Trouble

According to Les Edgerton, author of Hooked, "All stories are about one thing: trouble. What does trouble create? The hope that we can do something to get out of it."

I saw this quote at Writer Unboxed, and I've been thinking about it ever since. Mostly because I was having some trouble with character motivation. Just that one little quote actually lent some new perspective to my dilemma, after which, I found more helpful quotes:

"What can I do about it anyway? Every squeak counts, if only in self-respect."

"The hour of consciousness doesn't mean cognition only, but understanding..."

"The search for justice is timeless, and courage isn't lack of fear but persisting despite our fear."

"There is just this, and it is everything."

Saturday night I had to do an errand after work, which was about the last thing I wanted to do. But as I drove past Sherman Marsh I smiled because the errand wasn't going to take too long, and it was a lovely, warm summer evening. The last of the sun was all golden, the wind was blowing through the car from the open windows, and my dog was happy to be doing something different. And I thought, yes, there is just this, and it is everything.

What's inspiring you this week? 

 

Building Better Characters

So. I'm on a roll here with my current project and am still going to be mostly absent this month, but while I was working so hard on my story and characters I came across something I thought I'd share. It's another character building exercise (because I love building better characters) that helps us delve into the deeper emotions of our characters. 

"Start by picking any moment in your story when your protagonist (or any other character) feels something strongly. What is that feeling. Write it down, Now, pause at that moment. As what else does this character feel simultaneously? Write that down. Next ask, what else does my character feel at this moment. This third level emotion is our focus." 

In my current tale there are three estranged sisters who have brought together by their mother's murder. One of the sisters, the oldest, is Alice so I did the exercise for her first. At the beginning of the story Alice is devastated (first level emotion) by the news of her mother’s murder. Not only does she love her mother as her mother but also as a friend. But what else does Alice feel simultaneously? Anger (second level emotion) at whoever did it. How could they? Why? What’s wrong with people? She hopes they rot in hell forever.  Next ask, what else does Alice feel at this moment? Afraid. (third level emotion) Her mother has been the one who has led her through society, provided her with a home and a lifestyle she not only wouldn’t be able to keep up on her salary, but would be afraid to even try to keep up on her own. Without her mother, she feels lost and afraid and alone again, like the kid she used to be and couldn’t wait not to be so she wouldn’t feel like this.

 

Examine this third level emotion: What is it like to feel this feeling?  Alice hoped never to feel like this again; she thought growing up would mean she wouldn’t. It’s even worse now because there isn’t even an adult to rely on. What might (or should) this character be feeling instead?  What would a finer human being feel? She would feel and exhibit the proper amount of grief for the proper amount of time and then get on with her life and everything would go back to being fine and dammit, what was wrong with her? Why did she always feel like she was faking being grown up? Regardless, why is this feeling the right and only one for this character right now? Because she needs to be down so she can learn to rely on her sisters who will help her be strong, for herself and others. Finally, what does having this third level-feeling tell this character about herself? What does it say about her condition? That she has some shite to deal with and get through. Has this character sunk or risen?  Sunk. Has this character grown or regressed?  Let’s call it a set back. What’s the truth in it?  She’s probably not the only person to feel this way when one of their parents dies. How is this feeling beautifully universal or painfully unique?  Is feeling this feeling to dwell in heaven or burn in hell? It’s hellish. She can’t wait to move on, but it’s going to take some work and she’s going to have to...change.

I did this exercise for all three sisters and it was interesting to see both the similarity in their answers, and the differences. It also helped me realize that Alice isn't as grown up as she may appear to others (or as grown up as I thought she was!), which helps me know how she reacts to situations, and clues me into her inner feelings so I can write her deeper.

Anyway. That's what I've been doing; writing my little ass off and trying to build better characters, and, a better book. 

I may not be back this month to post until the Cephalopod Coffeehouse on the 25th - unless I have something interesting to share - but I will be back for First Impression at the beginning of January so if you have a first page you'd like critiqued (your NaNo project maybe?) check out my sidebar (right) for all the FAQs and happy writing!


12/26/15 Update: I discovered where I found the bit on Third Level Emotions. Donald Maass. I should've known.

S is for Sweet, Larry

My theme for A- Z is the year my book takes place: 1881. I"ll be posting about people, places, and random facts about the year as it relates - however distantly - to my book, West of Paradise.

