Thread: One Question to Rule Them All (and a few more for the heck of it)

Hey writers. I'm a bit of a newbie so excuse any mistakes I make, but I could really use some help here.
Being a 16 year old aspiring writer, (screenplays are my primary medium but I never pass up a short story) I often run into many obstacles a newcomer would expect in such a challenging medium of entertainment.

My biggest problem is character. I have trouble fleshing them out and giving the reader someone fun they can connect with. My characters all end up sounding the same, looking the same and doing the same things, even if what they're doing is totally badass it ends up being somehow redundant.

My question is how to make a great character. A huge open-ended question I know, but still.

Another thing that troubles me in my writing is cleverness. I understand that writers need to be clever and they need to have clever situations happen to clever characters and have those clever characters solve the clever situation in a clever manor, yet I still hit a speed bump at cleverness. It's not a huge problem, but one that could use some work.

To top it all off, I repeat words at the beginnings of sentences so often. "I went there." "I picked up the crowbar." "Little did I know the mutant chicken was behind me." "I spun to face it." Easy to fix, hard for me to stop.

Anyways, since this was my first post, I figured I'd let loose a few broad questions to get going. Writing is what's on my mind 24/7 and your help would help make this 16 year old kid's dreams a reality.

Thanks a million!

Originally Posted by yoshicoto

Another thing that troubles me in my writing is cleverness. I understand that writers need to be clever and they need to have clever situations happen to clever characters and have those clever characters solve the clever situation in a clever manor, yet I still hit a speed bump at cleverness. It's not a huge problem, but one that could use some work.

Who said it has to be clever? Some of the best books I've read are when stupid characters deal with a complicated situation... or where clever characters read too much into a simple situation making it more complicated. Readers don't want to think the author is showing off his mass interlect, they like a good read... well I do anyway. As soon as I think the author is trying to get clever on me I usually put the book down.

I'd say it sounds like your biggest problem is a lack of confidence, and maybe a few too many misconceptions about writing. Actually, what I think would be a really good idea for such a young writer as yourself would be to educate yourself on the craft of writing. Then, armed with some new information, try to apply that to what you write. I'd say a good place to start is the book "Story Engineering" by Larry Brooks. I'm not saying that's a do-or-die method on how to write, but it does break down things like structure, characterization, theme, and concept.

As for repetition and other such writing devices, "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to edit yourself into print" is another good, informative read. It deals with things like repetition, adverbs, show and tell, voice, and other things.

Moreover, keep reading fiction, but do so like a writer. Think analytically. Ask yourself why certain things work, because certainly there's a vast difference between "The DaVinci Code" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes" but they have more in common than you might think.

Also, to second what Potty said, your writing does not have to be clever. In fact, if you're actively trying to make it clever, you're probably trying too hard and you're certainly going to annoy your readers. Clever ideas are what you should strive for. Or a unique approach to an old idea. But don't try to write cleverly. Just tell your story.

Story Engineering is definately a good one. One of my favorites. Though, it's a bit of an intermediate-level book that might be over the head of some beginners. Still, a must-read for any novelist or story-crafter, in my opinion.

Plot versus Character by Jeff Gerke is a bit more beginner-friendly, though still quite in-depth. Gerke describes what constitutes a character arc, in easy to understand terms (the character starts out with a "knot" that needs to be untied), and he walks you through building a plotline around your characters, also shows you how to build them with many layers.

Besides "how to" books I believe the best way to learn how to create dynamic characters, and finding your own compelling narrative voice, is to read fiction with prose you admire, and with dynamic characters in it. The best writers are readers first, I say!

On characters, the trick I use is to think of one thing that initially defines them - something original, doesn't even have to be important. Then build on that with things that are normal or original, depending on what sort of character you're creating.

For example, one of my minor characters, Mrs Gospick, changes her name constantly. I built on that concept with other thigns, like the way she wears lots of scarves, and is quite a round, short woman, etc. Mr Ruble has a head just slightly too big for his body. Mrs Garrel lost her husband some time ago. Mr Scattle has three-foot long, bony, malachite-green fingers.

As long as you start original, it should be easier to finish original. If the first idea makes you happy, then it should make the reader happy, and you should enjoy using the character and developing them.

