Episode Title: How do I create characters that people will care about?

As much as the storyline itself, the characters of your tale will tell the tale. Who doesn’t appreciate the crafting of Charles Dickens’ Scrooge, Mario Puzo’s  Don Corleone, Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Harper Lee’s Atticus Finch, and Margaret Mitchell’s Scarlett O’Hara? Surely, you have your favorites, and they may be many in number. So how do you, in this first effort at story writing, conjure up characters that will be instrumental, remembered…and cared about?

 Angela Yuriko Smith

The answer, I believe, is already standing there in your memory—standing like a sentinel waiting to be called upon. And the sentinel has nothing to do with conjuring, it has to do with culling and collecting. Culling and collecting what? Let me answer with this proposition: Have you, at this mature age, not met and observed every personality type known to exist—the timid, the brilliant, the dull, the shy, the bold, the articulate, the thick of tongue, and so on? And have you not met and observed every manner of physical characteristic—the large, the small, the beautiful, the homely , the athlete, the weakling, and many more? Then there are the arrogant, the irritable, the nasty, the kind, the angry, the vulgar, and so many others to add to the compilation.

Image by Fab Lentz

The answer, then, lies within you. Think of all of those you have known, the breadth and depth of them. Think of the role you need your character not so much to perform, but to live in. Then, pull a combination of traits from your collection that will make a whole character, living and breathing. A character who, like us, has strengths and weaknesses, desires and passions, likes and dislikes, for no one is perfect and no one is all bad—Bonnie still loved Clyde. Rather than conjure, draw from the great salmagundi of traits available to you. You are the creator—blow breath and life into your characters—their characteristics drawn from those of real people—and they shall become real, someone to know…someone to care about.

Quinn T. Kamp Schroer

How about this: Pick three people who you know very well and list as many physical, personality, persona, and emotional characteristics about them that you can think of. Once you have all of the attributes down for each of the three, see how you might mix the traits to create a fourth person—your new character.  Remember, now that you have decided to write your story, a wonderful source of character information already lies within. Draw on the hundreds of people you know and have known, for you will find many fine characters there, awaiting your magical creation of them.

All the best,

Dick Franklin

richardsfranklin100@gmail.com

Note: Dick is author of novels Joshua Rye, Serpent at the Well, and MOLTO GRANDE. Go to: amazon.com/author/dickfranklin

Episode Title: Which of my story ideas should I write first?

If you’ve thought of writing for many years, it may be that you have more than one story idea that you have given considerable thought to. So how does one decide upon what is to be written first, to pick from the litter, so to speak. When I first began to write what eventually became Serpent at the Well,  I was in my mid forties, had already left what was a lengthy career in banking, and mostly wanted a challenge to fulfill my longtime desire to write. At the time, my wife and I had recently moved to Mammoth Lakes, California, which is located in the eastern Sierra Nevada and not far from Mono Lake. The more that I learned about that ancient lake’s history and the decades-long water fight that it was the focus of, I sensed a story. I put my other story ideas aside and pursued that story, full out. In Serpent at the Well, Mono Lake’s alter ego is Lake Clarity. And although the characters and plots are unique to the storyline, many of the book’s legal arguments and outcomes closely follow the actual history of Mono Lake.

Image by Clker Free Vector 

Since telling Serpent’s story was my singular focus, I paid little attention to the many-armed octopus  that I was about to create. As the story progressed, I realized that I was ill equipped  to write a novel that would eventually be nearly 700 pages in length, have ten important characters, have several retrospectives over a fifty-year period, and have seven or eight subplots that support and propel the main story. I mentioned in Blog #3 that I did many rewrites of Serpent, which in no small part was due to my taking on more than I should have for a first effort. Years literally went by while I learned the craft of writing, over which, I continually updated my novel with the new knowledge gained. The point in telling you all of this is to urge you to make your first writing one that will have few principal characters, have a forward looking storyline with few or no retrospectives, and have a main plot without two many side puzzle pieces. Said another way, why not get your sea legs first? By staying with a simple story construction, you can juggle less and concentrate on the depth and quality of your story. You will, however, have actually completed your first short story or novel, and prepared yourself for more complicated writings that you may choose in the future. I’m happy to say that writing my latest novel, MOLTO GRANDE, was far less stressful than Serpent, even though it is an epic story, based in 17th century Europe, and, at 260,000 words, is nearly twice Serpent’s length. Imagine if I had started with MOLTO GRANDE!

