Sorry for the short post today, but I’m still working feverishly to polish up part one of a Q&A for you tomorrow–my loooooong phone conversation with the author of The Lace Reader, Brunonia Barry. My fingers aren’t bleeding…yet.
So Kath and I put our heads together recently to discuss a new craft topic for May. And we made a decision we’re both happy with. Beginning next week, and continuing through the end of May, you’ll see a variety of posts on characterization. What are the ingredients of a believable character–a protagonist, an antagonist. How should likability factor in? Should you use real people to help develop characters, or use other techniques? How can tags help to reveal character, and more.
Kath and I would be happy to hear any of your particular requests about characterization, as she and I will be posting on this topic several times (in other words, HELP! Tell us what you’d like!).
In the meanwhile, did you realize that tomorrow is BUY INDIE DAY? Find a bookstore near you by using the Indie Store Finder, then go show your indie some love by buying a book.
Brenda Novak’s Children Diabetes Auction starts tomorrow, too. Check out all of the things you might bid on HERE, to support a really good cause (ht Donna Caubarreaux).
Write on, all!
Photo courtesy Flickr’s Lá caitlin
About Therese Walsh
Therese Walsh co-founded WU in 2006 and is the site's editorial director. She was the architect and 1st editor of WU's only book, Author in Progress, and orchestrates the WU UnConference. Her second novel, The Moon Sisters, was named one of the best books of the year by Library Journal and Book Riot; and her debut, The Last Will of Moira Leahy was a Target Breakout Book. Sign up for her newsletter to be among the first to learn about her new projects (or follow her on BookBub). Learn more on her website.
How do you embrace your inner antagonist? :) If you are writing in multi POV, and one of your POV characters is the antagonist, are there tricks to really inhabit the more unsavory characters and ‘love’ them as much as the protagonists?
I’d love to hear how other writers create their characters. Once I know the story I want to tell, it’s almost like a casting call for characters takes place in my mind. Do other writers go through this same process or are characters created along the way as the story moves forward?
Sounds like a fabulous idea. Plotting month was a huge help so going over characterization will be an added bonus. I’d appreciate it if someone could talk about not loving characters too much to the point where they take up more space in a book than you want them too (not just secondary characters, but antagonists and protags too). Coming up with complex characters isn’t too hard, but keeping them in check is a balancing act.
i’d like some pointers about characterization within your ‘hook’ – those pages you’re sending off to an agent or editor – say, when you’ve got a character who i know needs to grow because he’s sort of unlikeable or you want him to appear villianous at first.
I’d love to see a discussion about the idea that secondary characters reflect (in some way) an aspect of the hero–how you juggle/balance that with making each of them independent/interesting characters in their own right.
Great ideas, everyone. Keep them coming!
Amazing photograph, where did you find it?
Hi Maureen, it is a great photo, isn’t it? Flickr’s Lá caitlin is one of my favorites. Her link is at the bottom of the post.