There is no one thing that you can do to make good characters; great characterization, like all great writing, is a thing that takes time. However, a great way that I've found is to keep in mind that stories come alive in the telling; they may be fictional characters, but that doesn't mean they don't have wants, desires, needs, and emotions. Does your antagonist want to destroy the world because god-knows-why? Well that isn't going to be a very interesting character. However, if he maybe, sees Humanity as a cancer upon the Earth and wants to wipe it out to restore pristine natural beauty (just off the top of my head) that would make a far more interesting and multifaceted antagonist. Keep in mind that everyone, every single character, is the hero of their own story.

Edit: Regarding your perceived sameness of diction, perhaps the simplest way to do it would be to combine many simple sentences (I awoke. I walked to the kitchen. I made myself a sandwich.) into one or more complex sentences that more accurately portray the emotions of the character through whom we are witnessing the world (I awoke, feeling the pangs of hunger deep in my gut. Ambling to the kitchen, I fixed myself a towering sandwich, and tucked in).

I'll echo Tiamat10 here and say that there's no need to write cleverly. You just write. Tell your story as it is. If you attempt to write cleverly, your readers will, sooner or later, notice it and this forced effort in writing will reflect poorly.

Ride the local bus and listen to the gossip. Sit in bars and restaurants with your ears open. (Oh wait. You're 16. Leave the bars till you're older.) Go to a football match and sit in the middle of a crowd. Listen to conversations from people from as many ethnic and cultural backgrounds as you can. Listen to the different ways your parents talk to you, talk to one another, talk to neighbours, and talk to strangers.

Don't try to imitate anyone. Let their way of speaking be your way of thinking for the few minutes or seconds it takes to write down a line of dialogue. That way their speech on paper will be natural, not an imitation.

Think of two very different kinds of people. You can use a society lady talking with her gardener, perhaps. Write a story about them using nothing but dialogue.

Most important of all - keep your ears open.

The best way to create interesting believable characters is to live life. Get to know as many different people as possible from all walks of life. How can you write about a police detective until you've been one or have known several? You could do it but would it be believable? Keep writing about what you know now and keep living life and your depths will deepen.

Originally Posted by Cadence

On characters, the trick I use is to think of one thing that initially defines them - something original, doesn't even have to be important. Then build on that with things that are normal or original, depending on what sort of character you're creating.

For example, one of my minor characters, Mrs Gospick, changes her name constantly. I built on that concept with other thigns, like the way she wears lots of scarves, and is quite a round, short woman, etc. Mr Ruble has a head just slightly too big for his body. Mrs Garrel lost her husband some time ago. Mr Scattle has three-foot long, bony, malachite-green fingers.

As long as you start original, it should be easier to finish original. If the first idea makes you happy, then it should make the reader happy, and you should enjoy using the character and developing them.

I just want to add to this slightly. It's not enough to have characters with interesting or bizarre quirks. That may catch a reader's attention, but if you don't build on it with some emotional depth, backstory, and conflict, your characters will always fall short.

Just like with people, you never really see people's true nature until they're forced into a position where they have something at risk.

Your character needs to grow, develop, learn, and change. That's character arc.

Maybe you should consider reading up on psychology? You can make a good character, if it's based on a real person, or a combination of people. But you can make a great character if you understand human nature to a great depth. If your character is named John, ask yourself, what would John do in this or that situation? It won't be the same what Bill or Jack would do, now would it?
I would start with Freud's Id/ego and superego and Jung's archetypes. You don't necessary have to agree with all their theories, just understanding their point of view will still advance your insight in human nature.


As for repetition of words. Expand your own vocabulary by reading a lot. Not that you have to copy off another writer. It just makes you more acquainted with certain words that you already knew in the back of your head.

May help to think of your characters in terms of their relationships with others (and the world). A mother's favorite son is different from the same kid skipping class with friends to get high by the East River is different from the kid in an intense relationship with his first love.

Originally Posted by yoshicoto

My biggest problem is character. I have trouble fleshing them out and giving the reader someone fun they can connect with. My characters all end up sounding the same, looking the same and doing the same things, even if what they're doing is totally badass it ends up being somehow redundant.

My question is how to make a great character.

Tricks include:

Know what each character's purpose is. Purpose helps differentiation. For instance, the hero's job is to defeat the villain, the villain's job is to destroy the world, the pretty girl's job is to fall in love with the hero, the sidekick's job is to help the hero out of difficult spots... . Outlining helps here.

Don't make character up. Take a real-life person you know and superimpose onto the role. Your head-teacher is a ready made character that you can shape into the hero or villain. Who is the most attractive female in your circle and how will the hero attract her. Your exporting ready-made traits, mannerisms, rationals, style etc.

Good luck.