Time for some more red meat!

Previously I discussed the plot structure outline I use to create a skeleton of my story, and the scene worksheets that pad out that skeleton with muscle and sinew. I have several entries in my scene worksheets dedicated to primary POV character, secondary character, and motivation. This provides a very poor space to flesh out a character, however, and towards that end I have created  a second spreadsheet dedicated entirely to character development.

They aren’t small. In fact, they’re embarrassingly large.

You can see the whole sheet from Nevada, if you squint...

I’m going to take four blog posts and walk through each page of my character worksheets, because it’s simply too much to tackle in one go. I’ve pieced together the information on these sheets from various sources: classes, teachers, websites, theory books. The information is somewhat exhaustive, and to be honest, I don’t always fill in every blank, particularly for secondary characters.

The first page is dedicated to the vital stats and the character’s role within the story. Here’s a close-up:

I suddenly feel like I'm playing Dungeons & Dragons again...

That image is a little hard to read, so here’s the breakdown:

Character (Name:) This should be pretty self-explanatory. In fantasy and science fiction, this might merit some consideration. I like to try to avoid pulpy character names such as “Dirk Masterson” or “Stafford Manchisel”. My secret weapon for finding realistic character names? Online phone directories for public servants.

Book Title: In case you get confused.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Age/Gender/Eye Color/Hair Color/Hair Length: The minutia of your character’s physical description may seem trivial, but specific concrete details only help to ground the character in your mind, and the more real the character is to you, the better chance the character will materialize in the mind of the reader.

Race/Complexion: Not only do I specify my character’s ethnicity, I narrow it down to the skin tone. I like to strive for diversity in my casts of characters, mostly because the world is diverse, but also because it makes for a more interesting story.

Build: There are endless ways to describe a human body, and usually the words we have chosen indicate our subconscious views of the character. If we describe the protagonist as “thin”, we must stop to ask “as compared to what?” Are we implying some kind of deficiency? If we choose “emaciated”, we hint at illness or weakness. If we choose “trim”, we hint at vibrancy and athleticism.

Most Striking Physical Feature: Now we start to dig into the meat. Most of the information I provide in this worksheet never actually makes it to the novel. It’s largely unnecessary, and serves mostly to provide the subtle backgrounds and biases that readers prefer to receive via titillating, subliminal methods. In a First Person P.O.V., describing the narrator can become a challenge. Some resort to cliche (looking at a mirror). I prefer to skip physical descriptions when the character is the narrator. For everyone else, there is one physical feature that stands out, and this feature is almost always how I introduce a character for the first time. It could be “Carmen with her waist-length raven black hair”, or “the salt-and-pepper stubble on Edgar’s broad chin”.

PURPOSE

Role: Is this character the protagonist? Antagonist? Reflection of the protagonist? Reflection of the antagonist? Love interest? Mentor? Mentor’s love interest? The pool boy that the antagonist’s reflection likes to diddle on the side?

Wound: One of the most formative tidbits of advice I received from Orson Scott Card was this: “Always give your character a wound that will not heal.” What is your character’s wound? Define that wound, and you will discover a wealth of conflict.

Character Flaw: No one is perfect. Find at least one specific flaw for your character. It could be a tic, a nervous complaint, a bad habit, a psychosis, or even a considerably destructive outlook. This is distinct from the Wound, in that a flaw is generally part of the character’s personality, whereas the Wound is something that was inflicted upon the character.

Character Goal (What Character Wants): And we’ve come upon the GMC… Goal, Motivation, Conflict. I like to define GMC as “What the character wants, why she wants it, and what’s standing in the way.” Every character must have a goal, not necessarily related to the plot (unless this is the protagonist, in which case it ought to be the plot).

Character Motivation (Why S/he Wants It): What’s driving the character towards this goal? This must be strongly defined and feasible, or the reader won’t buy it.

External Conflict: This should be a mechanical obstacle, the literal physical reason the character cannot achieve the goal.

Internal Conflict: Very often we are our greatest enemy. What is going on inside the character’s head that is creating a psychological obstacle to achieving the goal? The distinction between the External and Internal Conflict is the difference between “Sheila’s mother-in-law is driving a wedge between Sheila and her husband,” and “Sheila’s mother-in-law reminds Sheila of her own abusive mother whom she has never forgiven”.

