. It's good feedback. Now the book goes out to a professional editor or agent.

9. If all has gone well, the book becomes a bouquet of roses, published, earning five-star reviews, being talked about, entertaining the populous, or affecting their lives.

Writing often seems like a topsy-turvy endeavor. One that takes perseverance.

So, where on the graph are you now with your current WIP (Work In Progress)?

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Here's a little quiz dealing with the language of writing and being a writer. Answers appear at the end. 

When proofreading, AWK stands for

When proofreading, POV stands for

When proofreading, LS stands for

Widows and Orphans are

deus ex machina is

Beats are 

C-E stands for

Dénouement is

Grawlix is  

The Black Moment is

Now try your hand at these True of False statements:

1. Dialogue has 13 functions (or more)

2. Internalizations are not dialogue

3. Exposition is telling not showing

4. A plot and theme go hand in hand

5. A flashback is a short look at what happened in the backstory and is presented in the now of the story

6. A vignette is a short story

ANSWERS:

When proofreading, AWK stands for Awkward. That is, the text did not make sense, forcing the reader to stop reading and enjoying the story to reread and puzzle out — and guess — what the writer meant. Another type of AWK is where sentences were joined together (by "and" or semicolons or colons) to the point of the reader being uncertain what was happening or going on or who was doing what to whom.

POV stands for Point of View

When proofreading, LS stands for Long Sentence. An average sentence is considered 20 words. Any sentence exceeding 30 words should be looked at for being awkward (AWK) or a run-on or a convoluted sentence.

Widows are one line from the previous page stranded at the top of the next page. Orphans are one to three words stranded on one line at the end of a paragraph (often changing one "big" word to a simpler "smaller" word will free up that line for better use.

Deus ex machina is an unexpected character who appears in the climax to solve the story and save the hero and heroine. Reader don't like it when someone other than the Protagonist solves the story problem or is resued.

Beats are bits of stage business or actions interspersed throughout a scene, often involving physical gestures, like pouring a glass of wine or walking into or out of a room.

C-E stands for Cause and Effect (often C-E is skewed or elements of the logical straightforward sequence of events or actions are missing).

Dénouement is the final resolution of the main story's problem.

 Grawlix is that bunch of swearing symbols: "£$%*>#!

The Black Moment is when the Protagonist faces off with the Antagonist in the story's climax.

True of False:

1. Dialogue has 13 functions (or more) TRUE

2. Internalizations are not dialogue FALSE - internalizations are dialogue that is not spoken out loud

3. Exposition is telling not showing TRUE

4. A plot and theme go hand in hand TRUE

5. A flashback is a short look at what happened in the backstory and is presented in the now of the story FALSE - a flashback is a long look back, a full-blown scene).

6. A vignette is a short story FALSE (Vignettes are "slices of life").

How did you do? Did you cheat and look at the answers while doing the quiz?

***Feel free to share this quiz with other writers.***

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2022 - January - Begetting Quality

  This year we're back to first-of-the month posts, this year topics are about writing well and telling a story well. 

Writing does not beget good writing, it begets repetition of the same-old principals of setting words into sentences that were taught in school. 

In order to write quality stories worth a reader's interest, time, and money, a writer needs to learn and then train their mind to write with techniques of the successful, highly paid, multi-published.

It's the difference between learning to swim and making the Olympic team in swimming.

That's why I tell new writers to stop writing and learn craft. Craft enhances talent and liberates creativity. And here's the catch — by learning craft, a writer must practice what they're learning and thus bring to the writing a whole new aspect of workmanship and mastery of word images.

Other benefits follow, like far less rewriting, far less revising, and far less errors of all kinds from the big picture of plot to the minuscule of line edits done word by word.

If you're truly interested in writing well and telling a story well, then take a time out to learn. Start with books on craft, not an Internet blog post or two of a few hundred words, but books that cover a topic-subject in tens of thousands of words. Then practice that craft subject in a short form—  a short story or a scene—  until it comes naturally. Those will not be wasted words. Those will be better words, better scenes, better stories.

So where should a writer start this learning curve? Start by learning what story is. And I will recommend the following books that can teach this:

A STORY IS A PROMISE by Bill Johnson

This book is filled with, as the subtitle says: "Good things to know before you write that screenplay, novel, or play." And never forget, verbal stories, epic poem-stories, and plays came long before novels.

