Labotomy of a Writer

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  Mental deficiency (like a learning disability)


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  Emotional problems


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  Social problems I include this on this list since phychologists do have a thing called "Social Anxiety Disorder", (I suffer from this by the way.) that makes it hard for the person with the disorder to talk to others, be in a crowd, or other social types of activities without having an anxiety - or in my case a panic attack.

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  Physical disabilities like a missing limb or other types of permanent injuries from a long ago accident can prevent the hero from always being able to do what they need to.


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  Baggage - and I don't meant the emotional kind here. I mean heros or heroines that say, are married to a total evil person intent on bringing them down, something tangible and physical that haunts them now, not just emotional baggage inside their head/heart sort of thing. This can also include single parents, as children can often prevent or delay the "quest" of the hero/ine because they must be cared for first. So, this aspect isn't always negative, perse.

The Waif or Magician is the counter part to the hero archetype, The Charmer.

For a recap, here is what I said before about the Waif.

The Waif/Magician
The damsel in distress. She holds child-like innocense that brings out the protective urges of even the most hardened heros. She does have her own strength though! She won't 'fight back but she'll endure - survive.

And of course, let's dig a little deeper into what makes up the Waif type of heroine.

The Good Side

>Dreams of "happily ever after"
>Waits for the "right man" to come to his senses
>Easily adapts to situation in order to meet her needs
>Kind and gentle
>Damsel in distress

The Bad Side

>Submissive
>Dependent on others (emotionally speaking)
>Falls in love fast
>A day dreamer type

Of course you can have fun mixing these traits up so that the good ones are bad and the bad ones are good. I just merely list them this way as for a general idea.

Examples

>Bridget Jones from Bridget Jones Diary (played by Renée Zellweger)
>Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz (played by Judy Garland)
>Gillian from Practical Magic (played by Nicole Kidman)

What other examples of a Waif can you think of? Do you have a damsel in distress type in one of your stories?

Remember that these archetypes are simply the basic materials to help you mold your characters. Many characters fall under more than one archetype. Think about some of the great combinations you can create for your characters as these posts continue.

Coming Next: Heroine Archetype - The Librarian

The Nurturer doesn't necessarily mean a mother, so we'll talk about what make up this heroine archetype today. She is the counter part to the Hero Archetype, the Best Friend.

Here is a reminder of what I said in the first post when the ladies stripped.

The Nurturer
Not necessarily "Mom" or "Suzy Homemaker" but she definitely takes care of everyone. She's the best listener and very optimisitic. She works hard to make sure everyone around her is happy.

Now, let's dig a little deeper into this type of character!

The Good Side

>Very optimistic type of person
>A great listener
>Always sees the good in people and situations (the silver lining so to speak)
>Keeps her cool in an emergency

The Bad Side

>Often suffers emotionally for a long time
>Never gives up (ever)
>Has a need to fix everything and everyone
>Too generous (door mat)

Again, some of the good side and bad side can be used the opposite way if done correctly (or incorrectly!) So when creating a character that is a nurturer, see which of all of these traits you can use to create a unique and 3D character.

Examples

> Maria in The Sound of Music (played by Julie Andrews)
> Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins (played by Julie Andrews too!)
> Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side (played by Julia Roberts)

What other examples of a Nurturer type can you think of? Do you have any nurturers in your stories? Tell us about her!

Remember that these archetypes are simply the basic materials to help you mold your characters. Many characters fall under more than one archetype. Think about some of the great combinations you can create for your characters as these posts continue.

Coming Next: Heroine Archetype - The Waif

Ahh the Free Spirit. The carefree girl that rides on the wind!

Here is a reminder of what I said in the first post when the ladies stripped.

The Free Spirit
This woman dances to the beat of her own drum. She is very playful and fun loving. She stops to smell the flowers whenver she caan and admires the colors of the world. Ruled by pure emotion, she follows her heart rather than her head.

Now, let's really get to know the Free Spirit!

The Good Side

>Full of charm
>Extremely helpful to others
>Full of seemingly endless energy
>She has great instincts, her gut leads her right
>Sees everything and everyone just as they are

The Bad Side

>Very often late for things
>Whimsical, head in the clouds
>Doesn't make good or solid decisions
>Can hurt those that love her as she lives moment to moment without thinking first
>Doesn't conform without a fight (a loud one)

Remember, some of the good traits can be bad ones and vise versa depending on how you want to use them. Take them to extremes and see what happens!

