Not Losing by Karen Fainges

Many characters can be defined by their motivations.

Sometimes it is not what they want that defines characters, but what they are not prepared to lose. Scarlett’s “I will never go hungry again” is a scene that will long be remembered as a powerful moment. She was motivated not by gain, but by the fear/avoidance of something.  So what motivations can you give your character that are based on avoiding the sense of loss rather than striving for a goal? There is a lot of overlap of course, and the motivations can be murky, but the distinction is important.

One scene from one of my own books surprised me as I wrote it. The distinction of not wanting to lose was paramount for just about all of them. So were they floundering, unsure of themselves? Not really, one character in particular is self-assured to the point of arrogance, but his main need was to show strength, not to lord it over others, but to be sure no one could ever lord it over him.

The growth of the anti-hero is part of this. People are growing aware that it is the frailties of the human condition that sometimes make them strong. The person that is terrified but saves the day anyway is a better read than the hero that never even thinks about the possibility of failure. Sometimes it can go too far and come out whiney, someone always bemoaning their fate or full of teenage anxiety. Done right though, the character that runs away to fight another day can fill your books with real interest.

Complete Characters by Karen Fainges

Well rounded characters are one of the main features of a good book. So how do you create them? And how do you get them on the page without boring the reader with irrelevancies?

Ever received one of those emails that asks a ton of questions like steak or potatoes, first pet and favourite TV show? Filling one of those out as your characters is a great way to really get to know them. It allows you to really get into their history and feelings. As an author, knowing your character’s favourite colour is red is important. It says a lot about them. But does the reader need to know it? Well probably not.

The important thing is to add emotions to the mix.

Her last step heading for the interview, was to reach for her red jacket. The colour was her favourite and even if it didn’t really compliment her dark looks, it did bolster her confidence and she needed all the confidence bolstering she could get.

So we learn that she gets her confidence, not from how she looks, but from having things she likes close. The jacket is a talisman not an accessory. 

Adding emotions has its own problems. What if the reader really thinks appearance is important, especially for interviews? Will they keep reading or write the character off?

Here, I doubt the impact is that great but for other issues, like saying a quick prayer, kicking a dog away or swearing at a child, those will give very strong reactions. You might want the reader to hate or love this character. Subliminal clues help in this regard, but different people have different reactions. Don’t assume that they way you think is the way they do.

What is something that really turns you off characters?

15 Favourites by Karen Fainges

Read the first chapter online for free

Recently I was asked by a friend to list my 15 favourite books – ones that stuck with me. I found it harder than I thought. My husband was no help, saying “Tell them Adhesives that work by V Elcro”.

Once I had hit him with a cushion, I stopped to think, what does make a book stick with me? For me, it is one of two things, passion or the ability to make me stop and rethink. If a book has both, it goes on my top 15 list.

One of my favourite authors I am rereading at the moment is Tamora Pierce.  Her Tortall series of books is supposedly for children and although my daughter loves her too, I find myself reading the ink of the page (or the pixels off the screen seeing I read ebooks). She makes me laugh, cry and sit back with shock. She examines people’s motivations without ever getting bogged down. Like a Chinese painting, she portrays incredible scenes with a few slight strokes.

It is the simplicity I like, allowing us to look through the eyes of her characters without judging or noticebly guiding the reader. When writing, I often find myself dropping into preaching mode when trying to make a point. I immediately delete that passage, only to find myself doing it again as soon as I relax. Caring passionately about something is important, but preaching about it is like trying to shoe a fish, frustrates both you and the fish and it’s ultimately pointless.

Actions speak louder than words. Tamora’s characters gently show the consequences of evil actions,  mine tend to just rip the evil guy’s head off. Still it takes all sorts. Which way do you prefer?

By Any Other Name

There was a discussion this week on one of the mystery group lists about names. It really got me to thinking. Yes, what you name a character is important, not only to you but to your reader. You don’t even have to think much about it to know that. If you name a character Ethel, you have already sort of given me a discription. She’s old. You know it when you hear the name. She is one of those old ladies who wears flowered dresses and support hose to church, if she can still make it there.
And how about Bob? Sure kids are still named Robert but most of them go by Rob now just as boys named William usually go by Will. If you hear of a character named Bob, or Bill, you know the guy’s retired, don’t you? You can almost see him, his graying hair line receding, his stomach sticking out of his undershirt, answering the door.
But what got to me on the discussion about names on this writing list is the claim that the wrong name could make a reader put the book down. Really? Would you put a book down because the kid’s name was, say, Horatio Hornblower Howard? I mean, let’s face it, there are a lot of people out there who name their kids some really odd names. Songs have been written about that. (A boy named Sue) It seems believeable to me.
My grandmother named one of my uncles Raphael because she liked the name of the artist. No one ever called him anything but Ralph in my hearing but there you are. One of my other uncles was named Morant. I don’t know where she got that one. But I wouldn’t put down a book because of it.
It is amazing what a cycle this name thing is. When I named my eldest 20+ years ago, my mother wondered why I named her Melissa. In my Mom’s mind, that was an old woman’s name. So was Sarah, and Emma yet none of those names bring that picture to mind to me or anyone, I’d guess, under the age of 80. My mother’s own name, Mildred, on the other hand, is an old lady’s name. What goes around….