Deep Characterization

[cilversky99]

Wow, this was helpful

I am very guilty of this!

[NealeSourna]

Writers do often write THEIR lives and fears to the detriment of their characters, no matter age, gender, or expertise.

Woman author, 50+, who should've known better with NY editors to correct her error--and didn't.

"The Witching Hour" takes about 90 or so pages to get to the main characters who can actually do anything. Why the previous bits weren't cut or moved deeper in is painful to read.

My first Rice. And a slight insult/compliment, as I was told my "Frames" script reminded them of her.

[OregonWritersSpeak]

Neale,

I'm on this journey because this is what I do, as well. I've been struggling with a full length play. I just rewrote the opening scene as a ten minute play to get to a deeper place about who the characters are and what they want. Since it's a ten minute play, there's no playing through to anything else.

Good to hear from you.

Bill

[mikeevansnow]

this guy is amazing. thanks for you tube!!

[Hatesrudepeople555]

A group of women in their 50s focusing on martyr characters is like a group of teenage boys whose protagonists are all oppressed rebels. Novice storytellers often superimpose their own angst into stories as though fiction writing was therapy. This pity me narcissism leads to rejection slips. Good writers do bring out of themselves something true and useful, but self-examination can quickly lead to bad writing. This navel-gazing approach to fiction comes from bad creative writing teachers, IMO.

[OregonWritersSpeak]

Good writers do bring something out of themselves useful and true, but my goal is to understand why this process goes terribly wrong for so many people. Women who are martyrs are just one group. Another big group is people who feel unacknowledged, who inject themselves into a story world to gain that feeling of acknowledgement. Same end point, weak, vague main character created to act out the author's issues in life.

[ScottieDM]

You're right. Using the term "theme" is imprecise and potentially confusing.

I was working on a short story a few weeks ago (set it aside for a bit) and the theme is dreams. Every scene contains something about dreams. Dreams as daydreaming, as literal dreams, and as plans for the future. But as I was writing the 1st draft of the final section I kept asking myself, "What is this story about?" Finally figured it out.

Theme: dreams

Promise: growing up

The promise drives the story forward.

[OregonWritersSpeak]

Good observation. I saw an early draft for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Begins with an old lady wanting an old husband erased from her mind; then he comes in to erase her. They've spent a lifetime meeting, falling in love, divorcing, erasing, meeting.

Same basic plot, but a completely different story than the film released, which is about the relationship having a chance when she finally hears what's going on in his head. The film is about a man who lives in his head getting out.

[OregonWritersSpeak]

I would say that many unpublished writers are unaware of what a novel is about until 40 to 100 pages in. The problem comes in if they don't go back to the first page and revise it to reflect that understanding.

The deeper, underlying issue is that many people write novels to process their feelings. Such writing never requires a main character to act with any clear purpose EVER. The character is created to act in a way that reflects back something the author wants/needs to experience.

[ScottieDM]

We're close. I would say the theme is the _central_concept_ of the story. You might have 2, but that begins to dilute what the story is about.

The idea of stating the central concept up front is interesting. Few novels do so. In your book you cite "Prince of Tides" by Conroy, but Ive found that "Pride and Prejudice" by Austen & "Endless Love" by Spencer are also excellent examples. Most modern novels seem to open with action.

I've decided the central concept of my WIP is: discovering love.

[OregonWritersSpeak]

Since a novel's main character typically embodies a story's promise, introducing that main character without introducing their purpose in a story simply leads to writing that lacks purpose. It can be painful and tedious to read in some of the unpublished novel manuscripts I read, and the complete opposite of what I see when I work with published authors.

When a story's promise isn't established, readers have to memorize details about characters. It hard work, not a pleasure at all.

[ScottieDM]

Book came today, Bill. Bought it off your site rather than Amazon because: I never found the 3rd ed (2008) on Amazon and I have a PayPal balance. Fast service: came via priority mail, + bonus CD.

I've only read the first few (short) chapters thus far and they are clear and easy to understand. When you say story you mean what I'd call the theme--the *why* of the novel. Whereas the plot and characters are merely the *how* of the novel. Interesting idea: tell the *why* to the reader up front.

[OregonWritersSpeak]

Changeling provides a good example of the difference between theme and what I call promise. A theme of Changeling is that the

LA police abuse women. The movie proves that theme. One can also use a movie to prove that love is good (or painful), death

is painful, war is bad, friendship is good, taking time to smell the roses is good, etc.

Changeling throws out the issue of responsibility as a theme early in the film, then doesn't do much with the idea.

[ScottieDM]

Oops! 40 pages not 50. :-\

Hey, Bill:

Looking at Amazon I see a 1997 edition and a 2000 edition, but not one with the cover shown in this video or on your site. Would it be fair to say Amazon doesn't have the third edition?

BTW, storytelling is something I struggle with, so this looks good to me. I've been reading a few of the essays on your website.

[OregonWritersSpeak]

There is a third edition available on Amazon; it's listed under used but it's new. The third edition has Deep Characterization on the cover to go with A Story is a Promise. It's also available directly from my web site.

[ScottieDM]

Fascinating.

Found your website tonight and followed the link here.

Hmmm, 50 pages? Doing a bit better with my 1st draft. Pg 3 my FMC sees the MMC and she sets a goal--him. Pg 25 my MMC uncovers a flaw in his life, which could be solved by someone like the FMC (but I've got a good half-dozen pages of backstory in there I could dump when I edit). Pg 30 she makes her offer to him and he declines--thus I set the goals and conflicts of the two MCs. My pages average about 220 words each.

[OregonWritersSpeak]

Giving a main character in a novel a clearly defined goal, tension around achieving it, and active in achieving that goal, will take care of many structure problems.

When a writer makes a main character an extension of themselves, the main character tends to be diffuse and passive (because many writers are thoughtful and reflective), while the minor characters are active and vibrant.

Hence the typical comment, "Your minor characters are more interesting than your main character."

Bill

[samsevern]

WOW!!! Very cool sh**it, Bill! I was at your workshop in Edmonds today, I LOVED IT, and I cannot wait to read your book, man! Have a beautiful day! :)