Examples

> Cher Horowitz in Clueless (played by Alicia Silverstone)
> Dharma Finkelstein Montgomery in Dharma & Greg (played by Jenna Elfman)
> Lucielle Ball in I Love Lucy

What other examples of a Free Spirit can you think of? Do you have a Free Spirit in one of your stories?

Remember that these archetypes are simply the basic materials to help you mold your characters. Many characters fall under more than one archetype. Think about some of the great combinations you can create for your characters as these posts continue.

Coming Next: Heroine Archetype - The Nurturer

(left arm)

(right arm)

The Seductress is also called the Bad Girl, the counterpart to the Bad Boy (obviously).

Here is a reminder of what I said in the first post when the ladies stripped.

The Seductress
This lady knows what she wants and gets it - her way. She sizes up every person whenever she enters a room. Her charming smile hides her distrust in people. Often mysterious and manipulative. Her survivial means she'll go to any lengths to make sure she comes out on top. Cynicism rules her actions.

Now, let's dig a little deeper!

The Good Side

>Is often cynical
>Has an understanding of her own and other people's motives
>Often uses her sex appeal to get what she wants (but not necessarily sex)
>Easily manipulates any man (especially those in her way)
>Her eye is always on the prize

The Bad Side

>Often comes from a poor family and trying to move up the chain
>Easily holds a grudge - for a long, long time
>Will stab anyone in the back to get her way or reach her goal
>Sort of a loner, doesn't have many friends
>Very possessive of her property (or people)

Now of course some of the good points could be considered bad if taken too far and the bad ones can be considered good if done the right way. It's fun to play with the traits that way, especially when it can create a plot twist or two!

Examples

> Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgement Day (played by Linda Hamilton)
> Selene in Underworld (played by Kate Beckinsale)
> Eva Perón in Evita (played by Madonna)

What other examples of a Seductress or Bad Girl can you think of? Do you have one of these types of girls in your stories? Tell us about her!

Remember that these archetypes are simply the basic materials to help you mold your characters. Many characters fall under more than one archetype. Think about some of the great combinations you can create for your characters as these posts continue.

Coming Next: Heroine Archetype - The Free Spirit

As promised a few weeks ago when I had the guys strip and the ladies show the goods, I'll be posting more details about the hero, heroine, villian, and villianess archetypes. Today, we'll be talking about one of the Heroine archetypes - The Boss.

For a reminder, here is what I said about the boss in the first post:

The Boss
A take charge type of woman accepting nothing but respect. She doesn't care of she gets a few people upset on her rise to the top. Succeeding in her goals is the most important thing to her.

Let's dig a little deeper and talk about the good and bad side of The Boss. I also mentioned a few examples for you, to help you really understand who the Boss is and how her roles fits into the world.

The Good Side

> Head strong
> Full of strength and power
> It's her way or no way at all.
> Wants results yesterday!
> Resolves any conflict quickly
> In total control of any environment she's in (and some she's not)
> Works on her own schedule
> Quick to make decisions

The Bad Side

> Avoids time restraints and other people's deadlines.
> Avoids situations and places where she has no control as much as possible.
> Uncomfortable (nervous) in situations where she has no control (might even act out in anger).

Some of the good side points can be considered bad too, if they lead to unsavory results! Think of the conflict you can create combing this type of heroine with any of the heros or with a juicy plot twist!

Examples

> Cleopatra (a perfect example of a Boss)
> Queen Elizabeth (in real history and as played by Cate Blanchett in the movie Elizabeth)
> Murphey Brown (as played by Candice Bergen)

What other examples of a Boss can you think of (besides yourself)? Do you have a Boss in your stories? Tell us about her!

Remember that these archetypes are simply the basic materials to help you mold your characters. Many characters fall under more than one archetype. Think about some of the great combinations you can create for your characters as these posts continue.

Coming Next: Heroine Archetype - The Seductress

Okay, guys if you clicked here expecting "the goods", sorry to dissapoint you. We're talking about heroine and villianess archetypes today! Gotta strip down to the core of our characters so we can really write about them.

I hate to say this, but doing my research for these two posts, I was highly dissapointed to discover that their is more information on the hero archetypes and they are given more focus on the websites I read through. Why is this? Isn't the heroine just as crucial to the story as the hero is?

