When writing a book, one must have a clear view of the main characters, and even the extra ones. You need to know what Ashley might say here, or what Ted might do in this situation. You have to sculpt a word sculpture of your character, so that, by the time the reader has finished the book, they will know exactly who they are, what they would do, when they would do it, and where they would say it. They need to have a clear view of their personality. The writer must write about a character as if they are right there in the room with them. For this workshop, we are learning the parts of character development.
Lets say you are writing a book, and in the first paragraph it talks about a character (sometimes first paragraphs talk of a setting, or situation). Lets say it is the main character. What if her name is... Betty?
So, you want Betty to be clear in the reader's mind's-eye, as well as yours. Here is a failed attempt at character introduction:
Betty walked around her house. Betty was very friendly, and she had a lot of hair. She had brown eyes and big ears. Also, she was wearing overalls.
See how the writer didn't capture your attention? When introducing a character, you need to be interesting, and tell a LITTLE about the character while intriguing the reader. Also, the writer did not give much detail as to the kind of person Betty is. Yes, she is friendly, but what else is she like? I am sure there are lots of friendly Betty's out there, but what sets apart OUR Betty? Also, you shouldn't rush into describing her face. Maybe slip in something later, like how she rubbed dirt out of her brown eyes, or gathered all of her hair into pigtails.
Here is a better attempt at character introduction:
Betty walked around her farmhouse, looking for her dog.
"Mel, where are you?" She walked to the sink and rinsed her face, washing off the dirt from her brown eyes. She couldn't find a towel, so she wiped her hands on her overalls.
"Mel? Come here, girl!" She thought she saw a shimmer of blue on the ground outside the window. Betty walked outside and stepped carefully around cow pies over to where she thought she'd seen the blue puddle. It was still there. It seemed to Betty like some sort of gel. Betty crouched next to it and rubbed some around between her fingers. She brought her hand up to her nose and sniffed. It smelled like some sort of saliva from an animal. But what kind of animal had blue saliva? And why was that animal on the farm?
Suddenly, she heard a growl from behind her and saw a cow staring at her, making strange throat noises. Betty walked slowly up to it, gently examining its neck to see why it could be making those sounds. She observed some sort of bugs all over it. They looked like giant mosquitos. Hundreds of these bugs were all over the poor cow. Suddenly it made a loud noise, and Betty saw it dripping blue saliva from its mouth.
If you will notice, I took a bit longer to introduce Betty than the first time. I told you of her overalls, which means she was living on a farm. I told you of her eyes, and her friendliness. She called for her dog nicely, she was very nice to the cow, even though it was infected. (Spoiler alert! (: haha) I told you almost everything that I told you in the other try, but I presented it differently, and I intrigued some of the scifi lovers, too (eh? Eh?).
If you are finding this helpful, why don't you make up a character and introduce them in the comments? I would love to see how you are doing, and what you might need to work on, though I am sure that you are an exquisite writer already. :D
Next, when you are ready, introduce the bad guy, or antagonist (if there is one). Lets call him... Count Kerberos. Now, Count Kerberos is so evil, he deserves a good introduction. Lets find out if this first try is worthy of him:
Count Kerberos paced around in his study. He was really mean, and didn't like nice people. He only wanted one thing in the world: To be evil. So he worked a lot to be evil, and take over the world! Nobody else wanted him to, but he was too scary for people to stop him!
If you will notice, the author did the same thing as before: They rushed into describing things. And, what else is his personality? Yeah, he is the bad guy, he is mean, so what? What makes this bad guy different from all the others? Also, there are not enough description words, and there is incorrect usage of exclamation points. It sounds like the narrator is happy about it.
Maybe this try is worthy of him:
Counter Kerberos paced about his study. A henchman knocked on the door, and entered slowly.
"My lord, we have won our third battle against the Other Side."
"Yes, yes. But why? Why did they let us win so easily?" Kerberos turned away and continued pacing.
"Well, maybe they--"
"Silence!" Kerberos drew his dagger and threw it at the henchman. The henchman squealed and closed the door. When Kerberos turned back to the door, he saw that his dagger had sunk halfway into the wood.
