Keep the Character, Change the Plot

by Tim Kane

There are two types of writers: Those who focus on plot and those who focus on character. You may not know yet which type you are, but with practice, you will.

Let’s start with a case study. A fellow writer of mine always starts her new work the same way. She focuses on various plot ideas, churning out pages, only to have them not quite work. It aggravates her to the point of chucking the computer out the window.

The epiphany comes when she finds the character’s voice. The protagonist will “speak” to her. When this happens, my advice is to listen. It’s tempting to push on with the plot you’ve already scripted. But in my friend’s case, the entire plot went out the window. Only the character survived. It turned out to be the right choice.

There are those of us who think we’re plot writers. Truth is, you get yourself a killer main character, and readers will follow that person through umpteen pages.

I can attest to this myself. I used to get so hung up on plot, that I would never let my characters breathe. I recall at one critique someone asked how the protagonist’s parents’ had died. I made up some story about a boating accident, when really I had no idea. I hadn’t even bothered.

That book was a flop. So was another that I wrote, and rewrote, five times. Why? There was no attention to character. Then I started a manuscript where I focused chiefly on character. This one worked. I constructed the plot around the character. What situations would challenge her? What were her goals? Then, instead of forcing my protagonist to run after goals she could care less about, I made her the focus.

What about you? Do you find yourself hamstrung by plot? See where your character wants to go.

Who Is Your Target Audience?

by Tim Kane

You need to think long and hard about exactly who you expect to plunk down some greenbacks and purchase your novel. And don’t say my work is for everyone. It’s not. Even Stephen King and J. K. Rowling have a distinct audience. Heck, Oprah has a a large, but definable demographic. No one person, or writing style, appeals to everyone everywhere.

That leaves a dilemma that most writer’s aren’t willing to tackle. Mostly because of the argument that it will compromise the purity of their work. Balderdash. Write whatever you want. Just don’t claim that everyone wants to read it. In other words, don’t worry about your audience until you have something to sell.

See? Artistically, no compromise.

Now listen, the reason Andy Warhol was able to sell so many paintings wasn’t his talent at painting. Far from it. He simply knew how to market his work to his target audience. Once he found his niche, he mined it excessively.

Who, exactly, will purchase your book? Run through the plot points. Are they similar to any other books? Think about your central characters. Who would they appeal to? If you can match your book up to other novels (or even films) you’re on the right track. Then you can research those demographics.

“Why bother,” you ask. “I’ll simply publish it, and then readers will find it.” This ain’t Field of Dreams. You can’t just write it and they will read. Then you might say, “That’s the publisher’s job.” Nope. Most publishers put so little effort and money into marketing, it’s laughable. The authors they do market are so popular that they hardly need marketing.

Even with loads of cash, how should you market? That’s the key question. Just buying billboard space next to a freeway won’t guarantee sales. You’d be lucky to get even a few. Why? You have no guarantee that your target audience will view it.

Here’s an example. The target reader for my recent book is a teen girl who loves supernatural, macabre, and the quirky. It’s aligned to pretty much any Tim Burton movie. With that in mind, I’d want to advertise in places where these types of readers might see my ad. Additionally, I should blog on topics that would attract my readership. Everything needs to be focused on drawing these sorts of readers in and letting them discover my book.

Marketing is not an easy task, but it all starts with figuring out your reader.

Character Names Dos and Don’ts

by Tim Kane

Unless you write your story with a first person narrator who lives alone, you’ll need to find names for the characters in your novel. This may seem simple, but it can be tricky. Falling into name pitfalls can seriously distract a reader—maybe even causing him or her to put your book down. What follows are some dos and don’ts for character names.

Symbolism
Readers always relish names with meaning. Remington Steele sounds strong, just like the detective he was. Tally Youngblood, from Uglies, always keep track of things (as in a tally marks) and she’s naive (thus the youngblood).

Allusion
See if you can make your name link to a Biblical character or event. Maybe something from mythology or literature. I personally try to find names related to horror movies. I have a character named Orlock after the vampire in Nosferatu.

Alliteration
Stay away from names that alliterate. These confuse the reader. Multiple names that start with the same letter make it difficult to keep track of who’s who. Perfect example is from Lord of the Rings. You have Sauron and Saruman. Both evil. Very confusing. So stay away from Henry, Hannah, Harold, etc.

