A Character is Born

by Delle Jacobs

People often ask me where I get my ideas for characters, or more often, where I got the idea for a particular character. My first thought is simply; he's the person he had to be. But the truth is, forming a character is a profound and complex process, part coming from the writer's deep instinct about human nature, and part hard, cold, rational planning.

People also often ask whether it's the plot or the character that come first for me, and this is one question I can't answer. Robert McKee says in his book STORY, that character and story are inseparable, and this is something I 've always believed. For me, the first glimmer might be about a situation, a dilemma, a "what if?", or it might be a character who in some way seems unique or interesting. But immediately when I see one, I see the other.

For example in LADY WICKED (unpublished), I asked myself what happens to a Regency lady who is cast off by her husband as an adulteress, but she didn't do anything wrong? And what happens if she discovers her husband's true motive was to trick his worst enemy into taking her in so her husband could sue in court and ruin the man? It took only a flicker in time before Davina, angry and bitter after years of abuse, stepped onto the stage. I also saw her immense inner strength that willed her to do whatever it took, even being accused of adultery, to break free of her abusive marriage and be left at last alone to run her own life. I knew, for her, another man in her life would be like drinking poison. Then who should step up to meddle in her life but Lord Savoury, an aimless and callous adventurer down on his luck, but who couldn't stop being her knight in tarnished armor even when she didn't want to be rescued. However the story might turn from there, these two lovers were firmly cast, and I knew the story could only go one way, the way these two must go.

People are all alike in certain ways, and they are all different in other ways. Characters must be that way too. A character must begin with his universal bond with the rest of humanity, whether it be a common experience, or a dilemma or emotion, such as an adolescent who struggles to find his identity as he separates into adulthood, yet has a deep-seated yearning to belong. We all either went through that struggle or know people who did, and a character in a book who feels this pain and struggles to resolve the conflict resonates deeply with us as readers.

But that alone is not enough, for every human being also has his uniqueness, and a character who is completely like everyone else lacks depth. Melisande, in my book FIRE DANCE, for example, was deliberately making the ultimate sacrifice for the people she loved. Her common ground lay in her love and loyalty for her people, and was easy to spot, but I didn't know what made her different. Then in the second chapter, out of the clear blue, this girl started hearing voices. I thought, I can't do this. Everyone will think she's crazy, and she's not. Then I realized this part of her could not be ignored. She completely believed she was demon-possessed, but I saw the voices as expressing her fears of death and Hell when the force of her personality refused to let her act on her fears. But that wasn't all. It took two more chapters before I realized the poor girl had no sense of humor. It wasn't a conscious choice for her. Nothing in her grim life had taught her how to enjoy humor, and her very literal mind couldn't comprehend it. To her, jokes seemed like lies, and she didn't see how an untruth could be funny. She was forever taking a joke literally, but other people knew it, understood, and found it endearing. At that moment, the true Melisande was born.

A character must have Strengths, but the other side of strength is weakness, and he must also have Flaws. Often the two are intertwined so closely that they really are the same trait. In my many years of social work, I often worked with children I called Kids of Steel, for against overwhelming odds, they found ways not just to cope and survive, but to grow beyond their environments into successful adults. But this same steel was acquired at a price. They might passionately support underdog causes, or deeply love others, yet they often had difficulty relating, or had a giant chip sitting on their shoulder. They'd had to close down the most intimate, vulnerable side of themselves in order to survive the pain of their childhoods, and as adults they didn't know how to re-build it.

In my current work GILDING LILLY, my hero is such a man, coming from an aristocratic family whose scandalous behavior is the scourge of society. Somehow in his childhood, he found the courage to be different, pledging to be honorable above all else. To survive, he had to distance himself from his disgraceful family, and family is the last thing he wants in his life. So what has to happen to him? His sister dies, begging him to take over and raise her son, the world's most obnoxious kid. Honor dictates he must, but reality says he will fail at a task he almost despises, and if he fails, he will dishonor himself. His strength has become his weakness, and he has to do a lot more than just find a wife to help him. It was when Gabe took a deep breath and stepped into his honor-bound child-raising/monster-taming role that he was born as a character.

People do what they are; they are what they do. The two cannot be separated. A person might very well desire to become honest and trustworthy, but if he takes the easy way out in his decisions, and that easy way is to be dishonest just this once, then he becomes more and more dishonest as time goes on. His actions help solidify his original behavior.

