5 Characterization Mistakes—and How to Avoid Them

By Jocelyn Green

Common mistakes can undermine a novel. Thankfully, you can route them out before this happens to you. Here are five pitfalls in crafting and portraying your characters—and how to avoid them.

Mistake: Giving historical characters 21^st century dialogue, attitudes, and values.

Do your homework and research the culture of the region and era. A colonial character whose cause is women’s suffrage, for example, won’t ring true.

Bottom line: Be true to your time period.

Mistake: Letting characters be two-dimensional.

Even villains should have something sympathetic about them, and heroes should be imperfect.

“Without personalizing, we face the pitfalls of clichéd characters such as the ‘old man’ or the ‘young woman.’ Our adaptation of personalizing focuses not on hair color and body type, but on the discovery of a character’s inner values, which give rise to unique traits and mannerisms that will become an integral part of the story.” ~Brandilyn Collins in Gettinginto Character

Bottom line: Let them be full people, with flaws and strengths, motivations, goals and internal conflicts.

Mistake: Skimping on the character’s conflict and motivation.

Without compelling motivation, a character won’t strive toward a goal at all costs. Keep up the tension by pitting one character’s motivation against another.

“Good conflict should push your character further and further from their goals, yet strengthen their motivation to push ahead.” ~Susan May Warren in From the Inside Out

Bottom line: Do character work.

Mistake: Not using beats to convey character emotion and drama.

Rather than always using tags with dialogue (“she said,” he asked,” etc.), use beats of action or feeling to convey nonverbal cues.

For example, here is a portion of Chapter 1 in my novel Widow of Gettysburg, using tags:

“I am sorry for your loss, truly,” he said. “How long’s it been? Since your husband died?”

“Since the Battle of Bull Run,” said Liberty. “The first.”

“Almost two years. You should be out of mourning soon.”

“If I so choose,” she replied. “Some widows wear black for the rest of their lives.”

“And bury yourself with the dead? I can’t imagine that kind of life for you.”

“It’s not your concern,” she said.

Now here is it again, using beats instead:

“I am sorry for your loss, truly.” His gaze probed her face, and she wondered if she looked sorry for her loss, too. Or just guilty. “How long’s it been? Since your husband died?”

She swallowed. “Since the Battle of Bull Run. The first.”

“Almost two years. You should be out of mourning soon.”

Liberty stiffened. “If I so choose. Some widows wear black for the rest of their lives.”

“And bury yourself with the dead? I can’t imagine that kind of life for you.”

An unwelcome tingle ran down her spine. “It’s not your concern.” She pounded the dough again.

Bottom line: Use beats to further personalize your characters.

Mistake 5: Letting your characters off easy.

Crisis both reveals what a character is truly made of, and transforms them. What is the worst thing that could happen to your character? Now do that, and let the character respond authentically.

Bottom line: Make life for your character extremely difficult, and watch what happens.

Go deeper with your characters with these five tips, and your plot is sure to improve.

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Award-winning author Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage in her readers through both fiction and nonfiction. A former military wife herself, she offers encouragement and hope to military wives worldwide through her Faith Deployed ministry. Her novels, inspired by real heroines on America’s home front, are marked by their historical integrity and gritty inspiration. Her first novel, Wedded to War, is a double finalist in the Christy Awards. 

Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com  Facebook: facebook.com/jocelyngreenauthor

Overwhelmed by Advice?

By Lynn Hobbs

Where to begin?

     1. Quality time learning your craft through workshops, writing conferences, and being active in writing organizations, is well spent. I began in earnest and still focus on learning. Writing methods change daily as does the industry.

     2.  Don’t hesitate to ask another author about writing issues you may be experiencing. I am a firm believer in sharing information; from passing on reliable, small press, publishers names, to what company I recommend for printing bookmarks.

Why small press?

