| janfields |
Join us today in the
AUDITORIUM-Scheduled Events Room for an open forum with Web Editor,
Jan Fields. Today's topic is Characters -- creating them, motivating
them, and kicking them out when they don't do their job. If you have
a question about your characters, hop over to the Auditorium in five
minutes.
|
| janfields |
This afternoon's open
forum on CHARACTERS will begin shortly. While you wait for chat to
begin, feel free to use your ASK A QUESTION button RIGHT BETWEEN THE
YELLOW “MAP” AND THE RED QUESTION MARK IN ICHAT to post some
questions on characters -- creation, motivation, how to make them
different, how to make them go away -- anything you want to ask.
Chat will begin two minutes from now.
|
| janfields |
Hi, and welcome to open
forum. Today's topic is "CHARACTERS." If you want to ask a question
and be sure I see it...you'll need to use either the "ask a
question" button on the bar across the middle of your screen. OR
type a backslash / followed immediately by the word ask...then space
once and type your question. That passes the question to me and I
can post it for everyone here and in the transcript. So...let's get
going.
|
| janfields |
Hi guys...it's always
nice to see y'all
|
| janfields |
Before I start my
question a thon...
|
| janfields |
I wanted to share a
couple things about April
|
| janfields |
Since it is almost upon
us...
|
| janfields |
On April 13th, our
guest speaker Dori Chaconas will be answering question
about...
|
| janfields |
picture books and early
readers...
|
| janfields |
she also does RHYMING
pictures books and prose...so can answer questions about
either.
|
| janfields |
On April 27th, we have
an editor coming to chat...
|
| janfields |
Becky Ances, the editor
of Moo Cow Fan Club...
|
| janfields |
a nonfiction magazine
for kids.
|
| janfields |
Moo Cow Fan Club is a
hoot and Becky is great fun to chat with...
|
| janfields |
She'll be talking about
making nonfiction fun for kids...
|
| janfields |
as well as about the
challenges of starting a magazine.
|
| janfields |
And finally...on April
18th, there will be NO open forum...
|
| janfields |
AWWWWWW
|
| janfields |
I'm going to be out of
town...
|
| janfields |
I tried to snare Mel to
come back and chat with y'all...
|
| janfields |
but he is doing a
literature festival on that VERY DAY.
|
| janfields |
So I forgave
him.
|
| janfields |
But he said he would
have loved to and he loves y'all very much.
|
| janfields |
Now...I have piles of
good news to post...
|
| janfields |
GOOD NEWS -- Juliana:
Last summer I decided I wanted to write a column for my local paper,
so I sent a query and samples, and waited. When I hadn't heard
anything a month later, I sent a follow-up. A different editor
emailed me, said they couldn't find the samples, and asked for them
via email, which I sent. A day or so later he told me he really
liked my writing but that he couldn't find the room "right now." Two
weeks ago I sent a new query, and additional samples, with my
updated publishing history. Yesterday the editor called and offered
me a column every two weeks, with a byline, photo, snippet about me,
and 500-700 words on whatever I wanted to write about! The title of
my new column is "Someday We'll Laugh About This...
Right?"
|
| janfields |
A humor column sounds
like terrific fun.
|
| janfields |
Juliana's humor writing
is really taking off
|
| janfields |
Since she has another
bit of good news.
|
| janfields |
GOOD NEWS -- Juliana's
story "Barbie" was selected as a finalist in the "America's Funniest
Humor!" contest, and will be a featured story in the compilation
book by HumorPress.com.
|
| janfields |
So, now we know who to
go to when we need a laugh.
|
| janfields |
Clearly, Juliana's got
the ha ha's covered.
|
| janfields |
GOOD NEWS FROM LEWIS:
Lewis: Last February, after years of obstacles, I finally graduated
the ICL writer’s course and have been recommended for the
institute’s advanced writing course. Soon after, I prepared several
past assignments for submission and have already sent one out to a
few editors. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be reporting more good news soon.
