By Annette Lyon
A recent article in Newsweek discussed the psychology behind procrastination. Go ahead and read the piece later, but here's the upshot (or a least what I got out of it):
When an activity or goal is stated in nebulous terms, people are more likely to procrastinate doing it.
But, when an activity or goal is broken up into concrete steps, people are more likely to get the thing done.
The example the piece gives is with exercising (a common resolution this time of year). If you think, "I really need to exercise," that's too vague. It's easy to ignore.
But if you turn the thought into, "I need to put on my exercise clothes, tie on my shoes, and get on the treadmill for 30 minutes," you're more likely to do all of the above and get in the workout you know you should.
Reading the piece, I had a light bulb moment regarding writing, which is quite possibly one of the most procrastinated activities ever. I constantly hear aspiring writers say, "I want to write a book," or, "This year I'm going to finish the book I started," or something similar.
And . . . they procrastinate and procrastinate. Even published writers get caught in the trap.
"I'm going to write a book" is too vague . . . and too BIG . . . of an activity. Something of that magnitude is easy to put off until later. It's just too intimidating to sit down and face the beast.
I've seen that with my writing, the more I break down a writing goal, the more likely I am to achieve it. Just like breaking down exercise into getting dressed and getting onto the machine, I'm more likely to get the job done if I can imagine the concrete steps involved.
The trouble with writing is that there really are few concrete steps. Much of what we do is nebulous already.
How about breaking it up anyway? In addition to a big goal like, "I'm going to finish this draft by April," add those little steps such as, "I'm going to write 1,000 words a day" or "I will edit ten pages of this draft every day."
Focusing on nothing but the next small step makes the entire project less intimidating.
"All I have to do today is one thousand words, and then I've succeeded." That thought is freeing, isn't it?
For that matter, it's much harder to justify procrastinating 1,000 measly words (or whatever your smaller goal is) than it is to put off an entire book.
This year as you make your New Year's resolutions, try to cut them up into small, concrete pieces. How many words per day will you write? How many queries will you send out?
Make each step concrete, and, more importantly, make each one doable. Allow yourself small successes, because added all together, they lead to the big ones.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sculpting to Perfection
By Julie Wright
A friend of mine, Matthew Buckley, posed a thought to a writing group we belong to.
I am one of those authors who could "tweak until it's weak." I could, but I don't. I'd love to say it's because I'm brilliant enough to know when to say, "when," but really I think it is my lack of patience that is to blame. I want to see my book on a bookstore shelf NOW, never later.
So the fine line we walk is knowing when to stop tweaking and whittling away, and when to start putting it out for public consumption. For every person I daresay the answer is different. But for me, after several years of stupid manuscripts, I came up with a five reader rule. If my book hasn't been workshopped through five readers, then it isn't ready to hit the desk of someone with buying power. And I don't mean five readers who like you and are afraid of hurting your feelings. And typically, I don't recommend your mother ever being one of your five. Pick five readers who you trust to be straight shooters.
How many drafts should you write?
I write two initially, rework the manuscript several more times as reader reports come in and once more for the publisher. My attention span isn't long enough to do more than that. What's right for you? I could not say. Maybe more, maybe less.
But I know people who have been working on their masterpiece for years, tweaking, adding commas, changing modifiers, removing adverbs and dead words. I wonder if they are tweaking because they are perfectionists, or are they tweaking because they are afraid of submitting?
It is a fine line, because you must turn in your best work--you MUST. The competition is fierce. But you also must actually get to a point where you let go and TURN IT IN, because if you don't, you will forever be a dabbler and never really an author.
This thought of sculpting to perfection, of whittling away until you are truly done is subjective. Every writer needs the luxury of having his own way of doing things. The freedom to create offers limitless possibilities. But if you're worried your whittling your manuscript to a pile of sawdust, you might just be guilty of being afraid to move on. Only you know the answer to that. But in my household we have a saying, "Courage is being afraid, but doing it anyway."
A friend of mine, Matthew Buckley, posed a thought to a writing group we belong to.
When you carve something, you are basically taking away what doesn't need to be there. First you start with a block and you take things away until they are just right. At that point, if you take off more, you are damaging the product. If you keep working, eventually you just have a pile of sawdust or marble shavings.
