Writers in the Storm

Shannon Donnelly

I’ve been reading some manuscripts lately that have trouble sorting out the protagonist, so this seems worthy of a blog. The protagonist—your central character—needs to be worthy of a story. The protagonist also needs enough going on to carry the story.

One of the big problems I see in a lot of romances that aren’t working is that the writer is trying to make both the hero and heroine the protagonist—that generally flops.

Even a romance needs one central character that can carry the main story arc—which is really the main character’s arc. Even a women’s fiction novel with a group needs one character at the heart of the story. Can you break this rule? Sure—but you do so at the risk of having the whole thing collapse. Think of your protagonist as your central tent post—without it, everything sags or falls.

Now—what about that character being worth of his or own story?

The protagonist needs some things set up so the story works better:

1. Conflict

Yes, it’s obvious, but there’s no such thing as enough of this. And this isn’t just external challenges to overcome. Protagonists are more interesting if they have internal issues. You want to set up issues, and personality clashes, and personal problems for the protagonist.

2. A specific past.

This means a detailed, specific past. This where I see a lot of writers going for vague. How many characters out there have parents who died, or a rough childhood, or were bullied? You can count these by the thousands, because that description is too vague.

If you want your protagonist to stand out and be worthy of a story, make them unique by making their past highly specific. The woman whose parents were run over by a rhino while they were on safari when she was ten and stuffed into a boarding school—that’s starting to shape a unique person. Or the boy who grew up traveling with his parents in a VW bus because they wanted to see the world—he’s got some interesting stories. Details make your characters come alive—never settle for less than highly specific.

3. Strengths and flaws.

It’s too easy to focus on just one side of this. The hero who is not only handsome, but tall and talented, and just too good to be real. The heroine who is beautiful and brave and fearless. Or even the bad guy who is nothing but mustache-twirling evil.

Characters that don’t have both flaws and strengths start to be boring. A protagonist who doesn’t screw up—or who does nothing but screw up—is going to lose readers. Do yourself a favor and make the main character’s main trait something that is both strength and a flaw—most traits come with a good side and bad.

4. Meaningful habits.

We all have these. Twirling a lock of hair. A favorite phrase. A toothpick tucked into the corner of a mouth. Cracking knuckles, biting a thumbnail, tucking a quarter into a pocket. Your protagonist will be more interesting if you figure out not just habits, but specific habits that reveal something about that person.

The person who has to organize any bookshelf she sees by topic is a different person from the one who never steps into a cab with a license plate that has the number thirteen on it. Make your protagonist worthy of a story by giving them meaningful habits.

5. Something they want.

The best characters always have something they want—something they really want, something they really, really want, and something they really, really, really want. Go beyond that first want and dig deeper. First, second, and often even fourth ideas are usually clichés. These ideas jump at you because you’ve read them so many times. Always ask more of yourself and your protagonist—get down to what they really, really, really want. Do this not just for the story, but for every scene in the story, too.

6. A unique voice.

Every character needs a unique voice, but a protagonist needs this more than any other character in your story. To be worthy of being at the center of the story, the protagonist needs to stand out—that means his or her dialogue needs to be sharp and needs to be something that would make any ‘star’ want to play this role. To help with this, imagine your favorite actor in this role—give this actor the best lines, such great lines that this actor would come up and hug you.

7. Likeability

A protagonist, to be worthy of his or her own story, needs to be likeable. The reader needs to identify with that person—the protagonist carries the reader into and through the story.

Now, the protagonist can do things that makes the reader want to slap that character, or can make mistakes—in fact, that often leads to a more likeable person. But look closely at what actions your protagonist takes—does he treat others (who don’t deserve it) badly, does she kick the cat, does he make the same mistake repeatedly, does she do too much admiring of her own looks in the mirror?

This is where it’s all about balance. A heroine can kick the cat if that cat is really a demon about to kill her—the action will seem justified. But if it’s a pitiful, cute kitten, that protagonist has just lost the reader’s sympathy. Make sure your readers understand the protagonist’s actions and motivations—we all tend to like people we admire and people whose actions we understand.

9. Friends and/or family.

This can be one friend or several, it can be a big family or a small one, but friends and family serve to give your protagonist three dimensions. Allowing the reader to see the protagonist interacting with friends and family helps make the protagonist more interesting and more likeable by being more understandable. It also is a chance to layer in extra dimensions as the protagonist will interact with different people in different ways.

If you have a really rough, hard-to-like protagonist (who must change in the story) give him or her a best friend who is easy to like—that person’s liking for the protagonist will convince the reader there are good qualities in the protagonist. This is also a great way to show contrasts—the tough hero can let his elderly mom boss him around, or the feisty no-nonsense heroine could be mush when it comes to helping her little sister play dress-up.

Use the characters around the protagonist to make the protagonist more worthy of being at the center of the story.