I feel that heroines should be given more credit! And villianesses too! So, they get their own posts on my blog today! Note I put them in the same order as yesterday, so you can see how they compare to the heros and villians archetypes (read it here). I have the information in nan excel sheet with four columns to see them really side by side. It's interesting to see the similarities -especially between the heros and the villians

HEROINE ARCHETYPES

The Boss
A take charge type of woman accepting nothing but respect. She doesn't care of she gets a few people upset on her rise to the top. Succeeding in her goals is the most important thing to her.

The Seductress
This lady knows what she wants and gets it - her way. She sizes up every person whenever she enters a room. Her charming smile hides her distrust in people. Often mysterious and manipulative. Her survivial means she'll go to any lengths to make sure she comes out on top. Cynicism rules her actions.

The Free Spirit
This woman dances to the beat of her own drum. She is very playful and fun loving. She stops to smell the flowers whenver she caan and admires the colors of the world. Ruled by pure emotion, she follows her heart rather than her head.

The Nurturer
Not necessarily "Mom" or "Suzy Homemaker" but she definitely takes care of everyone. She's the best listener and very optimisitic. She works hard to make sure everyone around her is happy.

The Waif/Magician
The damsel in distress. She holds child-like innocense that brings out the protective urges of even the most hardened heros. She does have her own strength though! She won't 'fight back but she'll endure - survive.

The Librarian/Sage
Prim and proper but very passionate underneath. She's a know-it-all and might be a shy mousey type hiding in the library. However, her passionate core shines through the bun, glasses - and the books!

The Crusader
She is a dedicated fighter. She marches over anyone in the way of completing her missions - whatever that might be. She's very headstrong and tenacious, easily stepping over- or pushing - any block in her path.

The Spunky Kid
Loyal is this woman's middle name. Often the favorite of writers as you can't help but root for her! She doesn't want to be the top of the heap - just her own place. A definate team player. She is always ready to jump in and help.

VILLIANESS ARCHETYPES

The Bitch
She will lie, cheat, and steal her way to the top. She has no care about the people around her. Only her success matters. She helps no one but herself and has left (and will leave) many heel marks on people's backs as she rises to the top.

The Black Widow
She lives up to the name - lures victims into her web. Her victims can be anyone that has something she wants. She wants a lot of things, so anyone can be caught next! She is an expert at seduction, making the vicitim want to be decieved!

The Parasite
She goes along with anything so long as her own security is there. Views herself as a victim that had no choice. She blames other people for her crimes. She saves no one but herself and she'll sponge off anyone that will 'protect' her.

The Backstabber
Two-faced, she finds a great delight in tricking the unsuspecting. She learns people's secrets with her sympathetic smiles - but it's all a ruse! She'll use it against you. Her helpful advice is will only hinder you. She can't be trusted; she'll betray you every time.

The Lunatic
This woman is very unbalanced. A madwoman drawing other people into her insane world. She feels the world is out of sorts, not her. You can't understand her logic to anything, so don't try.

The Schemer
She plots the ruin of other people. Thinks of a cat playing with a mouse. She just toys with people. She has elaborate plans and complicated schemes. She's so pleased when she traps an unwary person in her puzzles.

The Matriarch
She knows what is best for you and will do whatever she can to control the lives of those around her. She smothers her loved ones. Her children (or whoever she latches onto) can do no wrong, as long as they don't go against her. Her happy family portrait is actually a trap!

The Fanatic
An extremist that does wrong in the name of good. He actions are justified by her intent. Collateral damange makes to difference. Anyone not her friend is an enemy - and fair game. She thinks you are wrong - all the time.


What are you favorite heroine types? Villianesses? Personally I go for the matriarch for villianesses. I mean come on -- she just loves you - to death!

Today we are going to strip the boys! Woohoo! Okay, seriously we are stripping them, but not in the way you think - sorry to disappoint you!

I'm talking about archetypes for the guys in our stories. There are eight hero archetypes and eight villian archetypes. I'll go over all of these briefly today. More indepth posts will come later.

HERO ARCHETYPES

The Chief
He's the leader, obviously. Some might say he's the Alpha male type. He gets what he wants and nothing will stand in his way. Sometimes he's stand offish and unapproachable because of his drive.

The Bad Boy
He's danger and excitement. He's a survivor having lived a hard life. Doesn't trust many people and often covers his pain with anger. Visions of a bad boy often drum up a motocycle, black leather clothes, or even a cigarette in his mouth depending on your ideals.