HOW TO TELL A STORY—THE SECRETS OF WRITING CAPTIVATING TALES by Peter Rubie and Gary Provost

This book does hold the secrets of writing captivating tales.

WRITING THE SHORT STORY—A HANDS-ON PROGRAM by Jack M. Bickham 

This book takes a writer step-by-step through the Developed Short Story. Here's the catch: the only difference between the Developed Short Story and a Novel is length and scope. Learn to write the Developed Short Story and the novel is oh so much easier to do.

SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder 

A screenwriters bible, but again, plays came before novels. This book's how-to's give insight and practical advice on story and writing a story.

You don't have to buy the books. You can usually get them through the Library Loan system. 

It's the New Year and resolutions and goals often are set — or at least thought about. Isn't it time you made a commitment to not just writing the same-old way but writing well and telling a story well?

****Stop back the first of February for the next posting to this blog.   — Catherine E. McLean, Author, Writing Instructor, Workshop Speaker

Connect with me at

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2021 - October through December — Fears Worse Than Death

This year's posts have all dealt with "lists" (also known as Cheat Sheets) that help a writer recall necessary elements before (or after) writing that make for a story worth telling and selling. Such Cheat Sheets are the backbone of a producing writer's Project Bible. 

Fears Worse Than Death 

One of the key elements to collect and put on a Master Character Worksheet or Questionnaire and to ask only of your main characters is: What is your fear worse than death?

That's right — 

There are things far worse then death or dying. Among them are fears and phobias. 

Often a fear or a phobia is the Protagonist's or Antagonist's Achilles' heel, their weakness, their vulnerability, which will play out in the story in some way, often in a major or catastrophic way.

Such a fear or phobia makes the character more human or adds a quirk to their personality. For instance, Indiana Jones's fear of snakes. My own fear is of wasps and hornets. I've been stung so many times over the years that I am now allergic to their stings. As a result, should I hear a buzz, I about panic looking for the culprit to kill it before it stings me.

It's important that a writer avoid plastering just any fear or phobia onto a character. The fear or phobia has to be part and parcel of the character's character because their fear or phobia resulted from a "cause." That is, something happened in the Protagonist's or Antagonist's past that created that particular fear and that fear, in turn, affects how the character judges and reacts or tries to avoid dealing with the fear or phobia they have acquired.

These fears-phobias fall into three groups: debilitating, life-threatening, and extremely humiliating. The result it that the character (or a person) will do just about anything to avoid facing that fear. One example is the fear of public speaking, which to most seem to result in the ultimate of humiliations.

Of course, often the character doesn't realize what affect that original fear-inducing incident had on them until "The Wise One" or "The Voice of Reason" type of character in the story points it out to them—or the Antagonist uses that fear or phobia against the Protagonist (or vice versa). What Lex Luther villain doesn't enjoy jabbing a little kryptonite into Superman?

Over the years, and from many different sources, I've put together my own extensive list of "Fears Worse Than death" (which includes phobias) that people have. You can start your own list by checking out: https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/phobias/related/list-of-phobias/

Such a list should go into your personal, master copy of your Story Project Bible.

* * * 

October 9, 2021  — I will be giving two IN-PERSON writing workshops in Erie PA at the WRITER'S ROAD TRIP #9. This is the 9th year for the event hosted by Area 1 Pennwriters, part of Pennwriters, Inc. 

REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION

CAN BE FOUND  HERE

OR AT 

https://pennwriters.org/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=522048&item_id=1516903

                                                                       

2021 - July through September - Why They Kill List

    This year's posts will deal with "lists" (also known as Cheat Sheets) that help a writer recall necessary elements before writing (or after) that make for a marketable story, a story worth telling and selling. Such Cheat Sheets are the backbone of a producing writer's Project Bible. 

The "Why They Kill" List

Be they hero or villain, Protagonist or Antagonist, have you every thought about why they would kill or why they might loath killing? 