Photo by Ian Schneider

Now that you have entered the world of writing, it is sometimes fun to learn about the publishing industries related statistics. An analysis done by “In the Book” comes to me through the newsletter of writing consultant Molli Nickell. It pertains to the average ages at which best-selling authors first become best selling. Here are the stats by genre:

• Horror: 41

•  Science Fiction: 45

• Other: 46

• Romance: 46

• Literary Fiction: 47

• Fantasy: 47

• Historical Fiction: 50

• Mystery/Crime: 51

• Thriller: 52

• Average Age for all genres combined: 48.8 (men and women)

• Number of yearly first time, best-selling authors: Around 60

Keep in mind that some of these authors may have multiple best sellers, but this is the average age at which that first best seller was published by genre. Also, while there are examples like Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind) and Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird), whose first novels were smashing successes and best sellers, these are indeed rare. More likely, when considering the writers who comprise the above numbers, many toiled long and hard, over many years, before writing a best seller. That superior achievement waited on the development of their technique and storytelling. One other point of interest comes from the study: While, as indicated, the average age for all genres is 48.8 years, there are some striking differences in some categories for men and women. For example, in the Science Fiction genre, the average age for first-time, best-selling women is 35 versus 46 for men. On the other hand, in the Horror genre, average ages are 44 for women and 38 for men. In most categories, though, the age differentials are much closer. (Please retweet this blog—thanks!)

All the best,

Dick Franklin

richardsfranklin100@gmail.com

Note: Dick is author of novels Joshua Rye, Serpent at the Well, and MOLTO GRANDE. Go to: amazon.com/author/dickfranklin

Episode Title: Okay, I’m ready, but where do I begin?

You are on the brink of a great adventure…and challenge. You will create everything about your story: the plot and subplots, the characters and how they interact with one another, the time period in which the story will unfold, the many scenes that will propel your story forward, and so on—you are the ringmaster! Two new questions now materialize within the mind’s eye: The first of these is the fundamental matter of how to begin; the second, mentioned briefly in Blog #3, is how to find what has always been the most fleeting of life’s commodities—the time to write.

It is time to remind you that I am but a fellow writer and, thus, I can only share my own experiences in the writing of three novels. Most of all, however, I recommend that you allow your common sense to be your guide. You see, there are as many answers to “where to begin” as their are writers. So, what I am about to tell you is more about your personal preference concerning what would work best for you, than it is about any established, hardcore  guidelines.

Photo by CJ from Pixabay

Some writers have found that a detailed outline works best for them, chapter by chapter, keeping them on track to completion. This method has the benefit of requiring the writer to make many plot and character decisions up front. If done properly, any flaws within the story’s concept will be found out early, allowing modifications to be made before one paints themselves into a corner, so to speak. At the other end of the spectrum, some choose not to predetermine the direction of the story with even the broadest written outline, not wanting to be limited by their earlier conceptual thinking about how a story will unfold. This method requires considerable flexibility as to how one’s story might evolve, and the ability to ride the storyline as it stretches out before them. All and all, it is not my recommendation that you should wing it this way, for this, your first effort. Those in the middle of the spectrum might want only the broad strokes of their stories to be placed in outline form and then only as a general guide. I fall into the this category, wanting only the broadest markers for my stories. Some of my best thinking on character and plot development, in my judgment, occurred during the novel’s progress. For this same reason, I do not tell anyone about the detail of a story while it is being written. I simply don’t want anything to compel me in one direction or another, including someone else’s expectations of the storyline. I prefer the story itself to direct me, as it is being written. Remember, you are writing for yourself and not for a demanding publisher, so you have the freedom to do what makes you most comfortable—no one is going to ask you to send in your detailed outline or story synopsis. But it is important to decide how you wish to proceed.

Nik gb on Unsplash

Finding time to write can be an impediment to your finishing a short story or novel. After all, as a premise for Blog #1, isn’t the lack of time one of the principal culprits in keeping you from writing up until now? If one follows the advice from just about every source on the subject of writing, the strong and consistent admonition is to write daily, no matter what. And I suppose if you and I were that young writer trying to actually make a living with our pen, we’d better be in there knocking out something daily—our daily bread would depend on it. On the other hand, for people well into their years, who have a busy life already, I would argue that the idea that one must write daily is not only unhelpful, but counterproductive. It provides an easy excuse to rationalize that one cannot meet such a stern requirement; it is an excuse that will stop you dead in your tracks. Rather, why not think in terms of a schedule to write multiple times over a period of a week, or even a month. Select what you think is a reasonable number of times and hours that you can dedicate to your story over these longer time periods. Then, if a day or two, or even a week passes and you are unable to write, you have planned for the vicissitudes of your very active schedule. Again, you are the ringmaster of your story, and, yes, this includes your determination of what reasonable commitment of time you can make. But make the commitment, stick to it, and go forward. Please retweet! Thanks.