If just any character can be thrown into your plot and perform its deeds, then you need to go back and re-think both the plot and the character. But if you find a hero whose dilemma resonates in everyone's souls, as did William Wallace in BRAVEHEART, if you give him the uniqueness of Jack Sparrow in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, and find the strengths and weaknesses that are inherent in both of those characters, then you will have found a hero who can have only one story, and that story cannot belong to anyone but him.

And that is the time when a character is born.

Check out my Awe-Struck novels

Fire Dance

Loki's Daughters

The Mudlark

Lady Valiant

His Majesty, the Prince of Toads

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A Regency Lady Meets 21^st Century Technology

by Lesley-Anne McLeod

What has the life of a Regency lady to do with the complexities of modern technology? Very little indeed if one means a 'real' Regency lady--a lady who lived and loved, worked and played in the England of the Prince Regent (later George IV) 1811-1820.

But if you will stretch your definition of a Regency lady to include me--Lesley-Anne McLeod--author of six full-length Regency novels and several Regency novellas and short stories, then there a connection with technology.

You see, I do consider myself a Regency lady. I know of the manners and modes, the social classes and the aristocracy, the countryside, the fashions, and the interests that involved any woman living in the Regency era. I know as much about the niceties of social behaviour in 1815 as I do about the social structure of the present day. I can tell you more about the spencer or pelisse than I can about the latest style of jeans or tattoos. My friends say that I even talk 'funny'!

As a person living in the 21^st century though, I have to use ingenuity and imagination to make the 19^th century real for me, and for my readers. As a writer, I created a lonely viscount and an obstinate young woman for Daughter of Trade, and three young people exploring London in Three Wise Monkeys. In my newest book, The Disadvantaged Gentleman, I developed a lady in need of reformation. I've represented the Regency world that I love to my readers in the hope that they will love it too.

Fiction writing is a creative world. A writer becomes accustomed to challenges in creating plots, characters and settings. Nowadays, we have also to become accustomed to technology.

It was necessary for a Regency lady like me--selling books in a very modern form on the Internet--to become comfortable with computers and the electronic world. It wasn't always easy. I began slowly. Each day I learned a little more about my computer, my software programs, and my own capabilities. Each day I became a little more comfortable in this new world, a world as different from my everyday life as my Regency world.

I changed from writing in longhand--in the same way Jane Austen did--to using a word processing program on a computer in about 1985. It was a marvelous improvement. I don't know how Jane managed without it! With a computer, authors can give more attention to writing and less to literally cutting and pasting handwritten revisions.

Once I was familiar with word processing, I turned my attention to the Internet. With a dial-up connection and a very modest level of capability I began to investigate the World Wide Web. It was a 'brave new world'. Within it, I could research my Regency world in detail, and in only minutes. I could access documents of the period that I would never otherwise find or see. I could visit country houses and city mansions with which my characters might have been familiar. Costume galleries, museums, maps, and journals are at my fingertips and they make the Regency world come alive in my writing. A high-speed connection made my internet travels even easier.

Eventually I began to look for a publisher and I found one in Awe-Struck E-Books on the Internet. Publication with Awe-Struck meant that I had to increase my knowledge of word processing to include editing skills and the many formats in which documents can be created, and saved. I can now think in pdf and html as well as early 19^th century English.

As an electronically published author, I had to have a website. When that became a necessity, I had enough technological expertise to create my own. I still do all my own maintainance and updating. It is a wonderfully creative exercise, and I sometimes find myself using writing time to 'play' with my website.

I also had to become familiar with image processing so that my book covers could reflect the Regency world in a very new framework. When I became confident enough, and knowledgeable enough, to tackle graphics projects and image manipulation, my entry into the technological world was complete. I could turn the information I discovered about the Regency into print items that everyone can enjoy. First, I made my own business cards. Then I started to make bookmarks--a little ironic really when my books are electronic! A brochure about my writing was my next project, and it has been a wonderful tool for promotion. And now I have developed a booklet about the Regency, a little package of information that can enhance a reader's enjoyment of the period. I use it for special giveaways.

My most recent technological challenge has been the making of book video trailers. They are a great tool for promotion, and readers seem to enjoy them very much. I learned to use video/slideshow/movie making programs and found it challenging and satisfying. It's another stimulating exercise that satisfies my creative urges.

I live with one foot in the 19^th century and one in the 21^st century. Each century has unique delights and special pleasures. I am fortunate to be able to enjoy the best of both worlds!