The Lost Soul
Often the dark type of guy, mysterious. Wounded and tormented, poetic type. He's a keen observer, picking up on every detail - can't keep a secret from him. He prepares for the worst and doesn't really hope for the best. But, he is also a dreamer, always trying to find a way out of his miserable situation.

The Best Friend
The guy a girl can turn to to cry, talk, and just hang out - her rock. Everyone likes this guy and he likes everyone too - never met a stranger. He's not very assertive normally, unless in defense of his friends, but even then, he won't jump in like some of the other archetypes would.

The Charmer
An irristable man that keeps the girl guessing. He's sexy and charismatic in all ways. Persuasive and smooth, he can talk his way out of or into anything. Detached, because who knows what he's really thinking or feeling. The life of the party, but if often irresponsible.

The Professor
Nerdy type! Loves facts on top of facts. Is often vulerable with his feelings as he doesn't know how to hide them well. Usually socially inexperienced because his nose is always in a book. He doesn't make any rash decisions, instead of thinking them through. He's an expert in his field. (This little blurb might sound boring, but think, Indiana Jones is a Professor Archetype!)

The Warrior
Protect and defend - that is this guy. Not necessarily a soldier but the warrior type has the same mentally. He's very noble and courageous. He's very focused and often time stubborn. He'll hunt the villian down if it's the last thing he'll do. Very protective of the heroine (or any woman for that matter).

The Swashbuckler
Adventure! He gets a high from adventure in fact. Daring and bold, he lives in the moment. He loves life, often enjoying the "sins" that life throws at him without pause. He's fearless in the face of danger, but often unreliable. He'll latch on to one adventure and everything else goes out the window.

VILLIAN ARCHETYPES

The Tyrant
He wants power no matter what the price. He conquers everything he sets his eye on, easily crushing his enemy under his boot. People are merely pawns to this guy, with him holding all the power pieces. He'll think nothing but to destroy you, so stear clear!

The Bastard
He can't get what he wants and so he lashes out in anger. He wants - and loves it seems - to provoke people into a fight or other actions. He doens't hide his shady dealings either, instead announces them to the world.

The Outcast
Tortured, like the hero "The Lost Soul" but this guy craves redemption and will sacrifice anyone to get it. He won't have any sympathy for you even if you give it to him.

The Traitor
A double agent, betraying anyone, even those that trust him the most. People don't see the evil in this guy! He plots and schemes the destruction of his friends even though they give him support and sympathy.

The Devil
This guy is charismatic, but watch out! He doesn't hesititate to give anyone what he thinks they deserve. His lures people to their own destruction with his charm and ability to uncover moral weaknesses in people.

The Evil Genius
He shows off his superior intelligence. Anyone inferior of mind is expendible, which basically means everyone. His trademark includes elaborate puzzles and odd experiments.

The Terroist
Bound by a warped code of honor, this guy believes in his own virture. He's self righteous and jusdges those around him wtih a strict set of laws. His sense of justice does not resemble yours and it never will. Nothing conventional in morals will stop him and the end will always justify his means.

The Sadist
This guy loves cruelty for the sake of cruelty. To this guy violence and brutality are merely games. He can play these games with much skill. He'll laugh as he tears you apart.

Which Heros and/or Villians are your favorite to read about? To write about?

Continuing with my character building type of posts, today we're talking about loving your hero. (This is all from a woman's point of view here, but the same ideas apply to everyone!)

Fall in love with your hero! Like, real love people. Love every detail about your hero! Even his flaws.

If you don't love your hero, you're readers won't either. Remember that you created this guy! I don't know about you, but I put qualities into my heroes that are attractive to me. I tend to go for the bad boy types but I'm also a lover of the lost soul aka the dark brooding one.

When you're creating your hero, ask yourself a few questions. What characteristics do I like in a man? Which ones do I hate? Which ones will I tolerate? Then, craft your hero based on these answers. Be careful here when writing multiple novels or your characters will all end up the same! But, it at least gives you a place to start. Other questions to ask - What men in my life do I love and why? What men have inspired me in my life? What physical attributes are guaranteed to leave me breathless?

Drache, the hero in Burden of Prophecy, is actually not the type of guy I normally would swoon over. But, I do. He's tall (6'4), muscular, and can fly! Long hair, stormy eyes.....Wait, what was I talking about? Oh right. *ahem* His personality really sinks the deal for me as he will sacrifice everything to protect those he loves. He's a rather cheesy type of romantic which is so adorable. I honestly can say I love him. Do you love your hero this much - that you lose track of what is going on when you think about him?