Image by Izoca from Pixabay

All the best,

Dick Franklin

richardsfranklin100@gmail.com

Dick is author of Joshua Rye, Serpent at the Well, and MOLTO GRANDE. Go to: amazon.com/author/dickfranklin

 

 

 

 

 

Episode Title: But I’ve never even taken a writing class!

The sheer fact that you have joined me for Blog #3 suggests that you have decided to write that short story or novel that has been simmering within your mind for a very long time. With your decision to proceed, two very practical realizations—like great serpents rising from the depths—are beginning to emerge. One of these is the simple realization that it is one thing to have a story idea and quite another thing to take that idea and turn it into a coherent work, something that is a challenge for even those well-schooled in the art of writing. The second of the serpents, perhaps more basic yet—if you didn’t have time to write your short story or novel before, what makes it possible to write it now? I will discuss the elusive matter of “time” in my next blog, but my answer to both of these quandaries is that you are now approaching these challenges with a new point of reference, a newfound freedom.

That newfound freedom referred to above comes from remembering that, above all else, you are, firstly, writing for yourself—you’ve had something to say for a long time, and you are poised over your writing pad or computer keyboard, ready to say it. This means it is you and not some invisible yet demanding publisher who will decide at what level of skill you may choose to write. If you are satisfied to share your story with only those you know, your family and friends, you will have succeeded in finally telling your story, albeit to this smaller audience. In this circumstance, whether or not yours is a technically superior writing is far less important than your accomplishment to have fulfilled your longtime desire to write. On the other hand, if you wish to expose your story to a broader audience, say through the publishing of an ebook, a higher level of skill is likely desirable.

Public Domain Pictures 

Along the continuum of lower to higher writing skill, where might a higher level of skill come from at this late date? Life is already full and finding time to make a serious time commitment to  go back to school for this purpose is likely out of the question. However, apart from such a full time commitment, there are many easily engaged sources available to the prospective writer. Before I discuss some of these, I’d first like you to think about another thing that supports your desire to write. For you to wish to write, even as an avocation, you most likely are one who enjoys reading. You didn’t think of it this way, but you have been schooling yourself to write by way of your reading through all of these years. Many times, you have been witness to outstanding plot and character development, to the clever interworkings of plot and subplots, and to a wide variety of writing styles. You tell a friend, “You’ve just got to read this…” and then you go on to describe all of the things that make a story a worthy read. And if you are a particularly avid reader, you may very well be a member of a reading club. Through that wonderful association, you also hear the analysis of your other members as to what each thinks of the novel at hand. At the bare essence, then, let’s face it, you know a good short story or novel when you see one. Now, as one source of your writing skill, you must lean on the experience that you have as a reader and let it play its role in informing you, the writer.

Picture by Jonny Linder

In my past business life, I wrote many detailed proposals and considered myself a competent writer.  Why then did I, a supposedly capable writer, do five or more (I lost count) complete rewrites of my first novel, the 676-page Serpent at the Well? Answer: It was the knowledge that I was gaining along the way from a combination of the writing itself and the instructive reading about writing that I was concurrently doing. You see, outside of any classroom regimen, there are many fine books on the subject of writing, some of which I found influenced how I thought about writing, focused me, and helped to evolve my skill as a writer (write me and I’ll share the titles of those that I like best). There are fine organizations dedicated to helping the independent writer, such as The National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) that I belong to, and many other helpful online resources, such as Writing World.com., Grammarly.com, Reedsy.com, and Daily Writing Tips, much of which is free. For those finding their bearings as a writer, there are myriad articles, evening and weekend classes, writing communities and forums, complete classes, and blogs for every aspect of writing—they are all just a click away. And, of course, this is to say noting of the local library, many of which have writing groups and invite educators in on the subject of writing. When you are in the midst of writing your story, these educational sources are fully applicable. The real point is, however, that whatever combination of books and online resources you may choose as aids to your writing, they represent an excellent source of help for the goal you have now set for yourself—the goal to finally put your words, your plot and your characters, your personal writing style, to a story that is yours and only yours—a story that only you can tell. But keep this in mind: Just as you will decide who, if any, will read your finished story, it is you who will decide how much, if any, you will engage these available sources. It’s lovely isn’t it; no one other than you is expecting anything! 

Photo by StockSnap

Special note: Since I’m writing much of this blog episode to you as a reader, I would like to take this opportunity to ask a favor. With the advent of the ebook, it allows authors to provide deep discounts to encourage the reading public to read their novels. These offers, of course, are given in the hope that you will be impressed by their work, that you will include them in your list of favorite authors, and, especially, that you will provide a book review that will be informative to other potential readers. My request of you is to always reward the giving author with that book review. Good or bad, up or down, please write the review. How else will we all know when a truly spectacular novel, perhaps hidden within the millions of other offerings, is there for our reading enjoyment. Thank you for making this a common practice. Please retweet this blog! Thanks.

