Live Characters

I recently said in a Facebook post, "It's not so much of not knowing where the characters should go next, but more of trying to capture the essence of said characters as I take them to the next scene."

Writing fictional characters has to be one of my very favorite things to do. I love studying people and their behaviors, so creating a new being is extremely fun. I dissect personalities and character traits as much as I can, in order to paint an accurate and relatable picture for the reader. Sometimes, though, the characters become a problem within themselves.

While writing my current novel, I've come up with a handful of new characters. Their complete roles have yet to be seen, however, I'm getting a pretty good picture of where they'll come in later within the plot. Unfortunately, one of the hardest things to do is have the readers know the characters as well as I do. Sometimes, a character's personality is shown through a twinkle in their eye, or the tone of their laugh. Perhaps they have a certain quirk, or particular tells when it comes to their moods. So the problem isn't necessarily that I don't know where they're going next, but the desire to get them there on the wings of the reader's imagination.

There are a ton of helps and writing tips out there about how to develop characters. But for me, it really comes down to seeing them in my mind. I see my plots like movies playing out. I study not only the characters' words and actions, but their body language, tones and eye movements. How they relate to other characters. How they think. Not only their basic personalities, but what makes them tick - what their pasts are and how it affects their motives.

Helping my readers see what I do is the real trick, and as far as I'm concerned, there's no one formula for doing so. I have to read my own scenes as if I don't yet know the characters, to see if the picture is accurate. I have to bounce a character's behavior off someone else to see if it's realistic. Sometimes I go back several scenes to see how a character reacted to something, in order to maintain consistency. It can be a grueling task, and yet...it's still my favorite.

I'm pretty impatient when it comes to wanting to complete this manuscript. But, I know that the time and effort I'm pouring into these characters will be worth it in the end. Besides, what could be more fun than writing the personalities of a princess, a unicorn and an ancient race called Woodland Warriors?

Multiple Plots in a Busy Brain

A multitude of ideas, plots, characters and one-liners usually clog up the creative pathways in my brain. When someone asks if I'm working on a book, my simplest answer is, "Yes." My more complex answer would be, "Yes, actually, I'm working on a fantasy novel, from which the characters plague my mind day in and day out. I'm also working on another novel that's been on the back burner for several years, but the plot is still fresh in my mind. I'm also working on a devotion book which has reached its editing stage, and therefore haunts me daily because it really wouldn't take all that much effort to complete it. Oh, and I'm working on another devotion book too - it's just barely begun though, and as such, ideas are taking over any spare free space in my brain. And where you'd normally find some silence in one's mind, yeah, that's pretty much filled up too, with ideas for short stories or poems that constantly run in and out like a cat that doesn't know whether it wants to hunt mice or be lazy on the couch."

My mother asked me once how I kept everything straight. I don't remember my answer, but it was something like, "I dunno." My answer today would probably be the same. Having a busy mind as a writer has been a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I'm forever inundated with fresh ideas. A curse because while I'm being inundated with said ideas, whatever else I'm supposed to be doing at the moment (housework?) tends to go undone.

While sorting through the plethora of information though, I've come to love my busy brain. It might be frustrating to those who are waiting to see one of my projects come to completion, or those with whom I'm sharing chapters of my novel with as a write. But, while down times feel too quiet, in reality, my brain is anything but silent.

I've also come to realize that when I have a new idea or I'm inspired, that I should not hold onto it and wait until I finish another project - one that perhaps has grown stale or I'm struggling to complete. (I'm not saying this applies to all writing situations, especially ones with deadlines.) There's no point in spinning my wheels in the mud, when I have a new vehicle waiting out on the road. By the time I return, the mud will have dried and I'll be able to continue on my original route. The waiting time can be quite irritating to me (and others), but in the end, this plan of attack has far less stress, and far more opportunities for creativity.

Got an idea? Write it. I am.  

Emotional Storm

I looked out my window this evening to view dark rainclouds in the distance. I heard the sweet sound of rolling thunder and watched flashes of lightning. As a fan of thunderstorms, I was rather disappointed the system remained south. While enjoying the view though, I suddenly had the urge to write about it. Something. Anything. Maybe a poem. Maybe just a short ramble about what it was like. And then I realized...I was enjoying it so much, that I wasn't sure I could adequately put into words what the storm really did to me deep down.

That scenario has happened to me a lot. Sometimes I'd rather dismiss writing my feelings altogether because I believe I simply cannot write those emotions for which there are no words.Yet it's those very same times that if I do make the attempt, a very well-written piece has the potential of being born.

