My Process for Writing (Z Minor)

Doesn’t matter if it is a short story or a novel – they all start with an idea. Some ideas are big like an historical fact or could be just a couple of words. Anything to start me thinking of characters, plots, and what if.

Once I take the idea I start thinking title. I have to have a working title, I think it keeps me grounded in the story. I must admit the title usually doesn’t change over time it takes to write the story – be it years, months or just weeks. In some ways I believe the title is most important as it can draw readers to your finished book.

After the title comes the characters, big and small. I heard one teacher call them fat characters - very developed, and skinny characters - they come on to the page and go off without much fanfare. Names of my main characters I have to have before I start writing. Other characters names I find as I write them into my story. I get names from phone books, there still is a use for phone directories besides being a great door stop. I also use magazines and baby books names. I have a good assortment, some even tell the origin of the first name and what nationality they are from. Last names I find in phone books or sometimes I find them looking at the assortment of books in my office. Many times I might not even need a last name, it all depends on the story line.

I also do an in-depth interview of my main characters before I start writing. I want to know something about them and their lives up to the point the story starts. Gives me ideas as to how they would react under certain circumstances. I ask about their families, what they like or don’t like. What is their pet peeve? - you can bet whatever it is will find its way into the story one way or another.

I usually write two to three chapters to see if I think I have a good work in progress. If so, I write the first draft straight through. By the end of the book I really know my characters and how they reacted to the plot etc. I go back and start the rewrite process and many times I use information found in the later chapters to flesh out the story more and in the process it can give it more depth. I have also started to do a little more plotting with the rewrite. I make sure all the loose ends are tied up, is the plot believable, and add anything that seems to move the story to a strong conclusion. All this works for me. Best of luck with your writing.  

Z. Minor

Author of Historical Romantic & Contemporary Suspense Novels

Pirate, Ghost, Pilot, Magician's Son (Melissa Robbins)

                Hmm, that title reminds me of the book Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but really they are all my characters. Where do they come from? Simple answer. All around me from all walks of life and sometimes I don’t even know where they come from.

               One character, named for an ancestor of mine, appeared in a dream, probably after researching her genealogy. She was a ghost who wanted my heroine to solve the murders of her family that happened decades before.

                When I was a teenager, I created a character, because of my sad crush on Jim Hawkins. Yes, that Jim from Treasure Island. I crushed on a book character! Annie was Captain Flint’s granddaughter trying to break free from his pirate legacy.

                My son and his heart condition inspired another hero. The two share similar features, but my hero is WAY naughtier than my son. As writers, it’s important to let our characters make mistakes and remember that some teen boys don’t think like middle-aged women who know it’s wrong to break into houses, etc. 

                Some of my characters exhibit traits I wish I had. The extroverts I wish I could be. One beautiful blonde springs to mind. Vivian can wrap any man around her finger with her looks and sultry voice. Her friend, one of my heroines, tries her best to be like Vivian and she fails miserably at it and always seems to get herself into even more trouble.

                Many of my characters are Royal Air Force pilots from WW2. What a bunch of naughty boys! These brave men loved every day like it could be there last. My Connor is like that. Doesn’t care what his commanding officers think or for that matter anyone else. Doing what he isn’t supposed to do is what usually keeps him safe. Connor almost never sleeps without a woman by his side, but does he do that because he loves women or to frighten away the nightmares?

                Another character I’m currently creating has a family life quite different from my own or one I grew up with. His father is a magician and his mother is his father’s assistant. The family travels across Europe mesmerizing the nobility and commoners with a great magic show in a time just before WW2 when the political atmosphere is crumbling around everyone. He goes from living out of a suitcase to staying in one spot. Where did he come from? I’m not 100% sure. His older brother is a classmate of another hero of mine. The first chapter (or maybe it's a prologue) came to life one very early morning when I lay in bed awake. 

  

              The most important thing about characters is to welcome them when they do appear. I swear I suffer from multiple personality disorder, but don’t all writers?

Where do your characters come from? by J Vincent

Happy Valentines!  A tad late as is this blog.  Well, maybe more than a tad but better very late than never.  I was dealing with some severe pain issues as the start of February.  That is improving at last. I find I can now concentrate enough again to string words into sentences. Or so we shall see.

Iaon Gruffudd  Bing Image

Characters can come upon me at any time--I write historicals so, male or female, they are alwaysdressed differently in my mind than in today’s world.  Redcoats and naval blue--what's not to love?

