Characters Post Two

Who are you?

Somewhere in each of us dwell one or more archetypes. Whether we are aware of this or not, we can be, ranked and filed, into one, or more, of these basic character types. We do this rank and file to one another often enough as humans, we could at least use it for improved writing! Before really working on the types of characters I thought looking up the differences between, Archetype, Stereotype and Counter Stereotype might be wise. Wikipedia is good enough in this case for skimming the surface of the types.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotype
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterstereotype

The twelve archetypes of the Western Zodiac are likely the most commonly known. We have all done it at some point; asked that new potential friend or love interest, “what’s your sign?” As if this one answer will allow us to fully understand the complex personality in the flesh vessel we are trying to strike a conversation with. It is a start though and learning the basic personalities associated with each of the twelve signs does offer insight into creating a character with a little bit of plausible back story. I mean, really, how many Scorpios do you know willing watch a sappy movie? Some theories even suggest major historical gangs of characters were created in harmony with the Western Zodiac – King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, even Jesus and his twelve disciples. The personalities of each of the twelve men in these circles can coincidently align with each of the signs. So, what’s your sign?

The Zodiac is not the only method of boiling a man down to his core for easy comprehension. An Eastern idea based on blood types seems to take a more scientific approach, if you want to call it that. If you really want to find some interesting characters building ideas though I really suggest Who Are You?: 101 Ways of Seeing Yourself by: Malcolm Godwin. This book covers everything from facial structure to epicurean tastes when deciphering personality. It is great at parties too!

Consider some of the basic questions asked of a character on a typical day. What is your birthday? What year were you born? What is your blood type? What color are your eyes? Do you like dogs? What would you like for dinner? Answers to these questions help the reader build an understanding of whom he is traveling with on this adventure. Nothing demands adherence to common archetypes, but your reader may notice if the personality and the birth date are glaringly at odds with one another. There is always that one nerd in the bunch! That one is the one you want to really work your little writer heart out for, because he is the one paying attention. If you make him happy all the simpletons will be just plain giddy!
While I would love to go on about basic archetypes and personality types, I think a touch on stereotypes is required. The angst ridden teenager, the tech savvy Japanese man, the dumb jock, the Indian the runs the convenience store, the nerd with glasses, weak women, greasy Italian, black criminals, the dumb blonde, frugal Jews, angry old men, the list goes on and on. Using stereotypes can be considered violation of the unwritten rules of political correctness it also cheapens your writing. These characters are too easy! Readers can see them coming and know what the plot surrounding them will likely turn out in the end. Stereotypes are the salt and pepper of the character spice rack, they are probably there, in every story, but they should not make the meal, err, plot.
The counter stereotype can be just as poor and predictable. You know who they are too, check out the previous list and turn each on its head. Counter stereotypes seem to crop up in youth and science fiction. Avoiding these characters is no more imperative than avoiding stereotypes or flat archetypes, but the same caveat does apply. Over use will annoy readers!
There is a reason these types exist in fiction though - they exist in reality. I am a great example of that! I grew up in a town of under three thousand people. I think we had at least a couple traffic lights. I moved out of my parents’ home and moved to a city of one hundred times that number! I made a name for myself and returned to the small town for huge rewards. Okay, maybe that last part has not happened yet, but otherwise very cliché.

Characters Post One

For the next four weeks, I would like to discuss and create characters in several of the primary archetypes. We will define what creates an archetype, what each archetype is, and give each type a chance to dance for us. Think of yourself as a god of the ancient pantheons, your character, a bit of clay, softened for your molding. The characters we create can be new performers to keep on file for future stories or current characters in need of more depth and development.

I will try to find a variety of websites, magazine articles, blogs, podcasts, and books on the subject of character development, as always though I am open to suggestions. If you have a point to raise or an example please feel free to post comments and links.

How important is character in a story? In my writing, the characters do seem to drive the story more than anything. I revel in backstory, maybe a bit too much, I love to manipulate relationships and personality clashes to push the plot. Before we even begin to tear down characters and build great foundations, tell us, how important are the characters in your story? Do the characters matter? How important is your hero? One of the worst pitfalls is to have a hero or primary character whose presence is optional.

Look at a piece you are currently working on and ask; who really needs to be here? Change the genders of primary characters, their relationships, or remove the hero completely, does the story go on? Find an example of a story that contains poor character usage. Find an example of a story that makes exemplary use of characters.

Travels in the Far East(ern US)

I have returned from the far east(ern United States)! To say it was fun is quite the understatement! I had a blast and met so many fabulous people!