This same line of thinking applies to your heroine. She's your best friend! You can confide in her and she confides in you. You know all her flaws and strengths. You love her like a sister. You laugh at the same jokes! If she were in the physical world, rather than your head, she's the one you'd take on shopping trips, lean on when you need support, and the one that makes you laugh when you want to cry.

Rosyani, the heroine in Burden of Prophecy, is my best friend for sure. In fact, her and I have long conversations that have nothing to do with the book! Her and I have the best time outlining the series or writing scenes. Her gentle and calm nature help to calm me and keep me focused when I'm writing. I try to channel her calmness on a regular basis, but many of you know that I epically fail at that! If she were in the physical world, oh the fun we would have!

What about you? What qualities do you love most about your hero? What is it about your heroine that makes her your best friend?

The Muse Online Writer's Conference had workshop titled "Keeping Track of Characters in a Series" with Jim Overturf.

I'll be honest and say that the workshop was not what I expected, but the information was invaluble. In the workshop, Jim presented us with excel spreadsheets set up for timelines about your characters.

I never thought to use an actual time line, instead I just wrote random notes on the characters' sketches. However, having an actual timeline all laid out is a wonderful tool that I know recommend to anyone who writes a series - or stand alone novel for that matter.

I tried to create snapshots of the excel sheets but they didn't turn out too well, so hopefully you can still follow along with what I say. If I get the snapshots to actually work, I'll post them up in a later post.

The first type of timeline is for a single character. Make one for each of your characters (or give each character their own sheet in the same book if you want.)

Obviously, put their name on the top. There are five columns in Jim's version of the timeline - Year, Age, Education, Primary, and Secondary.

The year column is the years of your character life from birth to death. Like if I did a timeline on myself, I would start the year in 1984, when I was born. The age column marks how old your character during that year. I turned 1 in 1985, 2 in 1986, etc. Now you might think this is a bit reduntant since you already have the years listed, but it comes in handy. I mean, can you immediately think of how old you were in say 1992 without doing a bit of math on it first - everytime? Well, the age column helps with that. I love it because with my faeries and elves being so old, it really helps to keep track of how old they are and when.

The education column is where you keep track of what grade of school they were in, matching up with their age and the year of course. Pretty simple and helps to mark graduations and things like that.

Now, before I get to the last two columns, I want to take a minute to explain that in the timeline I use for my characters, I only have the age column. My fantasy stories don't really mention the exact year for anything. Not only do I not need that column, I wouldn't even know how to fill it in, unless I started making stuff up. I don't use the education column because my characters don't go to kindergarten or things like that. Their school system is set up completely different than ours. They don't have different grades it's just primary school and university, so I don't need that column. You can add or take away from this based on what you need.

Now, the Primary column is where you input the events that they did themselves or happened directly to them. This can include graduating from school, breaking their arm, getting married or divorced, etc.

The Secondary column is the best part of this timeline I think. This column is put those events that affected the character emotionally, spiritually, financial or politically. For example, his parens divorced, mom remarried, little sister was born, recieved an inheritance, etc. Basically anything that other people did, but still impacted the character on some level.

I can already see the value of having such a wonderful tool, especially for those that write series. By the time you get to book four, the timeline will make sure you don't forget that your character broke their left arm in book 2. Sure, you could just make a note of it on your character sketches or what have you, but a timeline is just so neat and organized. Everything is there all in one place! It's fantastic!

The other type of timeline, Jim shared with us in the workshop are multiple timelines or character tracking timelines. This puts your characters actions side by side with another so you can keep track of who is doing what.

I was excited when I saw this sheet! I have a part in Burden of Prophecy where the group gets split up. If I had this multiple timeline sheet when I first wrote it, it would have been SO much easier to keep track of everything.

You can do the multiple timeline in two different ways -- hour by hour (or even second by second if you need to) or by year. The hour by hour one is simple, list the hours that you need in one column and then have a column for each character involved. This will help you keep track of what your characters are doing at the same time - it's great to see it side by side even if you can't put it that way in the story itself.

The other multiple timeline done by year has the year, age, education columns like the single character sheet did, but instead of the Primary and Secondary columns, you list each character involved. What would you need to see side by side for years or even a life time at a time? This form is great for following lines of family generations. This lets you keep track of a few generations - up to the time your novel starts!