Major Relationships with Other Characters: Here is the chance to quickly define the other major relationships with characters in the story. If there’s a love interest, list him here. If there is a mentor, here you go. Note: for every character mentioned in this spot, you should create a worksheet for that character as well.

That’s enough for one blog post. Next time I’ll go into Personality… hopes, fears, even fetishes!

I’ve mentioned before how I approach a novel in a hair-splittingly analytical fashion. Several of my Twitter followers have expressed an interest in seeing some of my pre-writing tools in greater detail. I am happy to accommodate. And since this post will be largely nuts-and-bolts, I thought I would lighten the mood at the onset with this photo of a puppy.

Adorable.

In a previous post, I discussed my method for plot outlining, wherein I chart the significant landmarks along the Three Act plot structure. These landmarks are our navigational beacons through which we pilot the plot ship (wow, analogies ahoy!).

So, what about the points between?

I feel it is absolutely vital that every scene along the road should forward the plot, advance character development, or both. One great quagmire of fiction is the “Act II Desert”, in which the initial intensity of the Inciting Event passes, and the protagonist embarks on the journey. Regrettably, this often leads to scenes of exposition, setting portraiture, and idle conversation, causing the plot to spin its wheels in the sand, and the reader to skim pages or put down the book.

However, if each scene has a clear conflict and a direct purpose towards the overall novel, then the Act II Desert becomes something more like an archipelago of plot points, propelling the reader forward. That’s the idea, anyway.

I received a fantastic tool for outlining the scene worksheet from author Meredith Bond, and I only gave it a couple tweaks, so credit goes to her for the format of this spreadsheet. Also, Regency Romance fans, go check out her stuff!

So, let’s discuss her scene worksheet.  Here’s a snapshot of a blank scene worksheet:

My God, it's full of... cells...

Let’s discuss each entry…

Scene Title: I give each scene a title, rather like a chapter title that is bland and descriptive. It helps me to capture at a glance what’s happening in this scene. An example would be “Jack Gets Abducted” or “Jill’s First Tag Team Match”.

Place: This is the physical setting. Often more than one setting is listed if it’s a “moving” scene.

Length: Not the word count… rather, the passage of time from the character’s point of view. For a simple conversational scene, this would be a matter of minutes. For a scene in Act II where there’s an 80’s training montage or a last minute study session in the college library, this would be longer. This helps to track realistic passage of time.

Time: On the clock, per the characters’ point of view. I often write this as 1:00pm – 1:30pm, for example.

Landmark: The role of the scene per my Plot Outline nomenclature, such as “Inciting Event” or “Salvo” or “Dark Moment”.

Date: Per the characters’ point of view, once again. This is surprisingly vital to keep the timeline from overlapping or becoming unrealistic.

POV Character: For any novel with more than one POV, this keeps track of whom the scene is centered on. A single scene can not change POV’s. It simply can’t. If you feel the need to change POV, start a new scene.

Weather: This is part of my pre-writing OCD. I like to nail down what the weather is like, which helps me more fully realize the surroundings of the characters, whether they’re going to run from the car or walk, whether they’re going to grab a coat or a pair of sunglasses. Keeping this in mind helps fully realize the world around the characters.

Character’s Goal: Ah, here we get to the real point. The POV character must have a goal for the scene. If there is no real discernible goal to be accomplished, then the scene isn’t strong enough. Every scene is a conflict between characters, an attempt to get something. Define each scene’s goal STRONGLY.

Prize/Stakes: There must be something tangible to gain, and if the scene is compelling enough, something to lose should the character fail. This basically makes every scene a microcosm of the overall piece. If the character doesn’t have something to gain and lose, then the scene isn’t strong enough.

Problem/What Happens?: Here I outline the very basics of what happens during the scene, which is usually a response to a problem. This problem is typically precipitated by the previous scene… a string of causality that serves as a motor for the pacing of the story.

Opposition: If a scene has conflict, then the POV character will encounter obstacles within the scene. The boring CEO is droning on about the shrimp cocktail while the spunky mail clerk is trying to keep the leggy receptionist from going home with the serial killer. The boyfriend wants to go to sleep instead of talking through the problem. I like to try and fit in at least three attempts towards the goal in each scene.

Strategy: This is the character’s response to each obstacle. The mail clerk points out the cheesecake to the CEO. The girlfriend locks the bedroom door. Don’t let the character give up!