So at what point do you stop tweaking your writing? Is it easy for all of you to think, "Yep, that's done. It's perfect. If I change it anymore, it will be a weaker book."
I am one of those authors who could "tweak until it's weak." I could, but I don't. I'd love to say it's because I'm brilliant enough to know when to say, "when," but really I think it is my lack of patience that is to blame. I want to see my book on a bookstore shelf NOW, never later.
So the fine line we walk is knowing when to stop tweaking and whittling away, and when to start putting it out for public consumption. For every person I daresay the answer is different. But for me, after several years of stupid manuscripts, I came up with a five reader rule. If my book hasn't been workshopped through five readers, then it isn't ready to hit the desk of someone with buying power. And I don't mean five readers who like you and are afraid of hurting your feelings. And typically, I don't recommend your mother ever being one of your five. Pick five readers who you trust to be straight shooters.
How many drafts should you write?
I write two initially, rework the manuscript several more times as reader reports come in and once more for the publisher. My attention span isn't long enough to do more than that. What's right for you? I could not say. Maybe more, maybe less.
But I know people who have been working on their masterpiece for years, tweaking, adding commas, changing modifiers, removing adverbs and dead words. I wonder if they are tweaking because they are perfectionists, or are they tweaking because they are afraid of submitting?
It is a fine line, because you must turn in your best work--you MUST. The competition is fierce. But you also must actually get to a point where you let go and TURN IT IN, because if you don't, you will forever be a dabbler and never really an author.
This thought of sculpting to perfection, of whittling away until you are truly done is subjective. Every writer needs the luxury of having his own way of doing things. The freedom to create offers limitless possibilities. But if you're worried your whittling your manuscript to a pile of sawdust, you might just be guilty of being afraid to move on. Only you know the answer to that. But in my household we have a saying, "Courage is being afraid, but doing it anyway."
Friday, December 26, 2008
Survival Tips for the Parent Slash Writer
By Heather Moore
“How do you write novels with four kids?” I’ve been asked that question many times at book signings and author events. Sometimes I coyly answer, “When I wrote my first novel, I only had three kids.”
The truth is . . . I’ve only seen one entire episode of American Idol. None of Lost and only the first episode of 24, but now that the seasons are out on DVD, maybe I’ll try to watch a couple . . . at midnight . . . or not. My laundry takes three days to do, and then it’s time to start over again.
Dinner is, well . . . lacking on most days, but I wasn’t that great of a cook before I became so obsessed.
But really, I am lucky. I don’t have to write to earn money. So why do I write when my kids are ages four through fourteen? Why don’t I use my down time to relax and watch a favorite program or catch up on several years of scrapbooking, or even my ultimate desire—read a novel without worrying about research, editing, or my daily writing goal?
Well, because I breathe easier when I write. It rounds out my identity even when I’m writing this blog and have no idea if it will ever be read by another person. I reap joy and fulfillment . . . and incredible busyness so that by ten in the morning I am left literally breathless with all the things I want to accomplish.
One day at a time. That’s survival tip number one.
2. Laptop. When you can afford this luxury (or necessity, says I), invest in a laptop. You can sit on your couch or at your kitchen table and tap a few paragraphs here and there. At the same time you are keeping a watchful eye on your preschooler. (Note: when she starts to hit the computer screen, it’s time for a break.)
3. Wireless internet. Another luxury, but it makes the laptop all that more accessible when you want to check your email every so often, or every five minutes . . . just in case that NY agent is just dying to see the remainder of your manuscript and must have it within the hour.
4. Carpet Cleaner. What? Recently while I was in the shower (not writing, so there is no guilt associated with this mishap) my four year old dumped the orange juice onto the carpet. Now, I can wipe up a mess on the tile faster than the Bounty hunk, but carpet? That could take a good twenty minutes of blotting, rinsing, blotting, spraying, scrubbing, rinsing . . . A carpet cleaner, maybe five minutes. And it’s really clean. Did I mention I have a do-it-all-herself four year old?
