Becoming a Student of Human Nature

This May, I have the opportunity to present a class on character development at the LDStorymakers Conference. The class will be called Culture, Motivation, Flaws, and a Cat: Four things every great character needs.

As I've worked on preparing for this class, I realized that I've always been curious about other people, and what makes them think and act and behave so very differently from each other.

This is not to say that I've always been able to understand everyone, however. In fact for most of my life I found it nearly impossible to understand what others were really thinking and feeling, especially since most people seemed to think so differently from me. This is probably why I spent so much time and effort trying to figure out why others act the way they do. And why I enjoy exploring the actions and motivations of the characters in my writing -- my "imaginary friends," if you will.

Now that I have a bit more experience at life, I find it is much easier to understand those around me. I recently read a quote by actress Thandie Newton that I think explains the reason perfectly. She said, "One of the special things about the creative world is that you can turn your discomfort into empathy. You explore the lives of other people and different modes of thinking, and that opens you up."

As writers, it is essential that we seek to understand and have empathy for the people around us, including (dare I say especially) those with whom we disagree. The ability to put ourselves in another's shoes, to understand their thoughts and feelings and motivations, is critical to us understanding and writing characters that will resonate and connect with our readers.

We all need to become students of human nature.

Crater Lake: Setting or Character

WARNING: This may seem REALLY stupid...but I'm fine with that.

Cedar Fort recently accepted my 2nd novel, Crater Lake: Battle for Wizard Island and it is set to release sometime in the spring of 2012. Naturally I'm thrilled. This is a mid-grade fantasy set at Crater Lake in the Oregon Cascade mountains.

I've been thinking about the importance of Crater Lake to my novel. It really couldn't be set any place else. There are so many facinating details about Crater Lake that bring life to the story. Wizard Island really is a small volcano sticking out of the water of the crater which was created by the collapse of a massive volcano 7700 years ago. There really is a rock structure in the lake called the Phantom Ship. There really is a place called Danger Cove. These real settings create a realism within the story that allows me greater latitude in building the mythology of my fantasy world. Without the realism and consistency, even in a fantasy world, the story will fall flat.

I recently went to a wax museum with my family. Yes, it was a little creepy but I found myself evaluating each wax figure for authenticity. I had my picture taken next to Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba (much to my wife's chagrin) and even through the craftsmanship of the wax figures was impressive, they didn't look real. The figures didn't look right and therefore were not believable. So I had my picture taken next to Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff. Guess what--same problem. But then I got my picture taken next to Danny Devito as the Penguin from Batman. Wow. That was a chilling and believable depiction.

So what does a wax museum have to do with a fantasy world set at Crater Lake? In both cases believability matters...alot. The moment I start pointing out problems with the wax figure or the setting of the novel, the magic is gone. The experience becomes empty as the emotion and awe is stripped away because of imperfections and inconsistencies.

I think of other settings that have captured my imagination and to me they often feel more like a main character than simply a place where the story takes place. I think of Hogwarts with its moving stairs, enchanted pictures and roaming spirits. I think of the vibrant Land of Oz, the Bat Cave and the magical Fablehaven. These settings don't simply allow the action to take place, but they push the conflict and action forward. They are not merely the backdrop, they are dead center in the story. Hopefully Crater Lake will be center stage as well.

If you would like some info on Crater Lake: Battle for Wizard Island, check out my blog.

Characters are Everywhere

by Rebecca Talley

I was supposed to post yesterday. I missed my previous post because I had a great excuse, I was in Hawaii. But, yesterday, I simply forgot in my focus on getting my next manuscript ready for submission, preparing for the LDStorymakers conference, and taking care of my family and house.

While I was in Hawaii, my husband decided we should check out the north shore to see the big waves. The day before we got there, the waves were rumored to be about 30 feet--those are some big waves. When we arrived at Waimea (I think that's how you spell it) Bay the waves were 12-15 feet high and my husband went body surfing. He got pounded. The beach was gorgeous and I was glad we went (not glad my husband got pounded, though).

