Writers in the Storm

by Ellen Buikema

As a writer, you have the power to create new worlds filled with characters, places, and plots. 

To make sure your readers emotionally invest in the characters you create, you need to develop interesting ones so your readers will connect with them on a personal level.

Is it vital to know everything about your characters before you write? Maybe not. It’s important to know some background, strengths, flaws, and the personalities of your main characters before you get started but remember that these fictional people will evolve as you create their stories.

Background

The journey helps make us who we are.

The background is a blending of personal history, life experiences, and situations that shape who people are in the present. Knowing a character's background helps readers understand why characters do what they do.

Here are several points to keep in mind while creating a character's background:

Family

“People in a family act to control the range of one another’s behavior.” - Gregory Bateson, anthropologist and systems theorist

Depending on the relationships with their closest caregivers, people are more relatable, shy, or rowdy. Relationships with siblings, parents, and extended family influence characters’ values and how they relate to others.

How they are raised impacts, but does not limit, their worldview.

Makeup of Family Structure

Families are complicated, and they may be made up of various members, a point worth exploring in your writing. Who are your protagonist’s closest relatives? Are these people present? Absent? How does your character feel about them? Answers to these questions can uncover essential details about your protagonist.

What is the birth order of your protagonist? The baby of the family will have different perspectives than a firstborn. Children who grow up in a single-parent household may have a different viewpoint than someone who grows up in a two-parent household.

Is the family a tight-knit family? Or rarely has contact with their relations? This can affect your character’s motivations and decisions.

A tip for those writing historical fiction:

In medieval Europe, birth order for upper-class males, was significant. The eldest inherited the father’s title, the parents sent the second son to the church, and the third went to the military. Birth order back then had vast implications for sons’ futures. All paths led to possible positions of power, but very different types.

Interdependence of Families

To develop realistic families, consider how one person’s decisions affect the others. What if your protagonist leaves home to save themself but leaves siblings to deal with the aftermath? Like physics, does one reaction produce an equal and opposite reaction? The joy of freedom to be gone versus anguish at being left behind? Or there may be emotional scarring on both sides. Consider the inter-relationships of family members as you weave your story.

Socioeconomic status 

Financial situations can influence attitudes as well as opportunities. Funding may create or remove obstacles in their growth path.

Say, for example, that your protagonist leads a life of privilege and faces the loss of everything. Will there be enough emotional “cushion” for her to bounce back on her feet? Will she be at a disadvantage, not streetwise enough to cope?

Perhaps your main character is flat broke, and then wins the lottery, or inherits a fortune. How will that change his future? Will he be bamboozled by those who would take advantage? How might his personality be affected?

Culture

A character's values, worldview, and experiences are all influenced by their cultural background. Cultural identity affects how they interact with others within and outside their primary sphere of influence and how they maneuver within their environment.

The novel that came to my mind regarding family and culture is Mario Puzo’s The Godfather.

In The Godfather loyalty to La Famiglia is more important than anything else, and family ties are close.

“A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man.” Mario Puzo, The Godfather.

Friends, a close second.

“Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.” Mario Puzo, The Godfather.

Protection from the outer-world, outside these characters’ culture, is provided by La Famiglia.

“I don't trust society to protect us. I have no intention of placing my fate in the hands of men whose only qualification is that they managed to con a block of people to vote for them.” Mario Puzo, The Godfather.

Education and Career Choices 

What our characters choose to do for a living, and the education that got them there shine a light on a character's interests, skills, and strengths. A character's schooling and profession influence their socioeconomic status, relationships, and lifestyle. What school did they attend? Was it progressive? Are they happy in their current job?

Traumatic Life Events 

Traumatic experiences significantly impact a character's behavior and personality. Trauma influences the way a character handles relationships, deals with fears, beliefs, and can drive their decisions.