Disregarding them being caught red-handed or cornered with no way out of the predicament they've gotten themselves into, below are some reasons to ill that might help flesh out or better understand your Antagonist or Protagonist. They would kill for:

MONEY 

ENJOYMENT (sadistic or cold-blooded)

REVENGE 

SEX (jealousy)

JEALOUSY OR ENVY (over personal possessions, social or job status, etc.)

PERVERTED ACTS 

DRUGS

CULTISM

TERRORISTS

CHILDREN ARE A BURDEN

INADEQUACY AS A PARENT

HATE

BECAUSE THEY ARE DELUSIONAL, MENTALLY ILL, OR INSANE

BECAUSE THEY ARE ASSASSINS 

BECAUSE THEY ARE ADDICTED TO BLOODLETTING OR HOOKED ON KILLING

It should be noted that men far outnumber women when it comes to the above. And speaking of women killers, did you know that 50% of women shoot their victims while 3% bludgeon, stab, torture, suffocate, neglect, or drown victims? And then there are the 29% of woman who employ a combination of the above.

One last thing, there is little difference between terrorists and hit men (assassins), but there are types— 

● The Enforcer who has a cold-blooded mentality

● Those where murder is an art to them

● Those that are loyal only to the person who pays them

● They are vicious psychopaths— having aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behavior

● They are sociopaths— having a personality disorder marked by aggressive, antisocial behavior

So, under what circumstances would your Protagonist kill someone?

Under what circumstance would your Antagonist kill someone?

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Next posting October 1, 2021 

2021 - April through June - The Criminal-Villain Qualities List

 

Special Notice: This year, my Writer's Cheat Sheet Blog posts will be updated on the first of every month but quarterly. The next update will be Oct. 1st.

This year's posts deal with "lists" (also known as Cheat Sheets) that help a writer recall necessary elements before writing (or after) that make for a marketable story, a story worth telling and selling. 

The Criminal-Villain Qualities List 

The Antagonist in a story is The Who or The What that opposes or thwarts the Protagonist. In this month's post, we'll be looking at only The Who type of Antagonist.

It goes without saying that the Antagonist needs to be powerful and ruthless enough to succeed in achieving their goal or goals. The Antagonist goal is to stop or defeat the Protagonist at every turn of the plot.

However, The Who Antagonist doesn't need to be truly evil-evil. Yes, people can be horrendously cruel, greedy, exploitive, and egocentric but not all psychopaths or sociopaths are criminals. Even if that Who Antagonist is a person, being, deity, extraterrestrial, etc. somewhere within them is a spec of goodness or kindness.

And of course, there can be one or more Complicating Characters who are a story's antagonists. Complicating Characters are bent on complicating the Protagonist's life and goals. Complicating Characters act individually or they may team up to thwart the Protagonist on several levels, which don't usually include murder but create a great deal of mayhem, frustration, and anxiety for the hero or heroine.

To better understand your story's Antagonist, ask your villain or each complicating character: What is your "malicious intent?" In other words, name their one, dominant, secret, deep-down desire, want, or need—and why that is.

It might help to know if your villain is AN ORGANIZED CRIMINAL who possesses several (but not necessarily all) of these qualities— 

. acts aggressively

. plans the crime or attack in detail

. personalizes the victim

. controls conversation with the victim

. controls the crime scene

. removes weapons from the victim's reach or use

. requires a victim to be submissive and/or restrained 

. leaves very little evidence that can identify them (cleverly disposing of bodies)

Or is your Antagonist THE DISORGANIZED CRIMINAL who possesses several (but not necessarily all) of these qualities— 

. acts spontaneously, emotionally

. targets people they know, or who they think have done them wrong

. depersonalizes the victim, keeps conversation with victim to a minimum (they don't want to be dissuaded from hating or disliking the victim)

. attacks victim with sudden violence

. does not use restraints

. creates or leaves a chaotic crime scene and may leave the corpse at the crime scene

. leaves weapon(s) behind along with a variety of evidence

. may have sex with a corpse

Here's something you might not know— Villains have a VICE. A vice is: 

■ An evil, degrading, undesirable, or immoral practice or habit 

■ A serious moral failing

■ Wicked or evil conduct or habits, may be depraved

■ Sexual immorality, especially prostitution, rape 

■ A failing, a slight flaw or an imperfection (scar, tattoo, etc.) that is visible to others

■ A physical defect or weakness the villain hates himself for having and perceives others are repulsed by it or he is often ridiculed for it

The above lists are possibilities to think about that can help flesh out The Who  Antagonist of your story.