Since we were staying on the other side of the island on Waikiki Beach we decided to take the city bus to the north shore (takes almost 2 hours, but only costs $2). On our ride back, I wished I'd had my notebook because I saw such interesting characters.

The most interesting, in a sad way, was a skinny, middle-aged Hawaiian man. His black hair was matted, but stuck up on top. His clothes were mismatched. His hands were black with dirt and his eyes were wild. He didn't say much, but constantly stood while we were driving and acted as though he were fishing. He'd cast a line, wait for a moment, and then acted as if he were gathering up a net. He stepped close to several of us riding in the bus and gathered up something behind our heads. Invading my personal space made me feel uncomfortable, but watching him made me so sad. I'd guess he fried his brain on drugs. I realized, while taking in his pantomines, that "characters" are all around us. Maybe he won't ever be a character in any of my books, but the experience made me more observant. I never ride public transportation at home (we don't have any here in the boonies), but what a goldmine if you need to pan for character traits.

I also saw a lady in her seventies, I'd guess, that was wearing a white suit with a mini skirt. She carried a little dog in a fancy carrier, had long dyed red hair, wore a lot of jewelry and makeup, and carried a cell phone. A woman who refused to acknowledge her age, perhaps? A woman who was searching for love? I let my imagination wander as I observed her and tried to make some mental notes.

We also made some local friends along the way and I noticed a speech pattern. Locals add "yeah" to the ends of their sentences. "You like it here, yeah?" "You saw the Dole pineapple plantation, yeah?" "Going to see the big waves, yeah?" "I've lived here for ayear, yeah." It was interesting, once I noticed it, to hear the locals use it.

Who knew that public transportation would provide so many character ideas? The next time I'm stuck on a character, I think I'll drive to the city and hop on a bus for an hour or two. Or, better yet, I'll fly over to Hawaii and ride the city bus again--sounds like a great idea to me :).

Dear Mr. Bad Guy

The subconscious mind is amazing. This past week, I came to another block in my current work in progress. It came to the point where it was essential to know the next move of the bad guy in order for me to know the next move of my heroine.

But as any author knows, characters actually live in your head, often communicating to one another and to the author, letting you know where to take the story. (At least that's the way it is for me, and I've heard a few other authors mention it as well so I hope I'm not some freak of nature.)

As I was pondering this situation, and wondering how to get into the mind of the bad guy so I could finish my story, a thought came to mind. Why don't I just write a letter to this person?

So I sat down at my computer and typed the following words:

"Dear Mr. Bad Guy,

Would you please let me into your head?

You have done a marvelous job at making the life of the heroine in my novel miserable. With your illusive nature and evil ways, she has been on her toes for several chapters. But now what? What is your next move? It’s imperative I know your motivations, not so that I can destroy you, but so I can know how this will impact my heroine.

If you know that yada yada yada...(I won't disclose all the words of the letter in order to protect the innocence of the plot) are you going to try to yada? Do you just yada and leave the country? Do you send one of your monkey men to yada yada or do you take satisfaction in doing the job yourself?

And how did you yada yada?"

And then this really weird thing happened. Just after I typed the sentence above, my bad guy answered, giving me a direct name in response to the question, that in essence, was like a missing piece of the puzzle.

"That was weird...and cool," I thought. So I typed out another question. "When did he find out?"

Another answer came: "When she yada yada'd."

Whoa, that was amazing.

So I wrote another question, and it too was answered. I did this several times, like an interview, until I had all the puzzle pieces in place, and I felt satisfied I could continue my story with the information I had received from my subconscious mind. It was incredible.

Before I sat down to write the letter, I had hopes that my subconscious would think about the questions overnight and that I would receive new inspiration in the next day or so. I never thought my questions would be answered so quickly and to the point. Now I'm excited to have the rest of my plot down and a new way to communicate effectively with the other characters in my mind.