Today we have S for Larry Sweet. He's one of my Pinkerton agents on the trail of Alanna McLeod, described thus in an early edition of my book:

     It was a bitter cold day in January. The wind was whipping down through the streets along with the snow off the roofs of the tenements and Larry Sweet was dressed as if for an evening out, wearing a fitted jacket, pressed trousers, and shoes that had obviously been purchased in a shop that catered to men of means. Jim had wondered then just what sort of man the Pinkertons had paired him up with.

***

This was from Jim Woolbridge's point of view. I imagine Larry would describe himself differently. At any rate, not much is left of the pair in the final edition (they were some of my darlings who had to go) but they were fun to write :)

Q is for...

My theme for A- Z is the year my book takes place: 1881. I"ll be posting about people, places, and random facts about the year as it relates - however distantly - to my book, West of Paradise.

Today we have Q for...Quirky Characters. Yeah. I know. I'm stretching the "however distantly" thing but Q is being troublesome (along with X, Y, and Z, which I have no idea what to post on yet...) so this is what I came with.

Silas Beadle is probably the quirkiest character in West of Paradise and I have to say, he was fun to write. Jack first meets him back in 1879 after he's arrived in the past (remember, he went back in time BEFORE Katherine). He's just bought a house that needs work when Silas appears...

     “It’s haunted you know.”

     An old man stood at the gate, his cane tapping the stone, his sharp eyes examining Jack.

     “Excuse me?” Jack had asked.

     “This place, this house you’ve bought. It’s haunted, didn’t they tell you?”

     Jack looked at the house he had just purchased, a house half gutted by fire. It was a fine house nonetheless, with a nice view of the Charles River to the rear and a high wall fronting the street. With a small investment it could be restored and Jack knew enough about carpentry that he felt up to the task of overseeing such a project.

     He shrugged at the old man. “I guess they declined to mention the fact,” he said, “And you are?”

     The old man had stepped forward and offered a hand. “Silas Beadle,” he said, “I’m with the Herald. I wrote about the last family that lived here.”

     “Some unfortunate event I imagine,” Jack said.

     “A series of unfortunate events, actually,” Silas said, “This house has been witness to little else.”

     Jack was curious, even if was a load of shit, and he invited Silas inside.

     “You’ll excuse the mess I hope,” he said, waving at the crates and covered furniture, soot covered sills and scorch marks that deteriorated into a shell of a great room with a view of the river.

     “Nice view,” Silas acknowledged.

     They watched the night fall, listening to the crickets and peepers while fireflies danced at the edge of the property. Silas told Jack about the house, from the time it was built over 100 years ago to the present day, and by the time he was done Jack could see why someone might think the place haunted, or cursed. But he shrugged and laughed it off.

     “I’m afraid I don’t believe in ghosts or curses,” he said.

     “No, I didn’t think you were the type,” Silas said, “But I was curious who bought the place and that was a good opening, don’t you think?”

     “You mean none of it’s true?”

     “No, no, it’s all true, all the death and burning. It all happened as I said. And it was a damned good excuse to come talk to you, don’t you think?”

     “Then you plan to write about me?” Jack asked, surprised.

     Silas smiled. “Not right now. Maybe never. Mostly I like to collect information.”

     ***

K is for Katherine

My theme for A- Z is the year my book takes place, 1881. I'll be posting about people, places, and random facts about the year as it relates - however distantly - to my book, West of Paradise.

Katherine is our heroine, who thinks a trip to the past will cure her restless heart. Which it does, but not the way she thinks. Here's how it begins...

     Katherine was bored.

     It was a new experience. To be sure there had been moments of boredom, brief interludes that had passed before they’d really begun. But those moments had been tiny fragments of her life, fleeting bits of time that were over before they had a chance to settle.

     What she felt now was complete and utter boredom.

     She glanced over at the king size bed where her fiancé sprawled inelegantly beneath satin sheets, one arm draped over the bedside. Moonlight flooded the room and bathed his form in quicksilver light. Perfect, she thought, he was as perfect a man as she could have imagined, from his silky black hair to his manicured toes. What was there not to like? He was intelligent, funny, sensitive when it mattered, and an excellent lover. But the longer she studied him the more she realized that there was nothing about him she loved. She had no desire to snuggle close, no desire to kiss him as he slept, and not the slightest inclination to wake him and share her troubled heart. And she knew at that moment, despite the barrage of protests she would hear, she would not marry Antonio D'Salvatore.