5. Peanut M&M’s. Now I don’t recommend buying the five pound bags at Costco, but if you are trying to save shopping trips maybe it’s all right. Pick your poison, and you’ll be surprised at how a yummy treat can help to motivate you as you write. “If I keep writing, I get to keep snacking.” Or if you are concerned about the calories, don’t read the ingredients. Worse case scenario, pop some butter-free popcorn. I thought about dedicating my next book to Peanut M&M’s . . . I still might . . . Just remember to rotate your hiding place in case your spouse gets a hankering for them too.
Oh, I just thought of number six. A good friend. Even better—a good friend with kids who are similar ages to yours. You can pick a day or two during the week and switch. This gives the kids play time and when it’s your friend’s turn . . . sacred writing time . . .
I hope this helps at least one parent in his/her writing quest. As for me, I’m taking one day at a time and keeping a bag of Peanut M&M’s in my desk drawer.
“How do you write novels with four kids?” I’ve been asked that question many times at book signings and author events. Sometimes I coyly answer, “When I wrote my first novel, I only had three kids.”
The truth is . . . I’ve only seen one entire episode of American Idol. None of Lost and only the first episode of 24, but now that the seasons are out on DVD, maybe I’ll try to watch a couple . . . at midnight . . . or not. My laundry takes three days to do, and then it’s time to start over again.
Dinner is, well . . . lacking on most days, but I wasn’t that great of a cook before I became so obsessed.
But really, I am lucky. I don’t have to write to earn money. So why do I write when my kids are ages four through fourteen? Why don’t I use my down time to relax and watch a favorite program or catch up on several years of scrapbooking, or even my ultimate desire—read a novel without worrying about research, editing, or my daily writing goal?
Well, because I breathe easier when I write. It rounds out my identity even when I’m writing this blog and have no idea if it will ever be read by another person. I reap joy and fulfillment . . . and incredible busyness so that by ten in the morning I am left literally breathless with all the things I want to accomplish.
One day at a time. That’s survival tip number one.
2. Laptop. When you can afford this luxury (or necessity, says I), invest in a laptop. You can sit on your couch or at your kitchen table and tap a few paragraphs here and there. At the same time you are keeping a watchful eye on your preschooler. (Note: when she starts to hit the computer screen, it’s time for a break.)
3. Wireless internet. Another luxury, but it makes the laptop all that more accessible when you want to check your email every so often, or every five minutes . . . just in case that NY agent is just dying to see the remainder of your manuscript and must have it within the hour.
4. Carpet Cleaner. What? Recently while I was in the shower (not writing, so there is no guilt associated with this mishap) my four year old dumped the orange juice onto the carpet. Now, I can wipe up a mess on the tile faster than the Bounty hunk, but carpet? That could take a good twenty minutes of blotting, rinsing, blotting, spraying, scrubbing, rinsing . . . A carpet cleaner, maybe five minutes. And it’s really clean. Did I mention I have a do-it-all-herself four year old?
5. Peanut M&M’s. Now I don’t recommend buying the five pound bags at Costco, but if you are trying to save shopping trips maybe it’s all right. Pick your poison, and you’ll be surprised at how a yummy treat can help to motivate you as you write. “If I keep writing, I get to keep snacking.” Or if you are concerned about the calories, don’t read the ingredients. Worse case scenario, pop some butter-free popcorn. I thought about dedicating my next book to Peanut M&M’s . . . I still might . . . Just remember to rotate your hiding place in case your spouse gets a hankering for them too.
Oh, I just thought of number six. A good friend. Even better—a good friend with kids who are similar ages to yours. You can pick a day or two during the week and switch. This gives the kids play time and when it’s your friend’s turn . . . sacred writing time . . .
I hope this helps at least one parent in his/her writing quest. As for me, I’m taking one day at a time and keeping a bag of Peanut M&M’s in my desk drawer.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Trust Your Gut
by Annette Lyon
In light of the holiday, this will be a brief post, but it's something I've been thinking about ever since a recent edit job.
The manuscript was non-fiction. I spent quite a lot of time working with the author over several months. Then she sent me a chapter that didn't feel like the rest of the book. The flow was gone. The topic felt off target. The entire chapter just rang untrue.
I was hesitant in how to approach my comments, so I tried to be as gentle as I could when I told her that, in my opinion, she should cut the entire chapter. It didn't work, and the book didn't need the information in it.
Her reply surprised me. She basically said, "Actually, I was wondering about that. And I agree."
