Being There --IN the Story! Editor: fyn 
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Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole
world in letters too large for some of us to see. ~~C. S. Lewis
The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can. ~~Neil Gaiman
Every story I create, creates me. I write to create myself. ~~Octavia E. Butler
You can't write an image, a metaphor, a story, a phrase, without leaning a little further into the shared world, without recognizing that your supposed solitude is at every point of its perimeter touching some other. ~~Jane Hirshfield
No, it's not a very good story - its author was too busy listening to other voices to listen as closely as he should have
to the one coming from inside. ~~Stephen King
The most powerful words in English are 'Tell me a story,' words that are intimately related to the complexity of history, the origins of language, the continuity of the species, the taproot of our humanity, our singularity, and art itself. ~~Pat Conroy
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Some of my most favorite books are ones that drag me into them, oft times kicking and screaming because I do have to get up in the morning, but nonethe less, there I am, plunked down in the midsts of a dragon war or the little girl is missing and all the neighbors are sharing their insights or Grandma just died and no one can find the key she'd never let anyone touch. Those 'Cozy Love stories' or "Cozy mysteries are so good because you end up sitting at that big, round table in the local pub, tavern, bar or diner and everyone's talking, sharing, witching or whatever, and you find yourself wanting, no, needing to share your two-cents worth with the crowd. You accept that Clyde, the 'ghost coo' in her (being Tricia O'Malley) books is absolutely normal. You have seen him too, right?
It's the feeling that you actually know these people (I mean characters!) and can totally see yourself hanging out with them. In other words, these written characters have jumped off the page and into your heart!
I remember reading a book once where the main character is sneaking around this castle and finds a journal in an old wooden book on a shelf. Years later, I was at Dunnottar Castle in the east of Scotland and there, on a shelf, was a wooden box. It held a notebook where they asked the tourists to add their thoughts. I read the book again after I came home. The author totally nailed that room in the castle! Pulled in so much that I'd looked for that box from a book I'd read five years prior to the trip!
There is nothing better than being literally sucked into a story or, (as well) hearing that something you wrote did it as well! Who among us hasn't found themselves reading until the wee hours of the morning? This is what we need to do as writers!
So, what are ways to do this? Some ways to do this are to have layered backstories and clear intentions. Details from their backstories can be sprinkled about in appropriate places, adding to the realism of the lost child, the detective searching through the storm, or the gnome on the run. The characters need to have flaws and be authentic. You have to learn to know your characters. Know them down to their core. Give them a firm foundation to build upon. This keeps them from being wooden plot contrivances. Share with the reader what your characters want, need, desire, fear, and/or love. Give the reader things to worry over, root for, or want for your characters. You want your readers emotionally involved.
Your characters need to be individual. Just as we talk, sound, and react differently, so too must your characters. You do not want them to all 'sound alike.' This flattens your narrative.
The old 'show, don't tell, lets you let your characters show the reader who they are by how they react in different situations, how they respond to the good and the bad around them, and how they move forward. They need to be relatable, and more, they need to grow over time. Change is inevitable whether you are real or a character on a page. They need to make mistakes and learn from them. They need to be, ahh, human. There is not a being on the planet who doesn't have flaws. No one is perfect. Let them snore, or be terrified of spiders, or have a weird collection. Let them have things they procrastinate over, furniture that isn't always dusted, or dishes in the sink. Let them live.
It is okay for your characters to have regrets, to wish they'd done things differently. Let them hold some things close, whether in fear of another's reaction or because they can't quite bring themselves to admit that fault or foible. This is one of the places where a character profile can come in handy. Having that list of attributes can help the writer be consistent and keep their stories straight. Their looks, favorite vacation spots, colors, or TV shows. The details that you don't want to get lost in the shuffle or mixed up with another character.
Let your characters have appropriate dialogue for their character. Much of story is advanced through their simply having conversations. I remember back when I was terrified of writing dialogue. Reading scenes aloud is one way to see if it 'sounds' right. You want to avoid stilted sentences, or people speaking ''out of character.' When you are out and about, listen to conversations around you. Listen to conversations between friends. People who are close to each other often speak in a kind of shorthand. Listen and learn about conversational ins and outs.
These are just a few of the many ways to turn a flat, one-dimensional character into a living, breathing entity. It takes practice. It takes experimentation. It takes time. But as one grows as a writer, it is all so very worth it!
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| | | What Eyes Betray (E) Some people don’t just hear words; they feel the silences between them. #2359255 by Seb   |
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Mara ♣ McBain  says: All new words for me!  Thanks for the info and giggle! 
Fivesixer  writes: In regards to the "read aloud", the area I live in, and the area my mom lives in (and many of the towns in-between) are named for Native American tribes. Her GPS completely butchers them!! But it also stumbles on basic street names too. Example: Ocean St. turns into "O-seen St.". Further proof we can't trust the machines!! 
Claevyan comments: You may not festinate, but do you precrastinate?
Sometimes very common words have opposites no one ever uses that sound strange, foreign, or forced, but are perfectly reasonable words.
No, more a fan of 'pro'-- as Douglas Adams said: I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by. No, not really, but then again...sometimes...
Liz B adds: Yes! I have always loved words. And accents. And dialects.
Mere days ago, I read defenestrate for the first time. It was in a post by my smarty pants ex-husband.
As a kid, I was enthralled by the creative cussing of my Maine relatives. I shall refrain from sharing in this hallowed venue.
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For Authors: August 12, 2026 Issue [#13894]
