What does your character look like?

Imagination is as individual as it is wonderful.  We can read the same book but how we visualize the scenes and characters are unique to each of us. Recently, someone who had read my novel Of Dreams and Shadow approached me.  She said she knew exactly how the character (bad guy) Silas looked.  She went on to describe him as looking like Robert Carlyle, the actor who portrayed Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time.  Mr. Gold is one of my favorite characters but I never envisioned him as Silas.

When we think about bad guys, certain characters probably come to mind.  I think about Wild Bill from Stephen King's The Green Mile and The Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz.  These characters are presented as less than attractive - some might say ugly. But where is the rule that states all bad guys have to be repelling? Why can't a bad guy be something more?

The character of Silas developed over time.  When I first started writing him - I didn't see his face but as I spent more time with him - his features came into focus: shoulder length dark hair, a face that would attract a females attention.  (Think Ben Barnes, the actor who portrays Prince Caspian.)  I think the fact that Silas is not only dangerous but beautiful makes him more compelling.

So, what do you think?  Are you surprised by how readers "see" your characters?

Creative Writing Tip - Watch a Movie

On Tuesday evening, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi of The Bookshelf Muse hosted a webinar focusing on how to show character emotion by using non-verbal communication.  It was well worth my time. While much of what they covered I had learned in my creative writing class, refreshers are always appreciated.   One thing they advised really caught my attention.  It was to watch a movie - taking notes on how the actors react in emotional scenes.   Does the actor/actress lean in? Where are their hands? What are they doing with their lower body?  Are they tense?  Relaxed?  

Actors have the ability to bring the written word to life.  I think about Nicholas Sparks' THE NOTEBOOK.  I enjoyed the book.  But the movie...what can I say?  I've watched it countless times and still cry.  The scenes between Gena Rowlands and  James Garner are so moving - both beautiful and heartbreaking.  It's like having permission to witness someone's most intimate moments.

And that's the great thing about watching a movie, you are free to watch for as long as you like and  - unlike people watching - you can press rewind.  You can focus on the little details without having to worry about a real life someone thinking you are a creeper.

-DS McKnight

Writing skills-describing emotion

You come to a point in your story where there's a conflict between characters.  How do you describe their actions/feelings?  The one thing you don't necessarily want to do is say something like -  John was angry.   A better way to describe the situation might be something more along the lines of - A muscle twitched along John's clenched jaw.  Showing how your character feels is more effective than telling how he/she feels.  It allows the reader to connect to the character in a more authentic way.  

This holds true in other situations, too.  Action moves your story.  It allows your reader to see the emotion in the scene.  Jane felt like crying.  "Don't go," she said.   With a couple of changes, you can show Jane is feeling emotional without literally spelling it out.   Her lips trembled.  "Don't go." 

That being said, remember "less is more."  All it takes is a couple sentences to get the job done.   

 

Improving writing skills - Descriptions

Practice makes perfect.  It's an old adage but its true.  If you want to become a better writer, you must write...and write...and write.  It's not enough to love writing, you must make the commitment to improve your writing skills.

Before I completed my first novel, I had made two previous attempts.  Those stories are packed away waiting to be finished.  My biggest problem?  I had failed to do the necessary work to achieve my goal.

Just as an athlete works out, a writer must do the same.  One of the exercises I found helpful was to describe an animal.  Take a cat for instance - you could say a cat is yellow and fluffy.  But if you really thought about a feline, you might describe it as follows:

          The cat crouched low as it crept through the knee high weeds, it's yellow eyes never
          leaving the low branches of the flowering pear tree.

The exercise is not limited to animals.  It can be applied to people as well as places.  If you have time, visit a cafe with outdoor seating.  (Make sure you bring a pencil and paper or your laptop if you must.)  Watch the people around you.  Notice what they do and how they look.  Are they rushed? Agitated?  Does their skin look weathered?  Choose a person, take notes....and then describe that person - giving him/her a name and back story.  You are only limited by your imagination.

D.S. McKnight