The Breakout Novel Workshop '09

Characters

Okay! I actually agree with Mr. Maass in his character sections. (I know. Odd statement, but it's true.) He talks a lot about Larger Than Life characters and Multi-Dimensions. You caught those key words, right? If not, I can make them bigger. Larger Than Life characters and Multi-Dimensions.

But when he says this, he's not just talking about your MMC (male main character), or your FMC (female main character), or any other kind of MC you might have. He's talking about your secondary characters AND your antagonists.

The thing I look for when I'm reading are characters that are real and that I can sync with. I can't tell you how frustrated I get when the character does something that seems completely out of character, but then you find out after talking to the author, the writer, following their blog, or visiting their website, that the character just wasn't well developed.

A well developed character can add more than just the personal connection between your story and your reader. Having a complete SET of well developed characters can help keep the story/plot moving.

For your assignment in the next two days, develop a list of the following for each story you're working on:

Main characters
Important secondary/support characters
Antagonist(s)

Name:
Most defining quality:
Wants:
Fears:
One characteristic (action) that sets them apart from everyone else:

I'm not interested in back story. You are, but we're going to see what the casual observer would see without KNOWING the backstory.

You'll see WHY in the next part of the lesson. It's still important for YOU to know the backstory, so write it down, but do NOT post it here. The backstory will be in the invisible homework. I'll know through your answers to the next section whether or not you completed the invisible homework.

Applying This Information

EEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!! Everyone's characters are AWESOME!!!!

Okay. I'm going to step away from Mr. Maass' book for this next section. He went into great depth and detail on what information and details to pull on/about your characters. If you were around for the character workshop with Airdale, then you've already done this. There are tons and tons of questions to ask your characters....later. It IS important for YOU to have all this knowledge on your character, but the reader only needs 25% of that.

What we're going to do next is apply only the 25%. Make your characters ACTIONS stand alone and provide definition.

The main thing that Mr. Maass concentrates on is having your character do something that goes against their character. This is character growth and character building and something should be incorporated into your story outline. Like for Dexx do something nice and get absolutly no credit for it. No parades. No smooches. No adoring thank you's. Not even sticking around to see how the person liked whatever he did. Mr. Maass has worksheets that will help you figure out what this defining moment might be, and how to find the reasons behind it, the reason why.

Here's the reason I don't care about the reason why.

That information is usually given to us in flashbacks and passive narrative that helps to fill the page, but not to flush out a believable, character-driven plot. That reason is usually the 75% that doesn't need to be told.

In each of the books that I like, there's very little flashbacks and passive narrative, and I get to know the characters through their actions. But in order for this to work, you've got to have an understanding of what the reader sees.

Using Dexx as one example:

“What are you doing here?” Paige asked. “I thought you had pizza and a TV to kill.”

He rolled his eyes and put his towel on one of the lounge chairs, kicking off his flip flops. He stood on the edge of the pool, adjusting his blue and green swim trunks. It wasn’t the first time Paige had seen those long, well-muscled legs, or the well-defined chest and arms. But it was the first time she’d really paid attention.

He caught her looking and sent her a smug smile, raising a single blonde eyebrow.

She shook her head and headed toward the deep end. “Just try to be quiet.”

“Why?” he asked. “You don’t want to be caught out here after curfew?”

She turned, fluttering her hands and feet to keep herself afloat. “Can you imagine living right next to the pool?”

He shrugged and prepared to leap.

“Dexx,” Paige barked.

He stopped, one foot in mid-air.

“Quiet means no splashing.”

He set his foot down and sent her a surly glare.

That one short stint pretty well defines Dexx. Paige, not so much, but Dexx definately. He's arrogant, cocky, a smart-ass, and he's there to have fun, to heck with the consequense. Right?

I don't tell the reader why he doesn't care. I don't flashback to him doing a cannon-ball into the pool and dousing his brother. I HAVE all the information in my head, but I don't give it.

The next assignment due 9/5 will be to take the BRIEF information you have on your characters and create a scene that gives me that information. If we can get the flashbacks and passive voice OUT of your story, then we can STRENGTHEN your outline and story plot.

I might not have described this very well. If you have questions, ask! You don't have to throw all of your characters into the same scene. You don't have to use all of your characters at once. Choose as many as you like. We're getting you into the practice of only applying 25% of the information you have on your characters. We're not trying to define each and every single one of them.

This weekend, if you're game, we'll play around with all of our characters and create a "story" throwing a few of them together. This will help you figure out if you're telling too much or too little by watching the reactions of the interacting characters.