(A quick note - I'm still here! The holidays took me away from the blogosphere for a bit, but I'm back now.)
Lately I've been thinking about food. It's not surprising, given the holidays and how much our traditions revolve around food (Thanksgiving dinner, making candy for Christmas, that sort of thing), but just cooking with my husband made me think of the ways my parents worked to include me in the making of the family meals.
There were two big things that my parents made that were considered "their things" - Dad's pizza, and Mom's "full-blown Mexican". The pizza was one of the first things I learned how to make, mostly because I kept bothering my father, asking if it was ready yet. That was how I got involved in a lot of cooking, actually, was by being annoying.
Mom's food was essentially her version of the food she learned from her mother - taco meat, Spanish rice, flour tortillas, and various other foods depending on how big the meal was going to be. One of my clearest memories was being given the huge responsibility of seasoning the taco meat on my own, unsupervised. It was one of the earliest moments of pride that I can remember, when Mom tasted the meat and told me I had seasoned it perfectly.
It's the little things that make a life, which is something to remember when creating characters and when dealing with other people in general. Everyone has those memories that don't seem to mean much outside of their own heads, but are incredibly precious to them.
Showing posts with label character building. Show all posts
Showing posts with label character building. Show all posts
Monday, December 26, 2016
Monday, October 24, 2016
What you do when you're not doing anything
I swear the title makes sense. I'm talking about those times when you aren't actively writing or making something, or when you're not moving around much (like when you're riding the bus for example). Do you sit still? Do you have to have something to keep at least part of you occupied?
I've always been a fidgety person. Most of the reasons why I wear rings beyond my wedding set is so I have something to play with on each hand, particularly if I'm sitting in a meeting and listening to someone speak. I'm not entirely sure why, but my focus seems to be directly connected to my hands.
A couple of years ago, my office had to evacuate due to a threat to the building that the authorities felt was credible. (Spoiler: nothing happened in the end, thank heavens.) I've found that my anxiety is much more likely to rear its ugly head when I have just enough information to know that Something Is Wrong, but not enough information to make any sort of a plan. Naturally, this kind of evacuation put me squarely in that category.
Fortunately, when we were evacuated, we were told to grab all of our things and prepare to make "alternative work arrangements" as no one knew how long we would be away from our building. My bag included my project bag, with a scarf I was crocheting at the time. After milling about for around five minutes, getting closer and closer to a panic attack, I finally pulled out my crochet and got to work. The pattern was fairly simple, so it didn't require a lot of attention, but it forced me to calm my hands down enough to get the yarn moving. It gave me an outlet to get rid of some of the nerves that were flowing, and it helped me calm down. It also confused my manager and coworkers, but they've gotten used to me by now.
I like putting my characters in different situations and seeing how they react, as it helps me learn more about their basic personalities. Figuring out how my characters handle time in which they aren't or can't actively do something can be a defining characteristic, I believe. I don't know how nuts it would drive some of them, or if they would be relieved to take a moment to breathe. Only one way to find out!
I've always been a fidgety person. Most of the reasons why I wear rings beyond my wedding set is so I have something to play with on each hand, particularly if I'm sitting in a meeting and listening to someone speak. I'm not entirely sure why, but my focus seems to be directly connected to my hands.
A couple of years ago, my office had to evacuate due to a threat to the building that the authorities felt was credible. (Spoiler: nothing happened in the end, thank heavens.) I've found that my anxiety is much more likely to rear its ugly head when I have just enough information to know that Something Is Wrong, but not enough information to make any sort of a plan. Naturally, this kind of evacuation put me squarely in that category.
Fortunately, when we were evacuated, we were told to grab all of our things and prepare to make "alternative work arrangements" as no one knew how long we would be away from our building. My bag included my project bag, with a scarf I was crocheting at the time. After milling about for around five minutes, getting closer and closer to a panic attack, I finally pulled out my crochet and got to work. The pattern was fairly simple, so it didn't require a lot of attention, but it forced me to calm my hands down enough to get the yarn moving. It gave me an outlet to get rid of some of the nerves that were flowing, and it helped me calm down. It also confused my manager and coworkers, but they've gotten used to me by now.
I like putting my characters in different situations and seeing how they react, as it helps me learn more about their basic personalities. Figuring out how my characters handle time in which they aren't or can't actively do something can be a defining characteristic, I believe. I don't know how nuts it would drive some of them, or if they would be relieved to take a moment to breathe. Only one way to find out!
Monday, October 10, 2016
Character development - shields
Lately I've been thinking a lot about how we arm ourselves to face the world outside our comfort zones. Some of us have rituals that we use to get ourselves in the right mindset to go out and do what needs to be done, even if we don't actively identify them as such - shower, shave, brush teeth, comb hair, that sort of thing. For some folks, this morning ritual includes things like working out or yoga or some other form of getting the body in a good place as well as the mind.
I was always a "do it the night before" kind of kid, because I value sleep, and the best sleep is that first thing in the morning. However, I need to take a few steps to make sure I can handle whatever comes at me, as well - if I'm not wearing my rings or my watch, I find myself feeling off-kilter all day, and I don't quite feel like I'm as prepared as I could be.