Lastly, I can't be say it enough —  A story resonates best with readers when there is a worthy antagonist, one who comes across as a person, not a puppet.

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2021 - January through March

 

Special Notice: This year, my Writer's Cheat Sheet Blog posts will be updated on the first of every month but quarterly (the next post will be April 1). 

This year's posts will deal with "lists" (also known as Cheat Sheets) that help a writer recall necessary elements before writing (or after) that make for a marketable story, a story worth telling and selling. Such Cheat Sheets are the backbone of a producing writer's Project Bible. 

So, now let's start this new year off with— 

THE QUALITIES OF

 A PROTAGONIST 

(HERO OR HEROINE)

Most romance and fiction heroes (those alpha and beta men) of legendary stories come across as superior to real men in many ways. The same is said for heroines versus real women.

Now, go get a pen and a sheet of paper and recall a book you really enjoyed reading that had memorable characters. As quickly as you can, write down three POSITIVE qualities of the most memorable MALE character in that story. Once done, compare your three to this list of hero-protagonist qualities:

● HAS A WOUNDED SPIRIT

● HAS A CAUSE /JOB (OR IS BUMMED OUT BY HIS JOB AND NEEDS REJUVENATION)

● PEOPLE ARE LOYAL TO HIM

● HE IS LOYAL TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS

● HE IS RESPECTED AND FEARED

● HE IS SMART / INTELLIGENT

● HE UNDERMINES THE ROMANTIC LEAD's OR HEROINE'S DEFENSES

● HE CARES FOR HIS PEOPLE'S PLIGHT (FAMILY, FRIENDS, COWORKERS)

● HE IS TRUSTED AND TRUSTWORTHY

● HE IS REALISTIC

● HE HAS INNER HONOR, A CODE OF HONOR

● HE IS DETERMINED, DECISIVE

● HE MAY BE A LONER

Now, list as quickly as you can, three POSITIVE qualities of the most memorable FEMALE character in a favorite story. Once done, compare your three to this list of heroine-protagonist / romantic-lead qualities:

● HER INTELLIGENCE MATCHES THE HERO'S

● SHE IS SMART / INTELLIGENT

● SHE IS CONFIDENT MOST OF THE TIME

● SHE IS BOLD, DECISIVE, OFTEN A LEADER-BOSS

● SHE IS MADDENING IN SOME WAY

● SHE IS DETERMINED

● SHE MAY BE STUBBORN

● SHE IS INDEPENDENT OR INDEPENDENTLY MINDED (SHE THINKS SHE CAN DO IT HERSELF)

● SHE IS NOT OUTWARDLY OR OVERLY EMOTIONAL (MOST OF THE TIME)

● SHE IS SENSUAL (NOT NECESSARILY SEXY)

● SHE STRIVES TO BE FREE, TO BREAK THE CHAINS THAT BIND HER 

● SHE HAS A NEED TO FEEL AND BE SOMEBODY SPECIAL

● SHE DOES NOT EASILY TRUST 

Did you notice as you went through all the lists, that these are admirable traits? Well, a Protagonist, be they male or female, must be highly admirable. 

Here's the secret, show the reader their MOST ADMIRABLE TRAIT when they come on stage by announcing to the reader their name (the name they will be known as throughout the story, not necessarily their full name). After all, a story is about SOMEONE, a person, so begin with that very special person on the first line of the first page, or within the first sentence or paragraph or within 500 words of the opening of the story. 

Doing so telegraphs to the reader the story is about "someone special" who is a person worthy of a reader's investment in reading the story.

So, how does your protagonist measure up as "hero or heroine" worthy?

A new year is like a blank book. 

The pen is in your hands. 

It is your chance to write 

a beautiful story for yourself 

in this the New Year of 2021!

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2020 - December - Characters Make The Story

 

Part 12 of 12  of Job titles for Story Characters • © 2020 All Rights Reserved

A lot of information has been included in this year's twelve monthly blog posts. That's why this end-of-the-year post is a summary— and a reminder. 