     ***

J is for Jack

My theme for A- Z is the year my book takes place, 1881. I'll be posting about people, places, and random facts about the year as it relates - however distantly - to my book, West of Paradise.

Jack McCabe is our hero although admittedly he doesn't act like it at first, as illustrated in this excerpt where he has mistaken Katherine for Alanna...

     “Sorry, sweetheart,” Jack said with a nasty grin, “But you are a wanted woman. You might have thought you’d gotten away but you left me alive and I gave a pretty good description of you as you can see.”

     “But...but this isn’t me,” Katherine whispered.

     “Yeah, right.” He snatched the poster out of her hands and stuffed it into his pocket, “Now get dressed.”

     “No, please,” Katherine said, her tone turning desperate, “You’ve got to believe me. There’s been a mistake. I swear this is not me. I never killed anyone and I certainly never robbed a bank or a train or anything else. See? It says Alanna McLeod. My name is Katherine.”

     “You think calling yourself by a different name changes who you are?” He shook his head with a snort of laughter, “Get dressed.”

     “I will not!”

     Jack raised the gun, and Katherine flinched automatically.

     “Either get dressed or say your prayers. Unless of course you want to travel in your nightdress. In which case I can’t vouch for your safety. After all, you never know who we might meet along the way.”

     “Please,” Katherine said, her voice becoming a low, frightened whisper.

     “Get dressed,” Jack repeated, his eyes as cold as winter.

***

    

        

C is for Cushing, Will

My theme for A- Z is the year my book takes place: 1881. I'll be posting about people, places, and random facts about the year as it relates - however distantly - to my book.

Today I'll introduce you to Will Cushing, Alanna's lover and partner in crime in West of Paradise. Here's the scene where we first meet Will...

Will Cushing was playing cards and losing badly when he got word, and he knew at that moment his luck had changed. To prove the point he bluffed his way through the hand and won the pile. It wasn’t much but to Will it was an omen of good fortune. God knew he needed it.

Until two years ago, he’d considered himself pretty lucky. He’d managed to keep ahead of the long arm of the law and was in possession of what he considered a small fortune. With careful planning, and Alanna’s help, he figured the two of them could live a decent life somewhere south of the border. But then he’d woken up one morning to find her gone along with every cent they’d stolen.

***

Sam Elliott - as Will Cushing. Just put a hat on him and make him a little less grey.

I actually became quite fond of Will, much to my surprise. Then again, I've always rather fancied Sam Elliott ;)

 

B is for Billy the Kid

 My theme for A- Z is the year my book takes place: 1881. I"ll be posting about people, places, and random facts about the year as it relates - however distantly - to my book.

Today we have Billy the Kid, aka William H. Bonney aka Henry McCarty, who was born in 1859 but didn't turn to criminal activities until after his mother died and left him an orphan (one can't help but wonder how he might've turned out had his mother lived...). At first he lived with a foster family but when their situation changed, he was forced to move into a boarding house. Not long after, he stole food, clothing, and a rifle and was subsequently arrested. He escaped from jail and from that point on lived as a fugitive for the rest of his short life. He was killed by Pat Garrett on July 14, 1881 after escaping jail yet again and killing two guards in the process.

A is for Alanna McLeod

My theme for A- Z is the year my book takes place: 1881. I"ll be posting about people, places, and random facts about the year as it relates - however distantly - to my book.*



In my novel, West of Paradise, Alanna McLeod is the beautiful but deadly leader of a gang of train robbers. In this scene, she has just forced the telegraph operator to send a message... 

     “I’m finished,” the young man said.

     “Indeed you are,” Alanna whispered, drawing the knife swiftly across his throat and stepping aside quick to avoid the blood spray.

     He gurgled a cry as he fell, his hands going to his throat in a useless effort to stop the bleeding. But it was already too late. This wasn’t her first time.

***

As for who might play her in the movie version (hey, I can dream big if I want!), I think Jaime Murray (from Warehouse 13 and Dexter) would suit.

 She plays sexy bad so good.


* with the exception of x, y, z (the trouble makers)...but I have time yet...

Fun & Games

Happy Monday everyone and since I know you're all busy, today, I'll be very brief! First, I hope you'll come back tomorrow when I'll be having Libby Heily over to talk about her new book, Tough Girl.