Initial Conflict: Define the overall conflict at the heart of the scene… the mail clerk is trying to save the life of the receptionist. The girlfriend has to confront the boyfriend about his alcoholism.

Turning Point/Disaster: In each scene, there comes a moment when it is obvious that the character will succeed or fail. This is the miniature climax of each scene. Define this, and you’ll have something to write towards.

How does s/he feel at the beginning?: I like to establish the emotional condition of the POV character at the beginning of the scene, so that I can compare it after the scene is complete. If there’s no change, the scene isn’t strong enough.

Purpose of the Scene: Ok, here’s another biggie! Every scene ought to contribute to the plot and/or character development. Try to list three ways the scene justifies its existence. I try not to be too demanding here, because “establishing the protagonist’s relationship with boyfriend” doesn’t sound sexy, but may be vital to the reader’s empathy.

What does s/he have now that s/he didn’t have at the beginning?: If there is something to be gained, then define what was actually gained. It may not be the same. If the character fails in the scene, then that character has gained something negative, such as unwanted attention from the antagonist, or a shortened deadline. Maybe a black eye. Or, the protagonist might have gained something s/he wasn’t expecting, which is the essence of suspense.

How does s/he feel about it?: This charts the emotional impact upon the character, to be contrasted by how s/he felt at the beginning of the scene. Again, no change? Weak scene.

How does the scene move the character toward the goal?: This is more of an examination of character development, as opposed to Purpose of the Scene which is more plot oriented.

What is non-POV character thinking/feeling during scene?: In every scene, there ought to be at least one other character involved. An entire scene with only the POV character is possible, particularly if the conflict is protagonist vs. nature, or some other non-corporeal antagonism. However, too many such scenes can grind a novel to a halt. I like to explore the mind of the non-POV characters, which helps to maintain continuity of the minor cast.

Checklist: Here I tend to check off that I have accomplished Conflict, established setting, included the five senses, injected some emotional element (humor if the novel needs to break tension), ensured I haven’t needlessly ramped up to the scene but began it as close to the conflict as possible, and made sure I made a real palpable ending that will lead directly into the next scene.

So, there you have it. Please note that these are “scene” worksheets, and not “chapter” worksheets, as the two are not necessarily interchangeable. I consider a chapter to be a discrete package of prose that divides the overall novel into digestible bites, though there may be more than one scene in each chapter. A particularly powerful or long scene ought to be its own chapter. And I certainly feel that any chapter should fully contain at least one scene, less the reader be given a needless jarring.

Remember… each scene is a miniature version of the greater novel. They should have their own beginning, middle, and end. They should also interlock into a chain of cause-and-effect, any victory creating a need, every failure requiring new strategy. And most importantly, every scene should justify its existence.

Puppy image credit: nixxphotography

Until this morning, my blog bio described me as “an aspiring author”. I see this term used often on Twitter profiles and writer’s blog About Me pages. As I considered the meaning of this term “aspiring author”, I questioned its worth in describing me. And then it occurred to me. I’m not an aspiring author.

I am an author.

According to Merriam-Webster, an author is defined as “the writer of a literary work”. To aspire is “to seek to attain or accomplish a particular goal”.

Thus, what is an aspiring author? One who sits in front of the computer screen, hoping to finish one’s first manuscript? Once the first word is typed, one becomes the writer of that word, whether or not the work reaches completion.

"It was a dark and stormy night." HELL YEAH!

In my opinion, anyone who begins the serious work of writing a story, essay, article, or poem has begun to write, and thus has become a writer. He or she may aspire to complete the work, but they have made the transition from “thinking about it” to “doing it.” The next milestone would be “having done it”, and that’s no small task to be sure.

But what is the point in selling oneself short? It’s easy to talk about writing that novel, daydreaming, even discussing ideas with friends. But sitting down and making an outline, cranking up that word processor (does anyone even call it that anymore?), and braving those first few sentences has accomplished something real. They have turned “will do” into “am doing”.

So what about all of my friends in the Blogosphere, Twitterverse, and Facebookohedron who describe themselves as “aspiring”? Why choose to qualify their accomplishments? I feel it has a lot to do with a connotation of the word “author”, which implies that one supports oneself with one’s writing, or is otherwise considered “full time.” Considering the recent changes in the publishing industry, particularly independent self-published authors who take advantage of the online eBook revolution, I feel the image of the full time author is due for an update.

