By: Lynn

Lynn — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 20:11:31 +0000

There\’s a lot to be said here, but Bill has said it well. I\’d write more on this, but I\’m in Thailand and my internet connection is iffy. (Not to mention, I\’m typing with one finger on my phone.) Hopefully, things will improve in Hong Kong. If not, sorry Stacey, I\’ll wait until I\’m back in Paris to comment.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 04 Apr 2015 13:59:43 +0000

I think that a character will be memorable when he or she has a very human quirk or tic that resonates with the reader: an habitual gesture (rubbing his ear), a beloved pet or friend with whom he interacts affectionately, a pet peeve that many of us share (hates cold coffee), a too-common character flaw.As for male vs. female: it\\’s easy to find books with male protagonists and female authors (and vice versa) which are not convincing. If I don\\’t think the author really knows or understands his own characters, there cannot be any empathy.Of course, a character doesn\\’t have to conform to gender stereotypes (at least not all of them or all the time). But while your hero may be among the small share of men who read Harlequin romances, he cannot be without typical male interests (sports, NASCAR, etc.) or you\\’ll convince me that you don\\’t understand men at all. The trick is for the author to sit down and think VERY hard: what is it REALLY like to be this person? You have to live inside your protagonist\\’s head and his world. Age, education, ethnicity, economic status all affect (or cause?) the character\\’s reactions to events in your story. But so does gender. How does his/her physique influence health, feelings, ability to react to emergencies? Your five-foot-nothing female detective cannot do the same things that you, the six-foot-three ex-linebacker, can. You have to write accordingly.

Comments on: Writing strong characters

By: Lynn

By: Bill