Trauma may:

• Change the way a character thinks: Your protagonist may have spent life thinking that others are trustworthy. After being harmed by someone in a traumatic experience, they now think, “I can’t trust anyone.”
• Lead to avoidance: Trauma can cause a need to avoid situations reminiscent of the traumatic event, making the character think that the only way to feel safe is to make their world smaller. This makes it difficult to have a full life.
• Make one hyperalert: Trauma kickstarts our brain’s fear center, sending us into flight or fight mode for survival. But the brain may stay in this hyperalert state. Then everything becomes a potential threat. For example, if your character was beaten while walking in a parking garage, he might feel fear creep in every time he walks into a darkened area.
• Cause emotional numbness: Your character may feel “dead inside.” This happens in cases of inescapable trauma, like childhood abuse. Survival comes through entering a detached state to protect the mind.
• Create anger and frustration: After a traumatic event, your character may feel powerless and blow situations out of proportion. This may cause others in the story to react in anger. This makes for a self-fulfilling prophesy. Your character feels like no one will ever understand them.

Final Thoughts

Understanding these five key elements of a character's background lets you create a multidimensional, relatable character. 

Not all characters need a detailed backstory, but having a basic understanding of their background can help you develop an engaging, realistic character.

What do you think is the most important thing to understand about your character’s background? Of the stories you’ve read, which ones have exceptionally relatable characters? Did you have a good understanding of those characters’ background information?

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About Ellen

Author, speaker, and former teacher, Ellen L. Buikema has written non-fiction for parents, and The Adventures of Charlie Chameleon chapter book series with stories encouraging the development of empathy—sprinkling humor wherever possible. Her Works in Progress are The Hobo Code, YA historical fiction and The Crystal Key, MG Magical Realism/ Sci-Fi, a glaze of time travel.

Find her at https://ellenbuikema.com or on Amazon.

Top Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

By William F. Wu

I’m writing this with two longtime friends of mine in mind. I’ll call them Carol and Rick. Both were close to my age. Carol died in her sixties and Rick died some years later in his seventies, both of natural causes. 

They were published writers. Carol had poems published and Rick was an author of science fiction and fantasy short stories. They met briefly through me but did not really know each other, as they lived in different parts of the country. What they had in common in my view is that neither came close to reaching their creative potential.

I’m not using their real names because I want to focus on a point about writing. Even so, I find passing judgement on other people’s lives uncomfortable. If they’re somehow watching over my shoulder, I hope they don’t mind too much.

Interested but Not Ready

Carol and Rick talked to me often about their interest in writing. For many years, however, Rick did not write fiction at all and Carol wrote poetry very rarely. I still considered them writers and sometimes asked if they were working on something. 

Sometimes Carol would mention a notion she had about a poem. When I asked if she was working on it, “I’m not ready” was an answer I often got. When it was not said specifically, they sometimes made the same point in a roundabout way. Rick liked to talk about premises for short stories. If I asked if he was going to work on one, he would say that he wanted to write, but made clear he was not going to do so soon.

Not Ready Yet

I’ve spent my adult life around creative people, not only writers but artists, singer-songwriters, and jewelers among others. All of us have plans in various stages of development that we’re not working on yet. Yes, I have projects I’m not ready to write. I usually start with notes and develop a story of whatever length – novels and short stories -- over time. Sometimes a story comes together pretty fast, while others might sit for years. The difference compared to Carol and Rick is that most of us are working on something else while we consider those projects. 

Carol and Rick, after a certain point in life, weren’t ready ever again for any particular project. 

Obviously, none of us has any obligation to do creative work. What I noticed with Carol and Rick is that neither would accept the fact that they did not want to write. They always insisted they wanted to do so, and would at some point, but they just “weren’t ready” at any given time. Sadly, they were never ready for the remainder of their lives.

Studying, But Not Ready

I spoke at a weekend-long writers conference at a particular college a couple of times. Many attendees were writing, of course, and submitted finished work for critiques. I met others who were studying concepts about writing – how to plot, how to make a character come alive, and so on – in earnest. I also sat in on classes and lectures by other speakers. After one, I was making small talk with a twenty-something woman who was taking copious notes and asking pertinent questions at every talk she attended. She mentioned a genre in which she wanted to write.

I asked, in a conversational tone, if she was working on a story. She flinched, straightening up in her chair, with a startled, “Oh!” No, she had not started a story.

Because I had not meant to put her on the spot, I assured her I was just making small talk. Even so, I was surprised that she had been studying so hard without starting a story of some sort. And I was surprised that she was so surprised when I asked.

And, yes, she said she “wasn’t ready.” 

