Tag Archives: Creating Characters

Vanquish the Cartoonish Story Villain

Storytelling, , ,

Vanquish the Cartoonish Story Villain. A strong villain character is crucial to a strong story. He gives your reader someone to hate which involves her emotionally in your story. She cares what happens to this character. She wants him to fail and that keeps the pages turning.

A Strong Villain Character Gives Your Story Hero Someone to Struggle Against. Their struggle sends the beating heart of your story into turmoil. Your villain, and the trouble he causes for your hero, make your story intense and dramatic. Their conflict has the power to electrify your narrative.

With so Much Story Weight to Carry, Your Villain Must be Formidable. Otherwise, your intelligent, active, resourceful hero will defeat him easily. Your story will be over too soon. When your hero-villain struggle is resolved, reader interest fades, and your narrative is finished.

Kickstart Your Hero-Villain Struggle – then Make that Struggle More Perilous. Introduce your hero’s trouble early, preferably on page one. Before too long, heighten the suspense by revealing your villain’s identity – but only to your readers. Show us how dangerous he is.

An Evil Force is on a Collision Course with Your Hero. You have made us care about your hero. We identify with her. She does not share our knowledge about her adversary. She knows she’s in serious trouble, perhaps mortal danger. But she does not know the source of that danger.

Your Hero may be Acquainted with her Adversary. She may even trust him. We long to scream out a warning as she unwittingly exposes herself to peril. The story hook digs deeper into us with every page. Meanwhile, we must be equally and realistically terrified by the villain’s motivations.

A Wise Storyteller Avoids The-Devil-Made-Him-Do-It Villains. This character type is a psychopath or sociopath. His sick psyche forces him to do wrong and create chaos. Like a rabid dog, he has no choice but to run a destructive path. As a storyteller, you have no choice but to Vanquish the Cartoonish Story Villain.

He is Scary but his Motivation Lacks Complexity. His predictable character provides no fascinating depths for your writerly imagination to explore. Plus, we have seen him too often. There are far too many like him in the real world, and in the world of novels too.

The Number of Human Monsters in Real Life Encourages Writers to Portray Them. But this villain is fictionally boring. We’ve read his story so often it has become hackneyed and repetitious. Any twist on his twistedness must be truly sensational to stand out among such a huge crowd. Very few do.

He Has No True Choice but to Behave as He Does. No thrilling investigation nor confession of his nuanced motives can credibly occur. He is mentally ill. He does evil because he is insane. That is the essence of him, which renders him two-dimensional and diminishes his story to cartoonishness.

What distinguishes a Truly Intriguing Villain from a Two-Dimensional Cartoon? The difference is that we understand, on a mentally engaging level, the reasons for this  person’s twisted behavior. We do not have to sympathize with him. We only need to comprehend him, and we do.

As Storyteller you must Conjure the Origin of this Character’s Twistedness. What concrete experiences led him to his evil actions? You must make these experiences believable. The more credible his motivations are, the more credible your villain character will be. And the more terrifying he is as well.

You Must Present this Character Objectively. Your storyteller role is not to judge or condemn your villain character. Your role is to give him resonant, three-dimensional life on the page. You must allow your reader to know him from the inside out. Which means you must tell your villain character’s story as he would tell it.

Here is the Secret to Imagining Yourself into a Twisted Character’s Soul. Every villain is the hero of his own story. He is convinced his actions are justified. In the world as he perceives it, he is doing what needs to be done. His motivations are clear, strong and believable. His motivations are also warped.

The Specifics of that Warp are Yours to Discover. Think as your villain thinks. Go deep into his darkness until he is illuminated to you. The result is the opposite of cartoonish. He lives on your pages with chilling authenticity. Your reader longs to turn away but cannot. What could be a more riveting story hook than that? Vanquish the Cartoonish Story Villain.

Alice Orr – https://www.aliceorrbooks.com.

ASK ALICE Your Crucial Questions. What are you most eager to know in your writing work and in your writer’s life? Email aliceorrbooks@gmail.com. Or add a comment question to this post.

Alice has published 16 novels, 3 novellas and a memoir so far. She wrote her nonfiction book No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells as a gift to the writers’ community. Her latest novel – A Time of Fear & Loving – Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Book 5 – is available HERE.