10. Action

Let’s face it, a character that sits and thinks a lot is just not that interesting. Even Shakespeare sends Hamlet off to visit graves and spy on his uncle and set up plays and a duel—Shakespeare knew enough to put his protagonist into action.

Actions show the reader the character’s personality better than anything else. If you have a protagonist who is a marksman, have him shooting a gun and making patterns on the target. If you have a financial wiz, have her signing a deal that nets her an easy million. A character who is worthy of his or her on story is one who does things.

Above all else, find out whatever it is that you need to know to make your protagonist real to you. If you don’t believe in your main character, it’s just about impossible to get a reader to believe, too.

Who are your favorite fictional protagonists? What makes them stand out? What qualities make a character "worthy of his or own story?"

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About Shannon

Shannon Donnelly’s writing has won numerous awards, including a nomination for Romance Writer’s of America’s RITA award, the Grand Prize in the "Minute Maid Sensational Romance Writer" contest, judged by Nora Roberts, and others. Her writing has repeatedly earned 4½ Star Top Pick reviews from Romantic Times magazine, as well as praise from Booklist and other reviewers, who note: "simply superb"..."wonderfully uplifting"....and "beautifully written."

Her latest Regency romance, Lady Chance, the follow up to Lady Scandal, is out on Amazon.com. In addition to her Regency romances, she is the author of the Mackenzie Solomon, Demon/Warders Urban Fantasy series, Burn Baby Burn and Riding in on a Burning Tire, and the SF/Paranormal, Edge Walkers. Her work has been on the top seller list of Amazon.com and includes the Historical romances, The Cardros Ruby and Paths of Desire.

She is the author of several young adult horror stories, and has also written computer games and offers editing and writing workshops. She lives in New Mexico with two horses, two donkeys, two dogs, and the one love of her life. Shannon can be found online at shannondonnelly.com, facebook.com/sdwriter, and twitter/sdwriter.

Nicole Winters

Years ago, I remember listening to writers lament about the perils of research. I thought, how terrible to psych yourself out of a wonderful story before you’ve even begun.

Now, before I continue, let’s be clear, what I do is probably more suitable for the contemporary fiction writer. Someone who, say, wants to set their story in an arena they know a bit about already. I’m certainly no expert when it comes to nonfiction or historical writing.

A few years ago, when I was presented with the opportunity to write TT FULL THROTTLE, a YA novel based upon the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Races (European motorcycle road racing) I jumped at it; I like sports and motorcycles.

However, even though I knew the basics about the TT Races, I’ve never raced a motorcycle on a racetrack. I’m not a race mechanic, and I’ve never been part of a pit crew. I needed to research, a lot. And I needed a game plan, so I didn’t get bogged down.

My research secrets:

1. Every time you come across something technical type the letters “TK” and move on.

Yup. That’s it.

“TK” is my fancy pants way of saying “Technical. I’ll get to it later, but right now I’m in the middle of writing here.” This allows me to not get bogged down with research, but instead, focus on the emotional arc of the scene. Use whatever code works for you.

Here’s an example of a draft scene between my hero (a road racer) and his love interest (a mechanic), where I didn’t know the technical words or even what kind of mechanical breakdown the race bike could have. However, that’s not what’s important. By focusing on the emotional arc, I was able to push through and write emotions into the scene.

We start working on the engine. She disassembles and I wipe down the TK-parts. We listen to classic rock songs from Manx Radio and it makes me a little nostalgic, thinking about my dad and Terry and how we used to work together late into the night like this. To pass time, they’d dish out advice on girls and my racing career, or tell stories about travelling across Canada and the US by bike in the late 80s and all the adventures they’d had.

When we work our way to the TK, Mags picks up the TK. Sure enough, it’s TK broken/damaged/cracked???

See what I did there? I didn’t let the research stop me when it could have. For the next draft I spoke with a bike mechanic and it took him about two seconds to say, “He’s got a broken counter shaft seal.”

Try adopting a code like “TK” and see if it’ll work for you. Plug it into your story as much as you want, but keep moving forward by focusing on the emotional arc. The goal is to get that first draft done, right? Empty your story onto the page, complete it, celebrate and take a break (a few weeks even), then tackle research.

So let’s fast forward...

Are you ready to have fun and dive into some research?

Let’s face it, you wouldn’t have chosen to set your story in a certain arena (cooking, road racing, dancing, etc.) unless there was something you were already curious to know more about. I’ve always been an explorer by nature, so research to me is like a new adventure.

Here’s an example of how I’m currently tackling the research for my next novel, THE CONJURER, about magic (as in regular ol’ close-up/parlor magic, not fantasy magic).

