Columns: Tag – Characters
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Writing Quips and Tips
Romantic Fiction Writing - How to find ideas
Characters generate their own stories Some writers of romantic fiction regard ideas as the gems on which their fortune will be based. I believe, on the contrary, that ideas are a dime a dozen, available in such profusion that you’re never likely to run short of them. If this proposition sounds ludicrous to you – if ideas, or the lack of them, are the stumbling block in your creative path – then this short series of articles is for you.
Writing Quips and Tips
Characters and how to lift them beyond the cardboard cut out
A friend of mine is a fine writer, whose first book was a great success.
His characters were beautifully drawn and tugged us into a poignant memoir. But he had always longed to write a novel. I couldn’t wait to see it.
When he showed me a draft, I couldn’t believe it. The characters were cardboard stereotypes.
Characters on the Couch
“Truths” about suicide
How do I write respectfully about suicide?
Characters on the Couch
Making it work
Can one person’s determination save a relationship?
Characters on the Couch
Juliette and her Romeos
How is it possible that a woman can appear to have good self esteem and yet be messed around by men?
Watch a novel grow
The birth of my heroine
I start in this blog to build my heroine, Juliette Irving. I want her to be energetic, intelligent and likeable (and sexy, of course). But I need to know a fair number of things about her background that I’ll never reveal in the novel… Secrets, even lies, and reasons for pride and doubt.
Watch a novel grow
Delving deeper into my heroine
So far I know only the bare bones of my heroine, Juliette. Here I take one more step into exploring who she really is what she does in her spare time, what her relationships with her friends and family are - above all, what her strengths and weaknesses are…
Characters on the Couch
(Trans)gressions
Ok don’t laugh but I am writing a story in which my lead character has issues about his/her gender
Watch a novel grow
A letter to my heroine
Characters on the Couch
The more we change the more we stay the same
My character seems sad and lonely in her middle age, I wonder if this will put readers off?
Writing Quips and Tips
Likeable doesn’t mean passive
Characters in romances must be likeable. I think we all accept that. Hard to pull off an insufferable character in such a character-based novel.
Your reader must be drawn to read on by caring what happens to your characters. Your plot depends more on changes of attitude between your two lovers than on great sweeping events. But Richard and I have been mentoring a new romance writer and it struck me that, in making characters nice, it’s easy to be tempted into creating a heroine who is too passive.
Characters on the Couch
Dream work
My character likes interpreting dreams - is this possible?
Writing Quips and Tips
Characters - beyond the cardboard cut-out
A friend of mine is a fine writer, whose first book was a great success.
His characters were beautifully drawn and tugged us into a poignant memoir. But he had always longed to write a novel. I couldn’t wait to see it.
When he showed me a draft, I couldn’t believe it. The characters were cardboard stereotypes.
“But where are the kind of characters you had in your first book?” I asked.
“But that was non-fiction. This is a novel. I have to make them up.”
But you see, you don’t. You can, but you don’t have to. If you work from real life, think of a real character and … lie. Change them to suit your story.
Characters on the Couch
It’s on/it’s off
Why would a character start relationships so intensely then end them so dismissively six months later?
Characters on the Couch
Struggle heroes?
How do I understand why my character gets involved in politics?
Characters on the Couch
A killer opera
Could a passionate understudy be driven to murder to get the plum role?
Characters on the Couch
Border crossing
Gay love across the colour line - is this just too complicated to depict?
Characters on the Couch
In sickness and in health
Is celibacy normal?
Characters on the Couch
Holding on
Would a mother lie about being terminally ill?
Characters on the Couch
Fashion phoenix
Do you think that basically someone just has to want something really badly to make it work out for them, or is it about luck and meeting the right people at the right time?