Rhyming
The same goes for rhyming names. Most people don’t even thing they have rhyming names. Consider Jenny and Louie. Just like alliteration, this can cause confusion for the reader.

Make it Easy to Pronounce
There’s a reason most fantasy writers stick with Greek gods over Celtic or even Norse. The Greek gods are relatively easy to pronounce. Try reading Llue Llaw Gyffes. Don’t go with clever spellings of everyday names. Instead of Jymmi, just use Jimmy.

Keep your character names simple and straightforward. Then your readers can concentrate on the story, instead of checking a list of characters.

Write A Travel Scene with a Purpose

by Tim Kane

Most of the time, writers shouldn’t need to show their characters traveling. Simply jump cut from one scene the next. Yet there are times when a scene about travel may be necessary, and invigorating.

What follows are some tips to writing travel scenes with punch.

Change of Venue
For those writers who hew closely to the jump cut advice, they might find every scene taking place in a room. Maybe only a few rooms. What should have been a novel becomes a play with few backdrops. Use a traveling scene to break up the monotony.

Think of the opening scene to Pulp Fiction. Vincent Vega and Jules could have had their epic conversation about the Royal with Cheese anywhere. Yet Tarantino wanted the audience to soak up the Los Angeles setting. What better way than to have the duo driving. Yet he didn’t simply film them traveling in a car with shots of the street. No. He infused the scene with purpose. In this case, to help viewers understand the title characters.

Internal Conflict
All stories have two levels: the outer physical level and the inner, thought level. The experienced writer will know how to keep conflict and tension going by switching between outer conflict (chases, arguments, shootouts) and internal conflict (dilemmas, decisions, doubts, crises). A travel scene is an excellent time for a character to work through some important decision. Perhaps she’ll struggle through the clues of a mystery while walking through the park. Maybe your protagonist will weigh his choices while picking up lunch at a fast food joint. Think of yourself as a director. You don’t want your character to be thoughtful and unresponsive. That’s bad writing. Find a setting where he can do something while he thinks.

Atmosphere
In some stories (like horror) the author may need to create a sense of foreboding or dread. Take The Fall of the House of Usher. The first few pages are all about the house. Modern audiences might not stand up to such heavy handed description. Don’t make your scenes with atmosphere be only about the setting. Include some kind of conflict (internal or external).

Keep It Short
In most cases, keep travel scenes short. There’s a reason that most movies only show characters driving for a few minutes. Unless the conversation is engaging, it slows down the film. Think along the same terms when you write. Show your characters traveling, but include a purpose. Then move on to the next scene.

Readers Want to Invest in Characters, So Reward Them

by Tim Kane

Not only am I a writer, but I’m a serious reader. Nothing bugs me more than following a character for pages only to find that he wasn’t that important. A minor character. A throwaway. It makes me want to throw the book to the floor (but I have a Nook and that would be an expensive act of rage).

Yes, minor characters are essential to any story. Unless you’re writing a monologue or a story about an utter loner, your character will need others around him or her. Hey, even Robinson Crusoe had Friday. Decide early on which characters are essential and which are stage dressing. Having an intrusive minor character is like watching an actor attempt to make his role larger than it is. I see this all the time on TV. Some “witness” with a few lines, suddenly takes center stage. Why?

Here are some steps to ensure that your minor characters don’t take over your novel.

Exeunt Early
A great term in Shakespeare plays is exeunt. This means that everyone leaves. You need to have your minor characters do just that. Have them deliver whatever bits of information they need and then get them out of there.

No Names
Names create a relationship with a reader. It draws a reader in. Minor characters don’t need names. It gives them more import than needed. Pick a detail about the character (dress or voice quality) and have the character be defined with that attribute. For example: The man with the squeaky voice or the woman with pixie cut.

Be An Agent for Change
Minor character are allowed to linger if they serve a purpose. Do your minor characters act like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Maybe they help the protagonist come to decision. Or do these minor characters help shape the plot? Perhaps a key bit information can come from this otherwise nobody character. This is the best reason to invest more time into these minor roles. Only take care not to let the sidekicks overshadow the true heroes and heroines of the tale.

Let Your Manuscript Incubate

by Tim Kane

Far too many writers (me included) rush from the final draft to publication or submission. It makes no sense. At the time of completion, I know I’m giddy. Overloaded with the magnitude of what I have wrought with words and paper (the pretentiousness is intentional). In short, I have no objective view of my work.

