No, not talking about a memoir. I’m talking about the characters in your book.
Well, not sure I’d want people to think of me as a murder or a love-sick, silly woman. However, with all the blood sweat and tears that cover my manuscript, I’m sure I’ve left pieces of myself in the story.
But, I think if we leave behind a tiny bit of ourselves, we can humanize even the villain. When we add some of our traits and quirks to a character it enables the reader to relate. They want to justify bad behavior they recognize in Uncle George or the wild-child they remember from their youth.
Go ahead, leave something of yourself recognizable in all the characters. After all, we are very complex creatures.
So if you see a starry-eyed optimism in one character and in another a smart-ass bitch, yep, they’re both me.
Do you slip some of your flaws or strengths in your characters?
How about those of a relative? Ever use them as a blueprint?
Do you think this makes our characters more relatable?
Keep reading, below is some good stuff on using yourself in characters.
Search for answers to questions inquiring minds want to know?
Do you brainstorm? Grab a subject, topic or character and launch the story from there.
Maybe you are one of the lucky ones and already know the answer. But until recently I wasn’t sure how or where I got my story ideas. Thanks to one of my readers Eva Blaskovic, another visual writer for a reminder.
For me sometimes it starts with a question or a topic but then it grows and percolates like good coffee until I begin to see scenes in my head. Sort of like snapshots of movies.
image source
Often late at night these pictures flash in my head and keep me awake until I draft it on paper. Hmm, maybe that is a haunting.
However, putting visual scenes into a readable format is not easy. After all, no one is a mind reader and showing people what you see is difficult.
I start out all excited and write like crazy trying to capture the people, action, and dialogue before my vision vanishes like smoke. Then I read what I wrote. Geese, it sounds nothing like it looked. Delete, delete, delete! My mind can be a scary place.
But I at least I don’t give up because the movie in my head replays until I get it inside my computer. Yep, sounding more and more like a haunting.
One thing that helps, in addition to practice, is understanding myself and my process.
I am so grateful to the many writers who share their process, successes, and failures so that I might continue to learn. Although many of the articles are same song different verse, it pays to keep reading.
You may think you’ve read enough about grammar, genre, style, flash-fiction, outlines, or any other writing subject. But I seem to always find a nugget or two that helps.
Why? Because just like snowflakes, all writers are unique as is their viewpoint. That’s why I keep reading and sharing my finds. Such as the article below by Tarah Benner.
What did I learn from her quiz?
I grab a subject and go nuts. No one wants to read rambling.
Although I love to tell a good story, sometimes my writing is too minimalistic. People can’t read my mind or see what I see.
I read for two reasons. For pleasure and to be informed. And that’s good. Yay!
Grammar is why I need a good editor. LOL
I can’t tell a joke to save my life so no point in trying to write one either. Swearing is my second language but not always in a story. Be selective.
While her article and quiz didn’t fix my problems, it did give me a little insight into some of my strengths and weaknesses. I fall somewhere between a rule follower and a rule breaker. Nothing new, just a good reminder to…
Be true to myself and my style.
Do you find nuggets that inspire, when reading other writers?
Do you need the occasional reminder to be true to yourself?
Do you understand your style?
Don’t forget to click and read the article by TARAH BENNER at the bottom of the page.
How do you make a neat idea into a great story? You take the idea, get it out of your head and onto paper/into the computer, and then you refine it until it sings with the clarity of a tuning fork,…
Jean's Writing 