All the best,

Dick Franklin

richardsfranklin100@gmail.com

Note: Dick is author of novels Joshua Rye, Serpent at the Well, and MOLTO GRANDE. Go to: amazon.com/author/dickfranklin

Episode Title: Who are we writing for anyway?

In this second Writing from Behind the Curve blog, I want to extend the thinking that I commented on in Blog #1 for short stories and novels. Let’s talk about the act of story writing, irrespective of its length. It has often occurred to me that certain assumptions are made about the typical evolution of a writer. You know, that a well-educated younger writer, long on aspiration but short on finances, puts all other personal interests aside and works relentlessly through the nights, always moving toward that best seller. The admonishment to this writer from the writing community is, of course, to keep writing, no matter what. And while this scene of dedication no doubt occurs and is commendable, I note, on the other hand, that there is little if anything said to the rest of us would be writers—the ones who achieved meaningful employment or management of a stable family life early on, stayed with it, took on ever greater responsibilities in job, family, and community, with the time constraints imposed therein, and never, then, got around to writing that short story or novel. So here we are at age 45, 55, or even 75, and find ourselves with the distant desire to write, but also reluctant to take the plunge. Why? I mentioned in Blog #1 the rather surprising statistic that eighty percent of adults, when polled, say that they wanted to write a book at some point in their lives, but that only two percent actually do. As discussed, for many, life’s other demands took precedence. Over time, the thought of writing simply withdrew into the caverns of the mind. But now that you may finally be experiencing a more settled life, one with a bit more discretion, what is stopping you now?

Photo by Fabian Moller

A little background: Fortunately, for all of us, there will always be dedicated young students that love the written word and wish to make a career conveying their stories. But even those trained in the art of writing have only a modest prospect. For every major writer, whose name might be widely known in reading circles, there are tens of thousands of even published writers for whom the bells of notoriety will never toll. In fact, a typical traditionally published novel will average sales of just 250 copies per year and 3000 copies over its published lifetime (the now ubiquitous e-book will typically have sales much lower than this). And yet, we are fascinated when at a gathering we meet a published writer who comes to us with all of the romanticism that we have conjured up for those whose works are worth paying for. One who, through intellect and hard work, has crossed a bridge that we may have dreamed of crossing all of our busy adult lives.

Time has passed now and we are no longer that young person who could actually have made the decision to become the writer within, no matter where that might have taken us—to notoriety or to obscurity. So we say to ourselves that no one will want to read us at this late date and certainly not publish us. And I say back to you, “So what?” You see, it is the wrong frame of reference to continue to think in terms of being published. That thinking is the sand in the machinery of your mind that grinds you into inactivity, into the abandonment of your life-long dream to write. Rather, ask yourself this: Do you still have a story to tell and does it really matter if it is published or even widely read? In short, first and foremost, you must write for yourself, not for family, friends, notoriety, and certainly not for a publisher. Yes, it is still narrowly possible that you might become the Grandma Moses of writing (she didn’t begin to paint in earnest until she was 78). With some exceptions, however, by beginning to write later in life as you are now, you will probably not write best sellers, and you will probably not be published in the traditional sense. But you will have finally said what you have to say, as only you can say it.

Photo by StockSnap

What you will write, with some on-going encouragement from me, will be yours to hold dear, share with family and friends, or share with the world at large, as you see fit. Remember, should you choose, the digital cloud will allow the many generations who follow to read your story and to look back into your mind at what you thought was important to write. We’ll talk about the avenues you might pursue in the bruiting of your work in a later blog. For now, you’re on the launching pad, ready for that long overdue takeoff!

Future blogs will cover a number of practical matters that may be rolling around in your head about now. Let me throw out just a few that we’ll be dealing with:

• But I’ve never even taken a writing class! 

• How will I find time to write? They tell me I need to write daily.                       

• Which of my story ideas should I write first?

• Okay, I’m ready, but where do I begin?                                                            

•  What if my writing and grammar skills are suspect?

• How do I create characters that people will care about?

• How do I deal with this thing called Writer’s Block?   

Image by Clker Free Vector

In the next Writing from Behind the Curve blog, we’ll begin the steps to your  fulfillment of something new from something old! Please retweet! Thanks.

All the best,

Dick Franklin

richardsfranklin100@gmail.com

                       

Note: Dick is author of novels Joshua Rye, Serpent at the Well, and MOLTO GRANDE. Go to: amazon.com/author/dickfranklin