1.     They don’t require your money to publish your work.  

2.     You don’t have to wait at least a year to learn you need edits.

3.     Most have print on demand for paperback books on Amazon and format e-books on Kindle or Nook.

4.     Keep your rights― the publisher receives a small percentage of your royalties.

5.     No agent fees taken from your profit to submit to a large publishing company…that will pass it from committee to committee…and possibly decide your following isn’t large enough to risk  your book will sell.

Who is following me?

1.     Decide on what genre you’ll be writing.  I write Christian fiction. My readers will be a Christian audience. I am on the third book in my series, and keep the same readers. If I suddenly switched to writing a different genre, I’d have to start building new readers all over again.  The first readers would stay with that genre, but find a different Christian author.

2.     Create accounts on facebook, goodreads, linked-in, and twitter. Numbers add up. The higher number of friends or contacts you have is what publishers notice. That “following” is called your platform.

3.      Let readers know you are serious about writing. Share with them the ongoing word count of your manuscript but not your ideas. Never share an idea until it is published.

How do I know my manuscript is ready?

1.     Polish, and polish again. Find an avid reader to critique it, and listen to why they suggest you change something.

2.     A good editor is a bonus. Remember the old saying…anything worth doing is worth doing well. How true. A quilter would not sell you a handmade quilt with stuffing poking out of a seam.

3.     Go with your gut feeling. I once got involved with describing a salad preparation by a main character. I thought it might be a bit much.  Too many details later, I realized it was not moving my story forward. Now, if I critique and spot something similar… I call it “getting bogged down in the salad”.

My goal is to give readers a clear understanding of a Christian viewpoint by the actions of my main characters. The Running Forward Series is a powerful faith and family saga. I encourage you to continue with your own writing!

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Lynn Hobbs is a member of GFWC-Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs – Marshall Women’s Club, American Christian Fiction Writers, East Texas Christian Writers, North East Texas Writers Organization. Retired from the Texas public school system, Lynn is a native of Houston. Married; two sons, three grandchildren, four cats and one dog complete the family. Lynn has enjoyed speaking at Churches, Christian Retreats, Lions Clubs, Retirement Centers, and other events. World Wide Who’s Who awarded Lynn Hobbs Professional of the Year 2012-2013 in Authorship. The Author Show.com named Lynn as a finalist in their nationwide contest; “Fifty Great Authors You Should Be Reading.” A 2011 winner of National Novel Writers Month (NaNoWriMo), she completed a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Several of her short stories have placed first and second in contests. She authored Running Forward Series, is published by Desert Coyote Productions.  Book one, “Sin, Secrets,and Salvation” debuted in January 2012. Book two, “River Town” debuted in December, 2012.Lynn enjoys hearing from her readers.

Links:Website: http://www.LynnHobbsAuthor.com

Facebook Timeline: https://www.facebook.com/lynn.hobbs.3367?ref=tn_tnmn

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynn-Hobbs-Author-Page/284186908279247?ref=ts&fref=ts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5428098.Lynn_Hobbs

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LynnHobbsAuthor (@LynnHobbsAuthor)

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=146368383&trk=tab_pro

E-Mail: http://LynnHobbs.Author@gmail.com

Continual Success

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Success brings to mind different things to different people.  Not only are the dreams and goals different but its limits varying from one person to the next. My idea of success may be limited by my experience and talent. But to reach my level of success is just as rewarding as the next person that reaches their success at a much higher plain.

Don Henley said, “Success can sometimes be just as disconcerting and frightening as failure, especially when you have questions about your own unworthiness and abilities.” 

Questioning your success is not unusual. Many doubt their worthiness and question their abilities. Many do so because they are concerned about the next step. Can we maintain our success, can we repeat our model for success or will my next attempt be received and accepted like the first. This can only be answered by continuing forward, just as Henley and The Eagles did. There were failures along the way but most are forgotten. 

