Characterization

Captain's Log, Stardate 09.28.2005

Well, I finished the novella this weekend. Yay! Now to hack and slash at least 10K from that puppy. Yes, you read right. Luckily I have a very sharp Chinese cleaver. I might even chop out the mystery element if I have to, although I don't want to--it's my hero's main motivation for throwing him with the heroine.

I am also finally turning to my Hawaii Chick Lit/Suspense manuscript. I also just received notice that Hawaiian Airlines has cheap fares right after Christmas. Hmm, heavenly sign? LOL

Now is the funnest part of a novel, for me (Well, it falls close to the other fun part, when I'm writing those zinger dialogue scenes that just rush out of my typing fingers). Now I get to grab this heroine and peel back her character like onion layers, only less painful to my tear ducts. What's her story? What's her hangup? Who'd she like to kiss and who'd she like to kill?

Brandilyn Collins's book "Getting Into Character" is invaluable to me for this part. Her methods don't work for every writer, but for me they work GREAT. I can get totally under my heroine's skin, although not as gruesome as Silence of the Lambs.

My first priority--what's the character's external goal? I'm not talking anything vague like "be a movie star," I'm digging deeper. I try to define her desire, like defining "stardom": Making a certain amount on a movie? Working with a particular director? Being on a certain TV show? Something where it's obvious she's obtained her goal.

I also try to put a ticking clock in there for good measure, because stardom could take years and I don't want my book to be an epic saga. For example, aspiring starlet only has enough money to stay in New York for nine months, or else she has to return to her trailer-park home and marry Bob the used baby clothes re-seller.

Of course, that also means she needs an internal reason why she wants it so badly, beyond the desire for money and fame, deeper than her poor deprived background. A really good motivation for a character requires very intense digging.

Maybe heroine wants to prove herself to her richer cousins who always looked down on her. That's nice, but why does she care what they think?

Internal motivations usually come back to some belief the character has about herself. This is always the hardest part for me about a character, but I've found that when I can push through and get it, the character is rich and consistent.

Diet: Well, I haven't been exercising (a torn ACL will do that to ya) but Nothing To Eat In The House = low caloric intake. I have to exercise, though. I'll try to go walking tomorrow.

Comments

Anonymous said…

Hey hun, I think you REALLY need an assistant for that trip to Hawaii! *VBG*

Yay on finsihing the novella!!! Yay on finally getting to the other one! (Have I mentioned I'm a slug?)

love ya

Wed Sep 28, 10:55:00 PM 2005

Anonymous said…

Wahoo, congrats!

Mon Oct 03, 03:31:00 PM 2005

I’m done

Captain’s Log, Stardate 05.17.2006 Blog book giveaway: My Thursday book giveaway is THE PREACHER’S DAUGHER by Lyn Cote My Monday book giveaway is BLIND DATES CAN BE MURDER by Mindy Starns Clark . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for THE PREACHER’S DAUGHTER and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned. I’m done. At the beginning of the year, I made a goal of three books this year. That’s four months per book. I started this manuscript January 15th. I finished in the wee hours of May 17th, so it took me about four months, a day and a few hours. Yay me. I’m going to bed now. Yes, this is the espresso maker on the right, and a professional coffee grinder on the left. By the espresso maker, I mean the one I promised to my long-suffering husband if I got a book contract, as a reward for letting me quit my biotech job and write full-time.

I GOT A CONTRACT!

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.29.2006 I had a wonderfully funny blog post planned for today, but I got sidetracked by some news yesterday! Zondervan has offered me a three-book contract on my Asian chick-lit series ! I’m still stunned by everything that’s happened. The series is actually a 4-book projected Asian chick-lit series about four cousins who fall under the infamous family title "Oldest Single Female Cousin," and their ruthless, wealthy grandma applies pressure on each of them to improve their lack of love interests. I think the first book is tentatively scheduled to be released in August 2007. The blurb on the series is on my website here . Brandilyn Collins posted to the ACFW loop about my writing journey, and Tamara Cooper asked that I share it. And since you all know how much I like to talk , here it is. My writing journey: Like most writers, I have wanted to write since I was very young. (In high school, I wrote a fantasy novel that will never see the light of day ...

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Captain's Log, Stardate 07.11.2007 I started the day with a great meeting with Al Hsu , an editor at InterVarsity Press. We discussed Asian Americans—fiction, non-fiction, the church, family. He’s been in publishing for many years and is very wise. We had a great discussion. I also met his wife Ellen, who’s totally nice and is also into card-making! I wandered the floor and happened to meet Robin Jones Gunn. She asked if I’d eaten yet, and since I hadn’t, said to join her for lunch. On the way to lunch, we met Mark Mynheir, and he gave me a copy of his book, got The Void . Isn’t that cool? Robin has so much wisdom. I loved having lunch with her. She gave me such good advice, both professionally and spiritually. I hope I’ll get a chance to have lunch or dinner with her at the ACFW conference in September. I met up with agent Steve Laube, and walked with him to his next meeting, but on the way we were hailed by Cec Murphy and agent Jeff Dunn. Jeff had been the first editor to request...

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Free Christian Romantic Suspense Novels by Camy Tang / Camille Elliot

Curious about what my writing is like? Here’s a list of all my free books and the free short stories, novellas, and novels that you can read here on my blog. I’ll update this post as I add more free reads. Christian Regency Romantic Suspense (as Camille Elliot) The Spinster’s Christmas (Lady Wynwood’s Spies series, Prequel novel) (Posted on my blog as a serial novel, completed) Spinster Miranda Belmoore and naval Captain Gerard Foremont, old childhood friends, meet again for a large Christmas party at Wintrell Hall. Miranda is making plans to escape a life of drudgery as a poor relation in her cousin’s household, while Gerard battles bitterness at the fact that his career was cut short by the injury to his knee. However, an enemy has infiltrated the family party, bent on revenge and determined that Twelfth Night will end in someone’s death … Lissa and the Spy (Lady Wynwood’s Spies series, Prequel novella) Click here to get this ebook FREE when you subscribe to my newsletter In...

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