I see it as a form of shield-making - the things we do to prepare before leaving the homes we create for ourselves. Even if it's just something as simple as grabbing their wallet and keys on the way out the door, it's something that makes a person feel as though they're ready for the day ahead, whatever it may hold. It's something worth looking for when figuring out who your characters are - if they had to leave for the day in a hurry, what would they be sure to grab? What would drive them crazy if they didn't have it? What shields do they put in place before they walk out the door?
I was always a "do it the night before" kind of kid, because I value sleep, and the best sleep is that first thing in the morning. However, I need to take a few steps to make sure I can handle whatever comes at me, as well - if I'm not wearing my rings or my watch, I find myself feeling off-kilter all day, and I don't quite feel like I'm as prepared as I could be.
I see it as a form of shield-making - the things we do to prepare before leaving the homes we create for ourselves. Even if it's just something as simple as grabbing their wallet and keys on the way out the door, it's something that makes a person feel as though they're ready for the day ahead, whatever it may hold. It's something worth looking for when figuring out who your characters are - if they had to leave for the day in a hurry, what would they be sure to grab? What would drive them crazy if they didn't have it? What shields do they put in place before they walk out the door?
Monday, September 19, 2016
Character building - talking with your hands
When I was in high school, my Spanish teacher asked me in front of the whole class if it was possible for me to talk without moving my hands. I defiantly sat on my hands for the rest of the period...and couldn't finish a complete thought for the life of me. Every time I opened my mouth, my hands struggled to regain their freedom.
As I've gotten older, my gesturing isn't as expansive as once it was - I freely admit that it was dangerous to stand too close to me if I was in full story-telling mode when I was younger, particularly if you were holding a beverage - but it's still pretty well ingrained in the way I communicate. I still gesture more if I'm speaking Spanish instead of English, and those gestures tend to be more of a pantomime to help me find the right words. And I do still gesture while speaking to someone on the phone, or who could not otherwise see me.
Recently, a study came out that helped explain a little bit about why people gesture when they can't be seen. Basically, gesturing is part of learning a language - even people who have never seen another person gesturing as they speak will have very similar hand motions as they speak. It's a fascinating way of looking at language and how it ties back into the rest of the body, above and beyond just speaking and listening.
Even with the basic gestures being similar among speakers of the same language, however, everyone does things a little differently. Some of us are more enthusiastic and descriptive with the gestures, while others may keep their hands contained and their motions minimal. It changes how other people perceive them, and it can change with the character's mood - I know that if I'm not doing well emotionally, my hands hardly move at all when I speak.
Adding another way to illustrate a character's method of communication can help a character's development gain some depth and realism. Also, it can just be fun to see how much a character will flail when you start to put them in frustrating situations.
As I've gotten older, my gesturing isn't as expansive as once it was - I freely admit that it was dangerous to stand too close to me if I was in full story-telling mode when I was younger, particularly if you were holding a beverage - but it's still pretty well ingrained in the way I communicate. I still gesture more if I'm speaking Spanish instead of English, and those gestures tend to be more of a pantomime to help me find the right words. And I do still gesture while speaking to someone on the phone, or who could not otherwise see me.
Recently, a study came out that helped explain a little bit about why people gesture when they can't be seen. Basically, gesturing is part of learning a language - even people who have never seen another person gesturing as they speak will have very similar hand motions as they speak. It's a fascinating way of looking at language and how it ties back into the rest of the body, above and beyond just speaking and listening.
Even with the basic gestures being similar among speakers of the same language, however, everyone does things a little differently. Some of us are more enthusiastic and descriptive with the gestures, while others may keep their hands contained and their motions minimal. It changes how other people perceive them, and it can change with the character's mood - I know that if I'm not doing well emotionally, my hands hardly move at all when I speak.
Adding another way to illustrate a character's method of communication can help a character's development gain some depth and realism. Also, it can just be fun to see how much a character will flail when you start to put them in frustrating situations.
Monday, September 12, 2016
Character building - what's it got in its pocketses?
I spend a not-insignificant amount of time on the weekends making sure that I have all of the things I "need" with me in the right bag, depending on where I'm going. During the week, I have a backpack that carries the bulk of the burden, but on the weekends, if I'm going to a game store or some such, I may not want the whole backpack - I may just take a small shoulder bag. It always leaves me reconsidering exactly what I need to have on me in order to feel comfortable.
Most people have their own version of the daily "pocket litter" that they have with them every time they leave the house - keys, phone, wallet. But what kind of wallet? Is it all of the keys together, or separated by a valet ring? Is the phone in the wallet somehow? And what else do they feel like they can't leave the house without?
For example, my husband needs to have at least one pen on him before he goes anywhere. I need some form of reading, be it on my phone, my Kindle, or a physical book. My friend carries a notebook of ideas and a pen, just in case.
It's a definite way of giving a reader a sense of what a character considers important, if you show what the character carries with them at all times. Are they always armed? Do they keep pictures of family close at hand? Is there a lucky token of some sort that they would feel lost if they left it behind?
People can be strange and marvelous things, and it never hurts to find new ways of demonstrating insights into a character that the character may not even realize are there.
Most people have their own version of the daily "pocket litter" that they have with them every time they leave the house - keys, phone, wallet. But what kind of wallet? Is it all of the keys together, or separated by a valet ring? Is the phone in the wallet somehow? And what else do they feel like they can't leave the house without?
For example, my husband needs to have at least one pen on him before he goes anywhere. I need some form of reading, be it on my phone, my Kindle, or a physical book. My friend carries a notebook of ideas and a pen, just in case.
