How to Write Rich Characters.
After many years of writing, my characters just show up in my head, but it’s my job to ‘flesh them out, and’ breathe life into them. Many times I will meet or see a character in
real life, and they inspire a character in my storytelling. If you’re a new writer, take the time to write it down. It’s not the same as a few random thoughts about your character. Some intangible thing happens when I put pen to paper and get to know who my character is.
Read through your story and write down EVERYTHING the other characters say about the character you are creating. These exercises do not have to show up in your book. They are merely ways to research and explore who your characters are. When I am editing and rewriting, I look for additional ways to bring my characters to life.
I keep asking myself about the character’s motivations, goals, and needs.
“One of the things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time.
Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. Something more will arise for later, something better.”
— Annie Dillard
“A director becomes a diplomatist, a financier, a pedagogue, a top sergeant, a wet nurse, and a martyr, the kind of martyr who used to be torn into pieces by wild horses galloping in all directions at once.” ~Margaret Webster, Stage Director (This quote SO applies to writers, I thought I would include it.)
(Watercolor portraits by Trisha Sugarek)
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Watch for more interviews with authors. December: Marc Cameron, writing for TOM CLANCY
March-Apr: Joshua Hood, author of ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE TREADSTONE RENDITION
A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK
I had a friendly debate with another author when she responded to my Stephen King’s quote about ‘plot being the last resort of bad writers.’ One of her comments to me was, “writers have to accept that their readers might not care as much about your characters as you do.”
Okay, your first attempt at creative writing is finished. In your journal or notebook or in a password-protected file on your laptop, your first completed story awaits you. Now, what are you going to do with it? You can’t possibly let anyone read it! What if they laugh and it’s not a comedy? What if it’s met with poorly hidden scorn? Or when they read the last page, what if they look up, their eyes filled with pity…for you.
Plot: I am currently finishing my newest novel, and I have to tell you, the loosely built plot that I had envisioned when I began it quickly went by the wayside. Way, way off the road and into the forest, in fact. About halfway through, the characters took me on a journey, making their own decisions, loving who they want to love, and building their lives their way. When this happens to me, I welcome their storyline in…they know much better than I do at that point. My characters write a better story than I ever could.
with “spoiler alert” warnings. So I won’t.
My interview with bestselling author Robyn Carr was so generous it became a 3 parter. She said this in the context of the post. I couldn’t have said it better so I borrowed it! Thanks, Robyn!
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1 out of 5 stars
Don’t worry about a story that you haven’t finished. It’s okay to let it ‘rest’. There have been times when I have had three books waiting for me to finish. Just the other day I pulled up my GAN (great American novel) and realized that it had been ‘resting’ for over a year. Life and other stories had gotten in the way.