Topping the list of reminders is that plot is only as effective as the characters who showcase that plot. Write that in big bold letters and post it where you can see it every time you write a story.

Characters are so important that they can be sorted into categories by their job or function in the story. Knowing their story job titles and duties (job description) helps a writer create a far better story and stops overpopulating the story with a "cast of thousands." As you have learned this past year— 

Story job titles fall into categories of:

Major (or Main) Story Characters

The Protagonist (The Hero or Heroine)

The Antagonist (The Who or The What that opposes the Protagonist)

Major Secondary Characters

Romantic Interest or the Romantic Lead

Best Friend, Sidekick, Pal, etc.

Mentor, Advisor, Teacher, Sage, etc.

The Fool

The Entourages for the Protagonist are 

Friends, men

Friends, women

A Love Interest or The Romantic Lead (who is not a Major Secondary Character)

A Mentor

A Coach 

Pals (drinking buddies, poker pals, bowling pals) 

Family (parents, siblings, other relatives)

Neighbors

Work associates

Food industry workers (bar tender, waitress, etc.)

Health workers (doctor, nurse, etc.)

Tradesmen (plumber, mechanic, pool man, etc.)

Professionals (law enforcement, banking or financial, veterinarian, etc.)

. . . and so on.

The Entourage for the Antagonist (if a Who) can be

* Friends 

* Right-hand Henchperson or second in command

* Toadies, Monster-beings, Servants, Minions, etc.

* A Mentor

* Family (parents, siblings, other relatives)

* Professionals (gangsters, crooks, thieves, killers for hire, security enforcers, and others who procure things, obey orders, and carry out the Antagonist's plans and orders, and protect the Antagonist).

Tertiary Characters (Named Minor Characters), Symbolic Characters, and Prop People.

In the last three posts (September, October, and November) we discussed the sound of names (psycholinguistics), the merits of archetype names, tags and traits for names, and the value of having a master character worksheet (questionnaire).

Armed with the information in this year's posts, you should be able to write a story with far more believable characters.

If you're new to reading this blog, feel free to go to January 2020 and begin reading the posts.

And, thank you for being a faithful reader of this blog and for sharing the links with other writers. Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Strive to write well and tell a story well.

Catherine E. McLean

  

                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Revision is where the magic happens—

use this guidebook to take the frustration out of self-editing that draft you wrote during NaNoWriMo

Tell Santa you want this guidebook in your Christmas Stocking

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

2020 - November - Character Worksheets

Part 11 of 12 of Job Titles for Story Characters 

 © 2020 All Rights Reserved

    

Hair and eye color are nice to know, but what makes a character tick—how he’ll respond to stress, his fears and desires are what’s really important to give you all the delicious tension and growth an I-can’t-put-this-book-down story needs. — Silvie Kurtz 

I've periodically mentioned writers using a character questionnaire or character worksheet to quickly get at the personality of the story's main characters. Unfortunately, it's mind-boggling what you can find in the way of character worksheets and characterization forms online. One site I stumbled across a couple years ago had hundreds of questions, even including the color of the character's kitchen sink!

In truth, it doesn't hurt to look over a lot of such questionnaires and worksheets, just don't use them as is. What  you want to do is incorporate questions into your own "cheat sheets" that will quickly define and bring to life your main characters. Strive to keep that form as simple and uncomplicated as possible to avoid getting bogged down filling in blanks or checking off boxes.

Producing writers don't waste time. Producing writers rely on their own, customized forms so they get at the core values of their main characters that helps ensure a viable plot.

Here's a secret — ONLY ONE MASTER FORM IS NEEDED. That "cheat sheet" works for the protagonist and antagonist. And, it's also used for a story with a Second Major Character who has Point of View-Viewpoint and without whom the plot will fail. 

All other characters are minor characters and do not need detailed work-ups (when they become heroes or heroines of their own books, then it's time to use the master questionnaire).

Using one master form means asking THE SAME QUESTIONS to the main story characters. Doing so reveals how the characters are fundamentally the same and how different they are. Those differences make for well-rounded characters and allow for an engaging and workable plot.

Working with "cheat sheet" forms is more than jotting in an answer. It's about asking the right questions and, more importantly, asking WHY or looking deeper into WHAT THE ANSWER MEANS. 