Every night in Central New York (Captain) Brad Jacobs invited locals to the Jolly Roger Bar & Harvest. Brad built the pirate themed bar several years back and at one time it was quite the happening place to be for; poker, pool, drinks and just a good time. The two water displays, one in the building beside the bar, and one at the main entrance behind the dock are great atmosphere, though not so great after a few drinks entice you to visit the rest room. Warning: if you do use the water closet this is not high tech plumbing, remember, you are in a pirate bar! The tiny room does need a bit more light but even women should be fairly comfortable using the facilities. The bar is BYOB but Brad does keep some great hard liquor on the shelf. It was a much more quiet crowd Friday night but that was well and good. It gave the New York crew a chance to discuss some ideas and make plans for the week. We also had a few drinks and caught up a bit. Describing the bar does less justice than pictures do, check out the images posted on Facebook and Google+. The other very pirate themed venue I chanced to visit was Captain John’s in Sylvan Beach. The captain himself even came out to greet the crew and I! The restaurant is a bit on the high priced side, but the food is very good and the portions are fair. I would not go to this place on a daily basis but the atmosphere, that is a little Polynesian and a little Jimmy Buffet is worth it for a fun dinner with the crew. Both locations have a copy of Blackstrap’s Ecstasy on display too!

Food is a major part of getting to know any place. I think it is anyway. I have some fabulous places to recommend if anyone is looking for good all American comfort food and even some more exotic fare, at very reasonable prices. First, Charlie’s Diner. Brad took me here for lunch on Friday afternoon. It is a cute 1950’s style eatery with a gramma’s kitchen feel. The staff is incredibly friendly and the food is wonderful. I can personally recommend the Chicken Salad Club with a side of fries. I was only able to eat half of it there but every bite was amazing and I happily took the rest for later. Second, another great hometown diner, in Canastota, Dick & Bert’s, Jenn and Chip took me here for breakfast on more than one occasion during my stay. New York is known for pizza and one of the best places for square cut is Joe’s on Main Street in Whitesboro. The sauce is the right amount of sweet and the cheese is perfect! I recommend ordering something simple like pepperoni for the first try, and be warned, it is tempting! I nearly ate an entire pie by myself! Looking for something a bit more exotic? I love, love, love, Symeon’s in New Hartford! They have the best Greek food I have ever tasted and the portions are worth the price. Voss is another local favorite as far as burgers and BBQ are concerned. Be warned that you might have to wait in long lines for this one and it is all outdoor seating! Voss is more institution than anything really. The prices are great but the food is un-extraordinary. I never went hungry in New York that I can say! Small towns and quaint diners are the best places for local flavor and gossip.

Jenn Bush (Buz) took me past the Canastota Library one morning after a stop for breakfast. I nearly jumped out of the car with excitement at the site of the sign outside the building! To see my name there unexpectedly was thrilling! It really took home how real this trip was for my writing career. All of the venues that hosted my signings and talks were very accommodating, for that I am very grateful. This new author bit is tougher than it looks. I never know what to say when discussing the book with people I do not know. I am always anxious about reviews that might blast my work and call me a hack. I know it is bound to happen, but knowing that so far all locations have been very welcoming and kind helps so much! Watertown was more quiet than I anticipated considering the Pirate Days were just wrapping up. The owner of A Second Look Bookstore was super sweet though and she was really excited to see the pirates in full costume on her doorstep. I think the guys made more people smile than buy books as they wandered the town but they felt like celebrities and that made my day. Brad, Anthony and Anianna are not like the Arizona crew. In Arizona we are accustomed to photo op requests and inquiries about pirate history and what sort of pirates we are. I was glad to have them along though. I was grateful to Jenn and Chip too at the Canastota library where very few people actually stayed for the signing. Dunham had the grandest showing for the workshop and I was happy to meet a few local aspiring writers. I hope they are interested in joining the Just Write page on Facebook too. The best of the venues was by far the Park Row Espresso in Clinton, New York. The traffic was more what I am accustom to, the venue was cozy, and the coffee was wonderful. While all of the locations treated me very well I did learn what to look for as far as sales are concerned; there is a certain type of person who likes new authors and pirates, they are not everywhere.

I very much hope to return to New York and revisit all of the locations that hosted me this turn, and I hope to add a few more places now that I know what to expect. I love that I am able to take these small risks to make my writing a success and to put a smile on so many faces. More than anything this trip taught me to always be friendly and always be confident. There is a place for pirates in almost every town. People are always happy to share food, and drink and a good story. Kids everywhere love pirates! And most adults love to cater to the inner child and have a bit of fun too. There is nothing I would change about this trip and I have to again say thank you to all who helped me get to New York, sell books, entertain the masses, allowed me to stay with them, and carted me and my books around.