Join me in my Regency and technological worlds:

http://www.lesleyannemcleod.homestead.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/regencylady

From Awe-Struck E-Books:

"The Disadvantaged Gentleman" September 21, 2007

"Three Wise Monkeys"

"Daughter of Trade"

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Organizing a Writers Club That Works

by C.S. Fuqua

Original article appeared in The Writer, July 1986

A few months ago, an editor returned a short story with a note that read, "I'm not sure what's wrong with the story. If you're in a writers group, ask the members for their comments." I was lucky. A few weeks before, two other writers and I had formed a work group after researching existing clubs and organizations to find they didn't offer what we needed.

An organization exists for nearly every kind of writer -- journalists, science fiction writers, small press writers, part-timers, full-timers, editors -- the list goes on and on. Professional organizations, local or national, are assets to writers, providing services that include writers conferences, readings by recognized authors, market strategies, grievance officers, and a feeling that "you are not alone in this."

National clubs and organizations cannot offer, however, immediate, personal feedback to help a writer improve a specific manuscript for publication. Analysis through national clubs takes considerable time. Many writers, therefore, turn to local professional groups. But even pro local groups may not offer the assistance a writer needs.

Most large cities have at least one writers organization, either an affiliate of a national organization or an organization formed by and for local residents only. Like national organizations, local clubs (those that collect dues, elect officers, and operate as any other club) have their advantages. They provide a forum where writers may share common experiences and opportunities to meet and hear recognized professionals within various genres. These organizations usually meet once a month, the program alternating between the appearance of a guest speaker and a critique session. Still, if a writer's purpose for joining is to improve his or her ability, "professional" organizations may not a writer's best choice.

When I decided to join a writers club, I attended open meetings of several existing groups, some branches of national organizations, some locally formed. Most meetings averaged fifteen members. Most began at 7 p.m. Some featured guest speakers, usually local figures in the writing and publishing field. Some were critique sessions for members only. The critique sessions, however, were not the kind I desired. Too many manuscripts were presented for critique in too little time. Some writing received considerable discussion and critiquing. Other writing was dismissed with a general comment or two. Furthermore, meetings lacked continuity.

Monthly meetings provide an ever-changing array of faces, resulting in an atmosphere of apprehension. Although established organizations serve professional writers well, beginning or student writers need a more intimate setting, strictly aimed at improving each member's work, whether it's poetry, nonfiction, fiction, juvenile, or adult. Constant membership turnover does not lend itself to a relaxed atmosphere or to honest analysis.

The local writers work group I belong to is not an "official" club. We elect no officers; we charge no dues. It is small, only five members. Our writing ranges from nonfiction to poetry to fiction. We meet weekly to discuss and critique each other's work. Each of us listens and then acts upon suggestions made. If necessary, we revise and revise again -- the only way to transform a good idea into a good story.

We've developed a close working relationship, a trust in each other's opinion, but it hasn't been by luck. We've learned a few things about what makes a writers group work for its members. We've learned that a writers group can be just as detrimental as it is beneficial if the writers are not sincere in their commitment to their craft and to the other members.

Group members must be committed to improving their own work and -- just as important -- to helping other members improve theirs. They should read each or listen to each piece up for critique carefully. Critiques must be thoughtful, constructive, and cite specific examples in the piece. General statements without specific references are useless. Although strengths as well as weaknesses should be discussed, false praise and unjust criticism will only perpetuate bad writing and ultimately destroy the group.

The writer whose of the critique work has a responsibility to listen carefully to critical analysis offered. And listening means just that. Constantly defending why he did this or she wrote that creates confusion and breeds distrust. The writer should quietly consider the suggestions made and be willing and ready to change points that need to be changed.

Oversensitive reactions by members will prove a severe stumbling block for any group. Critiques are not attacks upon the writer's character or writing ability. On the contrary, critiques are attempts to help the writer better his or her skill. And in the overpopulated, competitive profession of writing, group members need all the help they can get.

Group members should participate equally and conduct themselves as professionals. One or two members must not dominate the presentations or critical discussions. To allow each member ample time and chance to participate, membership should be kept low. Five to six members is an ideal number.

Finally, meet regularly. Once a month may not be enough. The group I belong to has found that weekly meetings work well. Regular meetings provide writers with an immediate outlet for sharing acceptances and rejections, discussing their particular type of "writer's syndrome," examining markets, and tossing around story and article ideas. Most important, regular meetings provide impetus for members to sit down and write.