A Time of Fear & Loving

Praise for A Time of Fear & Loving: “Alice Orr is the queen of ramped-up stakes and page-turning suspense.” “Warning. Don’t read before bed. You won’t want to sleep.” “The tension in this novel is through the roof.” “I never want an Alice Orr book to end.” “The best one yet!”

Look for all of Alice’s books HERE.

https://www.facebook.com/aliceorrwriter
http://twitter.com/AliceOrrBooks/
http://goodreads.com/aliceorr/
http://pinterest.com/aliceorrwriter/

It Takes Two to Tangle Your Story

Storytelling, ,

It Takes Two to Tangle Your Story. This is true in real life and in fiction writing. Here’s the difference. In real life, we try to avoid tangles, difficulties, and conflicts. In fiction writing, the more struggle you conjure up, the stronger your story will be.

Your Main Character – Your Hero – Must Have Someone to Tangle With. This someone may be a pesky sidekick or a possible romantic partner or a probable enemy. Whatever their relationship, this other character exists, mainly, to intensify your hero’s story.

This Character Gives Your Hero Someone to Talk With. Your main character’s internal thoughts move into external dialog. Internal monologue often reads as static and slows the pace of your story. Dialogue looks more active on the page and usually reads as more active also.

This Dialogue Must Be Highly Interesting. You make this dialogue highly interesting by creating complex, fascinating contenders to match your complex, fascinating hero. These more secondary characters possess opinions and attitudes different from those of your main character.

Differences Create Story Conflict. Which varies in intensity depending on the relationship. An enemy may even pose a threat to your hero’s life. By contrast, lovers and sidekicks debate your hero, irritate her, openly conflict with her. The clash is heated, but seldom flares into violence.

The Conflicts Between Mutually Caring Characters are Often Only Variations in Attitude. But they force your hero to articulate her feelings and beliefs. This helps your reader know her better and empathize with her. Empathy is critical to hooking your reader into your story. Reader connects with Hero. Yet again – It Takes Two to Tangle Your Story.

Caring Characters may Differ Intrinsically from Your Hero. The lover or sidekick may have something major to learn in life, an internal struggle that might not be resolved in this story. Unlike your hero who ideally learns and grows in some important aspect of her life.

Contrast these Characters Extrinsically Too. Family and culture, life experience, social and economic status. Differences in circumstance provide potential fireworks in relationships, which may be sexual or not. Fireworks ignite reader interest, which serves your storytelling purpose.

In Fiction Too Much Harmony is Boring. In real life we want everyone to get along. In make-believe, your characters may like, or even love, each other. But if they get along too well for too long, the story drags, falls flat, and you lose reader interest. Make them struggle with each other.

Create Struggle Between Your Caring Characters – But the Struggle Must be Real. Strong stories require powerful drama. You, as author, must know what qualifies as legitimate drama. Character banter, however clever, lacks the power to be strong storytelling on its own.

Real Problems Between Characters Create Real Conflict. The bigger their problem grows, the more intensely the conflict escalates. Plunge your characters into hot water in the form of relationship trouble and turn up the temperature. Trouble is at the heart of strong storytelling.

Give Your Hero Strength to Stand Up for Herself and Others. She refuses to be passive. She acts on what she believes to be right, no matter how much trouble and conflict she may encounter. Consider including a romantic interest to intensify that trouble and conflict. Remember – It Takes Two to Tangle Your Story.

Give Her a Romantic Partner Strong Enough and Good Enough to be Worthy of Her. A relationship of equals has huge potential for dramatic tension. Power, drama, and intensity ignite your story of tangled relationships. Go ahead. Set fire to the page.

Alice Orr – https://www.aliceorrbooks.com.

ASK ALICE Your Crucial Questions. What are you most eager to know – in your writing work and in your writer’s life? Email aliceorrbooks@gmail.com. Or add a comment question to this post.

Alice has published 16 novels, 3 novellas and a memoir so far. She wrote her nonfiction book No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells as a gift to the writers’ community. Her latest novel – A Time of Fear & Loving – Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Book 5 – is available HERE.