Whether it's a thunderstorm in the sky or a thunderstorm of the heart, emotions churn below the surface. They writhe under the pen, relentlessly clawing their way to the surface. It's those emotions that draw readers in. Grasp their hearts. It's those emotions that have the power to conjure tears or invoke laughter. They connect the writer to the readers. They make the reader feel whole. Human. Vulnerable. Powerful.

One cannot fear penning their emotions. For it is those very emotions that create a piece worth reading.

I looked out my window this evening to view dark rainclouds in the distance. I felt, for a moment, they mirrored my heart. The sun pierced the sky to warm the wall of clouds, but it only made them appear darker, just as laughter by another has the ability to inflict pain when falling upon a wounded soul.

Thunder rumbled like a far-off freight train collision and wind whipped through the trees with the speed of venomous serpents. My breath was taken away at the sheer beauty of the scene. It was a storm that pleased the eye yet had the power to destroy those in its path. I found myself longing to stand in its midst and feel the rain pelt my skin. I wanted to feel the wind and hear the thunder so close that it might bring deafness to my ears. So often in life, the intangible wreaks havoc - I wanted to feel the tangible, if only to be reminded that I'm alive. That even though my soul was numb, my body could still feel and prove that life still flowed through my veins.

The thunder grew distant, and I pried myself from the window. 

Beating or Joining Writer's Block

I watched a movie last night where an author was experiencing writer's block. She did everything from painting, to getting on her treadmill to performing an African dance, just to get her head back in the game. I can't say that I'm quite as exuberant when it comes to overcoming writer's block, but I do try a number of things to clear my mind.

Watching television can either be a help or a hindrance for me. If I'm trying to write, I need to shut it off so I can concentrate. But television or a movie does provide a nice break when I need it, and sometimes it can even feed me new ideas for plots or characters.

Sometimes I turn to my arts and crafts. I make different items like magnets and pendants using my own abstract art. I also create unique designs for t-shirts and the like, for writers, horse-lovers and more. Sketching is something I enjoy as well. Doing these creative activities gets me away from my book, but still keeps my brain active.

Having a flower garden provides me with a nice quiet outlet when needed. While pulling weeds can be somewhat of an annoyance, spending time outside in the fresh air helps me relax. Taking pictures of my flowers is fun as well, and again, it gives me something creative to do away from my writing.

Stress doesn't help my writing at all, so on those particularly hard days, a good physical workout can do the trick. Being involved in martial arts gives me many things to work on both mentally and physically and hitting a punching bag can often help relieve general stress.

There are a million and one things that a writer can do to get their mind back in the game, but sometimes writer's block persists no matter what we try. When those times occur, I try to allow myself to set my book aside and move on to something else until the creativity gets a jump start again. There have been times when my writer's block has lasted a few hours. Other times, it has lasted six months or more. While I try many different things to help keep my mind clear and concentrate on my book, I know that there are times when I need to sit back and allow the plot to simmer, knowing that the end result will be better if I let it be written in its own time.

Just a Casual Update

With a new season comes new inspiration. Or at least that's the way it should be, yes?

I love springtime because finally, finally, the snow and cold are gone. I find myself itching to clean, organize, and, of course, write. Thankfully, I have a perfect place to put my creative juices to use: my current novel.

As I look down at my last few posts (and realize, to my dismay, how little I've said here lately), I see it has been just over a year since I started my unnamed novel. Thankfully, after a long winter dry spell, I'm back into the swing of things, and also up to chapter twenty. My protagonist, Emeline, is progressing nicely, as are two of my main male characters, William and Aylwin. The plot has thickened as Emeline has been forced to flee for her life - not something one might envision when thinking about a princess.

All in all, I'm enjoying writing this fantasy plot immensely. While it's a new genre for me, and has presented some mind-stretching experiences, I love the limitlessness of forgetting about reality and simply basking in my own imagination.

On that same note, it is not only I working on this book, but my partner in creativity, Alicia Kraft. I may put the pen (or keyboard, as it were) to use, but she has provided countless hours of brainstorming and plot forming. She may believe I am joking when I say her name will be going on the cover along with mine. Little does she know that I am indeed going to insist credit where it is due.

I've been kept busy these past few months not only with writing, but with artwork and craft projects - something relatively new to my hobbies. And while I've been horrible and keeping up with this blog lately, I've done a better job on Facebook. So don't forget to visit me there too.

With plans to be back here soon, I'm off to another scene in my novel. My body may be ready for bed at this time of night, but my brain is far from it. Just one more sentence...