"Why would we win a battle against the Other Side? When they released the plague on our soldiers we were dwindling in numbers. During the battle, we had even less. How could we possibly have won? What were their motives? WHAT ARE THEY DOING?" He yelled. He took a deep breath, dearly hoping that the Other Side didn't have a plan, but he felt they did.
"No matter," he said, seating himself in his chair, "It is merely a bump in my path to greatness. We will overcome it... Won't we?"
See how I told you of the Other Side? What is it? I also showed you he was mean. He threw a dagger at his henchman! It sank halfway into the wood, so he must have meant to kill! His path to greatness... Could this have meant he wanted to rule? Probably. And I also got you interested but talking of the Other Side and its battle. What are they battling over? Maybe power, but is that all? I also showed you of how Kerberos was unsure of himself and his armies. He wonders if they are really going to overcome this last blow to his army.
Now, since we have covered most of Character Development, lets take a quiz:
1. Give me a short fantasy, realistic fiction, or scifi example of introducing Ted as a friendly, but curious person.
2. Would you tell everything about a character int he first sentence?
3. Would you tell about a person being mean by saying they are mean?
4. If Nancy wanted to be a queen, how you you tell the readers in one sentence?
5. When you write, do you want to have a clearly painted picture in your mind's-eye, or the reader's?
Post your answers in the comments! Thank you for reading! I hope this writing workshop was helpful to you! In any of my writing posts, I welcome you to post some of your works in the comments. Be sure to embed a copyright-like something in the middle (to trick copy-and-pasters). If you have questions or comments, please, do comment in the comments, or "Send Me a Message" or email ItsBumpyBackHere@Gmail.com. If you have a question about writing, tell my specifically in the subject if you want it to be posted on Blogger. If you do not tell me to post it, it will not be posted or shared with anyone.
Thank you!
~CB
Showing posts with label workshop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label workshop. Show all posts
Sunday, August 7, 2011
How To Write a Book, Part 2: The Beginning and Part 1 of the Middle
THE BEGINNING
Welcome back! If you have no earthly clue what this is, I suggest that you read How To Write a Book, Part 1: The Very Beginning by clicking Here, or just read on, if you don't mind starting in the very middle; My favorite way to read a book! Sometime, you will catch up, but reading the first part is a pretty good idea.
Now that you have the very beginning down, and a seedling of an idea is starting to sprout, we can continue on to the next part: The beginning. This is different from the very beginning, in that it is carrying an idea, and you are actually starting the storyline. I, personally think that this is easier, because you have a bit of what you are going to write in your mind, and you have already started the character development.
First, you might start a "Meanwhile" paragraph. For instance, if you remember the sample about Eva's brother who was going to America, this might be the "Meanwhile" paragraph:
Evelyn McWheedon sat on her stoop. She was waiting. Not waiting for rain, or to see her father's carriage pull up, or even for the mail. She was waiting for a pigeon. She was sitting in agonizing anticipation for her pigeon, Adéle, to show up. Six weeks ago, Evelyn had sent her to France to carry a note to her friend, Amélie. Evelyin peered into the red and purple sky, thinking of all the terrible things that could have happened, when she saw a white speck in the distance. She craned her neck to see what it was as it flew erratically over her house, and it doubled back and landed, haphazardly, next to Evelyn. It was carrying a package. What in the world?... Evelyn thought as she untied the package. Adéle flew off to her perch in the chestnut tree.
What Evelyn unwrapped was amazing. Terrifying, but amazing none the less. Evelyn reached gingerly in and held up a brass ring, inset with a scarlet gem the size of her knuckle. When Evelyn held it up the light, she saw a flash of green in the gem. She could feel its power surging through her fingers.
She saw another flash of green and a twig snapped behind her. She gasped and turned around.
"I wondered when you would see me," A woman was standing behind her.
"Who--"
"I am... Someone. Names don't matter right now."
"But, how--"
"That ring you're holding? Yes, that is one of the most powerful artifacts on earth, and if you let it out of your sight, you will be guilty of putting existence in danger. Do you understand?" She didn't wait for Evelyn to answer before continuing. "Either you give it to me our you hold the biggest responsibility that has ever existed."