It's a definite way of giving a reader a sense of what a character considers important, if you show what the character carries with them at all times. Are they always armed? Do they keep pictures of family close at hand? Is there a lucky token of some sort that they would feel lost if they left it behind?
People can be strange and marvelous things, and it never hurts to find new ways of demonstrating insights into a character that the character may not even realize are there.
Friday, August 12, 2016
How do they swear?
I've been spending some time getting caught up on Writing Excuses, and one episode on polytheism brought up an interesting question. A couple of the panelists said that when they are first thinking of a new religion, they start by wondering what their characters would swear by. That got me thinking in a different direction about character development - how do they swear?
Last year I read a book about the history of swearing in English, and the book broke things into two categories - the profane and the obscene (or rather, the holy and the shit of the book's title), and charted how these two categories rose and fell in terms of how "bad" they're considered by society.
Its says a lot about a person's beliefs with how they treat these two categories - I have family members that will take God's name in vain, but would rather be mute than reference any bodily function or fluid. On the other side, I've worked with people who had no problem dropping f-bombs on a regular basis but would twitch any time they heard someone say "Oh my God."
Swearing is one of those aspects of language that people tend to have definitive ideas about. Growing up, I was under the impression that the only people who swore were "bad" people, and even saying something that could be misconstrued as a swear word was to be avoided. (I may or may not have gotten into trouble for calling for my cat by saying "Puss puss!" Mom meant business.) I had to come up with some kind of "filler" words, because you still need something to holler when dropping something on your foot. I tended to go either cutesy (fudge), old-fashioned (blast), or British so no one will yell at me in the States (bollocks).
So when thinking about a character's voice, imagine they've dropped something on their foot. How do they react? Why?
Last year I read a book about the history of swearing in English, and the book broke things into two categories - the profane and the obscene (or rather, the holy and the shit of the book's title), and charted how these two categories rose and fell in terms of how "bad" they're considered by society.
Its says a lot about a person's beliefs with how they treat these two categories - I have family members that will take God's name in vain, but would rather be mute than reference any bodily function or fluid. On the other side, I've worked with people who had no problem dropping f-bombs on a regular basis but would twitch any time they heard someone say "Oh my God."
Swearing is one of those aspects of language that people tend to have definitive ideas about. Growing up, I was under the impression that the only people who swore were "bad" people, and even saying something that could be misconstrued as a swear word was to be avoided. (I may or may not have gotten into trouble for calling for my cat by saying "Puss puss!" Mom meant business.) I had to come up with some kind of "filler" words, because you still need something to holler when dropping something on your foot. I tended to go either cutesy (fudge), old-fashioned (blast), or British so no one will yell at me in the States (bollocks).
So when thinking about a character's voice, imagine they've dropped something on their foot. How do they react? Why?
Monday, March 16, 2015
Writing Excuses Master Class - Q&A on Character
Let's try to finish up February's prompts, now that it's halfway through March.
The prompt:
Sketch out the events before and after your dead-drop scene from last week and three weeks ago.
I'm going to go back to Alison and Matthew (from Take three), starting with the before.
"I think it's time to get Alison out in the field." The statement from Veronica seemed to come out of nowhere, and neither Alison nor Matthew was expecting it. Luthor, working away on his multi-screened computer, swiveled around in his chair to face the rest of the group.
Alison blinked bemusedly, trying to focus on the older member of the squad after staring at pages of handwritten notes for hours. "In the field? I...didn't know there was a field to be in." She turned to Matthew, whom she had presumed to be the leader of their motley crew. "Why didn't anyone say there was a field?"
Veronica stood up and began riffling through a shelf on the wall near the door. Matthew ignored Alison's question and addressed Veronica instead. "Do you think she's ready? She's only been with us for a few weeks now...I'd prefer it if she got a better handle on what we do, before we send her on a mission."
Luthor snorted, turning back to his screens. "That didn't seem to stop you guys from sending me out less than a month after I joined you," he grumbled. "I'm still not completely sure what the hell I ran into, just that it was something I needed to run the hell away from."
"I'm not talking about anything that drastic," Veronica called over her shoulder. "Aha! Here it is." She pulled a small wooden block out of a metal box on the shelf, and held it up triumphantly. "You were saying yourself that we needed to get more intel. Well, this will do it. We've got our source at the market - we'll just have Alison plant it, and bingo. Problem solved." She beamed expectantly.
Matthew still didn't look completely convinced, but Alison had perked up at the word "market." "So you just need me to plant that thing somewhere in the market? I can do that. Just say where." She started cataloging which stalls would probably be set up today, and almost missed Matthew's sour look and abrupt gesture. He grabbed the block from Veronica, and carefully wrapped it in one of his ubiquitous handkerchiefs. "I'm going with her," he said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Get up - we might as well get this over with."
After:
Alison was still trying to decide whether to get the matching earrings to go with the necklace when Matthew strolled up behind her. "You know, an ideal member of our team wouldn't be standing around shopping only feet away from a dead-drop," he said softly, a note of amusement in his voice.
"Yes, well, an ideal member wouldn't try to walk away without one of these gorgeous amethysts, either," Alison retorted, not looking at him. "I do believe I need the earrings, too," she said to the woman behind the stall, who cheerfully began writing up a sales slip. Once Alison handed over her credit card, she finally turned to face Matthew. "Besides, it's not like you're going to tell me what exactly I just did until we get back the car, right? So let a woman shop in peace." She sniffed, then turned back to the saleswoman to take back her card and the bag with her jewelry.