We’ll see...
|
|
|
| janfields |
That's great -- your
instructor would be proud of you for submitting. That can be one of
the hardest steps. Good luck!
|
| janfields |
I know how scary it can
be when you get close to graduating...so great on
EVERYTHING.
|
| janfields |
And our last contestant
in "live is wonderful"....
|
| janfields |
GOOD NEWS FROM ROSE:
Rose: I have some good news to share. An "audition" assignment from
Christian Education Publishing was accepted and the editor offered
to send me another assignment in a few weeks. The assignment was for
Cubby Bears for Jesus curriculum.
|
|
|
| janfields |
That's great. I love
writing Children's Church curriculum -- there's always so much
variety. Congratulations.
|
| janfields |
So -- spring is
bringing a lot of good news.
|
| janfields |
So stay near your
mailboxes, y'all.
|
| janfields |
Now, today's topic is
characters...
|
| janfields |
Clearly, fiction isn't
fiction without characters.
|
| janfields |
As writers we create
them...
|
| janfields |
we have to keep them in
line...
|
| janfields |
and we have to make
them real for the reader.
|
| janfields |
All of which can be a
challenge.
|
| janfields |
So let's answer some
questions.
|
| janfields |
Lee: How much
description do you need to provide of your main character for
picture books and for middle grade stories?
|
| janfields |
Description is based on
purpose.
|
| janfields |
We describe only as
much as the reader "needs to know"
|
| janfields |
We're like the CIA that
way
|
| janfields |
When you choose what to
describe, you ask yourself...does the reader need to know
this?
|
| janfields |
In a picture
book...often the writer won't include any description of
characters...
|
| janfields |
unless the way the
character looks is essential to the story.
|
| janfields |
For example, you might
see a line that reads -- "On Tuesday, Lulabelle painted herself
blue."
|
| janfields |
And that might be the
first time we get any description of Lulabelle.
|
| janfields |
Just her paint covered
state...because THAT bit of description is essential to the
plot.
|
| janfields |
Now for funny, you
could say -- "On Tuesday, Lulabelle painted herself blue. She would
have used purple but it clashed with her red hair."
|
| janfields |
And that would add more
description since we would know Lulabelle is a
redhead.
|
| janfields |
Be VERY VERY careful
about including description in picture books.
|
| janfields |
Because illustrators
sometimes pay NO ATTENTION to what you wrote.
|
| janfields |
So you might say that
Lulabelle has red hair and she might appear on the cover and in all
illustrations with black hair
|
| janfields |
Just because black went
better with the other colors on the page.
|
| janfields |
A good editor would
then ask you to edit your text, but I have seen instances where they
did not.
|
| janfields |
And the text conflicted
with the illustrations.
|
| janfields |
So...in picture books,
minimal description and only what you essentially
need.
|
| janfields |
You don't need to build
the visual in a picture book because the story will come with
them.
|
| janfields |
Now, in a middle grade
magazine story -- you may describe more...
|
| janfields |
but again, make it
purposeful.
|
| janfields |
Ask yourself -- does
the reader need to know my character has black hair and green
eyes?
|
| janfields |
Why?
|
| janfields |
How will it help the
plot and how will it make the character's role in the story
clearer?
|
| janfields |
If you can't come up
with answers...the reader probably doesn't need to
know.
|
| janfields |
So instead of focusing
on how the character looks, focus on making the actions the
character does very clear and easy to visualize.
|
| janfields |
Because readers would
rather imagine your character in action than your character
static.
|
| janfields |
Wow..am I long-winded
or WHAT??
|
| janfields |
ritrbiz: How many
different characters can a magazine story have?
|
| janfields |
The cast of characters
in a magazine story is usually quite small.
|
| janfields |
Because the plot is
normally pretty small.
|
| janfields |
Be certain you NEED
every character you have.
|
| janfields |
And that you aren't
passing out lines at random, but instead that each character is
purposeful and unique.
|
| janfields |
But ultimately, a small
child's story usually has only 2 characters in a
scene.
|
| janfields |
Sometimes three...but
usually 2.
|
| janfields |
You might have more in
the story...but you'll change scene to get to new
characters.
|
| janfields |
A middle grade story
can have three or four characters in a scene...but three is more
common than four.
|
| janfields |
In a classroom scene,
more characters are implied...but you don't have to describe them or
have them speak.
|
| janfields |
Keep the speaking roles
limited...and give folks names only when they need
them.
|
| chippy |
Is it possible to use an
adult an adult as a main character in a children's story? I know
they say the main character should be a child, but can you make an
exception at any time?
|
| janfields |
It's easier to sell an
adult as main character in books than magazines...
|
| janfields |
usually an adult in a
magazine story is either seen through the child's
eyes...
|
| janfields |
such as a story that
focuses on Aunt Tilly and her wild adventures but uses a child as
narrator,
|
| janfields |
Or you can have an
adult as main character if the adult is childlike.