Second, you can also find me over at Unicorn Bell today where I'm talking about the four personality types and character development. We're playing a little game, too, involving submissions and guessing, so if you want to have some fun, come on down!

Now, what are you doing today? Working? Writing? Do tell.

 

Here's what it looks like around here - pretty, but cold!

killing them softly

One fun thing about writing - and you can call me a sick little monkey if you want - is that you can let your evil side out without fear of retribution. Now, I know some of you are just plain nice and probably don't even have an evil side but I am not one of you, just to be clear. I have lots of bad thoughts and wish horrible things upon those I deem deserving (a prime example being people who hurt children or animals - they all deserve death - see how evil I am?). Sometimes I take my evil out when I play games and become a thief or an assassin, like when I was playing Skyrim's predecessor, Oblivion. At the end I was the leader of both guilds and I didn't get there by playing nice. Other times I just take my general frustration with horrible people out when I kill bandits and Imperial soldiers in Skyrim (trust me, they both deserve it).

But when it comes to writing, my true evil comes out because I sometimes kill completely innocent people who never did any wrong. Like Sven Lindstrom. I hung him last week. And he won't be the first.

How about you, where do you let your evil out?

I want to believe

I don't know about you but when I'm watching a movie or reading a book I want to believe in the characters. I don't want a cardboard cutout of a mom or a demon. I want the real thing. I want to believe that they're real and if I don't I'm probably not going to enjoy the story as much as the author hoped I would. So how do we as writers create believable characters?

One way is to have our characters react, either through thought, dialogue, or action. For an example, let's use Sarah, a junior at the local high school.

Sarah turned abruptly at the sound of her name, eying the boy who had addressed her. He didn't look familiar. She sighed, supposing she would have to ask his name, even if she didn't really want to know.


"Excuse me, and you are?"


"Josh Robbins, I'm in your second period study hall."


"So?" 


"I was, ah, hoping you might -"


She cut him off. "Forget it," she said, flipping her hair and walking away. As if.


Now, granted, this isn't the best example (since I just made it up!), but you can see how a few thoughts, some words, and a bit of action tell you a lot about Sarah in just a few sentences. This is how to build characters and make them real. And this is how to make your readers believe.

How do you make your characters real?

Uniform

In the phonetic alphabet, Uniform represents the letter U. My ever so reliable dictionary says that as an adjective, uniform means 1. always the same, unchanging. 2. consistent in appearance. As a noun: 1. a distinctive outfit intended to identify those who wear it as members of a specific group. 2. a single outfit of such apparel.

I don't know if any of you remember, but this is the outfit I pictured Hugh (a ghost from my novel GRIMOIRE) wearing - minus the sword. But he definitely had a hat like that he liked to remove with a flourish :)

Oscar

In the phonetic alphabet, Oscar represents the letter O. Oscar is also a masculine name meaning, divine spear. Who would’ve guessed that?

Today we’ll keep it short and sweet and I’ll just give you my favorite Oscar. I was admittedly a little older when Sesame Street first arrived but my younger siblings LOVED and grew up with Sesame Street so I became well-acquainted with the characters. I always really liked Oscar the Grouch.

Who was your favorite Sesame Street Character?

Juliette

In the phonetic alphabet, Juliette represents the letter J. According to my Character Naming Sourcebook, the name Juliette means 'youthful' and I imagine we are all quite familiar with the character of Juliette from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliette. I personally love the Zefirelli film starring Olivia Hussey who is positively radiant as Juliette.

Juliette is also a novel written by the Marquis de Sade (published 1797-1801) about an amoral nymphomaniac. Napoleon ordered the arrest of the author, and as a result Sade was incarcerated without trial for the last 13 years of his life.

Lastly Juliette is an unincorporated community in Monroe County Georgia, named after Juliette McCracken, the daughter of a railroad engineer. The film Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed there, and after the filming,  the sets used for the town's main street were renovated into a tourist district, complete with a fully operational "Whistle Stop Cafe".

I've been sucked in

I resisted, I really did. But I succumbed at last to the lure of Skyrim. And this is my girl, Ash. She may be only level eight but she kicked a big fat spider's ass the other day and that makes her awesome in my book cuz you KNOW how I feel about spiders :)

characters you can hate

Let us call her the soul sucker.

