Auditioning Your Cast of Characters

Hopefully by now you have an outline. Don't carve this in stone just yet because you need to create your cast of characters. If characters have the right dimension they'll push your outline into new places you didn't think of before. That's okay! Just go back and rework your outline as you need to so you still have that map for later.

Novels are meant to take on a life of their own--it's evidence that your book is becoming "real." And if it's real to you, the writer, it will be real to your reader.

So, sit down and start thinking of the who part of your novel. Start with your main characters, then go on to more peripheral ones. Characters need depth to resonate with your readers. By depth I don't mean dump a load of information on the reader up front. That's overwhelming and readers simply can't retain it all (besides, they want your PLOT to pull them forward and information dumps aren't plot). Some details you create may never come to light in the book, only you will know them. But in order to write a character well you need to know them intimately.

Note that often as I'm writing I don't really know a character until I've written the full draft or even a couple drafts as the details of that character's life take form. But add in as much detail as you can think of now and go back later to fill in more as it reveals itself to you.

Here are some questions to consider as you brainstorm who will be in your novel:

1. What does your character look like? Their ethnicity, eye and hair color, height. Often this is the first thing the reader will learn about your characters. Don't lose track of this as you write! Readers will notice.

2. What is your character's history? Their life before the story began, their family background. What has caused them to become who they are at story's start? These things should weigh into what they do in the course of the story.

3. What are your character's strengths and weaknesses? Every character should have both if they are to be like people we know in real life. Sometimes the character will be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, sometimes not. It's often more fun if they are clueless about what they are good at or awful at. And remember that often a person's strength is also their weakness--two sides of the same coin. For example, the brilliant scientist who can find the cure to horrible disease but because of his brilliance can't relate to people to save his life. That kind of juxtaposition will be rich for your reader.

4. What are your character's "markers"? These are defining quirks, expressions, speech patterns, body language that is specific to them. These touches add a depth to characters with very little work. They help SHOW the reader who your character is in the nuances. So give your character a lisp, a limp, they touch a scar on their face, maybe they sigh when they are frustrated... These should be used sparingly so they don't feel overdone, but just enough to add the right spice.

5. What is your character's world view? This will of course be affected by their history, but every person reacts differently to similar situations. Is your character a sunny person or rather dour? Do they have complete faith in God or are they as carnal as they come?

6. What does your character want? This is their personal arc within the story, not the plot necessarily though the two should be tied together. Keep in mind that what they want will likely shift altogether by story's end. For example in the movie Shrek, he thought he wanted to get all the woodland creatures out of his swamp so he could be alone (because he felt rejected), but by story's end Shrek discovered he wanted love, connection. Each character wants something, even minor characters. It can be something simple or something enormous. Let your imagination run wild!

7. How do you characters interact with each other? It's always more interesting to your reader if your cast of characters is diverse. How one character plays off another can add a lot of fun to your novel. Banter makes readers smile! Let one character's weakness be another character's strength. Look at other casts and see if there are elements that you might like to add to your story. For example take a look at Winnie the Pooh's cast: Pooh, steady calming bear; Owl, wise know-it-all, rather condescending; Piglet, quiet, sweet, loves on everyone; Tigger, energetic, spontaneous, fun; Eeyore, the cup is more than half empty... The characters play off of each other, making each character more memorable. 

8. Name your characters. A name says a lot. We have general ideas about people based on their name. Dickens used this greatly in his novels--just think Scrooge! A man named John is trustworthy. A woman named Betty is ditzy and usually rather plain. There are subtle stereotypes in names that we can use to our advantage, so let's use them.

Have fun with your casting call!

Traci

Grace-filled Juggling

Call me a juggler. That really is what I'm doing from day to day as I parent five daughters. Trying to figure out which ball to keep in the air at any given time. It's exhausting!

Yesterday my seventeen-year-old took her driver's test. We'd been riding her for a year for putting it off. Hey, all those little kids in town got their licenses first! But her sisters and friends had been willing to cart her around, and she gave them gas money. What did she need a driver's license for?

I had realized the night before that I had a brake light out in my van so we decided she should take the test in her sister's car. But since she'd never driven that car before she would need some practice time beforehand. So at eight o'clock I got her up to clean out the mess that is her sister's car and get ready to go out and drive.

