As you know, I had a good-sized revision to make on my manuscript. But—ta-da! I finished it and now have resumed my favorite activity of picking my project to death before I email it off on Tuesday.
Yesterday I created little snippets of behavior, mannerisms, and dialogue that I thought would help a reader picture my characters more clearly.
I also went through and looked critically at my characters. Did they measure up? Were they unlikable? Can people identify with these folks?
When my daughter got home from school yesterday, she had Halloween on the brain. And, wouldn’t you know it, a costume catalog had arrived in the mail that very afternoon. Oddly enough, Miss Priss wants to be a black cat this year. Excellent, I thought. After doing cheerleaders, Hannah Montana, and princesses, a black cat will be a piece of cake.
I flipped through the massive catalog and voila. “Here you are!” I said, slapping the page in triumph. “A black cat.”
She looked at the picture critically. “No. That’s not it.”
“What do you mean? It’s a black cat—tail, ears, everything.”
“It’s not the black cat I’m thinking of. Mine doesn’t look like that.”
You wouldn’t think it would be difficult to find a black cat costume on the internet. But 45 minutes later, there was still no black cat to satisfy Miss Priss. They either had white tummies, looked like a boy costume, were for babies, or were cheetah costumes, not black cat costumes.
Now I do not sew, but I know some people I can pay to turn a black jumpsuit into a costume. And it got me to thinking.
My characters are who they are. I’m like my daughter—I have a picture in my head of these people. Sometimes they’re unlikable, sometimes they’re fun. Sometimes they have rotten days. They’re almost like real people in that respect. That’s what creating complex characters is all about.
The vision in my head is just as clear, but I worry about what other people might think of it. Maybe I should just let it be. If it’s too outlandish (the impossible to locate perfect black cat), then I’ll happily make some modifications. But for right now, I’m going to stop picking at these characters.
But not at the rest of the WIP. :)
I understand the delimma to create characters that are vivid and real. Our characters do live inside of us, but can we truly bring them to life on the paper? I think that’s where the subjective set of eyes can help. That’s usually one of the questions I specifically ask my readers–did my characters come to life to you?
Congrats on finishing the revision! What a big step. Don’t pick to death — Trust your gut. I’m learning more and more that when I pick to death, I often make it worse.
I hope you’ll keep us posted on the next steps for this manuscript :) And on the halloween costume, of course! My mom was super creative when I was growing up, and she’d sew us all sorts of things… One year, by my request, she made me an umbrella costume. My sister was a mailbox.
Writing is like taking pictures. A picture of a mountain can not capture the view and the emotion you enjoyed that day you saw it. You can’t reduce something that magificient to a 4 * 6 glossy and create the same image as you had that day. But you can try, with numerous pictures from different angles, different settings, and come as close as you can to capture it. I feel like I’m doing the same thing with words. I have the idea, now can I photograph that idea with words so my readers can see what I’m seeing and feel what I’m feeling? That to me is the great challenge of writing.
Black cats are cool. What are you going to be for Halloween, Elizabeth? I still like the idea of you putting on a wig and going as Myrtle.
Congratulations, Elizabeth. What will you do to celebrate on Tuesday when you mail the WIP off? Hope you’ll take a deep breath and relax a bit. I’m with you on sewing–can barely get a button on. Keep us posted on the costume saga.
Karen
You’re so right–our characters are their own people. Maybe if I stop fighting mine so much, they’ll end up being so real and true-to-love that people will love them forever? That would be awesome!
I try to paint my characters with broad enough strokes so readers can superimpose their perfect hero/heroine/villain. At least that’s what I tell myself. In reality, it’s probably more because I suck at description.
I visualize my characters so well I dream about them!
Mom, sounds like you may be making a black cat costume this year…
L. Diane Wolfe “Spunk On A Stick”
http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
You do the best you can. Someone else is the best judge of how your characters come across because you know them so well that you could be seeing things that aren’t written.
I think it’s easy to fall into the trap of making every character memorable. In mysteries (or at least in mine) it’s not so much the character but what they said or saw that needs to be remembered.
Step back, Elizabeth. I’m sure you’re fine. I do understand the tweeking syndrome – I am a fellow sufferer.
Elspeth
You enjoy picking at your manuscript? :O Sometimes I’m not particularly objective, so I don’t totally relish the idea of trying to do that. I prefer to hand it over to an honest family member (I am blessed with several) and let them tear me apart.
You must have a much better hold of objectivity towards your writing. (Good analogy, btw.)