Her gut was already telling her the chapter wasn't working. Why didn't she just pull it out on her own? She needed an outside confirmation that she was right.
Writers need that. The longer we write, the better we get at feeling those gut instincts and acting on them. But no matter how long we write, we still need outside feedback. While not all feedback will be something you agree with, it's all valuable.
And quite often, it'll be something that'll make you think, "Yeah, I knew that." The commentary resonates, and you just know they're right.
As you move on with your next writing project, try to trust your gut. That means having trust whether it's telling you positive or negative things.
A caveat: Your gut isn't your internal editor. Don't confuse the two. Get rid of the editor/censor (it's the loud voice yelling at you) and listen to what the work is telling you, what your instinct whispers.
Then, after you get outside reviews, you just might realize your gut knows what it's talking about.
In light of the holiday, this will be a brief post, but it's something I've been thinking about ever since a recent edit job.
The manuscript was non-fiction. I spent quite a lot of time working with the author over several months. Then she sent me a chapter that didn't feel like the rest of the book. The flow was gone. The topic felt off target. The entire chapter just rang untrue.
I was hesitant in how to approach my comments, so I tried to be as gentle as I could when I told her that, in my opinion, she should cut the entire chapter. It didn't work, and the book didn't need the information in it.
Her reply surprised me. She basically said, "Actually, I was wondering about that. And I agree."
Her gut was already telling her the chapter wasn't working. Why didn't she just pull it out on her own? She needed an outside confirmation that she was right.
Writers need that. The longer we write, the better we get at feeling those gut instincts and acting on them. But no matter how long we write, we still need outside feedback. While not all feedback will be something you agree with, it's all valuable.
And quite often, it'll be something that'll make you think, "Yeah, I knew that." The commentary resonates, and you just know they're right.
As you move on with your next writing project, try to trust your gut. That means having trust whether it's telling you positive or negative things.
A caveat: Your gut isn't your internal editor. Don't confuse the two. Get rid of the editor/censor (it's the loud voice yelling at you) and listen to what the work is telling you, what your instinct whispers.
Then, after you get outside reviews, you just might realize your gut knows what it's talking about.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Revise for Impact
by Heather Moore
News Flash: Registration is open for the 2009 Storymaker Conference.
This fall I attended the League of Utah Writers conference and took a 6 hour editing seminar. I think it took me this long to recover. So now I'm ready to share the love.
The seminar was taught by Elizabeth Lyon, who has a half-dozen books published on writing and editing.
So today, I'd like to share the notes I took on "Revise for Impact" since every writer will enter the dark abyss of editing at least once or maybe one-hundred times on each manuscript produced.
Remember, this comes after your first draft is finished. Go through your manuscript with an eye for the following things--it will tighten up your story and prepare it for your beta readers.
1. One word sentences (to emphasize, as a question)
*One word sentences brings a reader to a complete halt.
*It’s a stop sign. Make it an important word.
2. Take out repetitive words
3. Watch out for common words: look/walk/saw/turn are the most used words.
*These have no emotional or descriptive value
4. Use synonyms for common words like "walk": sauntered, scuttled, stumbled, tromped, scurried, ambled, skip, trudged, side-step
* Or "look": stare, regard, view, peer, gazed, stared, glance, examine, study, glare, leer
5. Power positions. Words that will gain more impact at the beginning and the end
6. Alliteration—rhyme or several words in a sentence starting with same letter--only use when you are doing so for a purpose.
7. Clichés—take them out
8. Repetition: former/past/history: This comes with reading the second draft and having a beta reader go over your story. Watch for those ideas, a beliefs, or desires that are repeated too many times. Remember--your reader is smart.
9. Watch the Telling first, then Showing. This shows that the author doesn’t trust the reader. Keep the scene and dialog that shows. Get rid of the advance sentence of telling. (I see this A LOT in novice manuscripts.)
10. Imagery
*Similes: as/like
*Metaphors: complete substitution
(E. Lyon recommends that you have a simile or metaphor on your first page).
News Flash: Registration is open for the 2009 Storymaker Conference.
This fall I attended the League of Utah Writers conference and took a 6 hour editing seminar. I think it took me this long to recover. So now I'm ready to share the love.
The seminar was taught by Elizabeth Lyon, who has a half-dozen books published on writing and editing.