The truth is once you reach what you thought to be your goal or dream you come to realize what you have done prepares you for the next big thing. Doors open and again it is off you go to the next level. You need to stop, take stock and make a decision on what is next. Your abilities and worthiness have lifted you to this level of success. Use what you have learned. Put the success you have with the abilities that are proven and continue on to the next level. 

There will be times of doubt or setbacks, hesitation or even failure but the key word is continual. 

Over the duration you will be a SUCCESS!        

8 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Choosing A Writing Coach

By Kimberley G. Graham

Olympic swimmers need a coach. 

Competitive chess players need a coach.

Professional writers need a coach.

Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help, joked during a video interview at Georgia State University that she “looked harder for her writing coach than she did her husband.” I’m sure that isn’t true but it does raise the question, “Do writers need a coach, and if so what qualities should they look for when searching for the right person?”

First, let me define what a coach IS and IS NOT.

A writing coach IS NOT:

A.    Your mama. (Sorry, but you’ll have to get up and write every day all by yourself.)

B.    A consultant hired to give you all the right answers. (You’ll learn more if you’re taught to see why some things work while others don’t.)

C.    An editor who will rewrite your book for you.

A writing coach IS:

A.    Someone who can help you define your goals.

B.    Someone who can critique your work.

C.    Someone who can encourage you toward your full potential.

Now, here are eight questions to consider before choosing a coach: 

1.    Has this person worked in the writing industry in various ways for many years? The book world is changing. Eight years ago there was no such thing as a Kindle. It’s important that your coach understand how the publishing world is changing so he/she can help you identify industry trends.

2.     Does this person understand MY goals for the project? Your goals aren’t necessarily the same as everyone else’s. Be clear about what YOU want.

3.     Will this person be available to answer my questions? If it takes someone more than a few days to reply to your email about coaching, move on.

4.     Does this person have a wide reading background and interest in my genre? It will be beneficial if the person providing feedback about your book is familiar with the setting of your novel, enjoys your type of book, and/or is knowledgeable about the book’s topic.  

5.     Will this person be clear and honest about my writing flaws while also being respectful? You’re not perfect and neither is your writing, but your coach shouldn’t make you feel inadequate or stupid. Judgments should be about your writing, not about you personally.

6.     Does this person share my values? This is especially important if you’re writing about a religious experience or spiritual journey. Yes, there’s plenty of room for argument even within church denominations, but you don’t want to publish something that’s inaccurate or could be misunderstood.

7.     Does my potential coach have the ability to ask good questions? Don’t expect your coach to have all the answers. Hope instead that he or she will have all the right questions. It’s up to you to find a solution and make appropriate changes.

8.     Is your coach willing to read your work a second time and answer your questions concerning suggested changes? Remember, your writing journey is going to be a long one. You may want your coach to read your novel more than once. Ask if they’d be willing to read the book a second time for an additional fee.

Hopefully, you and your coach will travel many treacherous miles together. If you decide your writing would benefit from the help of a coach, look for someone who’s going to stick with you until the end.

______________________________________________________________________

Kimberley G. Graham lives in Memphis, Tennessee with her husband and three children. Her first novel, The Rocking Horse ofTuscumbia, was a two-time finalist in the CWG’s Operation First Novel contest. It will be available for e-readers in September of 2013.You can connect with Kimberley via Facebook, Twitter, or visit her blog at www.SparrowRefuge.com.

Her coach is Susan Richardson: www.nextlevelcritiques.com

Carved in Stone

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


While visiting favorite relatives in North Carolina this weekend, I joined them for an excursion to historic downtown Hendersonville, where their fine arts festival, Art on Main, was in full swing. We strolled the streets, encountering metal workers, portrait painters, authors, blacksmiths, and apple-flavored ice cream, though my favorite discovery was an enormous general store called Mast, a multi-story warehouse of curiosities which was like a Farmer's Almanac come to life.  Their candy department alone was a treasure trove of forgotten and obscure confections.

