By Sheri Wren Haymore
Don’t you love to get so
involved in a book that you can’t put it down and don’t want it to end? Would
you like for that to happen for your readers?
It really doesn’t matter
whether you’re writing fiction, a memoir or a biography. Readers invest
time in your story, and they want to see the people you’re writing about come
to life, whether fictional or historical. Readers want to feel that they know
your character so well that they would recognize him if they met him on the
street.
Let’s work on making
that happen for your reader.
·
Test
#1: Pick a
random scene in your story. Does the scene tell you five things about your
character’s essential nature? If not, then ask yourself: what is my
character seeing, smelling, and hearing in this scene? And more importantly,
what does he think about that? Plunge deeper into his psyche, view the
scene through his eyes, and then write those details.
·
Test
#2: Read through the first
two scenes in your story and make note of your protagonist’s idiosyncrasies.
Are your character’s habits integral to his personality? Or do you not find any
habits?
Go to a park or mall and
notice the little things people do. Does a young woman flip her blonde hair
over her shoulder repeatedly as she talks? Annoying. Do you see a man stick his
hands in his pockets and tilt his head when he listens? Endearing. Those little
details can make your character come to life.
·
Test
#3: Take your character out
of the story and stick her in a ridiculous situation. This is a test to see how
well you know her. Maybe a stray dog runs through the open door with coyotes on
its tail. Maybe a space alien shows up for dinner. Write this bizarre scene and
you will see her with more focus. Now put her back into her story and tell it
better.
·
Test
#4: Have a friend record the
darkest scene in your story so that you can hear it afresh. This should be the
scene in which your character has been pushed so far into a corner that the
situation is unbearable; no apparent way out. As you listen to the recording,
can you feel the emotion? Do you know what the character is thinking? Do you
understand why he takes the action he does?
If the answer is “no” to
any of these questions, the problem may not be in this scene alone. It is
likely that there are aspects of your character’s personality that you have not
explored in previous scenes. Go back; go deeper; write him to life.
·
Test
#5: Finally, read the last
scene as if you don’t know the story at all. After all the smoke has cleared,
do you like this character? It doesn’t matter how many flaws the story has
revealed in your character; in the end, your readers have to be able to say, “I
really enjoyed getting to know that guy,” or they will close your book and
forget it.
_____________________________________________________________________
Sheri Wren Haymore grew up in Mt. Airy, NC, and
still lives thereabouts with her husband and a pup named Cercie. Together,
they’ve made a living running a couple of small businesses, and made a life
doing the things they enjoy—traveling, hiking, camping, kayaking. Sheri loves
music and yoga, inventing gourmet meals from random ingredients, laughing with
friends, and most especially spending time with her daughter. Through Wisdom
House Books, she published a romantic suspense, A Higher Voice, and
recently released a suspense/thriller, A Deeper Cut. A graduate of High Point University, she has
burned more pages than most people will ever write, and is currently scribbling
a third novel, which may or may not survive the flames. She can be found
at her website is: http://www.sheriwrenhaymore.com
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