The giddy moment came about a week ago when I was giving a freshman marching advice. (That’s right, the assumed ‘author’ position doesn’t stop at the last click of the keyboard!)
I was explaining exactly how a role step works, and, in my usual fashion, ended up making the student laugh in the process. Still giggling, he turned to his friend and said something equally as funny that stopped me cold. I spread my mouth in a wide grin and exclaimed, “Oh man! You sound just like Cashel!”
“Who?” he said.
I only responded, “Hold on a second,” before sprinting for a piece of paper and a pen.
Nothing is more exciting to me than when your characters really start to live in your head. I’ve spent the past month learning all about a few of my characters’ cultures and whittling away at shaping them into exactly what I need them to become to fill their roles. With each and every day I find myself more and more often musing things to myself like, “This song reminds me so much of Sarah,” or, “Whoa– add a Welsh accent to that boy and he’d sound just like Arvel!”
Yes, it should all start with your characters, and I’m not just talking looks!
In my novel, Victor, the main character comes in the form of an eighteen year old boy named David O’Neal. David is of average weight and height for his age, has a thick flop of sandy colored hair on his head, darkly-tinted blue eyes, and is usually seen in the standard blue jeans and T-shirt.
At this point, most writers would go, ‘Alright! Good to go! Let’s get on with the story!’ But not I, dear Readers! David is missing so much! A personality! A past! A life!
Words like, “shy,” or “mean,” are NOT personality labels. We’ve all had our shy and mean moments. It’s like this—at some point in my book, a character is going to find his or herself immersed in some sort of small-talk conversation. Without a personality, how on earth are they going to respond to anything?
With that said, I can’t start writing my book just because the readers know David is 18, has sandy colored hair, etc. I can only begin when I as the author understand that David is kind, but not silent, lives with his sister and mother, loves to read about history, is half Irish, and still struggles with the fact that his father was shot on David’s birthday a few years before the book started. He’s loved to fly in any sort of aircraft since he was very young and always convinces his mom they have to fly on vacations. He also has a habit of stumbling onto the news channel, which is a depressing habit, as he and his father used to spend time together poking fun of the English broadcasters on BBC.
Which version of this character seems more real? I mean, really.
Music is a good way to inspire authors with ideas for character traits. Sometimes I go out at night in my field and put my iPod on shuffle for awhile. As I listen, I imagine my own music videos in which my characters star as they vanquish their struggles and tear through the written lines of my book. It’s one of the more exciting things I do with my time, sadly. But I suppose it’s something you have to experience to understand.
So, young writers, ask yourselves: how well do you really know your characters? Do you know them inside and out—past, present, and future? I can say I certainly do!
It’s with that in mind that I announce the start of my prologue. Yes, finally the time has come to get down to business. In fact, by the time you read this, the prologue should be completed! I seriously can’t contain myself. I’m so excited! Until next time, happy writing!