She was in a very different stage of thinking about writing compared to Carol and Rick from middle-age forward. I wasn’t being critical of her in asking if she was working on something, just wondering. However, the writers of fiction I knew, including me, had started writing before and while we were learning about story concepts. In my first year of writing and submitting to professional publications, I sent off stories that, I realized before too long, were nowhere near the level of story-telling that might sell. (I did sell a short story to a regional magazine fairly quickly, but it was a one-time thing for quite a while.)

Don't Wait

Of course, learning any skill requires starting. To play a musical instrument, pick one up. To sketch with charcoal, get the charcoal. The learning curve is different for everyone, but we can only prepare in advance to a limited extent. After all, writing isn’t like jumping into the deep end of a pool when you can’t swim. In fact, you don’t have to show your writing to anyone unless and until you choose to. In other words, sharing and submitting your work obviously can only happen after you’re writing and finishing your work.

The same issue applies to trying something new. Some writers work in one genre only and sometimes the plot, characters, or tone remain similar. Writing about very different characters and plots, and especially trying a different genre can also raise the question of being ready. 

Make a Decision

I also have friends who used to write fiction, and some who had work published, before deciding that writing wasn’t for them. Some of them were very successful. I’ve never had a problem with anyone making that choice. My concern for people who intend to write but “aren’t ready” is that they may be fooling themselves about their intentions or, no matter how supportive I try to be, they might not want to be honest with me.

The latter doesn’t matter. Whether someone writes or not isn’t my business. As a friend, however, I was concerned that Carol and Rick might be happier either writing or accepting that they did not want to write. Carol and Rick lived with the ongoing contradiction of wanting to write but not doing it for many years and they never resolved it. I should add that in a larger sense, they seemed less happy with their lives than most people. At least part of their unhappiness was related to the issue of writing. However, I have no way to know if they did not write because they were unhappy or whether they were unhappy because they couldn’t resolve the contradiction. I still believe they would have been more comfortable with their lives by deciding one way or another.

And, of course, the issue of rejections can be pertinent. Ongoing rejections can be discouraging , certainly. I still have work rejected frequently. Writing creative work in and of itself can be very personal and whether we submit it in the hope of having it published is a separate matter. 

For Carol and Rick, as the years accumulated, the issue of time became obvious. At some point we run out.

Ready or Not—Write

For those people thinking about starting who haven’t yet, the message is simple: Get to work. Be willing to write the best you can even if it doesn’t turn out as well you want, and then do it again. And again. And remember the old joke about getting to Carnegie Hall.

By the way, in writing this piece, I wrote the first paragraph and then did nothing for several days. I was thinking about what to include and how to express it – yeah, I wasn’t ready. 

Then again, here it is.

If you are writing, what helped you get past the "I'm not ready?" feelings?

About Bill

William F. Wu is a science fiction, fantasy, and crime author whose traditionally published books include 13 novels, one scholarly work, and a collection of short stories. Regarding his more than seventy published works of short fiction, he has been nominated for the Hugo Award twice, for the Nebula Award twice, and once for the World Fantasy Award. His novels Hong on the Range and The Temple of Forgotten Spirits are available in paperback, ebook, and audio book editions through Boruma Publishing. His science fiction collections Intricate Mirrors and Ten Analogs of the Future, the latter being ten collaborations with Rob Chilson, are available in ebook editions. For more information, see williamfwu.com. 

By Kris Maze

As writers, we often find solace in the written word, but what happens when the holiday season brings more blues than cheer? It's not uncommon for many to feel a bit down during this time of the year. In this blog post, let's explore some simple yet effective ways to reignite your creativity and make the most out of your writing, even when the festive spirit seems elusive.

Embrace the Quiet Moments

The holidays can be chaotic, but amidst the hustle and bustle, find solace in the quiet moments. Use this time for introspection and let your thoughts flow onto the paper.

Holiday Cookies

As part of my holiday celebration, I love to join others in a cookie bake. Baking (and giving away the goodness we create) is one of my love languages. During other times of the year, I will bake muffins, or biscuits from scratch to share with friends and family, but I especially look forward to making these holiday cookies.

