AGAINST ALL…FLAWS

By Sheri Wren Haymore

In the most memorable stories, the protagonist gets what he desires against all odds. Despite evil forces, or society, or cataclysmic misunderstanding, or the gears sticking in the time machine—whatever the opposition, he overcomes the odds.

I propose that the most interesting characters are deeply flawed and become heroes in spite of their flaws and against all odds. In fact, it’s the protagonist’s imperfections, more than whatever admirable traits the author may bestow on him, that draw us into the story, make us curious to know how it’s all going to play out. We want to know how he’s going to overcome his flaws in order to reach his goal. 

We want to believe in redemption.

So how does an author craft a flawed character without creating a caricature? Just as you get to know a friend the longer you do life with her, so your character will reveal herself by her dialogue, her actions, and especially her reactions to the events in her story. In fact, it’s when you, the writer, peel back her reactions that you get at her flaws. And when you unveil the ugliness of her flaws, then you can discover the story she really wants to tell.

Recently I read a novel that I liked in which the main character habitually wakes up hungover; so far, a flat character.  A tragedy is revealed to explain his four-year binge; more dimension. As the story deepens and the guy reacts to events—with kindness, then cynicism, then inexplicable rage—now we get at the heart of his problem. He feels responsible for the tragedy. Guilt is one of the ugliest flaws of all, and it was up to that author to birth the character’s heroism out of that very flaw.

Allow me to use my own novel, A Higher Voice, as an example. I stitched together a likeable character in rock legend Britt Jordan—quirky and funny, creative and kind—and then I began to unravel him. Britt has a ragged past and more than a few secrets; no surprise for a rock star, but a particular dark memory torments him. He reacts to each new disaster with inordinate desperation to make things right. Here was my quandary: I liked this character too much. I had to walk away from the manuscript for a while before I could get up the nerve to do what I knew I must. Finally I ripped him open and penned such an appalling act of arrogance that he seems beyond redemption. In fact, a reader admitted that she closed the book when she learned how heinous his secret was. And yet it’s out of that arrogant flaw that the breathtaking humility of his heroism emerges and finds significance.

It takes guts to create a believable flawed character and then draw meaning from his story. But you’ve got this, fellow authors, and I look forward to your next stories!

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Sheri Wren Haymore is the author of two novels so far, A Higher Voice and A Deeper Cut. Sheri 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 business, 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. 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. My social media links are http://www.sheriwrenhaymore.com/  http://www.facebook.com/sheriwrenhaymore  http://www.twitter.com/sheriwrenauthor (@sheriwrenauthor)   

LIVIN’ THE DREAM

By Sheri Wren Haymore

We entered the foyer of a favorite restaurant one busy weekend evening just as the manager burst out of the kitchen through a side door. There was sweat at his temples, sauce spilled down his chef’s jacket, and a certain wild-eyed expression on his face. Upon recognizing us, he threw a nod in our direction, exclaimed, “Livin’ the dream, Baby; livin’ the dream,” and kept right on rolling toward the dining room.

I totally got it.

And I recognized that wild-eyed expression because I’ve caught my reflection in the mirror and seen it on my own face. It’s the look you get when you’re working your buns off, and it’s still not enough. It’s a gaze of frantic desperation coupled with a sideways glance of anticipation and a blink of satisfaction.

It’s the way you look when you’re living your dream.

Just last year, with two novels recently published and a full calendar of book marketing adventures, I’m pretty sure I carried that expression everywhere I went. I was having a ball living the almost-famous life, filling the role of celebrity speaker for writing groups, writing the occasional magazine article—and all the while keeping my end of our small business running. On a regular basis, someone would approach me and ask, “When are you going to write another book? I can’t wait to read the next one!” And over and over, I’d say, “I would if I had the time.”

Actually, I was having too much fun Livin’ the Dream to get back to the dirty work of being an 

author. Finally, I took a three-day writing retreat in late August and got a great start on that next novel. And then Life happened.

You know what I mean by Life, don’t you? Grand adventures, as well as a few misadventures, right? Joyful occasions, and a string of not-so-joyous ones. Since August, I’ve waved my ninety-year-old mother off on her first motorcycle ride and buried a brother-in-law. I’ve played for hours on end with our funny little dog, and prayed for hours over a hurting loved one. I’ve stood at a graveside with parents whose child was gone too soon, and literally gotten in the floor and wept with a friend whose child had broken her heart.

Sometimes Life is just too much, and too often, it looks nothing like The Dream.

And so it was this winter that I found myself overwhelmed by the weight of other folks’ burdens and mired in trifling distractions. I felt stagnant; I had no desire to finish my third novel. I deserve to be carefree!  I’ve already proven that I can write. I don’t want to go down that vortex of late nights and preoccupied days again. Or so I told myself.

But The Dream just won’t shut up. A few days ago, I spotted a friend of a friend whom I’d only met once before. When I called her name, she spun around, pointed her finger at me, and barked, “You need to make a movie! And why aren’t you home writing another book?”

People sure can make Livin’ the Dream sound easy.

Can you relate? No matter what Livin’ the Dream looks like for you, there comes a time when, disheartened, you ask yourself, What’s the point?

My friend Melanie says that it’s essential to get at the heart of your desire. In other words, you really MUST ask, “What’s the point?” My inner dialogue today has gone something like this:

Why did you want to be an author in the first place? Because I’m good at it. And what else? Because I have stories to tell. Why does that matter? Because the world needs good stories. Anything else? Because it makes me happy. And what else? When I write, I feel Heaven’s smile.

Aahh, yes! No matter how difficult it can be, when you’re Livin’ the Dream, it’s worth it all, isn’t it? 

Today, remind yourself exactly why it is that you do what you do. Meanwhile, I’ll be rolling my sleeves up and getting down and dirty with that third novel.

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Sheri Wren Haymore is the author of two novels so far, A Higher Voice and A Deeper Cut. Sheri 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 business, 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. 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. My social media links are http://www.sheriwrenhaymore.com/ http://www.facebook.com/sheriwrenhaymore http://www.twitter.com/sheriwrenauthor (@sheriwrenauthor) 

Write Your Characters to Life

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.

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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

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/SheriWrenHaymore Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheriWrenAuthor  

Blog: http://sheriwrenhaymore.blogspot.com/