Evelyn stood, and looked at the ring.
"Good," the woman said. "Now hand it to me."
Evelyn put the ring in her pocket and stepped backwards a few steps. "Adéle!" She called, and a white streak shot out of the tree and hovered over her. Evelyn turned and ran. She had no idea why, but she knew that this woman was bad news.
I apologize for droning on and on there, but I was on a roll! Anyway, you see how you mostly forgot about the first story? You were wound up in this one. The ropes of curiosity bound you to your seat, moving your eyes across the page. Or maybe not. Maybe fantasy isn't your style? That's okay, but if you did like it, that is what you want your readers to do: Like it. Be bound to their seats, reading, reading, can't stop, just has to finish one more chapter, only one more chapter. Even if that didn't happen to you on my sample, there will be readers with the same style of reading as you. Maybe it is science-fiction, fantasy, or realistic fiction, but that is what you want to happen.
Above, I demonstrated the three rules of writing: Engagement, Thinking, and Curiosity. Engagement by telling the reader what she was waiting for. I demonstrated a thinking at the end by saying the woman was bad news, whether evil or not, we don't know yet, so you thought about why Evelyn didn't like her. Lastly, I demonstrated curiosity. What is the ring? Why does the woman want it? Who is she?
You might not have done a second story, but, typically, there is a second something going on, and soon they may intertwined. Something to draw the readers attention away to something else.
THE MIDDLE: Part 1
This is where you have your idea almost fully grown, you are reaching the climax, the characters are in some sticky situations (maybe). Here is where you want to prove to your readers that they read the beginning for a reason. You shouldn't have to try too hard to keep their attention, because you will be writing and not caring if the readers are still reading (What I mean is, you are so involved in your writing, you aren't thinking about if your readers will like it. Also, if you like it, that is all that matters).
Maybe the characters are about to fight some evil person or monster. They are suiting up. Here is where it matters what you have written, and what genre you wrote it in. I can't tell you the directions for fantasy if you are doing scifi or realistic fiction. You need to follow your instincts here. What you want to happen, when and how you want it to happen, all that.
Here is a tip I learned: Show a gun in act one, show its tricks by act six. What this means is that, if you introduce something, you need to show the reason you introduced it by the middle or end of the book. Say I introduced a bartender that was blind in the beginning.
Maybe he is a secret agent, and blind is his way to get away with something, or maybe he was really abducted by aliens and they experimented on his eyes. Something that helps with the plot of the book, or revealing a mystery, or something like that. If you will notice, in a lot of books you read, it will show you an object that has special powers or something.
Nothing is introduced for no reason other than to help with the plot, and to put together a book. Anything that takes up a lot of space in the book and is meaningless to the plot should probably, depending on your book, be edited out by the time you are done with your final draft.
Questions? Comments? I am not sure if I explained it well enough, so please tell me in the comments if there is something I left out, forgot, or didn't explain clear enough. Thank you! (It won't hurt my feelings if you tell me. I need you to tell me!)
Welcome back! If you have no earthly clue what this is, I suggest that you read How To Write a Book, Part 1: The Very Beginning by clicking Here, or just read on, if you don't mind starting in the very middle; My favorite way to read a book! Sometime, you will catch up, but reading the first part is a pretty good idea.
Now that you have the very beginning down, and a seedling of an idea is starting to sprout, we can continue on to the next part: The beginning. This is different from the very beginning, in that it is carrying an idea, and you are actually starting the storyline. I, personally think that this is easier, because you have a bit of what you are going to write in your mind, and you have already started the character development.
First, you might start a "Meanwhile" paragraph. For instance, if you remember the sample about Eva's brother who was going to America, this might be the "Meanwhile" paragraph:
Evelyn McWheedon sat on her stoop. She was waiting. Not waiting for rain, or to see her father's carriage pull up, or even for the mail. She was waiting for a pigeon. She was sitting in agonizing anticipation for her pigeon, Adéle, to show up. Six weeks ago, Evelyn had sent her to France to carry a note to her friend, Amélie. Evelyin peered into the red and purple sky, thinking of all the terrible things that could have happened, when she saw a white speck in the distance. She craned her neck to see what it was as it flew erratically over her house, and it doubled back and landed, haphazardly, next to Evelyn. It was carrying a package. What in the world?... Evelyn thought as she untied the package. Adéle flew off to her perch in the chestnut tree.