|
| janfields |
I've seen the "fool" in
a king's court used as main character very
effectively
|
| janfields |
because they are
childlike.
|
| janfields |
And childlike doesn't
mean incapable...it means exhuberent, fun, lively and seeing things
more like children see them -- with wonder
|
| janfields |
I have seen a lot of
adults as main characters in picture books...
|
| janfields |
the adult is usually a
woman...often an elderly woman...
|
| janfields |
and she tends to
"connect" with the child in some way...
|
| janfields |
either because she is
experiencing a return to her childlike ways...
|
| janfields |
or because she is
facing the helplessness of a child...
|
| janfields |
or she is learning to
deal with life's problems while in a position of physical
weakness...much as children must.
|
| omalizzie |
What about nonfiction
characters? Does the same apply?
|
| janfields |
If you're writing
nonfiction in a storylike setting...
|
| janfields |
such as a retelling of
a family history story...
|
| janfields |
or a retelling of the
signing of the declaration of independence
|
| janfields |
or
something
|
| janfields |
you are logically
compelled to render it accurately.
|
| janfields |
But keep in mind that
kids lose track of characters very quickly.
|
| janfields |
So, it helps not to hit
them with too many at one time.
|
| janfields |
And to find ways to
make the kids "know" these people so they can remember them
better.
|
| janfields |
I've seen some
historical nonfiction that was quite easy to lose track
of.
|
| janfields |
I recently read "A
DANGEROUS ENGINE" which was nonfiction about
|
| janfields |
Benjamin
Franklin
|
| janfields |
And a lot of people had
to be part of the "story" which did become problematic
sometimes
|
| janfields |
And I had to go back
and reread to sort folks out.
|
| janfields |
Sometimes...you just
gotta do the best you can.
|
| chippy |
So rather have a
man/woman in a boys/girls world, tahn an adult in an adult
world?
|
| janfields |
I'm not really sure I
understand the question.
|
| janfields |
You can have adult
characters who are very adult...as kids see
adults...
|
| janfields |
Very logical,
unemotional (except when grumpy_, very corrective
|
| janfields |
But you can't make them
the main character.
|
| janfields |
If you have a main
character who is adult...the character is usually a bit
"unusual"
|
| janfields |
Like Willy Wonka, for
example
|
| janfields |
Who is an
adult
|
| janfields |
But who does not behave
as children visualize adults.
|
| janfields |
He is impulsive, full
of wonder, and a bit reckless.
|
| janfields |
So, although "charlie"
is the main character -- Willy Wonka really could be the main
character of a story.
|
| janfields |
Because he fits the
requirements for a main character in a children's
book.
|
| caq |
The characters are alive
due to the illustration and dialogue, not
description.
|
| janfields |
In picture books,
yes.
|
| janfields |
And through
action.
|
| janfields |
You still will need to
describe action...albeit fleetingly.
|
| janfields |
And editors like LOTS
of action in picture books.
|
| janfields |
Ah...caq says there was
more to that quote from her.
|
| janfields |
Sorry...sometimes the
chat eats stuff.
|
| janfields |
Oh, wait...it just came
in.
|
| caq |
A good example of a NF
picture book is Rosa by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Bryan
Collier. Beautiful.
|
| janfields |
Is that the one that
came first?
|
| janfields |
Ahhh...I haven't read
that one although I've heard of it.
|
| janfields |
NF picture books are a
tough thing to write.
|
| janfields |
Many of the ones I've
seen are really for adults...and they lose the
kids.
|
| janfields |
But I've seen a few
gorgeous ones...this sounds like a good one.
|
| eggamy |
how do keep all your
cheaters from sounding
|
| janfields |
All
alike?
|
| janfields |
Like
adults?
|
| janfields |
Sometimes chat eats the
ends of questions, too.
|
| janfields |
How
exciting.
|
| janfields |
Okay, let's do the
first one first.
|
| janfields |
All characters need to
have a purpose in the story.
|
| janfields |
Think of it like a
job.
|
| janfields |
When I know what my
basic situation will be...
|
| janfields |
I need to think about
what character I will need to "hire" for the story.
|
| janfields |
One story I wrote, I
knew would hinge on a
|
| janfields |
visual punchline about
a snowman in a pirate costume
|
| janfields |
With a message in a
bottle.
|
| janfields |
And it would start with
two friends fighting.
|
| janfields |
So I thought about the
number one reason I remembered ever fighting with
friends.
|
| janfields |
It was called --
bossiness.
|
| janfields |
So, I knew I needed a
bossy character.