So today, I'd like to share the notes I took on "Revise for Impact" since every writer will enter the dark abyss of editing at least once or maybe one-hundred times on each manuscript produced.
Remember, this comes after your first draft is finished. Go through your manuscript with an eye for the following things--it will tighten up your story and prepare it for your beta readers.
1. One word sentences (to emphasize, as a question)
*One word sentences brings a reader to a complete halt.
*It’s a stop sign. Make it an important word.
2. Take out repetitive words
3. Watch out for common words: look/walk/saw/turn are the most used words.
*These have no emotional or descriptive value
4. Use synonyms for common words like "walk": sauntered, scuttled, stumbled, tromped, scurried, ambled, skip, trudged, side-step
* Or "look": stare, regard, view, peer, gazed, stared, glance, examine, study, glare, leer
5. Power positions. Words that will gain more impact at the beginning and the end
6. Alliteration—rhyme or several words in a sentence starting with same letter--only use when you are doing so for a purpose.
7. Clichés—take them out
8. Repetition: former/past/history: This comes with reading the second draft and having a beta reader go over your story. Watch for those ideas, a beliefs, or desires that are repeated too many times. Remember--your reader is smart.
9. Watch the Telling first, then Showing. This shows that the author doesn’t trust the reader. Keep the scene and dialog that shows. Get rid of the advance sentence of telling. (I see this A LOT in novice manuscripts.)
10. Imagery
*Similes: as/like
*Metaphors: complete substitution
(E. Lyon recommends that you have a simile or metaphor on your first page).
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Have a Merry Writerly Christmas
by Annette Lyon
Here are some last-minute Christmas gifts for the writer in your life.
(If you're reading this, you're probably the writer, so forward this post to your loved ones . . . or buy some of these for yourself!)
An AlphaSmart Neo.
I can't live without mine when I'm in drafting mode. Read all about this handytoy tool here.
Paper
This may be an inexpensive item for normal people, but for the writer who goes through a lot of reams, this is a welcome gift.
Toner
You do have a laser printer, right? Ink Jets go through ink way too fast and end up costing you more than lasers in the long run. Toner cartridges may cost twice as much, but they last four times as long. Another welcome gift for people who print a lot (using that paper).
Books
Most writers are book freaks. 'Nough said.
Books on Writing
Check out this post for some of my favorites.
Bookshelves
On which to put the book freak's books. It's hard to have too many bookshelves.
Bookends
This site has tons of really neat ones. Like these. Aren't they cool?
Shirts, mugs, and more
Cafe Press has lots of fun products with goofy writer sayings, like "Will write for chocolate" and "Please do not annoy the writer. She may put you into her novel and kill you." Just search for, "writer" or "writing" and see all the fun stuff that pops up.
New York Public Library Gift Shop
Check out their ties, book earrings, bookmarks, and two really cool totes, one with a stylized image of Shakespeare and the other with a collage of stylized female writers.
They've got an entire jewelry section that include typewriter key bracelets and Scrabble tie cuff links. Fun stuff.
Journals/notebooks
Get a nice hardback book (preferably with a spiral inside so it can be laid flat). Perfect for brainstorming and jotting down ideas on the run.
Sony voice recorder
Catch those ideas on the fly while driving or doing laundry.
You can find several digital recorders that are reasonably priced. This one's under $60.
The Oxford English Dictionary (The OED)
This is the most exhaustive dictionary in the English language. Use it to find the earliest known use of a word, look at date charts for the most common uses, discover etymologies, and more. Subscribe to it online or get it on CD here.
Writer's Digest subscription
Get it. Read it. Don't let your subscription lapse. It's a great magazine for both beginner and expert. Get the actual magazine; the newsletter is good, but it's not as complete as the magazine itself.
Some ideas for Stocking Stuffers:
Paper Clips
Sticky Notes
Sticker Flags
Nice pens.
Red pens
Bookmarks
And finally, the best thing you can get for any writer: TIME
Organize a writer retreat for overnight or even just an afternoon. Give your writer a chance to get away from distractions and just WRITE!
Here are some last-minute Christmas gifts for the writer in your life.
(If you're reading this, you're probably the writer, so forward this post to your loved ones . . . or buy some of these for yourself!)