With the proper input and commitment, a work group is an indispensable tool for the writer. I revised twice more the story the editor suggested I present to my writers group, using the group's comments and suggestions, and then resubmitted it to the same publication. Two months passed before a second note from the editor arrived. This time, it read, "You're in."

Check out my Awe-Struck novel

Big Daddy's Gadgets

And Awe-Struck will be publishing my book,

The Native American Flute, Myth, History, Craft

on December 7 of 200

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Sony Ebook Reader PRS-500

by Vicki Gaia

First, let me say that this is my first ebook reader I've ever purchased. So, I can't compare my Sony to the other products out in the market. It took me a long time to purchase an ebook reader. I prefer a print book. There's nothing like holding a newly purchased book in my hands and opening to the first chapter. This sends me to heaven and back. So what made me change my mind and order an ebook reader?

> I write ebooks and although my books come out in print, I like to support ebook publishers and authors.

> There are so many wonderful ebooks to choose from and the price is right. As a reader, being able to buy ebooks has opened a new realm of stories you can't purchase at a brick and mortar bookstore.

> It's okay to read an ebook from my laptop but it's not very convenient when you want to read in bed, or on a plane or outdoors. Also, the backlit computer screen eventually tires my eyes.

> Most importantly, Sony uses the innovated E-ink.

The Sony Reader is far from perfect. The company really 'blew it' when it came to certain issues. But first, let me tell you the good points:

> The size. It's slightly bigger than a mass market paperback, thin and light. I can slip it in my purse, backpack, brief case or luggage. It's wonderful when reading on the plane or in bed, although you do need to buy the light. (The light is around $15.00 from the Sony website and they offer free shipping if you order it Monday-Thursday). The screen isn't backlit. The measuring size is 6.9" x 5" and weighs only 9 ounces.

> The battery. It has a rechargeable battery and it powers through 7,500 page turns. You can read several books on your long distance flights without worrying about the battery dying. I read three novels when I flew to England in May and that's a 8 hour flight.

> The storage. Sony claims you can hold up to 80 books at one time! For a book-a-holic like me, it's wonderful to be able to take all these books on a trip. I'd hate to think of the weight if I packed all of them into my suitcase. It also saves on bookshelf space and helps the environment by sparing the forest (think - returned mass market paperbacks being shredded into oblivion!).

> Access to their digital bookstore - CONNECT. Sony's online bookstore has best sellers, classics and all genres at discounted prices. Their digital books are Sony's propriety BBeB files, and read especially well on the Reader.

> Ah, and now the ink. It's a special ink that reads like a print page and is easy on the eyes. The breakthrough electronic paper technology reads like paper. You can read in full daylight as well as indoors, and can be viewed from any angle. The text can be enlarged up to 200% except for PDF files.

> Music and Image files. You can store pictures and music files, so, if you listen to music while you read, then it's pretty cool to have this option. It also supports some RSS blogs and files you can download for free at the CONNECT bookstore.

The not-so-good points:

> For the steep price, you should be able to enlarge PDF files. I see where Sony lowered the price to $299.00 since I purchased it, but this is still too expensive for the average reader. Until they fix the PDF problem and add edit features, the Reader will fall short of reader's and writer's expectations.

> The PDF problem. There are three view settings on the Reader - small, medium and large print. I usually read on the medium setting. Not unless you're reading a PDF file which doesn't enlarge to a readable font. Major problem! I get around this by purchasing my ebooks in HTML and converting the HTML to an RTF file. I shouldn't have to go to all this trouble. Some publishing houses don't have the option of purchasing their digital book in HTML, and then it becomes a problem.

> Editing. You cannot edit on the Reader like you can with other brands. I didn't know other readers have an editing option. If I did, I might have considered purchasing a different reader.

I'll be keeping my Sony Reader for now. I like the size, the readability, and the convenience of storing several books in one device, especially when traveling. It's not the ebook reader to revolutionize digital reading like everyone had hoped, but it's a start.

Below is a list of media files supported by the Reader.

Media files supported by the Sony Reader:

Text: BBeB Book, Adobe PDF, TXT, RTF, Microsoft Word

Audio: MP3 and AAC

Image files: JPEG, GIF, PNG and BMP

 

Check out my Awe-Struck novels

Cradle the Light

Fragments of Light

Awe-Struck will be publishing--

Gracie and the Bad Hat. (will be released 12/14/07)

Visit my website

http://www.vickigaia.com

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