|
| janfields |
And a character who
generally gave in to the bossiness but who was getting a little fed
up.
|
| janfields |
Now with those two "job
descriptions" -- my characters COULDN'T sound
alike.
|
| janfields |
A bossy kid will not
sound like a generally go-along-with-stuff kid.
|
| janfields |
And I knew I needed an
adult for my main character to complain to.
|
| janfields |
I decided to have her
complain to her uncle
|
| janfields |
And since he was going
to be a co-conspiritor in the pirate ghost
|
| janfields |
project later...he
would need to be fun
|
| janfields |
and not too rules
bound.
|
| janfields |
So...his lines would
then sound different than if I needed a character
|
| janfields |
who would be rigid and
inflexible.
|
| janfields |
So, you need to figure
out the purpose of each character.
|
| janfields |
And from their
purpose...imagine you're hiring a kid for the spot.
|
| janfields |
Imagine picking from
among a bunch of kids...which kid best fills the
role?
|
| janfields |
For the bossy kid... a
really obnoxious Nellie Olsen kind of kid?
|
| janfields |
Or maybe someone more
like my friend/sometimes enemy from grade school?
|
| janfields |
And I "hire" the kid
who fits...
|
| janfields |
And because I have
imagined them as real kids...they will take on their own dialogue
choices.
|
| janfields |
And sometimes...they
will take your story in the wrong direction.
|
| janfields |
That's one of the
"possible pitfalls" of making a character VERY real to
you.
|
| janfields |
If that character seems
to take the story in the wrong direction...
|
| janfields |
and doesn't seem to fit
what you want the character to say...
|
| janfields |
you may need to "fire"
her and go back to the hiring stage.
|
| janfields |
So...I might have
"hired" Nellie Olsen...because I think she would be fun to
write.
|
| janfields |
But then I could end up
with a story where I wonder why my main character would ever want to
make up?
|
| janfields |
The same answer really
holds true for characters who sound too adult.
|
| janfields |
They are nearly always
the result of a writer who hasn't spent enough time in her/his
imagination
|
| janfields |
fleshing the kid out,
picturing him/her, and listening to him/her in your
head.
|
| janfields |
I have friends who help
overcome that
|
| janfields |
by cutting out photos
of kids from FamilyFun or Discovery Girls or
whatever
|
| janfields |
and "hiring" one of
those kids.
|
| janfields |
Picturing that real
little kid in the story.
|
| janfields |
And "listening" to the
kid talk in your head.
|
| caq |
Jan, when you write
story, do you decide all your characters before hand and write up
little character sketches to help you stay within each character's
character?
|
| janfields |
At some point...I
usually end up writing
|
| janfields |
character sketches...of
a sort.
|
| janfields |
When I did a "audition"
for a new girl's book series...
|
| janfields |
they had not decided on
any of the kid's personalities
|
| janfields |
They just knew they
wanted x number of kids
|
| janfields |
And one needed to be
African-American
|
| janfields |
And another had to be
some other ethnic group.
|
| janfields |
Beyond that...they just
wanted me to write some chapters.
|
| janfields |
So I choose photos
(Since I had to keep 6 girls straight in my head)
|
| janfields |
I don't usually choose
photos...but that was a lot of character for me since I'm more of a
magazine writer.
|
| janfields |
And under each photo, I
wrote traits...
|
| janfields |
a little bossy, oldest
from large family, loves drama
|
| janfields |
"born with cleft
palate, self-conscious, loves animals, tall for her
age"
|
| janfields |
That was two of the
girls.
|
| janfields |
Very different
personalities grew automatically from
|
| janfields |
those very very short
"character sketches"
|
| janfields |
And as a result the two
girls acted, and sounded different.
|
| caq |
Jan, this is about
learning character development. Is the ICL book course a good way to
learn how to develop characters for books? Do they deal with that
aspect in that course?
|
| janfields |
They do cover
that...
|
| janfields |
Along with a lot of
other stuff...
|
| janfields |
It's a good class and
your instructor would certainly help you
|
| janfields |
refine your
characters.
|
| janfields |
I don't teach the
course though...and really only read through it
once.
|
| janfields |
So, I'm no expert on
it.
|
| caq |
Jan, when you are to
create a specific ethnic character, not of your ethnicity, how do
you create a rounded ethnic character, especially if you don't know
anyone of that ethnicity and don't live in a multicultural
area?
|
| janfields |
I wouldn't create a
main character who is really outside my own ethnic
group.