You can also substitute the characters for towns or cities or countries even. List major events that happened in those places - king was murdered, plague broke out, etc. Things that may have a major effect on the world your characters live in.

I hope I did this justice without pictures to show you, but like I said, if I get it working right, I'll post them up later for you. I'm so glad I was able to participate in this workshop. These worksheets will greatly help me with all my series. Imagine what they can do to help you too!

Let me know if you use these - any changes you made and how they work for you. Do you already make timelines? If so, what information do you put on them and why?

Okay, the last section of the sketch sheet is really simple.

Misc Notes

Here include any extra information you might need to know about the character that you couldn't fit into the other points of the sketch.

If you recall on Monday when I talked about Character Roles and I mentioned having a Main Hero and a Side Hero? I use this area to explain what book in the series the character's role comes into play.

So for Farien that I said was a "Side Hero" - his Misc Note looks like this:

Hero (H) "Precipice of Hostility" Book 3
Side Character (SC) "Burden of Prophecy" Book 1 and "Vestige of Passion" Book 4

Where as Drache's (Main Hero) looks like this:

Main Hero (MH) "Burden of Prophecy" Book 1 and "Vestige of Passion" Book 4
Main Character (MC) "Tutelage of Mortality" Book 2

I can hear some of you going "What? I don't get it" But I know what it all means, and that's what counts right? *laugh*Basically all those notes do is help remind who's POV I'm working with and when. I'm in Farien's POV in Book 3 and in Drache's in Books 1 and 4.

You can use this space for whatever you like, this is just what I use it for as I make only one character sketch that covers the entire series. You don't have to do this and I know many authors who say you should update/write new sketches for each book in a series, even if you use the same characters. Whatever way works best for you. I just find it easier to have ONE sketch to refer to, especially since I write multiple novels at one time.

BONUS FEATURE

Now, once the sketch is done, I head over to my trusty avatar maker and make an image of the character! It's a lot of fun and honestly, I waste SO many hours playing with the avatar maker.

The main one I use is Doll Wizard but I also use Candybar Doll Maker. I posted the Doll Wizard version of Drache's picture below for you. Below that is Rosyani's avatar I made with Candybar. I prefer Doll Wizard as it looks less anime-ish, but both are really fun to play with.

It's Thursdays so it's time for the third section of my character sketch! Have you found the posts helpful so far? I hope so. This section is the hardest one to fill out compared to the rest. It's really intense and makes you really dig into who your characters are. Let's get started!

Personality Traits

• Background:
• Characteristics/Mannerisms:
• Internal Conflicts:
• External Conflicts:
• Occupation/Education:
• Dialogue Specifics:
• Common Expressions:
• Powers/Weapons:

Background
This is a short blurb about the type of childhood your character had. I don't use complete sentences here, just jot down a few notes. Mention any 'backstory' points that you can use as flashbacks or conversation or suspense in the story.

Characteristics/Mannerisms
This section can be placed under the Physical Apperance setting but I prefer to put it here as it deals with their personality. Here you can mention posture, stance, and any funny twitches they might have. On Drache's sketch I have "Confident - stands tall, perfect posture, often has arms crossed over chest; Kind Heart - gentle nature, always ready to hug his little sister; Strong - doesn't cry in front of others, hides emotions to be 'strong for everyone else'"

Internal Conflicts
What is going on inside the characters head/heart/soul that causes them trouble during the story? This can be dealing with a death of a loved one or other tragic event. Explain the story behind the struggles or events the character deals with. Be as specific as you like.

External Conflicts
This is where you can mention weather, other characters (aka the villian perhaps) that are standing in the characters way. Be detailed and explain why these things are effecting the character.

Occupation/Education
A character's education level and job can effect everything! This doesn't need to be too detailed unless you want it to be. You can explain how this will effect them specifically or just simply mention their career alone.

Dialogue Specifics
How do they talk/sound? Mention tone of voice and accent. You can also include how many languages they speak here if you want, or make that it's own section if it bears a greater importance. Also mention the manner of their speech - is it proper or common? Relaxed with friends but very professional around others? Polite, rude, sarcastic?

Common Expressions
This is basically part of the Dialogue Specifics section, but I make it it's own section to help it stand out as you will use this often. What phrases or words do they use over and over again? A catch phrase if you will. Me for example, I say "cool beans" a lot so if I was making this character sketch about me, that's what I would put here.