The only way I can honestly view writing is with time. A vacation of sorts. You can’t pretend to take time off from your manuscript. You need to actively pursue other creative ventures. Often, while letting the novel cool off, I’ll work on short stories. Once I dropped myself fully into research mode for another novel.

Since I love to cook, here’s a metaphor that fits the situation. Steaks. If you watch even a fraction of the cooking shows I do, you’ll hear them talk about resting a steak. What is that anyway? I mean, the steak can’t be tired. It’s dead. And cooked. (Unless you’re like my wife and like the steak still walking and mooing.)

Turns out, that all the heat used to cook the steak, also forces those tasty juices toward the center. Resting, lets them redistribute through the steak. Typical folk (again like me) will chomp into the steak the second it leaves the pan. Mistake. It will be dry. And there’ll be a puddle of blood on your plate. Wait before you eat. It’s that simple.

Writers are the same. When the writer types “The End” he or she wants to show it to every agent, publisher in the industry. Or  worse, pack it up and sell it as an ebook. Wait. Let the manuscript sit for at least a month. Two or three are better. I know that on a recent book, I had let it rest about six weeks. Made revisions. Then six months after that, I had a chance to work on it again. I could see more changes. Four to six months can make all the difference.

No Logline Equals no Clue

by Leo Dufresne

Outlines, synopsis, Hero’s Journey, three-act plot structure… Everyone has a method to help you write your novel, more efficiently, more elegantly, more successfully. It would be interesting to see what the ratio is between works of fiction and how-to books on the subject.

I confess I have at least two shelves in my personal library dedicated to this topic. There were many nuggets I discovered in my research that helped me on my journey. However, unless there is some hidden way to make a living out of reading self-help books, at some point you have to put the instruction books down and just write. For me that transition took about three months. And once I began writing, I was consumed.

My writer friends would continue to share books or articles that had intrigued them. I’d smile and dutifully write the information down, knowing that I wouldn’t bother pursuing the material. I was writing and writers write. I had a solid outline, complete with index cards for each scene. One year later my first draft was complete. Along the way I had many of the chapters critiqued. The work was solid and I decided to hand it off to a professional editor.

For the next four weeks my thoughts of the editor’s reaction vacillated between a tearful phone call from him thanking me for the honor of reading my masterpiece to opening a mystery package containing my shredded manuscript. I think those weeks were the worst part of the whole ordeal that is a writer’s life.

My writer friends suggested that I use that time to distance myself from my work. The time away would help me when I needed to attack the manuscript again. I reluctantly sought out some of the material they had previously suggested. I began to think about query letters, loglines, synopsis and other items associated with pitching my work.

Although I tried to dig into them, it seemed premature to focus on queries or synopsis when I knew massive edits may be awaiting me. I looked at the logline I had kluged together at the beginning of my draft. It was off and I knew it. It represented where I thought the novel was going nine months earlier. A friend offered ideas on a new logline. I listened but wasn’t keen on it. I’d worry about this too when the work was complete.

And then the editor replied. It wasn’t a tearful phone call praising me. Much of my writing was good and he did enjoy reading my manuscript. But… The book was inconsistent and disparate. It began as a mystery with characters developed at that level and at some point switched to something more literary. Unfortunately the flat, non-layered characters couldn’t support the story in which they were weaved.

I went through the grieving process, anger, denial, and ultimately acceptance. I read a novel the editor suggested. I spoke with various friends. My goal was to develop a plan of attack to repair my manuscript. I had a list of scenes I needed to modify. It was a big list. But there was no plan.

Until I stumbled again on my pathetic logline. The more I contemplated this the more I realized this was the key. My novel was a journey where I had started off happily enough, but didn’t really know where I was going. My compass was broken and I was just riding the wind. It was a nice ride, but why would a reader want to go along. I was asking them to spend several hours reading my novel and I couldn’t even spend a few hours figuring out where I was taking them. What an arrogant ass.

For the next few days I put my energy into the logline. In the car, the shower, at work (don’t tell my boss) until finally I had something. It’s wasn’t perfect, but the effect was amazing. I wrote the new logline out and kept it with my manuscript. The re-writes began to buzz. I was in the groove and I knew it. It’s still work to edit a whole piece, but it doesn’t need to hurt. Best of all, I got the excitement back to tackle the book again.