We drove the streets of St. Peter for three hours, looking for spots to do 90 degree backing and parallel parking, the two troublespots for her. Sometimes she nailed it, other times not so much.

Finally the time came for her test. I was nervous! She'd failed it once before and I really didn't want to see her cry again! But when she came in with a smile on her face it was such a relief.

What did it mean for my day? By the time we got home I had time to answer a few emails and get supper started, but I didn't get to work on my current edit at all, the laundry would have to wait till evening. My normal routines went down the tube. But for that day taking my daughter driving was the most important thing. I didn't need to beat myself up for not doing the other things that I couldn't find time for.

That's what giving ourselves grace means. Sometimes that's hard for us. We think we can do it all. But we just can't.

Our kids grow up so fast. I know that sounds cliche. But it's not. Take the time to enjoy them. Take them to lunch, sit at the piano with them, get out the board games. Just love on them!

Traci

Working the Soil

As you may have guessed by the absence of a post yesterday, all my kids were home. That feels so sweet as a mother. I love having them all together, especially now that the three oldest are grown. It's a rare thing!

Well, since it's Tuesday I should continue my story of small town life. We'd moved into our little rambler in the country and had begun meeting the neighbors in my last two posts.

We had this grand idea of raising our own food. Or at least as much of it as we could. So the first thing we began to do the spring after our move was to start a garden. We chose a spot on the east side of our property, almost 1/2 acre in size. There were few trees on our place at the time so there would be plenty of sun and it was fairly handy to the house when harvest time came. The site had previously been a hog shed that had collapsed. The farmers had hired a bobcat to bury it. It was deep enough that that wasn't a problem for us but the ground had few nutrients for growing produce, something we would have to deal with later.

John rented a tiller but the ground refused to let it dig in, it was rock hard. So we bought an old 1940s Ford tractor and a plow to begin the long job of working the soil.

Round and round he went, with me following behind pulling out any rocks the plowing upturned. Since it was spring the farmers were working in the field across the road. They took notice of our efforts and actually parked across the way in their tall enclosed tractors to watch the spectacle. He teased John, "How'd you get your wife to do that?"

When the earth had been sufficiently worked we bought a large tiller, that was up to the task, and tilled and tilled. He must've worked the whole weekend getting that soil soft enough to plant. But finally we had the ground ready for seeds. We put in a row of asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, cucumbers, zucchini, peas, beans, you name it we planted it.

Oh, it was a lovely time. Watching our hard labor sprout into food that would fill our family.

To be continued next week...

Traci

Pray for Me; I'll Pray for You

I'd written a really great blog. Then the server locked up and it disappeared! Ever have that happen? Grr. ;)

So, I'll attempt to recreate it.

I have the following verse on a plaque on my dresser: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 5: 6-7

Prayer is powerful! It teaches us to trust God completely. It frees us from anxiety and worry as we focus on how thankful we are for all He's given us, knowing that He will never fail us. It fills us with a peace that is truly beyond comprehension. When the world would stress and fuss we can rest, knowing that the One who loves us best has it all figured out. He'll manage the details and make everything fall into place. No worries. Truly. Even if things look pretty bad. They looked pretty bad for Jesus too, remember.

Our house is currently for sale. It would be so easy to fret about finding a buyer. But we know that He is leading and guilding our lives so we can sit back and say, "Lord, if you want this to happen you'll have to work it out!" How freeing that is! I don't have to lay up nights with my brow furrowed.

That doesn't mean I don't ever worry. Why do you think I have the plaque? Sometimes I need the reminder! And prayer has a way of bringing me back to Him. As He fills me with more of Himself that incomprehensible peace flows. Those who trust in themselves can't understand this. After all they're in control of their own lives. But some things are simply beyond our control--that physical ailment that strikes suddenly, the car accident, the financial problems that result... That's when God enters in and whispers that He has us; He won't let us fall. He's already won the battle.

It's so important that Christians pray for each other. As we lift each other up, compassion grows in our own hearts, and faith as we wait and see how He answers! I keep a prayer journal where I write daily prayers and requests. It's amazing to go back weeks and months later to see just how God answered. You ought to try it!