How many authors keep a day job? Lots. Thanks to Hurricane Irene, my day job was shut down for two days, giving me a taste of a full-time writer’s schedule. It was a writer’s holiday, for certain, and I took full advantage of it. Yet, however much I enjoyed the fantasy of sitting and cranking out word count in the serenity of my own home, I recognize that the responsibilities for my family and its financial well being need not sway my self-identity as an author. I can be an author and a draftsman and a brewer and a husband and a father, all at the same time.

I am not an aspiring father. I am a father. And I need not wait until my son has moved out on his own until I call myself “successful.” Creating a novel is much like child rearing, in that you invest your time and energy, and your manuscript grows and evolves to the point where you must one day release it into the world. You’ve begun the process; you’re an author. Own that identity without qualification!

In Curse Merchant news, my self-imposed deadline for finishing my first draft has expired as of midnight last night. Alas, I did not make my deadline. I’m sitting at roughly 74,000 words, and I am smack in the middle of my climax scene. I have two more chapters left in my outline after this scene… the Road Home and the Denouement. I’m expecting the first draft to finish around 78,000 words, and I do expect to complete the manuscript sometime this weekend. So, it’s not an unqualified success, but I’m not worried. By Monday, The Curse Merchant will exist in its first incarnation, after which I will take a deserved break from writing and begin first revisions to Omnipotence. I’m rather looking forward to it!

Image credit: graur razvan ionut

Today, I wanted to talk shop.

Last night I attended an open house for the Frederick Community College Writer’s Institute, a collection of personal enrichment courses for writers. During this open house, Linda Alexander gave a short seminar on her views of character building. This put me in the analytical mindset this morning, and surfing that wave of analysis, I feel moved to discuss some Writing Process theory.

Plot. This is the fundamental purpose of a story. Every author has his or her own methods toward exploring and developing plot. As I mentioned before, I am a very mechanical, step-by-step kind of guy. When pre-writing, I like to use outlines, flow charts, spreadsheets, and tesla coils whenever possible. I have worksheets for plot, scenes, and characters, all of which I poke and prod until they yield results, or I am forced to seek therapy, whichever comes first.

"Let's put the sunroom next to the Hero's Black Moment."

My plot outlines are simply a list of milestones along the storyline. I borrow from several generally accepted plot theories, including Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth, while altering it to suit my personality. Here are my basic plot milestones which I attempt to define prior to drafting:

Act I

– Boom! (this is the attention-grabbing first image.)

– Status Quo (establishing the world in which the protagonist lives, prior to blowing it directly to Hell.)

– The Prod (the protagonist is nudged towards conflict, but refuses to act.)

– The Plunge (s/he is swept inexorably into the conflict of the story.)

Act II

– The Threshold (the protagonist moves into an in-between world which will last only for the length of the story. A deadline is established, at the end of which loss must occur.)

– First Trial: Investigation (s/he must learn the rules of this new world.)

– Second Trial: Salvo (s/he makes the first attempt to resolve the conflict, but fails, making matters worse… this is often repeated.)

– Third Trial: Evolution (s/he begins to transform and adapt, accepting failures as experience.)

– Final Trial: Deadline (the deadline is reached, forcing the protagonist into action, usually resulting in failure or the loss of something dear… often a mentor.)

– Black Moment (the protagonist experiences defeat on a profound level, causing a figurative death that leads to an epiphany.)

Act III

– Climax (the protagonist uses abilities or options unavailable prior to the Black Moment, and makes one final attempt to resolve the conflict or overcome the antagonist.)

– Resolution (the fallout of the climax, be it success or failure, is explored. In either case, the protagonist moves into a new world, a new status quo. This includes for my purposes Campbell’s “The Road Home”.)

I often stray from this skeleton during drafting, but having this outline keeps me moving forward. It is far easier for me to alter the outline than it is to attempt to piece one together after wandering through the woods for a few hundred pages!

In other news, I have now reached the “Final Trial: Deadline” milestone in my latest project, The Curse Merchant. I feel utterly swept up in the story at this point, which is one of the big “highs” one gets from writing. Now I’m looking forward to reaching the climax, and I sense that when I type the last period on this manuscript, I’m going to have a big emotional drop.

Image credit: Felixco, Inc.