• I’ve written my first draft using TKs, and focused on the story’s structure and the hero’s arc. Where there some missing chunks all dedicated to the TK? Yup, but I didn’t sweat it. I knew the beginning, middle and end.
• During the first draft resting period, I binge watched magician videos, documentaries, etc. and started reading blogs and following magicians on social media.
• I looked up magician organizations in my area to find out where and when they meet. A quick email to the president, introducing myself and my project, and the next thing I know I’m invited to attend a meeting. Once there, I introduced myself and then sat back, kept quiet and watched magicians in their natural habitat. I did not force my questions or even presence onto people (my magic trick was to ‘disappear’ so they wouldn’t be self-conscious of me being there watching and listening). It took a couple of meetings for members to realize I was sincere in my craft and now I have a wealth of experts who approach me asking if they can help or answer questions. Awesomesauce!

I feel like I am now part of a terrific community who loves what they do. (BTW, I attended a meeting where a famous magician taught other magicians his latest inventions/tricks — my mind was blown!)

Will I end up gutting parts of my story to rewrite according to new information in draft two? Of course! But that’s all part of the process. Personally, I think new writers place too much pressure on the first draft, somehow thinking that it has to be perfect.

Belch… I consider all my first drafts as a “dawg’s breakfast” (said in a thick Southern drawl) because to me, that’s what it is.

My novels tend to go through 3-5 drafts before the polish (and yes some TKs linger throughout several drafts, but that’s okay). I just don’t want to spend any more time on the first draft psyching myself out. I write it, leave it, assess it, devise an action plan, and move onto draft two.

I’m someone who’s constantly trying new ways to strengthen my craft. I hope this makes sense and inspires you to give it a try. Let me know how it goes.

What research hacks push you through the first draft? Share your tricks down in the comments.

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p.s. Don't forget to join the Write Up a Storm Event - coming Monday Oct 12!

About Nicole

 

Nicole has an English B.A. from the University of Toronto and loves, books, bikes, horror films and globe hopping. Her debut romance novel, THE JOCK AND THE FAT CHICK hits the e-book stands October 13^th. Nicole is currently at work on her third book involving magic called, The Conjurer.

Cool dudes and motorcycles: TT Full Throttle
Hot guys and romance: The Jock And The Fat Chick

Social hashtags: #rebellious #allthingsfunny #dudevoice
#braaap! #bodyacceptance #hotYARomance

Connect with Nicole via Twitter, her blog, or www.nicolewintersauthor.com.

Colleen M. Story

My first book is scheduled to come out the last week in September.

It’s an interesting time for me. As I look back over the last nearly 20 years of writing (I’ve worked full-time as a writer since 1997), I realize I’ve had a lot of illusions about what this time would be like. I think as young writers we tend to imagine that our writing lives will peak with publication.

Turns out it’s not really like that. Already I have so much to do in the coming months to market the book. Soon I’ll be starting edits on the second novel I have under contract. And there’s my work in progress, which is still, well, in progress.

Publication now feels less like a peak and more like a change in course, after which the journey continues…uphill.

No matter how you look at it, though, publication—especially the first one—is a milestone, which invites reflection. What have I learned along the way?

1. I should have been more careful with critiques.

As writers, we’re all told we need to get feedback on our work. I still believe that’s true, but I now know it’s extremely important to be careful with critiques. In my early years, I tended to believe most everything a teacher/editor/other writer would tell me. After all, they all had more experience than I did.

Plus, like most creative people, I heard the negative comments a lot more clearly than the positive. Which wasn’t good for my confidence as a young writer, or my progress toward becoming a published novelist.

After years of receiving critiques at conferences and contests, as well as hiring professional editors, I now know how subjective these things are. Some contests deliver three separate critiques, for example, and I’m still amazed at how different they can be. One reviewer will heap praise on a piece of writing while another will give it only mediocre marks. One will say the dialogue is natural and well done, while another will say the dialogue, especially, needs work.

Today, when reading critiques, I take most of the comments with a grain of salt. It’s only those that ring true for me on an intuitive level—the ones that I respond to in my gut—that I pay attention to. The rest I do my best to forget.

It was John Steinbeck who said, “Unless a reviewer has the courage to give you unqualified praise, I say ignore the bastard.” 

2. I should have discovered my weaknesses earlier.

It wasn’t until several years into my fiction writing practice that I found a really good editor who pointed out that I needed to work on plot. She had struggled with it, too, and told me how she had practiced to improve her skills.

That feedback was invaluable to me. I dove into plotting as if I was back in college. I bought books, took classes, made outlines, and studied story structure. Soon, I was getting consistent positive feedback about my plots. Did that ever feel great!

Looking back, I realize I could have advanced more quickly if I had discovered my weaknesses earlier. How? By researching and finding writing mentors who knew what they were doing, and were genuinely interested in helping young writers succeed—and then being willing to invest in their guidance.