An AlphaSmart Neo.
I can't live without mine when I'm in drafting mode. Read all about this handy
Paper
This may be an inexpensive item for normal people, but for the writer who goes through a lot of reams, this is a welcome gift.
Toner
You do have a laser printer, right? Ink Jets go through ink way too fast and end up costing you more than lasers in the long run. Toner cartridges may cost twice as much, but they last four times as long. Another welcome gift for people who print a lot (using that paper).
Books
Most writers are book freaks. 'Nough said.
Books on Writing
Check out this post for some of my favorites.
Bookshelves
On which to put the book freak's books. It's hard to have too many bookshelves.
Bookends
This site has tons of really neat ones. Like these. Aren't they cool?
Shirts, mugs, and more
Cafe Press has lots of fun products with goofy writer sayings, like "Will write for chocolate" and "Please do not annoy the writer. She may put you into her novel and kill you." Just search for, "writer" or "writing" and see all the fun stuff that pops up.
New York Public Library Gift Shop
Check out their ties, book earrings, bookmarks, and two really cool totes, one with a stylized image of Shakespeare and the other with a collage of stylized female writers.They've got an entire jewelry section that include typewriter key bracelets and Scrabble tie cuff links. Fun stuff.
Journals/notebooks
Get a nice hardback book (preferably with a spiral inside so it can be laid flat). Perfect for brainstorming and jotting down ideas on the run.
Sony voice recorder
Catch those ideas on the fly while driving or doing laundry.
You can find several digital recorders that are reasonably priced. This one's under $60.The Oxford English Dictionary (The OED)
This is the most exhaustive dictionary in the English language. Use it to find the earliest known use of a word, look at date charts for the most common uses, discover etymologies, and more. Subscribe to it online or get it on CD here.
Writer's Digest subscription
Get it. Read it. Don't let your subscription lapse. It's a great magazine for both beginner and expert. Get the actual magazine; the newsletter is good, but it's not as complete as the magazine itself.
Some ideas for Stocking Stuffers:
Paper Clips
Sticky Notes
Sticker Flags
Nice pens.
Red pens
Bookmarks
And finally, the best thing you can get for any writer: TIME
Organize a writer retreat for overnight or even just an afternoon. Give your writer a chance to get away from distractions and just WRITE!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Characterization: More than Rice
by Annette Lyon
In my pre-published days, I attended a small writing conference with a very successful novelist as the keynote speaker. She discussed characterization and how important it is to know your characters.
She went to the lengths of saying that you need to know your characters so well that, if given the choice of mashed potatoes or rice with their meal, you'd know which they'd pick.
Wow, I thought. You'd really know your character then.
Years later? I think that so what if you know that Jenny prefers rice to mashed potatoes?
That's not necessarily good characterization; that's taste.
I agree that you need to know your characters well, to the point that you'll likely know a lot more about Jenny or Peter than the reader ever will.
But really, is rice versus mashed potatoes relevant to creating a well-rounded character?
Maybe, if there were a deep reason for Jenny preferring it.
What if rice reminds her of those two life-changing weeks she spent in Hong Kong? Or she hates mashed potatoes because that's what she had for dinner the day her father died? If there's a good reason for it, maybe it's a detail worth knowing about her, regardless of whether your reader ever learns it.
But to me, having full characters is about knowing what makes them tick rather than what menu choices they make.
Take your main character(s) and think through some of these questions:
What were the most forming events of their childhood, for good or bad? Why? Who was there? How did they feel?
What person (or people) have impacted them the most (again, for good or bad) and how?
What moment from their past scarred them forever and impacts how they act today?
What experiences created their belief system?
I'm sure you can come up with more. You don't need to know all of these things up front. For me, half the joy of writing novels is discovering these kinds of things about my characters as I go.
Relatively early in one of my books as I drafted a scene between two brothers, I was still trying to discover more of who my characters were. Out of the blue, the POV character remembered a life-changing event that happened to him as a child.
The event was a huge revelation into what made him the man he was, and it impacted much of how he had already interacted with his brothers and other people. It was huge for my ability to "get" him and make him real.
Understanding him this way helped me write him better for the rest of the book, and, in fact, that bit of history ended up playing a big part in the rest of the plot and the conflicts that followed. I think I uncovered that part of him because I was looking for it and because I was focused on him, his thoughts, his feelings, his motivations. In other words, what made him tick.