  Sometimes, like with Jamey Vincouer, they just appear fully fleshed and ready to do battle.  As with many in the Honour series I “knew” them when I saw them.  Sometimes this was just in my head.  But I do remember that with Samuel Goodchurch, aka “Preacher” due to his bible quoting tendency, that I had a vague idea what he looked until I saw a man at church one evening. It is rather embarrassing to have your husband ask you why you were ogling a stranger during church services.  Good thing I didn’t have a camera with me.

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Other times it takes a while.  I’ll see a photo or someone on tv or in a movie and they stay with me.  Over time they morph in looks and develop a personality all their own. I don’t believe I have ever drawn anyone whole and complete from real life.  Rather I combine characteristics and personality traits that I admire or don’t as the case may be to form new individuals. Many I believe are made up of parts and pieces of the thousands of characters I’ve encountered in the books I have read.

Sometimes the story comes first and the characters are magically plotted along with it by whatever strange function the brain uses.  This used to really worry me for sanity’s sake until I learned it happens with other writers.

For characters that just “appear” whole and complete except their growth during a story I seldom do a character chart.  But Lucien Merristorm, the hero in Honour’s Redemption proved to be an extremely difficult character for me when it came to his growth arc.  Lucian had been on a downward spiral through the previous three Honour books and I thought I knew him well.  When it came to his own book I ran into a brick wall about half way through the story.  In the end I did a character chart which didn’t help. In the end I did an emotional change/growth chart as I followed the synopsis. This enabled me to get a much firmer grasp on Lucien and I finished the book which will be published later this year.

Do you ever imagine characters or lives about characters from books you've read?

Where do my characters come from? (Kate O’Hara)

I’ve been writing for less than a year, so am a novice at the various elements of structure like character and plot development. I also have to admit to feeling a bit like a fraud in that my writing is memoir driven. A disclaimer preface in all my books states: The following story is like many movies today—based on “true” events. Literary license allows me to leave out some of the boring parts and enhance some others for your entertainment.

So, the obvious answer to the source of my characters is real life people. Luckily, I am of an age where most of the characters I have written about are long gone and can’t be either flattered or embarrassed by inclusion. Each of the characters is based on someone specific with name changed (of course). I don’t always make these characters as well-rounded as they were in real life, but emphasize certain traits to tell the story from the perspective I have chosen. A few of the characters are composites of several people who played a similar part in propelling the plot along. In all cases, the characters are people I thought were important enough in my own life to earn a spot in print.

Character names come from a variety of sources, of course. I like to give a nod to my current friends by using their first names for characters. This is always with permission, of course, and their approval to be associated with such a character. My tall, dark gun dog judge friend in Washington lent her name to the petite, blonde ballroom dancer in one story. Another writer with an unusual first name was pleased to become a rather flamboyant character in my “Seeker” series of short stories. I always send her clips of the stories where I use her name to make sure she likes them.

I’m past seventy and the “Greek Fire” series I write takes place in the 1960s. I found myself checking for obituaries of those people I wanted to include so I wouldn’t “out” them or some of their less glorious behaviors from that era. Recently I discovered that one minor character I had outlined for a little subplot was alive and still in the media. Even though I had not seen him in nearly 50 years, I took a few minutes to call and say hello. He barely remembered me, of course. I wasn’t even a blip on his radar at the time, but he did have an impact on my life back then. I opted to cut him and the whole subplot from the story rather than take a chance someone would recognize him in his wilder days. You’re welcome, Don. J

Where Do My Characters Come From? (Z Minor)

Where Do My Characters Come From?

Z. Minor

Author of Historical Romantic & Contemporary Suspense Novels.

First I have to have a title for my novel and determine what year the story is going to take place before I can think of any characters and their names. Names have to fit the time period especially historical novels. I have discovered doing research over the years, people and their actions haven’t changed much. Since the beginning of time people have loved, hated, cheated, and killed for numerous reasons. The landscape and style of clothes may change, but people and their motives not so much.

Some bestselling novel I have recently read came from recent headlines. Newspapers, newscasts, and magazines not only supply plot ideas but names, character’s motives, and locations for stories.

Once I have settled on a main plot. I can start thinking about the characters who will have an active role and help to shape the outcome of the story. They can be from any walk of life, rich, poor, male, female, and of course children. Animals add another dimension and will also need a name.

Character names come from baby books. Phone book are especially great for last names. If I hear an interesting name I write it down for a later date. I usually only start writing a story with the names for my main characters.

Juletta, my husband’s grandmother’s middle name, is the name of my contemporary heroine in “Artful Deception.” One of Juletta’s friends in the story is named Ray. She has known him since grade school, and calls him Raymo throughout the story. I believe this adds a personal touch just like everyday life.