It’s the time of year I can take out my cookie cutters and the press for spritz cookies. I enjoy making foods that specifically fit diet plans and restrictions, so it isn’t just a love-hate battle when dealing with a plate full of sweets promising a sugar high and a weight-gain regret.

But this year, my plans fell through, and my holiday bustle of baking was cancelled. I was disappointed at not seeing this group of friends but found that I really benefited from the downtime. Instead of driving across town and hauling all of my empty containers for finished cookies, I made my batch at home and wrote during the wait time.

As an introvert, I didn’t feel drained after, and I made progress on editing my manuscript. Win-win. And since I still had my favorite cookies to share, win-win-win!

Try it

Take a stroll through a serene winter landscape or find a cozy coffee shop corner with a cup of tea, allowing your mind to wander and your creativity to flourish.

Reflect on the Year

The end of the year often prompts introspection. Use this opportunity to reflect on your personal and writing achievements. Celebrate your successes and learn from your challenges.

Name Each Year

              I have made it a habit since my teen years to name each year. I would have to dig through dusty old boxes in a garage in another state, but I’m sure I could list these in their entirety someday. The exercise of narrowing my year to a singular word has helped me summarize the big-picture lessons I may have missed otherwise.  Not only do insights from these lessons manifest in my personal life, these nuggets of learned wisdom also become good fodder for stories.

Sample years

• Adventure: the year I went to Honduras to learn and practice my Spanish
• Heartbreak: the year my first serious college boyfriend and I broke up. On my birthday. Right before Christmas. It turned out alright as I soon found out that he had been seeing another young woman in another state all along.  Which led to…
• Wow! I-dodged-that-icky-relationship:  the year that I realized that it’s alright to discard broken, burdensome things. And then I went to Honduras for another summer of interesting experiences. Which then flowed into…
• New locations: the year of leaving my childhood city to move to a remote town and building a life as an adult.
• Yadda Yadda: the year the blur of motherhood began and I started to take myself less seriously, discovering a new level of caring for others.

The point isn’t just to find big events, but to reflect on the feelings and takeaway lessons I obtained. The journals may start with the key word but are followed by pages of questions and relatively primitive answers. Focusing on new ways of thinking and acting helped me to solidify my observations and personal growth.

Try it

Create a "Writer's Year in Review" list, highlighting your proudest moments, no matter how small. This exercise can be a powerful motivator for the year ahead.

Set Realistic Writing Goals

Instead of overwhelming yourself with grand writing plans, set achievable goals that align with the holiday pace. Small victories can lead to a sense of accomplishment.

My Time Tracker experience

You know the feeling—big energy, grand plans, ready to conquer the writing world in a week. It's that burst of enthusiasm that has us convinced we can achieve it all immediately. As Jadah Sellner aptly puts it in her book, She Builds, this is big energy defined. However, the crash that follows such an unsustainable push is all too familiar.

But let's not dismiss big energy entirely. It's the force that drives entrepreneurs and creatives to build something extraordinary. It's in our nature, propelling us to create new and exciting things.

Yet, my struggle with big energy lay in unrealistic goal-setting. Breaking down projects helps, but the unpredictable variables often derail our best-laid plans. Realism became my ally, and here's how I tamed my big energy drain:

• Track your time. Utilize a time-tracker app like The Simple Time Tracker. Assign icons for each writing task, from crafting stories to social media checks. It reveals the time not spent on actual writing, prompting a crucial realization.
• Know your realistic times. With breaks, daily tasks, and distractions, I discovered it took around three hours to craft a blog post or manage a social media campaign. Identifying this allowed me to allocate time more efficiently.
• Delegate social media. Hire a virtual assistant for social media tasks, freeing up time and reducing stress. They excel at post effectiveness, leaving me with more time for creative writing and manuscript work.
• Embrace reflection through posts. Maintain a weekly writing routine with reflective posts. They remain a joy in my writing process, a personalized interaction with readers. No stress, just genuine connection.

While the time tracker is no longer necessary for posts, having a dedicated time slot ensures consistent output. Realizing how long each post realistically takes, from writing to scheduling, aids in effective time management. This proactive approach transformed my writing stress into a manageable endeavor.

So, as you navigate your big energy, remember that realism is your friend. Break down the grand plans, understand your time constraints, and embrace strategic delegation.  With the right balance, your writing journey can be both productive and enjoyable.

