♪♫ Let's Get Together, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah ♫♪

Yes, I'm old enough to remember the original Parent Trap movie.  I loved anything with Hayley Mills in it.  But this blog post isn't about Hayley or her movies or the cute song, Let's Get Together, that Hayley and, uh, Hayley sang in the movie, although it keeps running through my brain.  I decided to share about this past Saturday, when my writers group got together for our Fall Mini-Retreat.

Nothing can be beat a group of females talking about writing and stories and characters and cake--  Oops!  We ate the cake, baked and decorated by one of our members.  (Thanks T!)

Ten of us gathered in the large, comfy and peaceful clubhouse of a large apartment complex at ten in the morning, ready to kick back, relax, and talk writing.  And, boy, did we talk!  We shared information about our current WIPs (Works In Progress), then really got down to the best part:  Brainstorming.

I. Love. Brainstorming.  When I'm stuck or not sure of something in my WIP, I have a couple of friends who I can turn to, and they put me on the right track.  But I love brainstorming other writers "stuff" just as much.  Maybe even more!  It gets the brain working and puts it in creative mode.  After a brainstorming session, I often have lightbulb moments about my own story and characters.

If you've never had the chance to brainstorm with other writers, you've missed one of the best things about writing.  Each of us at the retreat took a turn presenting what our story is about, while everyone else asked questions and gave suggestions, especially if the author had hit a bump in the road of her story.  When that bump happens, there are ways to smooth out the road.  It takes asking questions, whether asked by you or by a fellow writer.  What kind of questions? Why questions.

Why

One of the biggest things that writers need to learn along the way is understanding and using character motivation.  If a character isn't motivated by something or someone, that character will fall flat, leading readers to close the book and toss it aside.  Motivation is what drives a character to think what he thinks and do what she does.  When first deciding on a character, ask yourself a few questions.  What does your character fear and why?  What happened in the character's past made him/her way?  What kind of family did your character come from?  What was the character's childhood like?  Without knowing these things, it's difficult to motivate a character's reason for doing whatever it is she or he is doing throughout the story.  Without motivation, there's no strong goal, and the stronger, the better.  Why does the hero want to be a police officer?  Why is the heroine so negative about marriage and relationships?  Why can't these two people, who are obviously made for each other, get together for a happily-ever-after?  (Aha!  Conflict!)

If you can't answer the why questions, dig a little deeper. Motivation is in the character's backstory.  It's the character's life history.  What would make someone do or not do something?  Want or not want something?  Was the hero's father a police officer?  Had the hero, as a child, run away, faced danger, and was rescued by a police officer?  Did the heroine grow up in a broken home, never getting the chance to get to know her father?  What about her mother?  What kind of person raised this girl?  Or maybe it's something more recent.  Was the heroine dumped at the altar at her wedding?  What was it that makes your character who he or she is at the beginning of the book?

Creating a character that will tug at the hearts of readers or make them laugh, isn't easy.  Knowing your characters is the key to writing a great book.  Do whatever it takes to make your characters come alive.  Getting to know them is the first step.

People don't suddenly appear at the age of twenty-four or thirty-two or whatever age in real life.  Neither should your character, even in the beginning of a book.  A character, just like each of us, is the sum of his life.  You need to know that character and what's happened to him, up to the point of where you begin to tell the story.  That motivation or backstory will help drive your character and your plot.

There are as many ways to "flesh out" a character--get to know them--as there are writers.  Some writers choose to create a character profile of each of the main characters, right down to what books they read and the color of their socks.  Some writers start by writing some dialogue between characters.  Or they might let the characters, one at a time, tell the writer about themselves.  (Yes, we're a crazy bunch, who hear voices in our heads.)  Some writers do a character interview, asking the character simple questions that can become more complex as the interview goes on.  This can often lead to surprises for the writer!  He had a sister who disappeared?!

I've used each of those methods at one time or another, but usually by the time I'm ready to start plotting or writing, those characters have spent enough time in my head that I know them pretty well.  There are lots of times when I wish they'd be quiet!  Practicing some of the techniques above will eventually lead you to what works best for you...and your characters.  But whatever method you use, it never hurts to try something new, when your usual way doesn't work.

That's where brainstorming with a group or even one writer friend can help.  Be sure to keep an open mind, while brainstorm.  Others don't see your characters as you do.  They haven't experienced the same things that you have--or your characters have.  Sometimes we might think the ideas of others don't "fit" our idea of our character, but if we listen, something suggested might turn us down another road in the life of a character and lead to the perfect answer to why.  And that's what makes brainstorming so great.

GMC.  Goal.  Motivation.  Conflict.  (Thanks, Deb Dixon!)  There's no required order to think of it at the beginning of an idea.  Maybe you know your character's conflict first.  Maybe it will be the character's goal.  And maybe you'll have an idea of the character's motivation.  Just keep in mind that it takes all three to make well-rounded, interesting, and believable character that readers will love.  Or hate, because, yes, even the villain should have all three.

Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. ~ Mark Twain

Summertime...and the Living Isn't So Easy

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

While some enjoy what's popularly called the lazy days of summer, it's becoming more and more not my favorite season.  Not that it has been for a long time.  As time has gone by, I've grown to think of it as the crazy days of summer.

This week we've been cursed with 100+ temperatures.  Yesterday was 106, and my AC had trouble keeping up.  The temp inside was 80, and I don't find that exactly conducive to being able to concentrate.  I should have managed to write more than 7 pages, but I was grousing about the heat most of the day.  And those 7 pages?  They were decent for a rough draft...but they were in the wrong place in the story line and in the wrong POV.

Silly me, I forgot to take a look at my storyboard.  The question now is whether I leave them and adjust my plot, changing around a couple of scenes, or do I rewrite 2 that were not what I intended.  They aren't bad, they just aren't what I'd expected from my characters at this point in the story.

(Note to self:  Check storyboard and synopsis for plot before taking off on morning walk and letting scenes run wild in my head.)

 Yes, I'm a plotter.  I know a lot of writers aren't, and that's okay.  I also know writers who say they aren't plotters, yet they are.  Most experienced writers go into writing a story with some idea of what the story is about, who the main characters are and their GMCs, and a few turning points.  Add the Black Moment and the Resolution, and they have a plot.  It may not be written down, but it's there, and they know basically where the story and the characters are going.

Let me state that I haven't always been a plotter.  My earliest attempts at writing were done on the wings of nothingness.  I sat down, I introduced a hero and heroine, and then I let them and the story take me away.  Looking back, those first attempts weren't horrible, but they definitely were...different.  Back then, I could write a 50-60,000 word book in 10 days.  Now I allow myself 2-3 months, depending on what's going on with my life at the time.  Take my word for it.  FAST IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER.

How did I got from total pantster to a crazed OCD plotter?  I honestly don't remember.  What I do remember is that my critique buddy, aka Kathie DeNosky, insisted that I learn how to plot, if only enough to know where my story was headed.  Once I sold my first book, she told me, I'd want to sell on proposal, and to do that, I'd better have half a clue who those characters are and what their story is.

Guess what?  She was right.  There's also a bonus to this.  My story goes from point to point, without wandering, and I rarely have to go back and rewrite complete scenes.    When I start to write, I know who the characters are and why they're doing what they're doing.  I know their GMCs and base their story on that.

If you're to the point where you believe you need to learn how to plot or at least want to have an idea of where your story is going and how your characters are going to grow, it's time to get serious about this plotting thing.  I'm here to tell you that it isn't as difficult as it sounds.  Once I learned what I needed to do, the doing became much easier.

Each person creates a story in her own way, but there are some basics that can help make it easier.  If you're ready to start learning those basics or if you feel you need a refresher or something to give you a shove, check back next week.  Let's talk plotting.  :)

Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. - Stephen King

Digging Deeper - Part 2

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

Motivation

Synonyms: motive, inspiration, inducement, cause, impetus. 

In GMC (Goal, Motivation & Conflict) MOTIVATION is the WHY.  It's the reason for the character's Goal. The more intense (emotional) the motivation, the better.

If a character has no goal, there's no reason for the reader to care.  No one cares about a character who doesn't want something.  The stronger and more emotional the goal, the more involved the reader will become.  But don't stop there, because it's the Conflict--what keeps the character from reaching the goal--that really keeps the story going and the reader hooked.  There won't be much of a story if the character gets what he/she wants in the beginning, no matter what the reason.  Therefore, we have conflict. 

Motivation is the Key to Conflict

Say it again.  Say it out loud.  Say it each time you sit down to plot or write a story.  Motivation is the key to conflict.  If you want deeper emotional conflict for the character--so deep that the reader can't put down the book--character motivation is imperative.

But where do we find motivation for our character?
IN THE BACKSTORY.  

What is backstory?
It's everything that happens before the story opens.

Anyone who has taken a basic psychology class knows that the person we are to become is formed as we grow.  Our personality is shaped from birth and beyond.  Good, bad, mediocre, it's all a part of who we are.  Those things that happen along the way--people and events--are our backstory.  Simply stated, it's our deepest, truest biography.  The same holds true for our characters.

Make your characters come alive.  Make them real.  Start working on the WHY of your characters before you start writing.  Know everything you can about them, their family and how they fit or didn't fit, their childhood, their friends and emotional experiences as they grew up.  When you work out the backstory first, it can reveal the motivation and conflict for your characters.

Remember, motivation is the key to make everything work.  The deeper and more intense and emotional the motivation, the stronger the conflict.  Find your character's conflict in their motivation through their backstory.

