About those Minor/Supporting/Secondary Characters...

Rich characters to interact with the H/H (hero/heroine) or lack of them can make or break a story. Finding the right balance is key, but how is that done?

The answer is study. And that's where knowing what publishing company and line you're targeting comes in handy.

For instance, in shorter books--category/series of 50,000-55,000 words--it's imperative to keep the H/H together as much as possible. Focus on them, and have the supporting characters there to support them--or play a little matchmaking, as sometimes happens. You'll be glad you did and won't end up like I did with my first book, going back to rewrite scenes where the heroine spent time talking to the hero's step-brother, instead of interacting with the hero!

There is a little addendum to this. In category romance, each line (i.e. Desire, Intrigue, Superromance), there are certain things that set them apart. A good example is Harlequin American Romance, which centers a lot around small towns. A few quirky and memorable characters, thrown in for balance can be a good thing. Just don't let those minors take over the story or the action/dialogue between the H/H.

In longer books, especially single title (80,000 words and up), there's a lot more room to add deeper and more interseting secondary characters. So much so that these characters often have subplots of their own in which their conflict is introduced and solved by the end. Just remember to solve theirs first, before solving the big conflict between the main H/H of the story.

So who makes good secondary characters? Family members, including parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Best friends of both sexes can add a lot, especially when needing to show that the heroine doesn't hate men, just that particular hero. (grin) Co-workers and roommates can work well. A short discussion or even a few lines from a secondary character can give a hero or heroine a new slant on the relationship he or she is dealing with...or battling.

If you're not sure how to find the balance, read. Read the types of books you want your story to be and pay attention to what's going on. Using a highlighter to mark where secondary characters are involved is one idea of how to single out those sections.

Last, but not least, be careful that secondary characters don't take over the book, outshining the hero and heroine. Give them quirks to make them stand out, but don't leave the H/H lingering in the wings. It's them readers want to know and follow through the trials and tribulations of love.

EAT YOUR HEART OUT KEN & BARBIE

Once upon a time in a land far, far away all our favorite romance characters were from the Ken and Barbie School of Romance. You know what I mean, don’t you? Tall, dark and handsome hero’s with strong, broad shoulders and sexy dimples framing their devil-may-care-smiles. They usually had a smattering of soft dark curls on their chests, throbbing body parts, and really, really deep pockets. (I’m talking a place to put their massive wealth now.) This described nearly all the hero’s from doctors to cowboys to bad-boy pirates and everything between.

And heroines, oh my goodness. They were always petite and gorgeous with long flowing hair and tightly fitted bodices, nurse’s uniforms or stewardess dresses. These garments covered their voluptuous bosoms and tiny waists. Often these women were penniless orphans in need of a big strapping man to take care of them. We rooted for these ladies, envied them and sighed when they finally got their happily-ever-after.

Well, that's old school romance and there's nothing wrong with that. We read to escape reality so it is perfectly okay to curl up with the beautiful people. But now we have a choice. We have broadened our horizons as readers and writers. No longer do hero’s and heroine’s have to look like cookie cutter characters. Today, they come in all shapes and sizes. They can be vampires, chefs, construction workers or athletes. They can be wheelchair bound or blind or poor, plus-sized people who get swept up in a romance that moves us to tears. Remember, we are limited only by our imagination.

Anyone ever read Walking After Midnight by Karen Robards? The heroine described the hero as Frankenstein for the first half of the book? Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer? The hero was dirt poor. Who are some of your favorite characters who are a bit different?

Whether you’re old school or new school always try to write compelling characters that readers fall in love with. In the end, that really is all that matters.

Hugs,
Reese

Where Do Ideas & Eye-Dears Come From?

I have always been a person who pays attention to details. Wondering who, what, why, where and when, without even knowing it. What is this, how does it work, why do I need one, where would I use it and who are you to tell me I need it in the first place?

Or I have a problem and I'll think about it until I come up with a solution. "Necessity is the mother of invention," for writers must be creative in their plots, places and character personalities in order to avoid getting stale and boring.

Writers are usually naturally curious. We see all the little parts and pieces of the world around us and try to make sense out of it all. We like sharing our little discoveries and might tend to embellish them as we go.

Everything you experience in life can be a story, and everyone you know can be a character for your next book, if mixed with a little imagination. You see a breathtakingly beautiful sunset, or walk under the milky moonlight and imagine sharing it with your special someone. You hear an achingly sweet love song, see an eye-popping billboard or go to the heart rending funeral of a child, and the old brain just starts ticking.

And sometimes they sound a little like this:

I know someone who is a Wichita lineman. So I got to thinking, what would it be like to live with someone who is often gone for days, weeks or months at a time? What would it be like to work in freezing temperatures for 12-14 hours a day so that someone else could be warm? Or climbing up on wet power poles with the wind still whipping from a recent storm? What about having to leave your warm home, go cross country, and sleep in a pickup truck during a snow storm because there are no hotels with power yet? What would it be like to miss your family, to not be there when your child begins to walk, or says Da Da for the first time? What if your spouse got tired of being a single parent and left you while you were gone helping other families? How would you respond? What would you be thinking? Would you chuck the job and try to put your family back together? And if so, what kind of job would you look for now? Or would you put others before yourself and continue to help those in need while your world falls apart?