Matthew rolled his eyes, but before he could respond, he began to hear shouts coming from the direction of the Spoonman stall. Taking Alison's arm none too gently, he steered her away from the jewelry stall and began hustling her to the parking lot. Alison began to protest, but Matthew wasn't having it. "Less talking, more leaving," he muttered grimly, doing his best not to break into a run while still getting out of the line of sight of the stall as quickly as possible. Alison, for once, took him seriously, and kept a firm grip on her bag of jewelry as she speed-walked next to him.
The prompt:
Sketch out the events before and after your dead-drop scene from last week and three weeks ago.
I'm going to go back to Alison and Matthew (from Take three), starting with the before.
"I think it's time to get Alison out in the field." The statement from Veronica seemed to come out of nowhere, and neither Alison nor Matthew was expecting it. Luthor, working away on his multi-screened computer, swiveled around in his chair to face the rest of the group.
Alison blinked bemusedly, trying to focus on the older member of the squad after staring at pages of handwritten notes for hours. "In the field? I...didn't know there was a field to be in." She turned to Matthew, whom she had presumed to be the leader of their motley crew. "Why didn't anyone say there was a field?"
Veronica stood up and began riffling through a shelf on the wall near the door. Matthew ignored Alison's question and addressed Veronica instead. "Do you think she's ready? She's only been with us for a few weeks now...I'd prefer it if she got a better handle on what we do, before we send her on a mission."
Luthor snorted, turning back to his screens. "That didn't seem to stop you guys from sending me out less than a month after I joined you," he grumbled. "I'm still not completely sure what the hell I ran into, just that it was something I needed to run the hell away from."
"I'm not talking about anything that drastic," Veronica called over her shoulder. "Aha! Here it is." She pulled a small wooden block out of a metal box on the shelf, and held it up triumphantly. "You were saying yourself that we needed to get more intel. Well, this will do it. We've got our source at the market - we'll just have Alison plant it, and bingo. Problem solved." She beamed expectantly.
Matthew still didn't look completely convinced, but Alison had perked up at the word "market." "So you just need me to plant that thing somewhere in the market? I can do that. Just say where." She started cataloging which stalls would probably be set up today, and almost missed Matthew's sour look and abrupt gesture. He grabbed the block from Veronica, and carefully wrapped it in one of his ubiquitous handkerchiefs. "I'm going with her," he said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Get up - we might as well get this over with."
After:
Alison was still trying to decide whether to get the matching earrings to go with the necklace when Matthew strolled up behind her. "You know, an ideal member of our team wouldn't be standing around shopping only feet away from a dead-drop," he said softly, a note of amusement in his voice.
"Yes, well, an ideal member wouldn't try to walk away without one of these gorgeous amethysts, either," Alison retorted, not looking at him. "I do believe I need the earrings, too," she said to the woman behind the stall, who cheerfully began writing up a sales slip. Once Alison handed over her credit card, she finally turned to face Matthew. "Besides, it's not like you're going to tell me what exactly I just did until we get back the car, right? So let a woman shop in peace." She sniffed, then turned back to the saleswoman to take back her card and the bag with her jewelry.
Matthew rolled his eyes, but before he could respond, he began to hear shouts coming from the direction of the Spoonman stall. Taking Alison's arm none too gently, he steered her away from the jewelry stall and began hustling her to the parking lot. Alison began to protest, but Matthew wasn't having it. "Less talking, more leaving," he muttered grimly, doing his best not to break into a run while still getting out of the line of sight of the stall as quickly as possible. Alison, for once, took him seriously, and kept a firm grip on her bag of jewelry as she speed-walked next to him.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Writing Excuses Master Class - Who Are All These People?
Time to try to catch up on Writing Excuses' Master Class. This prompt is going to interesting, I think:
Pick one of the dead-drop characters from the exercise two weeks ago, and turn them into a secondary character. Now take one of the characters with whom they interacted, and write the same scene again, but from this new character's POV.
We're going to go with Alison and Matthew, the last try on my previous post for the Master Class.
Matthew was certain that Alison was going to get herself killed. If he'd had his way, he would never have pushed this kind of job on such a green recruit, but he didn't have a choice. He sat back in the shade of a tree, trying to keep an eye on the girl without being completely conspicuous. "Keep going," he muttered under his breath when he saw her linger at a jewelry stand. "You can shop later!" He nodded to a couple of women walking by, but realized that they hadn't even looked twice at him. There were times, he thought, where living in an age with cell phones everywhere makes it much easier to go unnoticed.
He flinched when Alison got tangled in the leash of an enthusiastic dog, holding his breath when she bobbled the package and nearly dropped it. Finally, she scurried out of sight into the correct booth, and Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. She had managed to pass the first test, so her training would continue. He was happy, as he hadn't looked forward to the idea of having to remove her from the field. He started to move toward her, but stopped when he saw her duck into a jewelry stall. With a sigh, he slid to the ground and opened his book. He might as well give her a few minutes to shop - she'd earned it.
Pick one of the dead-drop characters from the exercise two weeks ago, and turn them into a secondary character. Now take one of the characters with whom they interacted, and write the same scene again, but from this new character's POV.