As a fellow mystery writer, I have to say, I love the title of your blog. :)
I think creating characters can be time-consuming but is so much more fun than sewing. I gave up on sewing. Things kept happening like sleeves getting sewn in upside down. I did more ripping out than creating. But using words to create a world of people? That’s fun.
Helen
Straight From Hel
Ha! Loved this post. And-
“my favorite activity of picking my project to death.”
LOL – we share a common interest!
Marvin D Wilson>
Jody–I think sometimes they’re so alive for US, that we may neglect to make them that way for our readers (we assume they see the chars that clearly, too.)
Diane–I haven’t dreamed about characters yet. That would be wild. And…if I had to make a costume, it would be truly hideous. :)
Alexis–Your mom sounds amazing! Maybe I can wheedle her into helping me.
Warren–Great point and beautifully put.
Helen–I had to sew in a Home Arts class in middle school. It was a disaster! My mother told me even the Salvation Army wouldn’t want the shorts I’d made.
Alan–My daughter says I have to be a witch. :) I’m wondering why she chose that particular costume for me.
Marvin–Glad to know I have company!
Love the post. I just saw my link on your side bar–thanks. We had a costume fiasco a few years ago that resulted in me making a Shark Boy costume. It didn’t fit with my son’s idea, but after all the work, he wore it. (It helped that his friends thought it rocked.)
“It’s not the black cat I’m thinking of. Mine doesn’t look like that.”
Wonderful line! – I think your daughter has a great personality, and perhaps she is one of those future authors who are going to entertain me in twenty years´ time?
Yeah, let ‘em go. I can assure you, they’ll be fine. Kinda like that first day of kindergarten for your children. Gotta let ‘em go, but still a little nervous/regretful, but relieved. Besides, you’ve got future books to work on and, guess what, the clock is running on those, too. Fun huh?
You know, the perfect costume for you would be to go as Alan Orloff!! How scary would that be? (or Alan’s favorite, a gnome.)
Best Regards, Galen
Imagineering Fiction Blog
It can be tough to see your own work from a reader’s perspective. But that’s who we need to be worried about–readers!
One of my biggest challenges is not giving away too much or mentioning something the readers shouldn’t know yet, just because it’s in my head. And it can be tough to remember what happened when, how, and who was there. Outlines can help with that, although I’m one of those who outline “after the fact.”
Jack: I’m not a plotter, but for my current book, which has many threads, I’ve tried a modified ‘after the fact’ storyboard technique using post-it notes. I’ve found it very helpful to slap a sticky on the board when I have one of those critical things to remember. I’ve got a handout about it on my website, or you can email me for a pdf.
Kristen–It’s odd that sometimes our characters have their own ideas. Mine certainly do. But it’s one of those things that make writers sound a little crazy when we talk about it.
Terry–I’m really not a fan of description. I skim over it in books I’m reading.
Galen–It IS very much like the first day of kindergarten!
Going as Alan? Did you see the picture on his blog today?
Elspeth–Good point, Elspeth. And you’re right…although my mysteries are basically character-driven, there are only so many words I’m allowed to write. And I have a mystery to stick in there, too!
Emily Ann–Sometimes I do. Sometimes I actively dislike my manuscript and then it’s very easy to pick at it. Most of the time I’m pleased with it, but able to be critical at the same time.
Cute blog, by the way! Not like my “nothing theme.” :)
Tara–You’re welcome…you’ve got a great blog. You need MAJOR kudos for even TRYING to make a Shark Boy costume. My kids tend to accept that Mom doesn’t make things. Or that things I make don’t look very nice.
Dorte–Oh, you’re giving me license to brag? That’s a dangerous thing, Dorte! But I can say truthfully that although my son is a COMPETENT writer, he’s an unenthusiastic one. My daughter loves to write and is creative and artsy.
Jack–It’s hard for me, too. I know writers who use spreadsheets to help them keep it straight. I haven’t gone that route yet, though.
“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” ~Sylvia Plath
Seconding what Galen said. Let ’em go. Also like the idea of a gnome costume. New marketing strategy? Lose the cat, dress daugther as gnome. On trick or treat rounds, have her hand out postcards of Pretty Is As Pretty Dies. Problem solved. Plus free publicity! Your fellow Mystery Writing Cook,
~Cleo
Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen
Thanks for the tip, Terry!
Cleo–That’s an interesting quote for Plath to have made! I think of her as so troubled.
If I CAN convince my daughter to go as a gnome….that would be pure genius, Cleo! I have a feeling she’s going to be stuck in cat mode. She was this same way over the cake for her birthday–no sheet cakes. Sigh. But I bet she’d do the postcard ploy. :)