A Time of Fear & Loving

Praise for A Time of Fear & Loving: “Alice Orr is the queen of ramped-up stakes and page-turning suspense.” “Warning. Don’t read before bed. You won’t want to sleep.” “The tension in this novel is through the roof.” “I never want an Alice Orr book to end.” “The best one yet!”

Look for all of Alice’s books HERE.

https://www.facebook.com/aliceorrwriter
http://twitter.com/AliceOrrBooks/
http://goodreads.com/aliceorr/
http://pinterest.com/aliceorrwriter/

 

How to Write First Class Secondary Characters

Writing Tips, ,

How to Write First Class Secondary Characters. The Hero of Your Story Lives in a Larger World Beyond Herself. She lives in a fictional world you have created. A world populated by other people usually referred to as secondary characters. I suggest you also think of them as supporting characters because they support  your main character and her story.

Your Hero Drives Your Story. But, no matter how substantial and fully realized she may be, if her supporting cast is weak, your story will be weakened too. Your story structure will be in danger of toppling —  off your reader’s bedside table into oblivion. As Mike Nichols said of all characters. You must give your secondaries their own beating heart humanity.

Create a Full Cast of Individuals who Come to Life on the Page. Functionaries won’t do, characters who walk on stage, perform a task or two, then disappear forever. If someone makes an appearance for any reason, however mundane, they must appear again in some meaningful way. They add to the emotional truth of your story. They are not just furniture.

Some Supporters Appear Often and Prominently, Others Less So. But they all perform actions that drive the story forward or amplify your hero’s role. They may not be as fleshed out as your hero, but you, the author, still must know and imagine them to be flesh and blood individuals, complete with compelling and memorable details. Click here to learn about this detail.

Your Hero’s Support Character may be a Lover, Enemy, Friend, Whomever. He or she may lessen story tension by making us laugh now and then or enhance that tension by introducing an obstacle to your hero’s goal. Whatever the secondary character’s purpose,  they must be carefully written to have an impact and engage your reader.

The Most Readily Effective Cast is Headed by a Trio. The hero, her mate or sidekick, and the villain. The hero leads the story; the other two support the story. They are the foundation upon which the story is built. They keep your story moving. You must explore two critical questions for each. What must they do in this story situation? Where do they belong – on which side of the story conflict?

These Questions Relate Especially to the Motivation of a Mate or Sidekick. How this character responds. Why they respond. These are the essentials of their story role. Dig deep to find the best motivation ideas for this character. Determine what their resulting actions will be, and you have discovered how they will enlighten your story situation.

The Arc of the Sidekick’s Development Illuminates the Path they will Take. Make detailed notes on how they do or do not resolve the two crucial questions mentioned above. Whatever their path, these must be strong secondary characters. Their actions create dramatic events. Their interactions with the hero add emotional depth to her character, and to the story.

You are the Creator of your Story World and of Every Character’s Purpose. These characters serve your hero’s goals or impede them. You, as Creator, determine the specifics. The scenes, the action, the dialogue. Choose each of these for each character by weighing its potential to intensify story conflict. Because powerful conflict and struggle are the most essential support every successful story requires, and they are absolutely never secondary.

This is How to Write First Class Secondary Characters.

Alice Orr – https://www.aliceorrbooks.com.

ASK ALICE Your Crucial Questions. What are you most eager to know – in your writing work and in your writer’s life? Email aliceorrbooks@gmail.com. Or add a comment question to this post.

Alice has published 16 novels, 3 novellas, a memoir, many articles and several blogs so far. She wrote her nonfiction book No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells as a gift to the writers’ community. Her latest novel – A Time of Fear & Loving – Riverton Road Suspense Series Book 5 – is available HERE.

A Time of Fear & Loving

Praise for A Time of Fear & Loving: “Alice Orr is the queen of ramped-up stakes and page-turning suspense.” “Warning. Don’t read before bed. You won’t want to sleep.” “The tension in this novel is through the roof.” “I never want an Alice Orr book to end.” “The best one yet!”

Look for all of Alice’s books HERE.

https://www.facebook.com/aliceorrwriter
http://twitter.com/AliceOrrBooks/
http://goodreads.com/aliceorr/
http://pinterest.com/aliceorrwriter/