I do an interview with my main characters and some secondary characters, but only if they appear throughout the entire novel. The depth of the interview depends on how important they are to the story. Some of my main character interviews are done before I start writing a new story and some are done no later than three chapters into the book. By then I know how important the character is going to be and if the story is worth continuing to write. Some interviews I do when a character appears as I am writing a scene.

The interviews usually cover their childhood or some aspects of it, their likes and dislikes. How they got to where they are, when they appear in the story. Lastly what are their dreams for the present and future? In some cases, I want to know how they plan to get where they want to go. Any information that will help me to give the characters added dimension. Most of the time I don’t use many of the facts I garner from the interviews and the reader will never know them. However, I need them to create a believable character.

Names for secondary characters I find when I need a name after I have written them into an important scene. Actions of characters I take from everyday life. Historical newspapers, like “The London Times”, has given me insights into everyday life during its publication. There are many books that show the life and time of a given time period. There are also dictionaries such as “Dictionary of the Old West” 1850 to 1900 which can help with dialogue.

Names are interesting to me and I have found them while on vacation, reading a book, and meeting new people. My characters actions are many times from something I have seen, read about, remembered from way back when, or heard second hand. I am a people watcher as I think most writers are.

So Beware!! Your actions and your name just might just find their way into one of my books.

A Villain-ing We Shall Go (Penny Rader)

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Happy Halloween!

My apologies for posting so late.

Since we've been discussing our favorite villains this month I thought I'd check out the internet to see what sort of tips I could find for villains.  Below are a few bullet points of what I found.

Please click through the links to read the entire articles. The authors have some really great suggestions.

And, as always, if you find something helpful, save it or print it because you never know when it might disappear from the 'net.

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3 Traits Your Hero and Villain Should Share (K.M. Weiland)

1. Personality
2. Values
3. Goals

Guide to Writing a Villain

• Name
• Background
• Personality
• Morality
• The 9 Alignments
• Motive
• How? Why?
• Sympathize

Hannibal, Nurse Ratched, the Shark? Creating Your Villain (James Thayer)

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Roles of Villains:

1. Adds tension
2. Offers contrast
3. Adds interest

Techniques for creating villains:

1. Make him tough
2. Make him understandable
3. Make him odd
4. Ration the badness

How to Create a Credible Villain in Fiction

1. Start by reading Create a Fictional Character from Scratch 
2. What's your story all about and how does a villain fit into the grand scheme of the story as whole? 
3. Choose the degree of evilness or just plain "ick" you want to place into your villain. 
4. Create a single, traumatic incident for your villain. 
5. Expand on this singular incident. 
6. Choose a single thing that the character adores without greed or malice.
7. Combine the "turning point" and the "single thing" and bounce them back and forth in your mind.
8. Take into account the hero of the story.
9. Does the villain get eventually redeemed or does he stay a bad guy?
10. Think of some fears
11. Remember that a GOOD villain drives the conflict of the story.
12. A good villain is still human.
13. One last thing to remember is that the more evil and threatening a villain is, the more often their evil plans work.
14. Only kill off the villain if they deserved it. 

How to Write a Villain (Mette Ivie Harrison)

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1. What makes the villain evil?
2. What does the villain want?
3. How will the villain know that s/he has been successful?
4. What is the world that will come about and what will be his/her place in it?
5. What does the villain loves?
6. What is the villain's weakness?
7. What does the villain hate about the hero?

How to Write Better Heroes and Villains: Archetypes (Brian Klems)

The author gives several archetypes for women and men.  Also included are what the villain version of the archetype might be.  For example:

• As a villain, the Seductive Muse becomes the Femme Fatale who deliberately uses her charms to control men
• As a villain, the Matriarch becomes the Scorned Woman who is passive-aggressive and needs to be in control.
• As a villain, the Businessman becomes the Traitor who will do anything to bring order into his life.
• As a villain, the King becomes the Dictator whose need to control others becomes an obsession.

Villains: Because a Good Bad Guy Is the Author’s Best Friend (Hilari Bell)

A good villain must be:

• Active
• Smart
• Sensibly motivated, and no worse than he has to be to achieve his goal 

The Villain’s Journey (Allison Brennan)

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• Most villains don’t see themselves as bad. 
• Disney villains are among the best villains out there … but they are clear and focused.
• But my favorite villains are characters who aren’t all evil and, in fact, might play both sides of the coin. 
• There are many other complex “villains” who aren’t really villains, but not necessarily good-guys either. 
• Then you get a movie like FROZEN where you have layers of “villains.” 

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Do you have special techniques for creating villains or references to share?