We're going to go with Alison and Matthew, the last try on my previous post for the Master Class.
Matthew was certain that Alison was going to get herself killed. If he'd had his way, he would never have pushed this kind of job on such a green recruit, but he didn't have a choice. He sat back in the shade of a tree, trying to keep an eye on the girl without being completely conspicuous. "Keep going," he muttered under his breath when he saw her linger at a jewelry stand. "You can shop later!" He nodded to a couple of women walking by, but realized that they hadn't even looked twice at him. There were times, he thought, where living in an age with cell phones everywhere makes it much easier to go unnoticed.
He flinched when Alison got tangled in the leash of an enthusiastic dog, holding his breath when she bobbled the package and nearly dropped it. Finally, she scurried out of sight into the correct booth, and Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. She had managed to pass the first test, so her training would continue. He was happy, as he hadn't looked forward to the idea of having to remove her from the field. He started to move toward her, but stopped when he saw her duck into a jewelry stall. With a sigh, he slid to the ground and opened his book. He might as well give her a few minutes to shop - she'd earned it.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Writing Excuses Master Class - What Do You Mean My Main Character is Boring?
New month, new beginnings with the Writing Excuses Master Class. This month is apparently going to be focused on characters, which is great, because that's where things tend to fall apart for me. The writing prompt (and yes, I realize I'm a week behind):
Take three different characters and walk them through a scene. Convey their emotional states, their jobs, and their hobbies without directly stating any of those. The scene in question: walking through a marketplace, and they need to do a dead-drop.
Take one:
Janet kept her eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead of her as she jogged around the track. She felt awkward without her iPod and keys, but the phone call had made it clear that she needed to come right away - no time to do her normal stretching routine, even. The track wrapped around the waterfront, passing in front of the busy Saturday Market. Sunny weekend days were at a premium, and it seemed everyone in the city had decided to go shopping today.
When she reached the edge of the market, she turned off the track, keeping her pace steady as she passed the food stalls. She forced herself to look up, trying to find the bucket behind the elephant ear stand. She knew from experience that she would draw attention from security guards if she started looking around or over her shoulder - it was something that would draw her attention during her rounds, at any rate. She tried to keep her breathing regular, but the nerves were getting to her. Just as she was about to give up, she saw the edge of the bucket peeking out from the tarp at the back of a stand. From the smells of cinnamon and sugar, she knew she was in the right place. Letting out a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, she casually ran near the bucket and tossed something from her pocket, then sprinted away.
Take two:
"Toby, heel!" Roger tried to pull the stubborn dog back, but the Golden Retriever had just seen yet another dog, and had to sniff it out. The dog was dumb as a box of hammers, but his owners paid well, so Roger put up with him. At least he was friendly, and taking him for a walk through Saturday Market gave him an excuse to handle other affairs.
With an irritated sigh, Roger pulled Toby off the other dog and smiled apologetically at the girl holding the Shii Tzu's leash. "Sorry about that, he's a little feisty," he called as she huffed away. "Toby, you've got to try to go for the dogs that have HOT owners," he told the dog as they walked in the opposite direction. "How am I supposed to get any if you don't do your job?"
They continued down the row, stopping at the Spoonman stand where the air glittered with "art" made from upcycled silverware. Roger thought it was garbage, but the man made a lot of money, and with so many people around the stand, it made his job much easier. He sidled up to the edge of the stand, looking seriously at some...he thought they might be flower vases, maybe? At any rate, they'd be perfect. With a quick glance around, he reached into his pocket and added a little something extra to the vase display. Whistling, he tugged Toby's leash and they continued on their merry way.
Take three:
Alison couldn't help rolling her eyes at the serious tone Matthew was taking. "I get it, boss," she sing-songed. "I go to the stall in the market, drop off the-"
"Quiet!" Matthew hissed, trying to keep her attention on him while simultaneously keeping himself from being seen. "You can't just go around talking about it. You should know better than that by now. Just...just go, put it where it needs to be, and come back." He sighed, shaking his head. "I still don't know if this work is for you, but we have to try something."
"Thanks a heap," Alison muttered as she snagged the package from the bench next to Matthew and stalked off. She knew that this was a weird part of the job, but she refused to let herself think that she couldn't handle it. There was important information to track, and the package in her hand was going to help her team in a lot of ways.
She walked down the aisle of stalls, slowing down as she saw a few jeweler's stands with sparkling necklaces and earrings. Maybe after she did the..thing, she could come back and do a bit of shopping. Better hurry up and be done with ti, then.
She continued on, in a bit of a hurry now, hoping that the large amethyst necklace would still be where she saw it when she was done. She almost tripped over a Golden Retriever who jumped up on her, and she almost dropped the package. She managed to get away from both dog and owner and rounded the corner to Spoonman's stand. She wrinkled her nose at some of the displays, but she admitted that the pens made of servingware did look pretty cool. She tried not to look around too much, and with as many people as there were in the booth, it was unlikely that anyone would notice her, anyway. She went to the counter where the cashier was ringing things up furiously, and dropped the package behind the business-card holder next to the register. Slipping away, she felt a rush of adrenaline. Now to find that necklace again...
Take three different characters and walk them through a scene. Convey their emotional states, their jobs, and their hobbies without directly stating any of those. The scene in question: walking through a marketplace, and they need to do a dead-drop.