Now I know you are all familiar with the term since I’ve heard more than a few of you mention it in conjunction with your day job, the one you have to have until - . But be thankful you are not her, because her soul has been sucked dry and now she wants yours.

She is tall and substantial. That is, she is not slender, but she looks good in her charcoal two-piece suit and practical black, ballet flats. Her hair is shoulder length, plain brown, her face passably pretty, late 50s. She has an assistant with her and he’s learning the ropes. I want to tell him not to. ‘Don’t do it,’ I want to say, ‘Don’t let your soul get sucked like her. It’s not too late!’

It is too late for her. There’s nothing left of her soul but a little lump of black with bits of dark goo oozing out from the cracks. She doesn’t care about me. She has severed the cord between anything she does and the consequences. It no longer matters if people get hurt.

She’s also quite clever; she’ll catch your words and twist them, turn them into something sharp she can cut you with. And smile about it after.



If you can guess her occupation I’ll send you one of my famous bookmarks.



And yes, my Tuesday sucked. But I still have my soul.

characters you can use

today I bring you the horrid child which could, at some point, turn into the evil child or evolve into the evil (as in serial killer variety) adult. This is a real life example of what the child might look like, act like, talk like. For the sake of anonymity, no names will be used...


The child is younger than school age; she accompanies the mother everywhere. She does not listen when told to sit or stay or don’t touch. In fact, the child purposely tests the mother’s limits, reaching out to touch what is forbidden, listening to the mother’s empty warnings, then snatching whatever it is and darting away. The mother says, “Well you’d better sit there then.” And I think to myself, “Wow, you sure told her who was boss.”

The child has a full face, short full hair, and an evil smile. There is no doubt she knows she can pretty much do as she likes without consequence. She has already been an accomplice in the breaking of the dog’s leg and today she purposely steps on the dog’s tail. I am reminded of the statistics regarding children who abuse animals.

This is the child that listened when I said to leave the dog leashed but did as she liked as soon as my back was turned, while the mother looked on, and then (mere minutes later), the child is out the door and heading toward the parking lot. It's almost a shame she doesn't make it.

And I wonder what sort of monster she will turn into when she hits puberty.



Have you observed any characters lately?

D is for Dara

Dara is the daughter of Prince Nassir of the Sans Ara (from book one of The God Chronicles). In this scene, she and her brother, Taimur, are discussing the intentions of a particular young man:


Dara watched him go, considering.

“He is interested.”

“Is he?” Dara turned to look at her brother.

“Of course. Why else would he have come? Certainly not to walk me about the city.”

Dara did not reply, frowning instead, still not certain whether to be pleased or annoyed.

“Do you not like him?”

She shrugged. “I am not sure.”

“I am told he is attractive, well-mannered, that sort of thing. It would be a good match.”

“Would it?”

Taimur looked at her and smiled.

“You should at least consider it,” he said, “Our mothers were all married at your age.”

“Are you suggesting I am a bruda?” she asked.

Taimur grinned, allowing his Sans Ara reserve to dissolve. “Well, you are not old - yet, but you are unspoken for.”

She glared at him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Then with a muttered curse she rose, giving him a nudge with the toe of her boot, causing him to loose his balance and fall sprawling.

“And you are still my little brother,” she reminded him, turning on her heel and striding away.

25 days until spring

and yes, I do know that just because the calendar says march 20 does not mean that warm weather and flowers and blossoms floating over the air will instantly appear. But it will console me knowing winter is officially over so don’t burst my bubble. These last days of winter are very hard for me. If I were a faerie I would definitely be aligned with the Summer Court. In fact, I would choose that fate, given a choice. Hmm… I may have the makings for a tale …



But I digress! Regarding the tale at hand, namesake, I have officially revised chapter seven, incorporating the old with the new. For example, Simone (Arlen’s best friend) still has a run in with Arnoux, but grandmother Alice is going to tell Arlen what’s really going on and Louis is going to start remembering things and getting a bit of his magic (and confidence) back. The hard part will be to keep Alice’s tell to a minimum, maybe a single long riveting passage crammed with historical facts and witchy undertakings. Oh, and I figured out where the epic battle will take place and with who, exactly. It just came to me as I was re-reading a particular passage. Isn’t writing fun?



What are you doing?

ps warmer here today, less wind, and I finished The Magicians. I better get my taxes back this Friday cuz I only have one book left to read before I’ll need something new.