What Evelyn unwrapped was amazing. Terrifying, but amazing none the less. Evelyn reached gingerly in and held up a brass ring, inset with a scarlet gem the size of her knuckle. When Evelyn held it up the light, she saw a flash of green in the gem. She could feel its power surging through her fingers.
She saw another flash of green and a twig snapped behind her. She gasped and turned around.
"I wondered when you would see me," A woman was standing behind her.
"Who--"
"I am... Someone. Names don't matter right now."
"But, how--"
"That ring you're holding? Yes, that is one of the most powerful artifacts on earth, and if you let it out of your sight, you will be guilty of putting existence in danger. Do you understand?" She didn't wait for Evelyn to answer before continuing. "Either you give it to me our you hold the biggest responsibility that has ever existed."
Evelyn stood, and looked at the ring.
"Good," the woman said. "Now hand it to me."
Evelyn put the ring in her pocket and stepped backwards a few steps. "Adéle!" She called, and a white streak shot out of the tree and hovered over her. Evelyn turned and ran. She had no idea why, but she knew that this woman was bad news.
I apologize for droning on and on there, but I was on a roll! Anyway, you see how you mostly forgot about the first story? You were wound up in this one. The ropes of curiosity bound you to your seat, moving your eyes across the page. Or maybe not. Maybe fantasy isn't your style? That's okay, but if you did like it, that is what you want your readers to do: Like it. Be bound to their seats, reading, reading, can't stop, just has to finish one more chapter, only one more chapter. Even if that didn't happen to you on my sample, there will be readers with the same style of reading as you. Maybe it is science-fiction, fantasy, or realistic fiction, but that is what you want to happen.
Above, I demonstrated the three rules of writing: Engagement, Thinking, and Curiosity. Engagement by telling the reader what she was waiting for. I demonstrated a thinking at the end by saying the woman was bad news, whether evil or not, we don't know yet, so you thought about why Evelyn didn't like her. Lastly, I demonstrated curiosity. What is the ring? Why does the woman want it? Who is she?
You might not have done a second story, but, typically, there is a second something going on, and soon they may intertwined. Something to draw the readers attention away to something else.
THE MIDDLE: Part 1
This is where you have your idea almost fully grown, you are reaching the climax, the characters are in some sticky situations (maybe). Here is where you want to prove to your readers that they read the beginning for a reason. You shouldn't have to try too hard to keep their attention, because you will be writing and not caring if the readers are still reading (What I mean is, you are so involved in your writing, you aren't thinking about if your readers will like it. Also, if you like it, that is all that matters).
Maybe the characters are about to fight some evil person or monster. They are suiting up. Here is where it matters what you have written, and what genre you wrote it in. I can't tell you the directions for fantasy if you are doing scifi or realistic fiction. You need to follow your instincts here. What you want to happen, when and how you want it to happen, all that.
Here is a tip I learned: Show a gun in act one, show its tricks by act six. What this means is that, if you introduce something, you need to show the reason you introduced it by the middle or end of the book. Say I introduced a bartender that was blind in the beginning.
Maybe he is a secret agent, and blind is his way to get away with something, or maybe he was really abducted by aliens and they experimented on his eyes. Something that helps with the plot of the book, or revealing a mystery, or something like that. If you will notice, in a lot of books you read, it will show you an object that has special powers or something.
Nothing is introduced for no reason other than to help with the plot, and to put together a book. Anything that takes up a lot of space in the book and is meaningless to the plot should probably, depending on your book, be edited out by the time you are done with your final draft.
Questions? Comments? I am not sure if I explained it well enough, so please tell me in the comments if there is something I left out, forgot, or didn't explain clear enough. Thank you! (It won't hurt my feelings if you tell me. I need you to tell me!)
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