Taking a break from all our walking, we soon camped out on park benches next to a city building.  As I toothfully worked on my first-ever Big Hunk (a taffy-like creation of honey-flavored nougat) I couldn't help but notice a concrete memorial right in front of me, honoring Vietnam veterans. It caught my eye because of its unique shape (that of the Vietnam coast itself) and also because at the very bottom was carved "Designed by Jerry Gordon, 1947-1995".

I thought it was ironic that someone who took the time to design this tribute has himself been immortalized, to the point where his name will also be seen in this spot for generations to come.

It brought to mind that you and I will someday leave behind a legacy of our own. The question is, what will that legacy be? As writers, we may hope it will be in the form of a bestseller that's still available fifty years from now.

(clockwise from top: Poe, Hemingway, Twain and Seuss respected in their respective stomping grounds)

The great authors who came before us are not only remembered via the printed page, but were found worthy of their own memorials. The homes of Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost are popular Gracelands in their own right. Walt Whitman and Kurt Vonnegut have libraries named after them. A wax figure of Mark Twain can be posed with in more than one American city, as well as in Canada.

These beloved writers became beloved by leaving a legacy of literature that captured the times as well as  the hearts of their readers. The book you're working on right now may well become the masterpiece that defines 2013 to a generation to come.  A lofty suggestion, perhaps, but it's unlikely that Nathaniel Hawthorne ever imagined that his likeness would grace the place he used to embrace.

 

Our literary efforts may or may not earn us a concrete memorial or a statue in our local park, but it's something to strive for.  Next time you're thinking that writing is a monumental task, celebrate the fact that it actually could be.

Personally, I'd be happy if they'd just name a candy bar after me.  I like to think they already have.

Simple is the Key to Telling a Story

By William Dietrich

Tell a story.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? We tell jokes, pluck incidents to illuminate how our day went, or confide memories to friends.

Yet many aspiring writers are excellent stylists struggling to determine what their book is about, and thus tell a gripping story. Life meanders. Stories have beginnings and ends.

Another difference between reality and story is that a story has to make sense. Even a fantasy novel needs internal logic to prevent the reader from feeling cheated. Game of Thrones has consistent rules, not wild magic.

I’ve spent a career as a journalist, nonfiction writer, and novelist, and the necessity of storytelling runs through all these.

My Ethan Gage series has a fictional American on quests during the Napoleonic wars. It’s Ethan outsmarting a dangerous world.

When I struggled recently with an essay on the North Cascades Mountains, it didn’t work until I told myself, ‘Tell a story, dummy.’ A personal one about a climb and avalanche introduced the broader topic.

So here are storytelling tips.

What is the problem, and what is the solution? A newspaper story, for example, can be primarily a “problem” bad news story, or a “solution” good news story, but both poles are almost always implied. Problem: war. Solution: victory, or negotiation, or surrender, etc.

I recently read Cheryl Strayed’s nonfiction book Wild. Problem: I’m messed up. Solution: Find myself by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

Or Michael Connelly’s mystery, The Black Box. Problem: A 20-year-old cold case. Solution: Look at things in a new way to realize the protectors could have been the perpetrators.

Next, what is my protagonist’s desire? It might be love, power, fortune, fame, or saving the world, but the writer must make their hero want something they initially can’t have. In The Barbed Crown, Ethan at various times wants love, family, treasure, or triumph, but Napoleon stands in his way.

What are the obstacles to your hero’s desire? There’s nothing more boring than a happy vacation story. What we like are vacation, wedding, or workplace stories of disaster. Every comic strip revolves around obstacles. Do you have enough?

A story needs suspense, and suspense comes from posing questions in the early pages not answered until the last. Readers are curious. Keep them turning pages to learn how the mystery is solved, the character transformed, or good triumphs over evil. Will Cheryl finish the trail? Will she resolve her life?

Insert tension. Many dreams are about anxiety. So are good stories. Star-crossed lovers, ticking time bombs, impossible deadlines, messages gone awry, missed flights, ruined survival food, and implacable weather works again and again because we like to be anxious. The greater the tension, the greater the reader’s relief and satisfaction at the end.