If you missed me this time through, please, let the venue of your choice know I am willing to return. Copies of Blackstrap’s Ecstasy are available for purchase at Ray’s Repair Shop in Whitesboro and on loan at Canastota and Dunham (Whitestown) Library. Keep a weather eye for the next books in the Corsair Captains’ series; Max’s Despair and Gato’s Pride!

There are no Words

How to I put to paper, how do I find the words for those moments in time, for which there are no words? Those moments of bliss so pure it shines; those moments so painful even tears refuse to flow, how do I get the words to? The epic battle; the death of a lover, dear friend, or blood; the birth of the one you know you will give your life for; these moments that even life cannot seem to find the perfect performance for, how do I tell my characters how to react?

I liken writers to gods for the ability to make a moment reality. Maybe that is the reason why we as humans cannot comprehend these moments, because even gods have trouble. This goes beyond what these highest quality computers of the human mind. These are the defining moments of what and who we are and yet, I fumble for proper production and description.

Is the lighting correct? Did I make note of the subtle tilt of brow and squeeze of fingertips in hand? Does the scent of the moment really express the emotion elicited by it? This is so easy when it is so unimportant. Does any description really matter?

Does anyone really care that the sun was a pink disc in the deepening sky as the last light of life left the pale grey eyes of the soldier dying in the arms of his brother in arms? In the same moment, that pink disc could be peering over the embracing of two hearts that traveled through space and time, and trials and finally close their eyes and press lips and bodies so that no space is allowed between them ever again. That pink disc and deep purple sky means something completely different beyond the window of a hospital room. A first time father kisses the forehead of his wife who looks to him the most beautiful she ever has, even with her hair and skin still glistening from the stress of bringing their child – a perfect pink bundle of their love – into the world and cradled in her arms.

What if the things I describe no matter how varied, are not at all the things the character in the moment even took notice? In moments so life changing, emotion casts a curtain around the most important and casts all else outside, into darkness. The fading grey eyes of the soldier or the final grip of dying hand. The touch of lips and brush of eyelashes between the lovers as they kiss; the bright eyes of a new soul and the smoothness of his wife’s hair; and still, these are description from only one side and only on the surface of the character’s experience.

Should I mention the favorite song the characters bonded through? If it is a song the reader recognizes will the music do the work that the words could not? Am I cheating if I do and it does? I listen to soundtracks for my writing all the time. It does not mean the reader will feel what I felt when I wrote the words. In dance, I try to create a sequence of body movements that tell the observer the story of the music. When I teach these movements to others, I watch as they struggle to comprehend why this goes together. They do not hear the same story I did. Why should I think, as a writer, it would be any different. Describing the twist, drop, turn of a dancer’s hip to the rhythm of a drum only I can hear.

How does a weaver of words describe the moments in the tapestry of life when there is not a thread of understanding? Where are the words for moments that leave us speechless?

Love, it is a word

We cannot describe in words

And, still writers try.

Death, it is a phase

Human souls cannot escape

Nor full understand.

War, it is a choice

Instinct causes us to make

Through all it takes,

Birth, of a new life

First sobbing breaths of a soul

Take the breath away.

It is a human

Condition that gods cannot

Ever understand.

Word Count!

I mentioned the contracts and weekly goals for the studio writing group. Half of my contract for this week is editing, ten pages per day, everyday. It is day two and I am doing really well. It is basic first run editing to the Mac Grabes detective story. Grammar, structure, spelling errors the spell check kindly glosses over; this is the easy stuff. As I mentioned in the editing diatribe, I hate editing, I am mediocre at the laws of English 101, and I drag the process out really tediously. So, why then, is the hard part of this week’s contract the writing?

Three thousand words per day, every day; it should be a cake walk. I am a National Novel Writing Month champ ten times over. I doubled the word count requirement in my second year, just for kicks. That count, for one hundred thousand words, is 3,336 if anyone was working on the math. I can do this in my sleep. I used to be able to do this in my sleep at any rate.

This week should be easier for writing on other counts too: I am out of classes for the session, there are no big events this weekend, no work, no school, the house is pretty clean, and my back is out so I am doomed to sit and relax and let the mind wander. Can I think of a single sentence to write for the three novels I should be writing; Max’s Despair, Gato’s Pride or Ecstasy: The Second Wave? Not a single sentence, not one witty retort for dialogue, nothing for description. I think I may be a bit past the whole pirate phase for the moment. It could be because I have so many other novels hanging over me waiting to be published. It could be aggravation with my current publisher or with fellow writers. It could e so many things. Those are all just excuses.

