Friday, September 24, 2010

The Great Blogging Experiment: Creating Compelling Characters

Yep, it's another blogfest entry, folks. Today I join the Trifecta of Awesome that is Elana Johnson, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and Jen Daiker for their Great Blogging Experiment

The topic? Creating compelling characters.

There are three things that make a character unforgettable to me. I like to call them the three C's:


1) Their channeling. Voice--we've all heard about it. We've all suffered through the terror of not creating a believable, authentic teen voice. To me, it's not so much that a character's voice has to be believable or authentic in terms of how teens really speak nowadays. It's all about how your main character channels the world around them to your reader. And the best way to create a compelling channeling experience is to see that world from an unusual point of view. 

When I say unusual, I don't mean weird. I mean saying 'it looked like a dog barfed on the stupid thing' instead of saying 'it looked terrible'. Anyone can say something looks terrible. But how does your character say it? How does he/she see what surrounds them? If a character can make me envision setting/action/emotions in a way I never expected to, I'm sold. They stay with me long after I finish their story.


2)  Their choices. Sure, motivation is super important. They're what makes a character move forward in the story. But let's say we have two different books with two different main characters. Character A is shy and insecure, while Character B is outgoing and cocky. They both have the same motivation--to get the girl before senior year is done. That's not what makes them who they are, though. It's what they do to get the girl that matters. It's how they face the seemingly impossible obstacles in their way that makes them jump off the page. Remember that awesome quote from Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets? "It is not our abilities that define us. It is our choices." Yep. The old timer nailed it.


3) Their change. Character development is often sacrificed for other things in books. This. Cannot. Happen. Seriously, who wants to stick around with a person who never learns from their mistakes? Who brushes off the hardships thrown at them by life without getting derailed? Not only is this annoying to most readers, it's also reflective of poor writing skills on the author's part. Trust me--you don't want people hating on you because of poor writing skills! 

Let's go back to Characters A and B for a moment. Character A, the shy and insecure dude, starts off in a really sucky place emotionally. As the story progresses, so does he. It can be offering his crush a lopsided grin first, then a full-blown smile, until he finally plucks up the courage to talk to her. How he does that is totally up to the writer, but the end result (the change) has to be there. Same goes for Character B, and for any other character in any other book. 

Static is boring. Change rocks. Remember that. 

Now go write some awesome fake people ;)

32 comments:

  1. I am so with you! "Static is boring, change is not." Without growth, what's the point? That's my take. And seriously great quote from Dumbledore.

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  2. While change is NOT boring, it can be scary. Helping my characters through the fear encourages their growth. Great post - great advice.

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  3. Great post! Right now agents are salivating, expecting in a few months time their slush piles are going to filled with books lush with rich characterization after today's experiment. If we don't get it after today, we never will. ;)

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  4. Wonderful post, your 3C's are right on. I love that bit of advise from Dumbledore, I think I jotted it down in one of my writing notebooks after I finished reading that book.

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  5. Excellent points! A character's voice is the first thing I'm drawn to, and I love when their motivations are just as complicated as they are. :D

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  6. voice, choice and change...love it! These are definitely the key things every character needs for me to want to follow them. Thanks for sharing!

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  7. "Now go write some fake people!" LOL!!! That was just perfect Amparo!

    Great post! All three I totally agree with! The character needs voice and I love that they need to change. It's so so true!

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  8. Love this! You summed up characterization nicely. Voice, choice, and character arc. All essential elements of characterization.

    Speaking of voice, I really enjoy reading yours. Have I mentioned that?

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  9. I love your section on voice! What a great example of the difference a distinct tone can make.

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  10. Channel, choice, change. I Love love LOVE this. Great 3 C's. :)

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  11. Love this. Voice, choice, character arc. Words to post it on the laptop. :)

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  12. Awesome post, you really hit on the important things!

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  13. 3 C's, that makes it super simple and easy to remember. I agree with each piece, channeling, choice, change, doesn't get more real than that!

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  14. The three c's, I will remember that. Great post!

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  15. Great post! I love how succinct and to the point you've expressed exactly what a (good) character should be.

    By the way, thanks for finding my blog so that I can find your awesome one here!

    Cheers,
    Jackee

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  16. Well said! I especially agree with your third point - you're exactly right! ;-)

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  17. Great post! If I could only choose three things to pick for the most important parts of compelling characters, I think I would have landed on the same three as you.

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  18. The more awesomely fake the better! LOL! But with soul and lotsa voice, motivation and development! And oodles and oodles of conflict - to get from character A to B to C = lopsided grinning guy must have foes to overcome first to get the girl! :-)

    Take care
    x

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  19. This post is amazing on so many levels. You nailed it, for me. Channeling... I always thought of it as voice but I like channeling so much more. It really captures what voice tries to do, doesn't it?

    I need to think on your excellent post before I continue through the others. Great job.

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  20. Great points. I am going to keep in mind the three C's next time I think about my characters.

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  21. Voice definitely draws me in. Growth keeps me invested in the story. Great post!

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  22. This was spot on! The three C's, I love it! Well done!

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  23. Excellent points and very relevant! Thank you!

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  24. "Now go write some awesome fake people ;)"

    My favorite writing advice EVER!

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  25. Something Marietta Zacker said is that your character's voice has to be authentic...so you have to know them well. (You have to be comfortable with their dialogue...it has to be part of you, ya know what I'm sayin?)

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  26. Your 3 Cs are great. Channeling, choices, change are words to remember. Thank you.

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  27. Everywhere I look, talk of "voice" is clear as mud other than the fact that you MUST have one. However, your explanation for it is pretty much the best I've seen anywhere, and believe me, I've been looking :) Thanks for sharing this!

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  28. Some great points. What is the point of writing if you're not writing something that no one else could think of? Through your character's eyes, you can channel your own perception of the world through your own unique mind.

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  29. "Awesome fake people" - I LOVE IT!!! (*chortles*) What a cool post, and I love your 3 C's. This has been such a great experiment...

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  30. I love your 3 C's. All excellent points. Change is huge for me. I hate to read about static characters. What's the point if they don't learn from their mistakes?

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  31. I think voice (or a unique world view) really makes a character compelling!

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  32. I keep stumbling across more of these posts... and this one is particularly awesome. Gotta make a link to these three C's - very helpful.

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