Make him look like your heroic macho dream and you now have an idea, conflict, black moment, life changing decisions and a story is born. All you need to finish it is the happily ever after and a little work. (Ok, a lot of work!)

Every writer is different and every writer sees the world through their own rose colored glasses. So put on those specs and pay attention, you've got an idea for your next story. But don't let me read my idea in your new book!

Don't Forget the Flaws! (Penny Rader)

I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand perfect people. Or perfect characters. Why? Perfect people remind me just how imperfect I am and perfect characters are, well, boring. Flawed characters are so much more interesting. They learn and grow over the course of the story.

This is what Connie Flynn has to say in Building Three-Dimensional Characters: Give your central characters a fatal flaw. While greed, envy, vanity and the rest of the seven deadly sins are perfect flaws for villains, virtues carried to extreme usually works best for protagonists. For instance, a nurturing nature can become controlling or smothering. A lighthearted attitude can become irresponsibility. If a more deadly flaw is chosen, it must be well motivated. In the villain, this flaw is a vice carried to extremes. In both cases, the fatal flaw is the trait that has the potential to bring about the character's downfall. http://members.cox.net/cflynn11/articles_tips1.html

Laurie Schnebly Campbell has a terrific article you might want to read, Creating Your Hero's Fatal Flaw. She uses the personality typing called enneagrams. There are nine of them and each one has a fatal flaw built into it. Check out her workshop: http://www.booklaurie.com/workshops_flaw2.php

Here are a few more articles you might find helpful:The Fatal Flaw – The Most Essential Element for Bringing Characters to Life by Dara Marks
http://www.writersstore.com/article.php?articles_id=788

Being, Doing, Becoming: The Heroic Strength, the Heroic Flaw, the Heroic Journey by Alicia Rasley
http://www.sff.net/people/alicia/artflaw.htm

Flawed Characters and Why We Love Them by Kris Cramer
http://www.writersmind.com/articles/flawedcharacters.html

Fiction Writing: Flaw Your Character by a guy named Harry
http://menwithpens.ca/fiction-writing-flaw-your-character

Not sure how to go about deciding what your character’s flaw is? Try this exercise from Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass:

Step 1: What is your protagonist’s defining quality; that is, how would anyone describe your protagonist. What trait is most prominent in his personality? What kind of person is she?

Step 2: Objectively speaking, what is the opposite of that quality?

So, who are your favorite flawed characters? Do you have any tips for creating them?

WARA does D.C.

Not to overwrite Pat's great post, but I had to share.

Jessica Matthews, Mills & Boone Medical author

and

Reese Mobley

at the eHarlequin PJ Party??

Thanks to Holly Jacobs for sharing her photos on Facebook!

Ya gotta get a thick skin

Writing is a personal experience unlike anything else I've ever done. Writing a story is pouring your heart and soul onto paper. It's almost a secret life. We authors sit alone, typing away, trying to craft the best possible prose and plot. Honestly, we all love what we've written. We know we have talent and we know it's a good story.

Now for the hard part. Someone else has to read it. What if they don't like it? Oh, what do they know, anyway. Our baby is perfect.

Having someone else read your work is important. After all, that's what you want, isn't it. You want thousands and thousands of people to read your work. So you have to start somewhere.

You have have your mother, your daughter or your best friend read it, but they love you and they are going to love what you've written. They'll try not to hurt your feelings.

Get someone who doesn't love you to read it if you really want to know if it's good. Tell them you want constructive criticism. Insist on it, and be prepared to listen. Yes, it hurts, but it this person tells you, "I didn't understand why the heroine did such and such." You quickly explain why.
No. No. No. If your reader didn't get it, you missed the mark as a writer. Other readers, editors and agents may not get it either.

Time to toughen up your skin and revise that beautiful baby. A gem is just a rock in the dirt until someone picks it up and polishes it.

I've off at a conference and won't be able to respond to your comments. Please forgive me.
Blessings

Pat

How Often to change POV

POV (Point of View) is a writer’s term to define a reader’s experience to a story. The reader will become involved in the character’s viewpoint. POV has many options.


First Person
Second Person
Third Person
Omniscient



These techniques could be discussed in-depth in the future. The topic for today’s blog is “When to Change POV?”


Change POV at the end of every chapter? Or switch after every scene? Can a writer change POV if the character changes settings?


I use the method of POV change from scene to scene. Using the characters with the most at stake and having the most to lose or gain at that moment. I write suspense, so there might be a point during the scene, I’ll change POV. With a traumatic or scary event involving more than one character during that scene.


For Example: I usually have the heroine’s need first. I try to remain in that POV during that scene. Second scene will be the Villains. Then back to my heroine in the third scene. If the character POV changes during that scene, it usually is through dialogue. I call this pacing. Some writers use the word rhythm to the story.



Don’t switch POV too often though. This is known as head hopping. Your story will take away the emotional excitement the reader is experiencing. Once this happens the reader’s involvement with your characters will lose interest. The reader may put the book down, never knowing how your characters work out their conflict, or knowing how you bring your story to it’s happy ending.


Once you know your craft, the transition can be done smoothly keeping the reader’s interest from chapter to chapter, scene to scene, reaching the happy ending. POV has many faces. Use the one that works best for you. Point of View takes practice. The more you write and read your story out loud, you will find what Point of View technique will work the best for you. Sharon.