I know I need to keep writing, but did anyone say it had to be exclusively novel writing that makes that word count? So, I fall back on the blogging. I neglected this blog and other quite a bit. I used to have a very steady blog on Livejournal.com. I used to update my azcorsair.ning.com page. I kept the myspace.com blog rolling too. What happened? Was it Facebook, Twitter? I used to have nearly as many associates on blogs that I now have on Social Networking sites. The posts were much more than one sentence, typically. I will not deny the handful of blogs that were used for cryptic one liners meant to invoke a high volume text based pity party. The new sites are far worst in that department too though. One rarely reads more than a four sentence paragraph nor writes any more than. What have we become?

When working on a story the hard sell at the onset that reels in the reader and pulls them through to the end is often expressed as more important that the ending! A writer used to have a few pages to prove the story was a good catch. Now, fifty words; a page; the first paragraph? What does it take and how soon does the writer want the body? The most common critique of Blackstrap’s Ecstasy - my first published book and first in the Corsair series - is that it started out slow. I will not deny that and I will make conscious effort to avoid the same mistake in subsequent novels. There is something to be said for the style though. It has changes.

Before the age of television, fast-paced films, computer generated action, and give it to me now entertainment ideals, people read books and took time to get into a story. I am not in anyway saying I am any different, mind, but it is very true. Pick up a book from fifty to one hundred years ago. The story takes time to draw the reader in, to let him get to know the characters and the world he is about to enter into. It is a vacation, not a step into a war zone.

Is it better or worse though? Do we need to have a more bang in the book sort of ideal now? Should we return to the, dare I say it, good old days? With some stories, I think so. The pirate stories are among them for me. I am writing about a less fast paced time, about people who enjoyed the long telling of a good tale. When I write these stories I want to give the feeling it is told by a pirate, a sailor who has been there. Other stories beg for something very different.

I would never tell the Hell’s Belles stories with so much time on tedious details. They enter the scene, they blow something up, they leave. There is not much more to say about the characters or the story beyond the required explosive action.

For the moment my mind is in neither space, so, my three thousand word goal may not make it past 1,667 and it may all be strictly technical. And, today I may not even make it that far. I wish I knew what to do to stay motivated shy of putting a gun to my own head. I do not believe in writer’s block but this is likely the closest feeling to it. Nothing is coming to me on the stories I should work on. I have flashes of stunning ideas though!

I have some of the most obscure dreams! Dreams are great inspiration! I am not one of those false gurus who will tell you the key to success, sell you an idea and ned try it on his own. No, I really do keep a notebook beside by bed. I really do write in that book (three pages) every night, and work out the dream information as fast as possible if I wake with a good one. Writing down a dream can be damn near three thousand words if detailed and drawn up with care and attention to detail. How much of that dream do you want to capture?

Another device I keep by the side of the bed is my Samsung Galaxy S Droid. I will mention here that calling it a phone seems so much like a misnomer. My Droid is pretty shabby as a phone but it has so many options I am rarely on my Netbook anymore. I love to jot down story ideas. Prior to the Droid I was proud owner of a HTC Dash, it wasn’t the most amazing device but it did the job. I wrote one of my latest Science Fiction pieces via MMS messages to my Gmail account as I rode to Payson, AZ for a camping trip. Several thousand words tapped out on a teeny keyboard. Reading some of it back once I returned home was enlightening. It was not the best work I had ever done, but it was pure and in the moment.

We write, and gain inspiration to write in places that might not be the best for writing. How do you cope? The journal, or mobile device, beside the bed; notebooks stashed away in the car, purse, backpack; the napkin at the diner all are great! How about toilet paper? Admit it sitting there, with nowhere to go can be inspiring. I am still working out how to capture those words thought up while in the shower.

Anne Rice, among others, spoke of writing on the walls. If you live in an apartment or lack a space to just leave words hanging about this might not work for you, but I am a huge fan of magnetic poetry, chalkboards and dry erase boards. Even large poster paper or flip boards are great and most office supply stores have them at a decent price.

I am not certain how to keep that word count up for you, but there are a million ideas that I have tried. Some have worked really well others not so much. And, not every idea works all the time. I have felt lately that I need to step away from the technology for a time and get back to the basics. I am in front of a computer so often for work or school or the god awful Social Networking. It sucks the fun out of sitting down to write. The creative stuff, the raw story, it seems to come directly from the ink to the paper, much more readily.

So where are you at in your writing? How many words per day to you put to paper or screen (or wall, or toilet paper, or skin). And, how do you work out the issue of ideas in the shower?