Goal, Motivation & Conflict.  It all works together.  Without each of those points, a character is incomplete.  When all three work together, a character can be unforgettable.

More next week on how to dig even deeper into your character's motivation and backstory.

Action, reaction, motivation, emotion, all have to come from the characters. Writing a love scene requires the same elements from the writer as any other. ~ Nora Roberts

Then Along Came Conflict

WRITING WEDNESDAYS


I'm still playing blog catch-up and hope to be back on schedule by the end of the week.  It's been a blogging frenzy, over the past few days!  Well, not really, but I'll have a nice word count to add to this month's total. ;)

For the past week, I've been sharing my thoughts on and blogging about what's often referred to as Debra Dixon's GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict.  It's the perfect basis for any writer, whether just starting out or a publishing wiz with tons of books written and sold.

To keep a reader interested in the story, whether it's romance or any genre of fiction, the characters need to want something (GOAL), a reason for wanting it (MOTIVATION), and something that's keeping them from getting it (CONFLICT). Goal-Motivation-Conflict.

It goes like this:

• Character wants (goal), because (motivation), but (conflict) is keeping character from reaching it.

Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it?  Until the discovery that lack of conflict is one of the biggest reasons a story is rejected by an editor.

So what is conflict?  It's the struggle between opposing forces in the story.  There are two basic types of conflict: internal and external.  Internal conflict is what affects the character personally, such as changing (or needing to change) the way he/she thinks or the kind of person he/she is.  External conflict is the character changing his/her environment.  When it comes to external and internal conflict in a story, the external is always solved first.

Conflict is the heart of the story.  Without it, even if the character is fun and entertaining, the story has no substance.  Something or someone needs to be keeping the character from reaching that goal.  The more difficult or deep the conflict, the better the story.  The character must either solve the conflict or find away around it.

All major characters in the story will each have a GMC, even if it's short term for a minor character, such as the main character's best friend, family member, or any other reappearing minor character.

Reread some of your favorite books and see if you can spot the main character(s) GMC(s).  Make notes in the beginning and watch what happens over the course of the book.

Once you learn to use GMC, writing will be easier and your stories will be better for it.  Remember that characters' goals can change throughout the story during the process of character growth.  But until The End aka the Resolution, the emotional conflict needs to remain strong.  Give your character a goal that's important, a solid and emotional reason for that goal, and a conflict that will keep the character fighting to reach the goal.

More about conflict next week.  Until then...

The greatest rules of dramatic writing are conflict, conflict, conflict. - James Frey

The Character's Story

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

One of the keys to making your story interesting is to create characters that will pull in the reader.  As mentioned last week, we do this by giving each character a goal to work toward.

But we can't stop there.  We need to give that character a reason for the goal.  That reason is called the WHY.  If you're familiar with Debra Dixon's GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict, you know that the WHY is the character's motivation.

Once you have the character's goal (what the character wants) and the character's motivation (why the character wants it), all the pieces begin to fall into place and the story starts to take shape.

Sounds easy, doesn't it?  At first glance, it is.  Let's say the protagonist wants a better job [goal], because the one he has isn't making him happy [motivation].  Or is making him unhappy, however you want to look at it.  That's a reasonable goal.  A lot of us have been there at one point in our lives.  But there isn't a lot of punch in that.  Kind of a ho-hum goal and reason, and not something that will catch a reader's attention and cheer for the character.

Sometimes it takes knowing the character a little better.  The heroine in The Truth About Plain Jane (Silhouette Romance 2004) had a similar goal.  She worked in the office of a well-known travel magazine, hoping and wishing to become a reporter for the magazine.  In addition to wanting a more exciting career--one she was certain she could do well--she needed more income so she could move the aunt who had raised her to a climate that was better for the aunt's asthma.  It wasn't simply because she wanted more money.  She had a legitimate reason, plus her motivation was unselfish.

Sometimes it isn't easy as it might look, and you're stumped on what the character's motivation for the goal might be.  I've found that the best place to "look" is the character's backstory.  Ask yourself (or your characters!) what kind of childhood he or she had.  Was he an only child of wealthy parents?  Was she the middle sister of three born to parents who had to struggle to put food on the table?  What was the character's education?  What were the character's dreams for the future?  Was there an incident that shaped the character and led to the current goal?

Learning about characters is part of the joy of writing.  Manipulating them is even more fun!  Get to know your characters in whatever way works best.  Some people fill out character charts, some do character interviews.  If you don't know what works for you, give several a try.  You can find pre-made character charts online by using the search words *character trait charts* or you can make up your own.  As with everything, discover what works best for you, use it, and update when needed.   You'll be glad you did and will find that you'll soon be writing stronger, more interesting stories.

"I will go to my grave in a state of abject endless fascination that we all have the capacity to become emotionally involved with a personality that doesn't exist."  ― Berkeley Breathed

(GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict can be purchased online at Gryphon Books for Writers.)