3. I should have started with small publishers.

We all dream of publishing with the big guns when we start out. We want names like Penguin, Random House, Tor, and the like on the title pages of our books.

We submit to those giants. And we wait. And we wait. Most large publishers take up to six months to get back to you, if they ever do get back to you. (Many these days make no response at all if they’re not interested in the story.) That’s a lot of time wasted.

There are some new writers who break through to these publishers on their first try, but the odds are against us. Meanwhile, a number of reputable small publishers are very eager to find new writers, and committed to representing work they believe in.

If I had started with these publishers, I might have gotten a contract much earlier, and been further along in my fiction-writing career today. 

4. I should have submitted a lot more.

As a young writer, I would send my story out to a couple publishers, and then wait for their responses. When I received rejections, I would feel disappointed, and question my abilities as a writer. I doubted I would ever get “good enough” to be published.

All these negative feelings would prevent me from submitting again for a considerable amount of time. This happened a lot with my (now) first-published book. Years passed and I wrote other novels I didn’t try to publish. For some reason, the characters in this one stayed in my head, the story still alive in my thoughts. One day, I got a little angry. Heck with it, I thought. I’ll just send the darn thing back out there. 

This time, I sent it to several small publishers. That resulted in a publishing contract. After I signed the contract, I was still receiving requests for the full manuscript from other publishers.

Was it just coincidence? Timing? Could have been, but I’m more likely to believe that if I had been more aggressive in my submissions earlier on, the book would have found a home years before it did. 

5. I should have paid more attention to positive comments.

When submitting this story to publishers early on, I received several positive comments. Way back in 2005, I got a handwritten note on a rejection letter that said:

“Great story idea. Not right for us but keep going. You will find a publisher for this book.”

That note made me happy, but I too quickly allowed rejections to overpower the encouragement. Looking back, I should have framed that letter, along with all the other encouraging notes that came in over the years, or at least put them somewhere I could see them now and then.

We writers are way too sensitive to negative feedback. We need to take any positive feedback just as seriously, if not more so. 

6. I should have thought long-term.

We think our writing careers start with publication, but that’s not true, especially in today’s world. Now, authors are required to do the majority of the marketing for their own books. That means creating a platform as early as possible, and growing it over time.

This is something I didn’t understand until late in the game—partly because the radical changes in publishing happened quickly, and partly because this whole idea of building a platform was practically nonexistent when I first started out.

Looking back, I realize I would have been better off if I had taken a long-term view of my fiction-writing career. I was too limited, thinking it was all about getting better and getting a publishing contract. Both of those things are still key to succeeding, but now it’s also important to have a solid presence online, and to be continually working to attract an audience, book or not.

I’ve never had a problem running my freelance business as a business, but fiction felt different to me. It was more my joy, and my dream. Now that I have my first book coming out, I realize that a lot of the things I’ve been doing in my freelance business I could have been doing for my fiction writing, too.

7. I should have believed in myself.

This is the hardest one. When you’re all alone, working away day after day, year after year, it’s very difficult to believe that one day, you’ll be signing a book contract, and one day soon after that, you’ll be preparing for the launch of your first book.

We pay for not believing in ourselves. It holds us back. It stops us from fully investing in our dreams. I was never sure if my novels would be published, ever, so fiction writing remained something I did in my off hours.

Don’t get me wrong. I worked my tail off. Having a full-time job was something I had to do, and squeezing writing in after that was never easy. I dedicated myself to practicing, studying, and learning, but I felt almost guilty about it, like it was a self-indulgent thing to do, to spend all that time on something that might never culminate in an actual published book, or (gulp) a fiction writing career.

If I had believed in myself wholeheartedly, I might have done a better job of paving the way for myself. I might have gotten more done on my platform, for example, or felt more confident about devoting the time and resources needed to support my writing dreams.

Hindsight is twenty-twenty, as they say. I made mistakes along the way. I hope others might learn from them, but I also hope that we can all feel more entitled to make mistakes. We often fear getting it wrong, but there’s no way to learn in this field without messing up every once in a while.

Make mistakes. Go for it. Believe in yourself. If you keep at it, one day, you will succeed.

Did you make mistakes before receiving a publishing contract? Or do you worry you might? Please share your thoughts with our readers.

 

 Colleen M. Story writes young adult fantasy and adult literary novels. She’s also a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the health and wellness field. Her first book, Rise of the Sidenah, is scheduled for a September 24, 2015 release. Find more on her website, ColleenMStory.com, and at WritingandWellness.com, or follow her on Twitter: @colleen_m_story.

Rise of the Sidenah is a magical fantasy about a young sculptress forbidden from practicing her art, until a powerful man offers her an opportunity she can’t refuse. He draws her into a world of deceit, murder, and betrayal, leaving her no choice but to engage him in battle to save the ones she loves.