Somehow I doubt his character would have been nearly as likable and real to readers if, during that scene, I'd been more worried about figuring out his favorite color than what made him who he was.
There is a place for taste-type characterization as well, of course.
Let's use an example. Knowing that Greg loves John Denver definitely says something about who he is. But you can't rely on preferences alone to create characters who come alive on the page.
What if I tell you that Greg's wife died from a gun shot at a convenience store when their little girl was just a toddler? That he's now the single father of a first grader? That he became a police officer after his wife's death in hopes of preventing someone else from having the same kind of loss he'd experienced?
Suddenly you know much more about his past and what drives his future actions.
Knowing he likes John Denver is a pleasant touch, a fun addition, but far more important is knowing the big events that shaped his heart.
Think of characterization details this way:
Dig deep to uncover what makes your characters tick. That's the cake.
Then add the fun, fluffy details like Coke versus Pepsi or rice versus mashed potatoes. Those details are the icing.
Plain cake is okay. Iced caked is much better.
Just be sure to give your readers more than icing!
In my pre-published days, I attended a small writing conference with a very successful novelist as the keynote speaker. She discussed characterization and how important it is to know your characters.
She went to the lengths of saying that you need to know your characters so well that, if given the choice of mashed potatoes or rice with their meal, you'd know which they'd pick.
Wow, I thought. You'd really know your character then.
Years later? I think that so what if you know that Jenny prefers rice to mashed potatoes?
That's not necessarily good characterization; that's taste.
I agree that you need to know your characters well, to the point that you'll likely know a lot more about Jenny or Peter than the reader ever will.
But really, is rice versus mashed potatoes relevant to creating a well-rounded character?
Maybe, if there were a deep reason for Jenny preferring it.
What if rice reminds her of those two life-changing weeks she spent in Hong Kong? Or she hates mashed potatoes because that's what she had for dinner the day her father died? If there's a good reason for it, maybe it's a detail worth knowing about her, regardless of whether your reader ever learns it.
But to me, having full characters is about knowing what makes them tick rather than what menu choices they make.
Take your main character(s) and think through some of these questions:
What were the most forming events of their childhood, for good or bad? Why? Who was there? How did they feel?
What person (or people) have impacted them the most (again, for good or bad) and how?
What moment from their past scarred them forever and impacts how they act today?
What experiences created their belief system?
I'm sure you can come up with more. You don't need to know all of these things up front. For me, half the joy of writing novels is discovering these kinds of things about my characters as I go.
Relatively early in one of my books as I drafted a scene between two brothers, I was still trying to discover more of who my characters were. Out of the blue, the POV character remembered a life-changing event that happened to him as a child.
The event was a huge revelation into what made him the man he was, and it impacted much of how he had already interacted with his brothers and other people. It was huge for my ability to "get" him and make him real.
Understanding him this way helped me write him better for the rest of the book, and, in fact, that bit of history ended up playing a big part in the rest of the plot and the conflicts that followed. I think I uncovered that part of him because I was looking for it and because I was focused on him, his thoughts, his feelings, his motivations. In other words, what made him tick.
Somehow I doubt his character would have been nearly as likable and real to readers if, during that scene, I'd been more worried about figuring out his favorite color than what made him who he was.
There is a place for taste-type characterization as well, of course.
Let's use an example. Knowing that Greg loves John Denver definitely says something about who he is. But you can't rely on preferences alone to create characters who come alive on the page.
What if I tell you that Greg's wife died from a gun shot at a convenience store when their little girl was just a toddler? That he's now the single father of a first grader? That he became a police officer after his wife's death in hopes of preventing someone else from having the same kind of loss he'd experienced?
Suddenly you know much more about his past and what drives his future actions.
Knowing he likes John Denver is a pleasant touch, a fun addition, but far more important is knowing the big events that shaped his heart.
Think of characterization details this way:
Dig deep to uncover what makes your characters tick. That's the cake.
Then add the fun, fluffy details like Coke versus Pepsi or rice versus mashed potatoes. Those details are the icing.
Plain cake is okay. Iced caked is much better.
Just be sure to give your readers more than icing!
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