| Is Your Story Good Enough For a Publishing Contract? |
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| Written by Guest |
| Friday, 12 February 2010 09:27 |
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First off, who are you, what do you care about, why do I love you, why do I hate you? The author will need to address these types of "character" questions long before they sit down to write their story. Because the bottom line is, if the author doesn't have the answers, surely no one else will, and worse, no one will care. For a short work of fiction, the author doesn't have to know every little detail about the person's life; where they've been, where they're going. It's a now moment. But for a novel, it's downright essential to know just about everything. In addition to the character's physical characteristics; what color eyes they have, hair color, tall, short, thin or overweight, they will need character traits. The sound of their voice; do they speak with a lisp, an accent? Are they straightforward or shy? Do they touch their forehead when they are thinking? Do they lower their eyes when they are lying?The author will need to know enough about their past to understand the way they react today. If the writer is thinking, "Wait a minute, they're not even real," then they probably shouldn't "really" be writing fiction. It's not insanity at play if one doesn't know their imaginary people inside and out, it's lazy writing. What kind of music does your character like? What does he or she like to eat? What made her throw up when she was sixteen? It might not impact the story directly, but if she bristles at the sight of sushi, the author will know why and the information just might explain things when a character starts heading in a different direction.
The author holds the character's past in the palm of their hands, literally, and they control their near or distant future for the most part. On occasion, a character might surprise them with their actions. When this happens, do not shy away, type, type, type. Get it down as fast as they dish it out. Listen to what they have to say. Yes, listen. As the author, you'll find yourself caring more and more about what happens to them once you get to know them better, similar to real life with people one meets. |