Powers/Weapons
This section can also be under "Physical Apperance" but I put it here only because for my characters and the world they live in, powers and choice of weapons can reflect the type of person you are. If you make up powers or new weapons, provide a brief description about them - what they do, how they work, etc.

Tune in tomorrow for the very last section!!

• Age:
• Race:
• Eye Color:
• Hair Color/Style:
• Build (Height/Weight):
• Skin Tone:
• Style of Dress:
• Tattoos/Scars:
• Other Physical Attributes:

• Character Name:
• Title/Class:
• Nickname:
• Birth Date/Place:
• Character Role:

(or Discovering your Characters' Unique Voice)

An idea for a novel comes to me when a character shows up and says "Anastasia, I have a story to tell you." More often than not, the characters come first and then the plot. I know other writers are the opposite, they have a plot and create the characters to fit into the setting. Regardless of how you come up with a new story, it is very important to know your characters inside and out to convey their personalities on the page.

There are different techniques writers use to achieve this, but today, we'll talk about how I get to know my characters.

Like I said, my characters show up, unannounced, in my head and proceed to annoy me endlessly until I tell their story. They talk to me on a daily basis just as my husband talks to me when we are watching television. I'm reminded of a quote that says "Writing is an acceptable form of Schizophrenia" Thank the Gods! Otherwise, I'd be committed. Some would argue I should be anyway, but I digress.

Instead of filling out Q&A character sheets myself, I let my characters do it. How would they answer the questions? I can be hard to do as I do have characters that have ideas that I don't agree with. I don't agree with everything my husband or friends say, but I still love them! The point is to let them fill in the answers, not you.

I tend to talk to my characters like they were sitting next to me. They're are some of my best friends! Like right then, I heard a chorus of "Awww really?" inside my head. It's rather odd sometimes, but I've gotten used to it.

Freaked out yet?

Seriously though, the point here is to know your characters like you know your best friend or your spouse. I know my characters well enough that I can take them out of their story and interact with characters from other stories and still maintain their voice. During those chat sessions, I learn more yet. It puts them in a new situation outside of the story plot and I learn more about who they are.

Example for you. Drache, the hero in Burden of Propecy was chatting with Etharas, Chakor and 3 guy vampires from J.D. Brown's Dark Heirloom (J.D. was there too with her characters of course). I never thought Drache was the violent type, seeing more as a Beta rather than an Alpha type of guy. However, during the little get together, someone (ahem, Etharas) said some not so nice things about Drache's wife. Lo and behold, Etharas was put into his place with a well smacked hand! I was shocked but when I thought about it, it fit. Drache is fiercly loyal and protectice of his wife and won't tolerate anyone putting her down. I was missing his strength of passion in the novel - but I promise you, it's there now!

However you discover your characters inner feelings, thoughts, and voice, just make sure it's their voice and not yours. Yes, authors have their own voice that comes through their writing, but that's a different topic.

***If you'd like to read the entire confrontation with Drache and the rest of the guys, visit The Life and Times of Imaginary People on Aug 28 to read the Poker Party.***

**As a side note, I now have 52 followers! Yay! Thank you so much for all your comments and for following. I'm glad to know my insanity has not scared that many people away! I don't have anything to give away to celebrate, but I will definately have something when there are 100!**

Giving your characters the perfect name can be a daunting task. I bought a baby name book with over 100,000 names in it! It is very handy. It comes with the meaning and origin of the name which helps me to select common themes (like all siblings have Greek names perhaps) or certain meanings to fit the character's personality. I highly recommend getting one as the phone book merely has names, not meanings and origins!

How do you decide what to name your characters? A few instances, my characters showed up and told me what their names were, but most of the time I have to figure it out myself.

For the faeries and elves in "The Faery's Tale" I literally put some letters together to create their names. It was pretty interesting to do it that way. I wanted something completely not-human so I made them up myself. It was hard to do and I don't really recommend it unless you have a lot of paitence to try out a ton of different letter combinations til you find the right one.

Mostly, I try to find names that match (or for humor, don't match) the character's personality. For example, I recently named a character "Safiya". It's Arabic and means "pure, serene; best friend" I chose it for the "pure" part. The actual character is far from pure, so it is a bit funny. Especially when I think of it as her parents named her to represent something but she didn't live up to it.

No, I don't always pick names to match personalitites, but it is fun to do sometimes. Other times I go with names I like or when scrolling through the baby name book, one of them pops out at me.