Take one:
Janet kept her eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead of her as she jogged around the track. She felt awkward without her iPod and keys, but the phone call had made it clear that she needed to come right away - no time to do her normal stretching routine, even. The track wrapped around the waterfront, passing in front of the busy Saturday Market. Sunny weekend days were at a premium, and it seemed everyone in the city had decided to go shopping today.
When she reached the edge of the market, she turned off the track, keeping her pace steady as she passed the food stalls. She forced herself to look up, trying to find the bucket behind the elephant ear stand. She knew from experience that she would draw attention from security guards if she started looking around or over her shoulder - it was something that would draw her attention during her rounds, at any rate. She tried to keep her breathing regular, but the nerves were getting to her. Just as she was about to give up, she saw the edge of the bucket peeking out from the tarp at the back of a stand. From the smells of cinnamon and sugar, she knew she was in the right place. Letting out a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, she casually ran near the bucket and tossed something from her pocket, then sprinted away.
Take two:
"Toby, heel!" Roger tried to pull the stubborn dog back, but the Golden Retriever had just seen yet another dog, and had to sniff it out. The dog was dumb as a box of hammers, but his owners paid well, so Roger put up with him. At least he was friendly, and taking him for a walk through Saturday Market gave him an excuse to handle other affairs.
With an irritated sigh, Roger pulled Toby off the other dog and smiled apologetically at the girl holding the Shii Tzu's leash. "Sorry about that, he's a little feisty," he called as she huffed away. "Toby, you've got to try to go for the dogs that have HOT owners," he told the dog as they walked in the opposite direction. "How am I supposed to get any if you don't do your job?"
They continued down the row, stopping at the Spoonman stand where the air glittered with "art" made from upcycled silverware. Roger thought it was garbage, but the man made a lot of money, and with so many people around the stand, it made his job much easier. He sidled up to the edge of the stand, looking seriously at some...he thought they might be flower vases, maybe? At any rate, they'd be perfect. With a quick glance around, he reached into his pocket and added a little something extra to the vase display. Whistling, he tugged Toby's leash and they continued on their merry way.
Take three:
Alison couldn't help rolling her eyes at the serious tone Matthew was taking. "I get it, boss," she sing-songed. "I go to the stall in the market, drop off the-"
"Quiet!" Matthew hissed, trying to keep her attention on him while simultaneously keeping himself from being seen. "You can't just go around talking about it. You should know better than that by now. Just...just go, put it where it needs to be, and come back." He sighed, shaking his head. "I still don't know if this work is for you, but we have to try something."
"Thanks a heap," Alison muttered as she snagged the package from the bench next to Matthew and stalked off. She knew that this was a weird part of the job, but she refused to let herself think that she couldn't handle it. There was important information to track, and the package in her hand was going to help her team in a lot of ways.
She walked down the aisle of stalls, slowing down as she saw a few jeweler's stands with sparkling necklaces and earrings. Maybe after she did the..thing, she could come back and do a bit of shopping. Better hurry up and be done with ti, then.
She continued on, in a bit of a hurry now, hoping that the large amethyst necklace would still be where she saw it when she was done. She almost tripped over a Golden Retriever who jumped up on her, and she almost dropped the package. She managed to get away from both dog and owner and rounded the corner to Spoonman's stand. She wrinkled her nose at some of the displays, but she admitted that the pens made of servingware did look pretty cool. She tried not to look around too much, and with as many people as there were in the booth, it was unlikely that anyone would notice her, anyway. She went to the counter where the cashier was ringing things up furiously, and dropped the package behind the business-card holder next to the register. Slipping away, she felt a rush of adrenaline. Now to find that necklace again...
Friday, December 12, 2014
Character building - personal effects
The other day, I started sorting through my jewelry. I had recently gotten a new necklace, and I wanted to put it away and make sure I had everything else in order. A few years ago, I had done a massive culling of the herd, as it were, and I like to go through and see if there's anything else that should be sent out to pasture when I add new items.
I don't have a ton of jewelry (anymore), and I realized that the items I kept, and that I wear the most often, are the ones with stories behind them. There are the necklaces my husband has given me, a locket with some of the dirt from my father's grave inside, and earrings my mother gave me when I graduated from high school. Not all of them are things that have big, important meanings, of course - I have several necklaces that I bought at various conventions that I keep because they remind me of the convention and, of course, because they're pretty.
You can tell a lot about a person (or a character) by the things that they keep that are important to them. Sometimes it's something as simple as a ring they always wear - it may look completely innocuous, but there's probably a reason why that person always wears it, and it's a great hook into a character's psyche. Everyone has something that, if lost or stolen, would affect them emotionally. And if a person doesn't have something like that, well, that's another angle on the character.
Writing is going slowly, but it is going. I've decided to go back to Paranormal Investigations for a bit, since it's been a while since I've spent any time on those characters and I've missed them. I'm also working on a guest blog post for my husband's blog Talking Game, about being a woman in the land of gaming. I'll be honest - I'm a little nervous about that post. I've been extremely lucky, in that the majority of my negative interactions have simply had to do with being condescended or patronized to, with no threats. By making myself more visible and writing about it, that could change, and I'm not certain how I feel about that yet.