There are some common, fundamental, questions that appear on nearly every worksheet or questionnaire and those are below. I've also added in the WHY and WHAT factors to consider: 

1) Character's name — first, middle, last, initials, and nickname (if applicable). 

Be sure the initials do not spell something derogatory, unless you're writing comedy or irony, that is. Evaluate every name for the meaning, how the name looks, sounds, etc. –-  Refer to "Naming Characters," which was the September 2020 Writers Cheat Sheet blog topic.

2) The character's function in the story.

That is, what is their "job title" for the story. Is it Protagonist, Antagonist or Second Major Character (like the Romantic Lead, Mentor, Sidekick, etc.). Remember, each job title has a set of specific tags and traits.

3) Age 

Why that age? Does this character look their age? Older? Younger? Do they feel their age? What advantage or disadvantage does that age give the character in life or on-the-job? (i.e., An 18-year-old doesn't have the maturity of a 50-year-old.)

4) Sex or Sexual Orientation

How do they feel about their sexuality? If applicable, what kind of lover are they (both how they see themselves and how their partner or partners see them sexually, sensually).

5) Marital status — single, married, divorced, widowed/widower, with a significant other, etc. 

How do they feel about that status? If divorced, what caused the divorce? Are they a confirmed bachelor/bachelorette, and why? 

6) Occupation

This is about what the character does to make a living. Why did they choose that occupation? Are they happy in their career?  If so, why?  If not, why?

7) Distinguishing physical characteristics (scars, tattoos, blemishes, etc.)

This is where you-the-writer describe their physical attributes of height, weight, eye and hair color, shape of body and face, tone of voice, etc. Always ask Why that hair color? Why that eye color? The answers can yield clues to tags and traits. Tip: people react to colors on a subliminal level, for instance, blond often equates to "dumb blond" whereas someone with earth-brown hair is seen as "down to earth." You could have a smart blond or a dumb brunette, but you'll have to work a bit harder to convince the reader that you've gone against the stereotype.

8) Personality traits —  the "internal," intangible (abstract) of their character. 

Are they basically a pessimist or optimist? Note: I've found using percentages works best for me because no person or character is 100% pessimistic or optimistic. It's also wise to record the character's level for being an introvert or an extrovert. And ask, how do these traits affect their actions when under stress or in their normal day-to-day life. Or even, how do such traits mold their character?

9) Habits - what are their concrete habits (thumping a pencil, biting nails), speech-diction (formal, informal, use of slang, or repetitive phrases, diction, syntax), etc.

What triggered or triggers the habit? How do they typically react to fear, love, hate, anxiety? If afraid, do they stand and fight, freeze in place, or flee?

10) Background — their genealogy, their family and their social class, monetary status.

This includes their education (as in schooling or military service), the nationality influences of their family-upbringing (Christian, Jewish, Southern Baptist, and so on, and what holidays they love or hate or celebrate), previous jobs (and, if applicable, why they left them).

11) What is this character's greatest strength?  

Most likely it's one of the 7 Cardinal Virtues, or perhaps a few of Aristotle's 12 Virtues, which you can look up on the Internet.

12) What is this character's greatest weakness (their Achilles' heel)?  

Most likely it's one of the 7 Deadly Sins — either the Biblical ones or the Modern ones, which you can look up on the Internet.

And here is a bonus to consider putting on your form: What is the character's self-concept? To get the self-concept, have the character answer this question: "I am . . . " (fill in the blank with whatever the character says, which will be a short phrase). Examples include: I am a self-made man, or I am a disillusioned soldier (corporate executive, etc.), or I am a closet romantic, or I am always the bridesmaid never the bride . . . 

So that's the starting lineup of questions for a get-to-know-your character questionnaire. Where you go from there will depend on the type of genre you write, the information you feel is vital in getting to know your main characters, and looking at dozens of character forms to get ideas on format (arrangement of the items) and the question-content you want to add to your form. 

And, remember — only include what is useful and helps you discover a three-dimensional character that readers will recognize.

*************

Next Month  - 2020 — December — A Summary 

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To all who are participating in NaNoWriMo, I wish you success with your word quest!

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