|
| janfields |
I'm just not that
good.
|
| janfields |
I know some folks who
can do it.
|
| janfields |
But I've had very very
good friend who were African American
|
| janfields |
Cherokee
|
| janfields |
Hispanic (cuban
actually)
|
| janfields |
So, I am fairly
comfortable with those...because I've hung out in their
homes.
|
| janfields |
Met little brothers and
sisters
|
| janfields |
older
siblings.
|
| janfields |
Known their
parents
|
| janfields |
So, I could "borrow"
from my own childhood for those characters
|
| janfields |
But it would be hard
for me to go beyond my own childhood friends
|
| janfields |
and feel
solid.
|
| janfields |
And even if I wrote a
Cherokee family -- and I had VERY good friends
|
| janfields |
on the
reservation
|
| janfields |
I would do research to
be certain I'm "up to date" -- maybe reconnect with old friends
:-)
|
| janfields |
I lucked up because my
childhood covered a lot of moves...and I met a lot of
kids.
|
| janfields |
You have to be
sooooooooooooooooo careful with wrting about ethnic groups with
which you have no personal experience
|
| janfields |
Because it's so easy to
be pulled off by media portrayals.
|
| cosmos |
The ICL book course is
outstanding. It takes you through a finished and revised novel or
nonfiction book. I'm working on lesson 4. You can also work on three
picture book manuscripts.
|
| janfields |
Ahhh...thought I would
add experience straight from the "cosmos' mouth"
:-)
|
| janfields |
Right, stereotyping, is
an issue with ethnic portrayal
|
| janfields |
But honestly...it's
also an issue with folks you don't think about
|
| janfields |
as being especially
ethnic.
|
| janfields |
Think of how Hollywood
has portrayed Southerners.
|
| janfields |
Either genteel idiots
or violent, inebriated idiots...and of course, the ever popular
slutty idiot
|
| janfields |
It can be easy to fall
back on the "stereotype" when creating a minor
character.
|
| janfields |
It's the one everyone
will recognize.
|
| caq |
If a character changes
during the story (as it should), say from a punk to a very nice guy,
wouldn't his appearance possibly change, like hair and dress? So in
that case the description would be pertinent,
correct?
|
| janfields |
Right...appearance CAN
be very purposeful.
|
| janfields |
It can underscore
change.
|
| janfields |
Thus it would be
important to note a character's looks at the
beginning
|
| janfields |
in sublte
ways...slipping it in amoungst the action.
|
| janfields |
So that we have a clear
picture and can therefore really experience the
change.
|
| janfields |
Appearance can also be
important when something mysterious is going to
happen
|
| janfields |
that involves clues the
reader (and protagonist) needs to notice about a
character.
|
| janfields |
And appearance can be
essential to characterization.
|
| janfields |
For example, a
character who is naturally very thin might be suspected of an eating
disorder
|
| janfields |
And her thinness would
be essential to the plot.
|
| caq |
Dialogue could also
change too, couldn't it? A character could grow up and stop using
slang, or punk talk?
|
| janfields |
Dialogue can even
change as the character enters different settings.
|
| janfields |
Think Eddie Haskel on
Leave it to Beaver...he talked VERY differently in different
settings.
|
| janfields |
So "how a character
talks" and how that changes either depending on the setting, who he
is talking to, or personal changes
|
| janfields |
can be very
revealing.
|
| writersblock |
How can your character
effectively describe him/her self without falling prey to the old
"look in the mirror" cliche?
|
| janfields |
Often the "look in the
mirror" thing makes you focus on stuff the reader doesn't need to
know anyway.
|
| janfields |
For example, why do I
need to look in the mirror?
|
| janfields |
To show that my hair is
wild and uncontrollable?
|
| janfields |
Then I can have the
character always pushing it out of her face...
|
| janfields |
To show that her skin
is a mess?
|
| janfields |
Then I can have her
resist the urge to mess with it.
|
| janfields |
Or I can have her prone
to hiding her face with her hair
|
| janfields |
Or covering it with her
hand.
|
| janfields |
I can use action to
show most things readers need to know.
|
| janfields |
Because most of the
time, they don't need to know she has green eyes or full
lips.
|
| janfields |
So...figuring out the
real "need to know" points will lead you to ways to show
them.
|
| janfields |
MOST of the
time.
|
| janfields |
And...with that...it is
time's up.
|
| janfields |
Omalizzie...I have an
open forum on nonfiction scheduled for April
11th.
|