Try it

Commit to writing a short story, a poem, or even a daily journal entry. The key is consistency, not the quantity.

Find Inspiration in Unlikely Places

Break free from conventional sources of inspiration. Explore new hobbies, immerse yourself in diverse cultures, or delve into unrelated subjects that spark your curiosity.

The Grotto

There is no shortage of holiday events to attend. And in recent years, I have invited my friends with various faiths to attend a lights-and-singing festival held at the Grotto. A primarily Catholic outdoor space of prayer and reflection, the celebration was a heartwarming experience for all who attended. There was also warm hot chocolate to sip as we walked through the wonderland of lights and listened to the many local talent groups singing and playing traditional Christmas music.

It didn’t matter that these friends celebrated the holidays from other faiths; it was a moment of sharing and a place to begin a conversation about how they celebrated their traditions. We talked about their faith and had a meaningful discussion that led to a deeper appreciation and understanding of the ways we view the world through different lenses. But even so, more importantly, it showed us how our worldviews also were the same.

Try it

Attend a local holiday event, explore a museum, or read about a topic you've never considered before. You might be surprised where inspiration strikes.

Create a Cozy Writing Nook

Your writing environment plays a crucial role in your productivity. Design a warm and inviting writing space that beckons you, even when the weather outside is frightful.

My Writing Space

Feeling the weight of writerly blues? Reluctant to face the pen due to the emotional challenges of the holiday season? I get it. Writing is tough, and when coupled with the pressures to be jolly, it can feel like an uphill battle. Take a moment to evaluate your writing space—it shouldn't be another neglected corner during the busy festive season.

The vibe of my writing desk was nothing close to inviting. I realized that I had let my writing space become a dumping ground of past bills and to-dos. No wonder I avoided it, even without emotional detachment. If I wanted to get back into the writing groove, it needed to be a place I felt drawn to and comfortable.

I decluttered the writing surface and filed away any past papers, sorting through the junk and lightening my mental burden during the purge process. The remaining space was functional, but still not inviting. It needed a little more pizazz.

After a trip to a local store where I browsed and bought a scented candle, I found a small light at Target and installed a color-changing bulb. The influence of the lights and aromatherapy were just the right mix to get me back into the writing mindset.

Try it

 Add soft blankets, warm lighting, and holiday-scented candles to your writing space. Make it a haven where creativity can thrive.

Handling the Blues

The holiday blues are a shared experience for many, so don't feel alone in this. Acknowledge your feelings, but also be proactive in combating them. Consider reaching out to friends, family, or writing groups for support. Engaging in activities that bring you joy outside of writing can also contribute to an improved mood.

Remember, writing is a journey, and sometimes the road may be a bit bumpy. Embrace the lows, but also celebrate the highs. By finding joy in the process and incorporating these strategies, you can turn the holiday blues into a season of renewed creativity and inspiration. Happy writing!

What do you do when you don’t feel like writing? How do you handle it when a friend is struggling, and doesn’t want to participate in festivities of the holidays?

About Kris

Kris Maze, an education enthusiast with a knack for the written word, has dedicated several years to the world of academia. She writes for various publications including Practical Advice for Teachers of Heritage Learners of Spanish and award-winning blog Writers in the Storm where she is also a host.

She published a YA dystopian novel, IMPACT, with a small press in the summer of 2020. Lately, she has been entering and placing in writing competitions, such as NYC Midnight’s Short Story and Micro fiction contests.

You can find her YA fiction, writing coach resources, and keep up with her author events at KrisMaze.com. Find her darker, scarier fiction at her sister-site KrissyKnoxx.com.

A recovering grammarian and hopeless wanderer, Kris enjoys reading, learning languages, and spending time outdoors where she ponders the wisdom of Bob Ross.

And sometimes she bakes biscuits.

Wrongly accused and exiled, Ernestina Après faces the destruction of her family and her bucolic life beneath the Dome. The Silver-Waters blessings are not in her favor, despite her warnings to the Counsel that the stream and its resources are running out. Caring for a stowaway, she must find a silver-lining in her dire circumstances.

Available now in eBook and paperback wherever you find your books!