I don't have a ton of jewelry (anymore), and I realized that the items I kept, and that I wear the most often, are the ones with stories behind them. There are the necklaces my husband has given me, a locket with some of the dirt from my father's grave inside, and earrings my mother gave me when I graduated from high school. Not all of them are things that have big, important meanings, of course - I have several necklaces that I bought at various conventions that I keep because they remind me of the convention and, of course, because they're pretty.
You can tell a lot about a person (or a character) by the things that they keep that are important to them. Sometimes it's something as simple as a ring they always wear - it may look completely innocuous, but there's probably a reason why that person always wears it, and it's a great hook into a character's psyche. Everyone has something that, if lost or stolen, would affect them emotionally. And if a person doesn't have something like that, well, that's another angle on the character.
Writing is going slowly, but it is going. I've decided to go back to Paranormal Investigations for a bit, since it's been a while since I've spent any time on those characters and I've missed them. I'm also working on a guest blog post for my husband's blog Talking Game, about being a woman in the land of gaming. I'll be honest - I'm a little nervous about that post. I've been extremely lucky, in that the majority of my negative interactions have simply had to do with being condescended or patronized to, with no threats. By making myself more visible and writing about it, that could change, and I'm not certain how I feel about that yet.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Very superstitious...(Character and world building)
Speaking with my husband earlier today, I remembered one of the very first things he told me about role-playing games. "Never touch another player's dice unless they give you permission," he had stated very seriously. I remember smiling a little bit, but I took it to heart, figuring it was tied to gamer etiquette. It is, in a way - many gamers feel that having someone else touch their dice might change the dice's luck.
There are loads of other superstitions related to anything randomly determined, which makes sense in a way. People in general will look for patterns and for anything that might cause randomness to work in their favor. My mother played Bingo for a long time, and I went with her to the Bingo parlor and saw that some of these ladies would nearly come to blows if someone was sitting in "their" seat. I saw a woman around the age of my grandmother who had about a dozen stuffed animals that she would line up in a particular order in front of her cards.
Not everyone is superstitious, at least not consciously. I'm not one to avoid stepping on cracks, and one of the cats at home is black. I will, however, set all of my dice on their highest possible roll before a gaming session. There's a lot of randomness in the world, and it can make people feel better to have some kind of ritual to give the impression of control.
What's random in the world you're building? What might be something that the people in your world will want to claim some kind of control over, even if there isn't anything they can do? There's always things like the weather that people will always want to believe they can control.
How about your characters? Are they overtly superstitious, or do they scoff at anything along that line? Even if they don't claim any kind of beliefs, there may be some things that are considered part of a culture's etiquette that are really just a superstition that's been codified into a cultural norm.
In terms of writing, well...Hi, my name is Stephanie, and it's been six days since I last wrote. (Everybody together: "Hi, Stephanie.") I can give a bunch of excuses, but it won't help me write more. I need to get back into the swing of things, and I'm hoping to have a couple of "normal" weeks to get me back into the writing rhythm.
There are loads of other superstitions related to anything randomly determined, which makes sense in a way. People in general will look for patterns and for anything that might cause randomness to work in their favor. My mother played Bingo for a long time, and I went with her to the Bingo parlor and saw that some of these ladies would nearly come to blows if someone was sitting in "their" seat. I saw a woman around the age of my grandmother who had about a dozen stuffed animals that she would line up in a particular order in front of her cards.
Not everyone is superstitious, at least not consciously. I'm not one to avoid stepping on cracks, and one of the cats at home is black. I will, however, set all of my dice on their highest possible roll before a gaming session. There's a lot of randomness in the world, and it can make people feel better to have some kind of ritual to give the impression of control.
What's random in the world you're building? What might be something that the people in your world will want to claim some kind of control over, even if there isn't anything they can do? There's always things like the weather that people will always want to believe they can control.
How about your characters? Are they overtly superstitious, or do they scoff at anything along that line? Even if they don't claim any kind of beliefs, there may be some things that are considered part of a culture's etiquette that are really just a superstition that's been codified into a cultural norm.
In terms of writing, well...Hi, my name is Stephanie, and it's been six days since I last wrote. (Everybody together: "Hi, Stephanie.") I can give a bunch of excuses, but it won't help me write more. I need to get back into the swing of things, and I'm hoping to have a couple of "normal" weeks to get me back into the writing rhythm.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Character building - pain
Something that every person has to deal with at some point is pain. Be it physical or purely emotional, how a person handles pain says a lot about that person, and people can learn a lot about themselves when they have to encounter pain of some sort.
I find that figuring out how a character reacts to pain is a great way to flesh out a character. It's usually just a thought experiment, though occasionally I'll write a brief scene to help me solidify the things I learn about that character. For example, I'll put the character in a situation that would cause the "average person" some sort of emotional pain - the death of a family member. Finding out how the character reacts to that brings up a ton of questions right away:
- How close is the character to the family member in question?
- How does the character react externally, in public?
- How does the character react privately?
- Is there anyone that the character would feel comfortable expressing their pain to?
- What's the first thought that runs through the character's head when hearing the news?
There are stories that can grow out of this information right away - if the character isn't close to the family member who died, why? Was there some sort of estrangement? If the character breaks down in public, how do the people around the character react?
Physical pain is less similar that it would seem on first blush. Speaking from personal experience with chronic pain, I know that I can "push through" pain I'm used to, but will be laid out flat by something unexpected. I have chronic head pain, so I'm used to working around headaches; however, if I throw my back out, the slightest shift in movement will leave me incapacitated. So ask yourself:
- What kinds of pain your character can work through, and what will drop them into the fetal position?