Names that Don't Fit.

I have had this happen once. When I first started writing "The Faery's Tale" the character all had Victorian era names. But it just didn't fit. It took me a long time to fix them to where they are now.

How did I know they didn't fit? Well my characters told me for one and for two, I had a review tell me that they couldn't really see the characters as faeries. The names were too "common" as they said. I had to agree. So I went about the painful process of making them up to truly be original.

If you have a reviewer or critique buddy tell you they think a name doesn't fit, find out why. They may have some insight that you can't see being so close to the character. They might even be able to suggest the perfect replacement.

Cliche Names.

Okay, I hate to say it. But I am tired of demons or evil guys with the name of "Damien" or some variation of it. I'm to the point where I would love to see a demon named "Joe". Seriously. I'm also not a fan of "Christopher" for protector types, or "Chastity" for the pure girl, etc.

But didn't you just say to match personalities to names?

There is a line that I think should not be crossed. This is where research and reading a lot can really help writers. To avoid the cliches one needs to know what they are. Even names need to be unique and not overused.

It is hard to say where the line is with this as there are so many characters out there that need names! It mostly comes down to how the writer feels about it. Obviously, for me, I would never name a demon or a villain Damien. But that doesn't mean it's necessarily bad for other writers to use it. It does fit and readers will immediately pick up on the resonnance of that name.

In the end, no matter what, it really is up to the writer and the character to decide on their name. But there are resources out there for you. Pick up a baby name book and I know there are generators online. Fantasy and Sci-fi names can be odd and literally out of this world and there are even generators to help you make up those odd sounding names.

It just takes a bit of research and a little patience but in the end, it's well worth it to have the perfect name for your character.

All this week I've been blogging about getting to really know your characters. During this process, you will surely learn a little about their mannerisms and quirks. But how to convey that in the story?

While reviewing assignments from the novel students in the Writer's Academy, I love it when there is a random twitch, nervous habit, or just tiny movement. It may not have anything to do with the plot perse, but it has everything to do with the character and how they feel at that moment.

People watching is a good way to learn about odd movements and twitches that people do. Girls twirl their hair, chew their nails, fiddle with their wedding rings, etc. Guys rub their beards in thought, clench their fists, pop their knuckles, etc.

Putting in little movements like that really enhance a story and a scene. This goes with the "show don't tell" adage. How would you tell that a person is nervous without saying "She was nervous." Nail biting? Wringing hands? I rub my palms and bite my bottom lip when I'm nervous. A friend of mine flicks his wrist (though it looks like he's adjusting his watch). Another friend switches her weight from one foot to the other.

Then of course there is just showing what your characters look like, but without making a list of their stats. "She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder." "He ran his fingers through his dark hair." "His green sparkled with mischief." This puts in an action AND a character detail. I have rarely seen a listing of stats done well. I think the only time I really liked it and it made sense was one character, a spy of some sort, was sizing up the girl. So in his mind, he would calculate it by stats. But not all characters are spys or cops, running stats in their head about the people they meet. (Heck not even cops and spys do this all the time anyway.)

Another thing to remember, is to have your characters seperate from each other. Even if two characters have blue eyes are they exactly the same blue? How would you describe them differently so that in the readers mind, you really do have two unique individuals? My husband and I both have brown eyes, but his are dark like chocolate while mine have a tinge of orange to them (arranged in flames around my pupil, pretty awesome looking if I do say so myself...) Both my son and my daughter have blue eyes, but hers are light, and my sons are stormy grey/blue. This goes with all descriptions - hair, height, clothing, skin color, etc. Indentical twins still have that one aspect different from each other.

Again, the key here is not just list the characters stats all at once. Throw it by another character's observing, action, or even emotion. Have an internal monologue where the character is comparing her/himself to another.

Then, once you introduce the fact that your character has long, silky, red curls - throw that in again later on. Remind the reader. Have the character toss her hair over her shoulder or pull it back into a pony tail. What do other people think of her hair? It doesn't need to be the forefront of course (unless your story really is about her hair) but throw it in every once in a while to remind the reader what the character looks like.

What nervous habits or odd quirks do your characters have? Rosyani clenches her fist at her side quite a bit and she also has a habit of hugging herself. Her husband Drache crosses his arms a lot and rubs his forehead. You might think these are signs of stress but in truth, both characters do that for comfort and a feeling of safety. What about your characters? What little action do they do often?