Finally, surprise us. Complex characters are less predictable. Gone Girl changed my expectations again and again – and I loved being fooled. 

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William Dietrich is the author of a dozen novels, including the bestselling Ethan Gage series of Napoleonic adventures that have sold into 30 languages. He has written several nonfiction books about the Pacific Northwest and was a career journalist, sharing a Pulitzer at the Seattle Times for coverage of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. He has taught writing at the university level. Research for my novels has taken me to the Arctic, Antarctic, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Australia, Sicily, Greece, Paris, Britain, Hungary, Tibet...hey, someone's got to do it. I've traveled on a sailboat in the South Pacific, landed on an aircraft carrier, flown in a B-52, visited the South Pole, and been terrified flying with the Blue Angels. He was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard, won National Science Foundation fellowships to Antarctica, and speak frequently on environmental issues. I've covered Congress, the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the environment, science, social issues - even the military. He is married, with two grown children and lives in a house looking out at the San Juan Islands. Connecting with readers is one of life's biggest thrills. Website: www.williamdietrich.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorwilliamdietrich

What's Your Caption?

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Writers, put your helmet on and jump on your training wheeled bike and share your caption.

My caption..."Life is a Coaster, strap on your helmet and enjoy the ride."

Banned Book Week, Thank A Librarian

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Last week was Banned Books Week. Have you read a banned book? Do you know that this week highlights books that have been challenged or banned and was launched in 1982? Yes, 1982 just 32 years ago, not the 1950's, as I originally thought. 

My research indicates Banned Books Week evolved because of a wavelike number of book challenges in public libraries, schools and even bookstores. Since 1982 over 11,300 books have been banned or challenged. Most challenges are from a small group of individuals who want to limit the public's ability to make up their own minds. Are you worried, yet?

The AmericanLibrary Association, provides information about the book challenges. One of the most alarming statements from the ALA website is "a challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice."

Last week, Turner Classic Movies ran a 1956 Bette Davis movie I had never seen before called "Storm Center". Click this link to see a movie clip from "Storm Center". The story is about Davis character, Alicia Hull, a widowed small town librarian, whose passion was introducing children to the joy of reading. The city council asks her to withdraw a book entitled, "The Communist Dream" from the library's collection. She initially agrees in order to get a children's library wing built, and then after consideration refuses to comply with their demand. She is fired and branded as a subversive and was somewhat shunned by her small town. After watching this movie, I discovered the screenplay writers, Daniel Taradash (also the director) and Elick Moll based their movie on a real librarian's experience. Miss Ruth Brown was dismissed from her position at the Bartlesville, Oklahoma Public Library and never reinstated in 1950. 

As Alicia Hull character states in the movie, "I couldn't remove a book because it has ideas you didn't like. Gentleman, you want me to take this book out of the library you ought to fight to keep it on the shelves."

A number of my friends are librarians and have a love for books, all books. I know that they, thankfully, have the heart of a "Ruth Brown" and "Alicia Hull". As writers, we need to remember that librarians put our books on the shelves. Often they defend our books if a challenge arises. So stop and thank a librarian today. 

Thank you librarians, everywhere.

And What’s So Wrong with Being Personal Anyway?

By Rose Johnson

Remember that line from “You’ve Got Mail?”  Kathleen Kelly, played by Meg Ryan, is responding to Joe Fox’s (Tom Hanks) assertion that it’s not personal, it’s business.

“What is that supposed to mean?” said Kathleen Kelly. “I am so sick of that. All that means is that it wasn't personal to you. But it was personal to me.  It's “personal” to a lot of people. And what's so wrong with being personal, anyway?

“Uh, nothing,” said Joe Fox.

“Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.”