- Does your character react differently if someone witnesses an injury, as opposed to being alone?
- At what point will your character ask for help?
In general, people don't like to think about pain. However, seeing how someone reacts to different kinds of pain can help give a character depth, even if it never comes up explicitly in the text. Try not to torture them too much, though - you don't want them to run off screaming into the night.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Questions for a new world
So, I'm going through my notes on a plot bunny that's been sitting and waiting patiently for a year or two, because I want to give it a bit of a shot for the next Camp NaNoWriMo. I had developed a timeline, which was helpful, but just reading it over made me realize that there were a lot of unanswered questions I would need to work with. I started writing some of those questions down, and realized that it might not hurt to have a generalized questionnaire for world- and plot-building. And so, I share with you. Feel free to let me know of any other questions you think could be helpful!
1. What does the average person in your setting do for a living?
2. How does the average person in your setting live day to day?
3. How does the average person become educated?
3a. What obstructions are there to education in your setting?
4. What kind of person is your main character when we first meet him/her?
5. What kind of person is your main character by the time the book is over?
5a. Does the main character die? How and why?
6. Who is the most important person in your main character's life?
7. Who would your main character say is the least important person in his/her life?
8. What's the first thing your main character can remember?
I'm sure there are more, and I have a feeling I'll be coming back to this topic in the future, but tell me what you think. Do you try to get some answers before you write, or do you just dive in and let the answers come about naturally?
1. What does the average person in your setting do for a living?
2. How does the average person in your setting live day to day?
3. How does the average person become educated?
3a. What obstructions are there to education in your setting?
4. What kind of person is your main character when we first meet him/her?
5. What kind of person is your main character by the time the book is over?
5a. Does the main character die? How and why?
6. Who is the most important person in your main character's life?
7. Who would your main character say is the least important person in his/her life?
8. What's the first thing your main character can remember?
I'm sure there are more, and I have a feeling I'll be coming back to this topic in the future, but tell me what you think. Do you try to get some answers before you write, or do you just dive in and let the answers come about naturally?
Monday, March 10, 2014
Memories (No, Not the Song)
My apologies for going radio silent on you last week. After returning from the land of ice and snow (aka Minnesota), I couldn't quite get my feet under me again. The experience of being surrounded by family again did, however, give me a few ideas that I needed to let sit for a little while before I could express them.
My older brother and his family (wife and eleven-year-old daughter) drove from Baltimore to Minnesota for the funeral. I hadn't realized it at the time, but his wife and daughter had never met this side of the family before, and so there was a lot of introductions to be made. As with most family gatherings, there were lots of stories to be told, and my sister-in-law and niece were fascinated by them, as they'd never heard them before. I found out later that my older brother doesn't talk much about his family life, so they don't hear many tales from the past from him.
What was interesting to me was what kinds of stories everyone told. Everyone seemed to have a slightly different view on the same events, and each person remembered different events around the same time. For instance, we discussed how we used to celebrate Easter when my brother and I still lived in Minnesota. My brother remembered that our dad was fond of hiding un-dyed eggs for the Easter egg hunt, as there was frequently snow still on the ground and it made them next to impossible to find until the spring thaw. I didn't remember that, exactly - my memories of Easter involved breaking cascarones over people's heads, and needing to ride on my uncle's shoulders in order to reach my dad. That was something my brother didn't quite remember.
The idea of shared memories, and how they differ person to person, is a solid way of establishing something about a character. The things they remember, the aspects of a situation that they remember more clearly than others, can tell a reader a lot about what they find important and what events may have shaped them. Even if you don't write something explicitly into the text, knowing that one character will remember the details of the food at Thanksgiving, while another one will only remember the argument between two of their uncles, can help inform you about your character. It's another tool in the kit for figuring out who these imaginary people are.
My older brother and his family (wife and eleven-year-old daughter) drove from Baltimore to Minnesota for the funeral. I hadn't realized it at the time, but his wife and daughter had never met this side of the family before, and so there was a lot of introductions to be made. As with most family gatherings, there were lots of stories to be told, and my sister-in-law and niece were fascinated by them, as they'd never heard them before. I found out later that my older brother doesn't talk much about his family life, so they don't hear many tales from the past from him.
What was interesting to me was what kinds of stories everyone told. Everyone seemed to have a slightly different view on the same events, and each person remembered different events around the same time. For instance, we discussed how we used to celebrate Easter when my brother and I still lived in Minnesota. My brother remembered that our dad was fond of hiding un-dyed eggs for the Easter egg hunt, as there was frequently snow still on the ground and it made them next to impossible to find until the spring thaw. I didn't remember that, exactly - my memories of Easter involved breaking cascarones over people's heads, and needing to ride on my uncle's shoulders in order to reach my dad. That was something my brother didn't quite remember.
The idea of shared memories, and how they differ person to person, is a solid way of establishing something about a character. The things they remember, the aspects of a situation that they remember more clearly than others, can tell a reader a lot about what they find important and what events may have shaped them. Even if you don't write something explicitly into the text, knowing that one character will remember the details of the food at Thanksgiving, while another one will only remember the argument between two of their uncles, can help inform you about your character. It's another tool in the kit for figuring out who these imaginary people are.
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