So, I thought it might be nice on the occasional Friday to mention some prayer requests. You can pray for me and please list yours in the comments below and I'll be praying for you. Let me know when God answers and we can rejoice together!

Here are mine:

• Pray that God opens the door for our future--the sale of our house, that He'll show us what He'd have us do (whatever that might be!)
• Pray that God will give me wisdom in parenting our two little girls. I have some decisions to make regarding their schooling.
• Pray that our two middle girls will be accepted to Bible school and that God will provide the funds for them to go. He knows we don't have the money. But He isn't limited by things like cashflow.
• Pray that I'll have compassion and boldness in sharing my faith with those I love. I so want others to know this joy that I've found in Christ!

That's enough for now. I could go on and on! Please share yours too.

Warmly,

Traci

The Nugget of an Idea

Where do ideas for books come from?

Anywhere. If you're looking for them.

That's key. When you take up the writer's mantle it changes how you see the world. No kidding. Every person you meet has a story. Every news article has fiction potential. Every historic landmark. Every dream.

Start looking for stories. Sit down at the diner and talk to people. Ask lots of questions about their experiences. Don't interrupt with your own stories! And take notes, if not right then--because that can be awkward--then later. Pay attention to people's body language, how they hold themselves, the way they chew on their bottom lip, or fidget, the kind of clothes they wear, how they do their hair. These details, added to fiction later, will make your writing rich for you reader.

I'm not talking about stealing people's stories and cashing in on them. I'm talking about nuggets--that first tidbit that sparks ideas that lead to other ideas.  Eventually people will stop talking to you if you start divulging thier private stories for public consumption! (There's the side benefit of making true friends here if you really care about people.)

Read. Lots and lots of reading of other people's good fiction will not only inspire you to write well but it will often spark your own ideas too.

Once you have your nugget, it's time to define your plot. In one sentence write what it is that will keep your reader wanting to read. Usually this is in the form of a question. Will the hero save the princess? Will they find the buried treasure? Will they get off the sinking ship and make it to safety? Whatever the question, this will be key to creating a story that readers will actually read--it will carry you through the whole book.

Now brainstorm! Next, sit down, sometimes alone sometimes with other creative people, and imagine where your story could take you. Write down ideas, no editing of thoughts. You don't want to squash a thought that could grow into a bigger and better thought. Imagine your whole story. What obstacles will your hero face? How will they overcome them? Throw in more complications as you concieve. You want it to be hard for your hero to achieve their goal and you want the reader to think it can never work out.

It's good to look for two plots--the outer journey (what they are physically trying to achieve) and the inner journey (who the hero needs to become by story's end). For example in the story of Shrek his outer journey is rescuing the princess and bringing her to Lord Farquad. Shrek's inner journey is being less of an ogre (unhappy in his skin) and becoming a kinder person, who accepts himself for who he is. Any well-crafted story has these coexisting plots whether the story is character driven or plot driven--the focus just shifts between the two.

Now come up with an outline! I always cringe when I hear people talk about stories needing a beginning, middle and an end. This is so vague. My Christmas letter has a beginning, a middle and an end but that doesn't necessarily add up to a plot. In fiction certain things need to happen to accomplish that goal--these are the obstacles and turning points that entice your reader.

Here  are the basic elements of a good outline. You can add in more points of opposition than I have here, providing they increase in intensity with the story's telling.

1. Setup--What is life like for your hero at story's start?

2. Spark--What even jumpstarts the plot? A move, a death, a decision... Whatever it is that causes the hero to say, "This needs changing."

3. Movement--The hero moves toward that goal.

4. Opposition--Something must stand in the way. Otherwise the hero will achieve their goal...end of story.

5. Change in plans--The hero must find a new route to achieving their goal, or change their original goal.

6. Progress--Hero works toward their goal.

7. A new development--Another obstacle, usually bigger than the first opposition.

8. The hero gives up hope--All seems lost, until the hero decides to dig deep.

9. Final push--the hero reaches for their goal though all seems lost.

10. Climax--Achieving the goal.

11. Life now--What is life like for the hero at story's end?

Start reading and watching movies with this outline in mind and you'll be amazed to find that most every good story fits into this track, regardless of genre. I use it all the time.

Okay, time to start looking for nuggets!

Traci