I thought about that statement, and how it might apply to writing, when the first two reviews for my devotional journal, God,Me, & Sweet Iced Tea, noted that my writing was “personal” and “relevant.” After some reflection, I decided that perhaps those are qualities which draw us into any story.  Someone puts into words a story which breaks into our lives, grips our imaginations, touches our hearts, and thus, resonates in our souls.

I know I love those moments of clarity and courage when the written word perfectly communicates something inside of me that I’ve felt but been unable to articulate. I think everyone loves those “yes, yes, I know what you mean” moments.  When a message connects with that common thread in us, in reality it is a universal theme which ties us all together.  We can take what we need from it, draw strength, find peace, encouragement, and, most of all, validation. By making my writing personal, I make it uniquely mine, yet universally human.

In fiction writing, part of the “personal” is through word choice and voice.  As I perfect my style, I learn to be true to myself.  I must let my words be my words.  I must string them together like I would string them together in real life. 

Eva Marie Everson commented on a novel I’m writing.  “I love your voice,” she said.  But as she got further into the novel, she halted at a scene and said, “What have you done here?  You’ve lost your voice.”  And she didn’t mean laryngitis. I had to rewrite and find my voice again. The personal needs to ring true in order for the reader to connect.

As a Southern girl, when I read something authentically southern, like Eva Marie Everson’s Waiting for Sunrise, or Rick Bragg’s All Over But the Shoutin’, I feel like I’m home.  For me, it’s like hearing the sound of a train’s whistle.  Growing up by the railroad tracks, that sound is indelibly impressed upon my soul.  Even now, when I hear the train, I close my eyes and I’m back on the screened porch, sipping sweet iced tea with Mama and Daddy, sitting in the front porch swing.  That sound has the power to conjure up my childhood, to transport me to a different time and place.  Words have that power too when they are personal to us.

And what’s so wrong with that anyway?

Uh, nothing at all. 

____________________________________________________________________

Rose Chandler Johnson’s devotional journal, God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea:Finding God in the Midst of Everyday Moments was released in June 2013.  Her devotions, poems, and articles have appeared in numerous Christian publications. She enjoys writing for her popular blog, Write Moments with God, and engaging with its readers.  Rose enjoys baking, gardening, French, and spending time with her large family.  She is the mother of six children. Blog: http://www.writemomentswithgod.blogspot.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rechanjo  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rose.c.johnson

Hear Ye Voices

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief for Southern Writers Magazine

Interesting thing happened on the way to the prom! I’ve always wanted to say that, don’t know why, I just have. I say it today because I have been looking at all the emails I get from people who want to sell us programs.  Every one of them says, “To write a book better buy this…”. Then you get those that say “You can’t write a book if you don’t have this…” Obviously, I do delete most of them, because it’s hype. However, it got me to thinking about the hype writers get in their emails telling them they have to write it this way, market it with this program, use this Social Media–it’s the only one that works.

For writers, we want to be able to write what readers want to read, develop our platforms, be good at promoting our books (so people will buy our books). Don’t get me wrong; I’m all for educating ourselves to use the tools we need to be the best we can be. What I don’t see coming across in emails is how to be yourself and be true to yourself.

Funny thing in life, I could try all day to be like someone else, write like someone else, but at the end of the day, I am who I am. Yes, I can better myself, you will note, it is me I am working on, to improve the me that is me–not to make me into someone else.

With all this said, I felt it appropriate to remind writers–just be yourself. Write like you. Let the voice in your story be your voice, not Joe’s, William or Harry’s. You are the only one who can tell the story that is in your head…so tell it, in your words. You want your readers to hear your voice. That’s the voice you want them to like, to want to hear more of.

Same thing with promoting your books, tell the readers what you want them to know about your books. Readers are smart. Just use your words. Talk to them as if they were sitting across from you–like you were talking to a friend. That’s the voice they want to hear. Readers buy books from authors they like. They like the person. They like the voice. They trust you to produce a book they will enjoy. So, hear, speak and write–your voice.