My Favorite Villains (Penny Rader)

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This month's topic is Who Is Your Favorite Villain?  Since I can never pick just one of anything, here are a dozen of my favorites:

1. Mags Bennett from the second season of TV series Justified.
2. Boyd Crowder from the TV series Justified -- I'm bummed the upcoming season will be the final season. I love watching the interaction between Raylan and Boyd.
3. Beast from the fairy tale Beauty & the Beast -- I am fond of redeemed villains (or least those who many people might consider to be villains) as you'll see from most of my choices for this post.
4. Jason Morgan from the soap opera General Hospital -- I haven't seen the show for a while, but he had his own code.  I never felt like he was evil, but would do what he had to in order to protect those he loved. 
5. Sonny Corinthos from the soap opera General Hospital -- I don't usually like mobsters, but there's just something about him.  Amazing eyes.  So much emotion revealed through them.
6. Julianne Potter (played by Julia Roberts) in the movie My Best Friend's Wedding -- yes, she's trying her darnedest to break up a wedding, but I love her anyway.
7. Ebenezer Scrooge from The Christmas Carol -- again, my kind of villain.  Redeemed by the end of the movie(s).  I haven't  read the book.  Must remedy that.
8. Castor Troy (played by Nicholas Cage & John Travolta) in the movie Face/Off. Both actors did a fabulous job playing both Sean Archer (hero of the movie) and Castor Troy.  And while Castor Troy was never redeemed, he did teach Sean's daughter a handy trick.  

   

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9. Mr Gold/Rumpelstiltskin from the TV series Once Upon a Time -- about the time I think he's
   completely nonredeemable, something happens to make me hope he'll change his ways and make better choices.
10. Regina/Evil Queen from the TV series Once Upon a Time -- about the time I think she's completely nonredeemable, something happens to make me hope she'll change her ways because we saw that she wasn't born evil.
11. Neal McCaffery from the TV series White Collar -- he's a con man who works with the FBI.  I don't usually go for con men, but inside he's a really good guy. And super hot.  Again, bummed the series is ending.
12. Mozzy from the TV series White Collar -- I'm really going to miss him, too, when the show ends.  He's a criminal...but he doesn't go after innocents.  He makes me laugh and his back story made me go "awww." 

    

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Do you have any favorite villains?  Please share!

My Favoite Villain? by J Vincent

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Villain.  Favorite? Not two words I would usually put together. In fact, when I read the topic my dimwittedness showed in a muttered, “Huh?”  Several moments, rather days later, I had to admit I could recall very few villains. In a lot of the books I read, character flaws are the “villains.”  In my favorite murder mysteries, the killer is the villain.  I find very little to admire or like in any of those. The only villain I could originally think of as anything close to favorite is Donatien in my Honour Series. When I contemplated why I decided it was because I have been in his mind and skin far deeper than in any book I’ve ever read.  He has surprised me by being good as well as evil when I didn’t think there was an ounce of good in him.  Perhaps he’ll turn out to be like Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, prince de Bénévent.  Tallyrand was initially a bishop in pre-revolutionary France.  He joined the heroes of the Terror, changed once again in the Directory and then again when Napoleon declared himself Emperor.  Tallyrand even managed to forge a place for himself in the Bourbon Restoration after Napoleon’s defeat.  He would make an excellent villain.

So, what makes a good villain.  Taking a page from Penny’s always informative posts, I did some searching. 

Villainous Characters  begins with the definition:  "The classic villain is the antithesis of the  hero, being bad where the hero is good, selfish where the hero is selfless, harming others where the hero saves them.” This opposite-ness is particularly useful in the contrast that it provides between the hero and the villain. In this way, they each define the other.”  There follows eighteen villain types with brief definitions.

On Some Loose Change: A Movie Blog I found a very interesting article A Dime On: 10 Traits of Highly-Effective Villains. In short:

1.         How strong/powerful they are.

2.         How they used said strength and power.

3.         How they are defeated.

4.         Their character and motivations.

5.         Ironic Origins and Relationships with the Hero

6.         Composure

7.         The Distinctive Look

8.         Ruthless Conviction

9.         Mystery

10.       Being “Relatable”

 

The innovateus site has an article  What are the Characteristics of a Good Literary Villain? which may clarify the villain image.

 

On Mythic Scribes I found a very precise definition which you should read in full.  This article condenses traits of villainous traits to  “Powerful. Intelligent. Immoral. Wounded. Determined” adding that they are not meant to be all inclusive.

 

All this information got me thinking.  I’ve learned or rather re-learned, quite a bit about villains. What I need to find somewhere in my mind is a villain on a book like the movie villain Darth Vadar in Star Wars.  Or the Wicked Witch in Oz. Here’s a site that gives one version of a Top 50 Literary Villains. Check it out and see if any of the make your list.